Is the IQ Foil still a good foil?
Especially focused on light wind recreational sailing (6-12kts) with some speed.
Up/down reaches and jibing?
Or are there better lightwind foils (I've keep reading that the patrik aeon is really good but very spendy).
Patrik Aio / F4 / others?

Joe

Nothing wrong with the IQ foil if you want to cruise around upwind and downwind. I wouldnt broad reach too much on it because it can be a bit powerful, but its a good foil. Its not as good as the patrik but then its one third the price. If you can get one cheap it will serve you well until you decide you wanna spend some coin on a patrik aeon.

I think it is still a really good foil. Very stable, great for upwind down wind, the more you sail it the easier it becomes on a reach. Really nice with the 800 wing as the wind gets in 15-25 range, fun , maneuverable.

What speeds are you guys getting on the 900 and 115 fuse?

I'm not fast, but if it's flatter water I can get 21-22kts on the 900/115+. Others push it closer to 30kts in the right conditions but I haven't been able to suss out that speed myself. Maybe because of technique and rigging. Maybe because I never sand and clean my foil. Maybe both. The fast guys had tunable downhaul and were very particular about the specific masts they used, as they could feel the difference between how they felt and would carry multiple 530s and 9.0s.

When it's choppy I slow down quite a bit, but that maybe mostly a skill issue.

What is the low end of these foils with an 8.0 sail for a non Olympic 85 kg person with the 900 wing and 115 fuse?
Is it possible to foil in 6-8 kts or is more like 8-10kts with some pumping?

This is about as fast as i can push the IQ setup
Conditions where upo 30mph gust and short chop maybe 3ft
I have hit this speed or close to it a few times so seems to be a celing for me
Lightwind performance is maybe 8knts to foil with a 8m? 75kg rider
Wind speed is so hard to geuse though
Re posted i shared the wrong screen shot

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seaanchor said..


This is about as fast as i can push the IQ setup
Conditions where upo 30mph gust and short chop maybe 3ft
I have hit this speed or close to it a few times so seems to be a celing for me
Lightwind performance is maybe 8knts to foil with a 8m? 75kg rider
Wind speed is so hard to geuse though
Re posted i shared the wrong screen shot

3ft chop is so sketchy for me. What rake and other settings are you running in those conditions?

2.5deg its my biggest shim.
I have the old 255 stabiliser (not -2) and i use the -2shim on that if im going to be well powerd up.lots of down hall on the sail maybe abit more than recomended.its proper sketchy for me i have to try and run betwen the big ones then head up on a calmer bit
Somtimes its un avoidable you just have to hit them
As high as posible and hope
I have got the 105+fuse and 800 front wing that combo has inproved my peek by 1knt to 24.5 so not alot although 22nots is comfortable on that

The iq foil is actualy a very good price/performance option, especialy if you get a used set. It works great up to 25 knots of wind, depending on the sail and board of course. Reaching is quite intense though and its far more comfortable up and down wind.
My personal top speed was around 24 knots but it can go faster, you just need to be very comited and rail the board as hard as possible.
1.5 to 2 degree rake is what is recomended by the pro guys and the +0.5back shim with the -2 255 wing is optimal.

Difference to the Aeon or other newer foils is that the iq is les consistent and more of a handfull at speed. The Aeon is just super stable at speed and easy to controll while the Iq can feel al ower the place. Also you can definitely feel that it has more resitance in the water especially in wind holes.

Minimum takeof wind for me with a 9.0 and the IQ was around 8 knots, but i weigh 98kg. You need to pump to get into air but then its fine and can ride even in 6-7 knots. For lighter riders 6-8 knots shoudl not be an issue, but again pumping is key.

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seaanchor said..
2.5deg its my biggest shim.
I have the old 255 stabiliser (not -2) and i use the -2shim on that if im going to be well powerd up.lots of down hall on the sail maybe abit more than recomended.its proper sketchy for me i have to try and run betwen the big ones then head up on a calmer bit
Somtimes its un avoidable you just have to hit them
As high as posible and hope
I have got the 105+fuse and 800 front wing that combo has inproved my peek by 1knt to 24.5 so not alot although 22nots is comfortable on that

Ahh thank you. There is a spot here that is very disorganized so it's hard to find a trough to line up downwind and send it on. There is a better spot that is flatter but you run out of room before the shallows. With the 105+ I've gone a knot or two faster, but I've also gone all the way down to the 550 front on it. I usually only use the smaller wings when it's more protected and less choppy, or switch to a freeride foil and small sail (or just fin).

The better spot also has a shoal that may be a great speed spot when the wind is offshore. I just haven't done it. Sandbar would block all the chop and in the right direction could be an easy send.

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aeroegnr said..
I'm not fast, but if it's flatter water I can get 21-22kts on the 900/115+. Others push it closer to 30kts in the right conditions but I haven't been able to suss out that speed myself. Maybe because of technique and rigging. Maybe because I never sand and clean my foil. Maybe both. The fast guys had tunable downhaul and were very particular about the specific masts they used, as they could feel the difference between how they felt and would carry multiple 530s and 9.0s.

When it's choppy I slow down quite a bit, but that maybe mostly a skill issue.

is that on the carbon or alu mast? My top so far was 25mph on the alu mast. It feels so difficult to keep pressure on the foil. I am 100kg and not sure if ill have the same issue if i upgraded to the carb mast but every time i really pull pressure on the foil it snaps back

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cris21 said..

aeroegnr said..
I'm not fast, but if it's flatter water I can get 21-22kts on the 900/115+. Others push it closer to 30kts in the right conditions but I haven't been able to suss out that speed myself. Maybe because of technique and rigging. Maybe because I never sand and clean my foil. Maybe both. The fast guys had tunable downhaul and were very particular about the specific masts they used, as they could feel the difference between how they felt and would carry multiple 530s and 9.0s.

When it's choppy I slow down quite a bit, but that maybe mostly a skill issue.

is that on the carbon or alu mast? My top so far was 25mph on the alu mast. It feels so difficult to keep pressure on the foil. I am 100kg and not sure if ill have the same issue if i upgraded to the carb mast but every time i really pull pressure on the foil it snaps back

Carbon. And it was while weighing 90-95kg.

I would also be faster I think if I used the rear footstrap more. Most of my runs for speed have not be in the rear strap.

Another vote: yes. For "just riding around" and club racing, still a very good foil. If you can also grab a few of the other wings (1000*, 800, 725) for cheap, too, you can really extend the range. For reaching in big conditions, the long fuse can be a touch slow to react ie trying to keep the nose down riding over swell. The square tips are a lot more tolerant of abuse than more modern wing shapes, too.

I have a friend who is an intermediate foiler and was riding bigger SABfoil wings. Grabbed an IQ foil and board for cheap and it really elevated his level. He's definitely more freeride than freerace but ends up using the IQ way more than he or I would have expected because of its range. He's about 75 kg.

I have a very nice modern race foil which is "better". But, it's not as robust and the IQ tolerates more abuse. I use the IQ in sketchy launches or when I just want to chuck a foil in a board and go. At my weight, 62 kg, I can use a 7.0 from about 8-22 kts without a problem and glide through even lighter patches. A good pumping game and light air jibing skills go a long way in getting the max out of it and it even impresses my winging friends.

I tend to ride +1 on the shim with the mast base at 104-5 off the front screw.

* Interestingly, the more I've ridden the 900, the less enamored I am with the 1000. The 1000 is still a great way to get off the water when there are no white caps but the slippery nature of the 900 shows up pretty quickly. At my size, I can go down to the 725 pretty easily in 10-12 kts and just skip the 800 but the 800 is much more available and a touch quicker than the 900.

Aeroegn i dont have the back strap on i find i move around on diffrent points of sail
Maybe i shouldnt do that ?
I have the carbon mast although its not the thicker IQ
Mast which could be my top speed instability problem

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seaanchor said..
Aeroegn i dont have the back strap on i find i move around on diffrent points of sail
Maybe i shouldnt do that ?
I have the carbon mast although its not the thicker IQ
Mast which could be my top speed instability problem

Berowne mentions using the rear for speed. The racers all seem to use the rear in slalom mode (if it's not nuking). I had my rears way too tight and difficult to get into for a while because I had an awkward fall a while back and tweaked my foot some, but haven't recently opened them back up. For freeride now I use the rear almost all the time (center strap though) unless doing silly things like running an 8.0 on a tiny board and having to get way out on the rail to sheet in. But that's not this foil nor is it fast.

Back footstrap for up and down wind foiling is optional. Generally for upwind i have my foot infront of the rear fotstrap, as this way i can close the sail more and have a more powerful stance. For control, especialy in reaching, the back strap is a good option as it widens your stance, and you have more control. When you are just freeriding and not bothering to go fast the rear strap is not needed at all.

Its amazing how foiling brings in so many set ups and so many different ways to make it work.


i find it better on almost the polar opposite. Upwind i'm always in the back strap, as it allows me to hit better upwind angles, and direct the power with a better stance. Soon as i shift more than say 10 degrees off best upwind angle, i'm out of the back strap to get my weight further forward. I find staying hooked into the back strap off breeze in all but the lightest of breezes gets mighty uncomfortable really quick.

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Subsonic said..
Its amazing how foiling brings in so many set ups and so many different ways to make it work.


i find it better on almost the polar opposite. Upwind i'm always in the back strap, as it allows me to hit better upwind angles, and direct the power with a better stance. Soon as i shift more than say 10 degrees off best upwind angle, i'm out of the back strap to get my weight further forward. I find staying hooked into the back strap off breeze in all but the lightest of breezes gets mighty uncomfortable really quick.

I'll be the +1 guy. Going upwind, it feels like I get another click in angle and speed getting in the back strap. Only if it's crazy overpowered and I'm in survival mode do I come out.

Harder to stay in the back strap with a VMG set up because there's a significant front foot pressure bias in my set up. I'm on the smaller side so I quickly go from powered to overpowered on a reach. I feel like I spend more time on a reach just keeping things glued together. fwiw, the women (whom are much closer to my size) at the IQ Euros finals seemed to be out of the back straps downwind.

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Paducah said..

Subsonic said..
Its amazing how foiling brings in so many set ups and so many different ways to make it work.


i find it better on almost the polar opposite. Upwind i'm always in the back strap, as it allows me to hit better upwind angles, and direct the power with a better stance. Soon as i shift more than say 10 degrees off best upwind angle, i'm out of the back strap to get my weight further forward. I find staying hooked into the back strap off breeze in all but the lightest of breezes gets mighty uncomfortable really quick.

I'll be the +1 guy. Going upwind, it feels like I get another click in angle and speed getting in the back strap. Only if it's crazy overpowered and I'm in survival mode do I come out.

Harder to stay in the back strap with a VMG set up because there's a significant front foot pressure bias in my set up. I'm on the smaller side so I quickly go from powered to overpowered on a reach. I feel like I spend more time on a reach just keeping things glued together. fwiw, the women (whom are much closer to my size) at the IQ Euros finals seemed to be out of the back straps downwind.

If you look at the iq fleet a lot of them are out of the back footstrap in the lighter conditions for upwind, as this way you have a more upright stance and more power. Rear strap is usally for control when wind pick up.

That said a lot of the riders just put the foot on top of the back footstrap, as removing it is not alowed under iq rules. And a lot of the formula foil guys do not have the rear straps installed at all....

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Karbonko said..

Paducah said..

Subsonic said..
Its amazing how foiling brings in so many set ups and so many different ways to make it work.


i find it better on almost the polar opposite. Upwind i'm always in the back strap, as it allows me to hit better upwind angles, and direct the power with a better stance. Soon as i shift more than say 10 degrees off best upwind angle, i'm out of the back strap to get my weight further forward. I find staying hooked into the back strap off breeze in all but the lightest of breezes gets mighty uncomfortable really quick.

I'll be the +1 guy. Going upwind, it feels like I get another click in angle and speed getting in the back strap. Only if it's crazy overpowered and I'm in survival mode do I come out.

Harder to stay in the back strap with a VMG set up because there's a significant front foot pressure bias in my set up. I'm on the smaller side so I quickly go from powered to overpowered on a reach. I feel like I spend more time on a reach just keeping things glued together. fwiw, the women (whom are much closer to my size) at the IQ Euros finals seemed to be out of the back straps downwind.

If you look at the iq fleet a lot of them are out of the back footstrap in the lighter conditions for upwind, as this way you have a more upright stance and more power. Rear strap is usally for control when wind pick up.

That said a lot of the riders just put the foot on top of the back footstrap, as removing it is not alowed under iq rules. And a lot of the formula foil guys do not have the rear straps installed at all....

I've never used back strap in light or strong winds I find it's good to make small adjustments with back foot without upsetting foil stability (especially at speed )

One of these days I'll try to send it in the rear strap and see if it indeed makes me faster.

On another note, when I first got the board I put all six straps on, which included the inboard chicken strap positions. I think that's from formula board days?

Those were easy to use but from what I remember weren't quite where I wanted my foot to be. Haven't used them there since. Wonder what the story is there. I see the riders that don't use the rear put then in those spots, but flat, just to stay compliant.

anyone tried using one of those hooks for the rear straps? i never use the back straps bc im a bit afraid of catapulting hard. i took out one strap the other day and felt completely lost on the board, i guess i like to put pressure against the strap but not fully commit to it. wondering if a half strap would give me the added control without the commitment of a regular strap.

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cris21 said..
anyone tried using one of those hooks for the rear straps? i never use the back straps bc im a bit afraid of catapulting hard. i took out one strap the other day and felt completely lost on the board, i guess i like to put pressure against the strap but not fully commit to it. wondering if a half strap would give me the added control without the commitment of a regular strap.

I've ridden someone else's board with them briefly. They felt good, but risk sail damage because they are stiff.
What I didn't like is I have screws and a plate in my leg that are right where the hard part is. That was uncomfortable for me personally.

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aeroegnr said..

cris21 said..
anyone tried using one of those hooks for the rear straps? i never use the back straps bc im a bit afraid of catapulting hard. i took out one strap the other day and felt completely lost on the board, i guess i like to put pressure against the strap but not fully commit to it. wondering if a half strap would give me the added control without the commitment of a regular strap.

I've ridden someone else's board with them briefly. They felt good, but risk sail damage because they are stiff.
What I didn't like is I have screws and a plate in my leg that are right where the hard part is. That was uncomfortable for me personally.

me too, thats why im a bit scared of the back strap. 5 screws and a plate on the ankle. I tried them once in my freeride set and didnt really like them

also largely in the +1 camp, but it depends as always... in addition to what's already been mentioned, the board width/outline play a big role too (eg, a very wide board/tail will make it much harder to stay in the back strap on a reach/broad reach)

that said, all else equal, if speed (so not necessarily VMG) is the objective the back strap is your friend. tried and tested, instantly adds a knot or two. otoh, it also raises the stakes, so a safety mechanism (a la free fall hook) becomes less of a luxury.

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cris21 said..
anyone tried using one of those hooks for the rear straps? i never use the back straps bc im a bit afraid of catapulting hard. i took out one strap the other day and felt completely lost on the board, i guess i like to put pressure against the strap but not fully commit to it. wondering if a half strap would give me the added control without the commitment of a regular strap.

I use hooks in the back, but not for the reason you listed. I rarely go straight for long, so i want the back food free, as it am constantly moving it as I carve around in the swell. The rear hook facing forward is there to give me an anchor point when I need to drive hard back upwind - and it works well for that. I use a normal front strap.

While I am here a gotta say that in my opinion the IQ is a mediocre foil that only exists because of one design racing. It's not fast, it doesn't do great angles, and it doesn't carve well. Basically i feel that a current generation foil from any manufacturer would be an upgrade.

IQ foil is solid option that is past its used by date for elite foils but like a retired race horse should be fine around the paddock.
rear foot straps add stability, prevent catapults because you are locked in and touch downs don't cause accidents. Also adds about 2nd of board speed. Cant the board over, sheet in by pushing out more off your legs & harness, and send it!