Fast505 said..
FWIW, I use the 76 and 84 on the Levi 160, both in the "B" position but in slightly different locations in the track. I calibrate my mast track and UJ so that I can replicate settings easily. Generally, I put my 84 on "6" and the 76 on "3" using my scale (see pic). The numbers align with the leading edge of the mast. This positions the front foil about in the middle of my straps so that my feet have even pressure while sailing. Small adjustments DO make a difference. It was light to start last night so I used my 84 at "7" which was good for getting on foil sooner. I moved my UJ back to about "3" (see pic) which also helped initially. However, when the wind built I found that having the foil fwd and UJ back made for a very twitchy ride - small differences in my weight and sail trim made larger differences in the trim of the board. I was using my Ezzy Hydra 7.0. Winds were about 12-14 knots at most having picked up from 8-10 (no white caps and really no dark water)I'm 200 lbs and I can pump onto foil with this combo in 10 knots no problem. Personally, I think the 99 is not necessary even at 225. The problem with the 84 is that it tops out around 18 mph. Try pushing it harder and the flow separates and you come crashing down. The 84 is so forgiving that beyond a sudden breech this is the only think that causes you to crash hard. Otherwise, it just gurgles a bit when it gets close to the surface which you can easily correct for before you crash it. The 99 will have even a lower maximum speed and I'm not really sure that would be beneficial. I would've been better off last night on the 76 when the wind was over 12 knots.

A very interesting aspect of learning to foil! On the slapper, Im decent at using swell from behind to get going. On the i84, it's a different story. I can get going halfway well when going against the swell, but have a harder time coming back in. When going down the swell, the foil is often pushed down, even when the board accelerates. Then when the a wave overtakes me, the board suddenly gets pushed up a lot. Confused me mightily for a few sessions, but I'm now starting to get an idea what is going on. Still have to figure out how to use it to get going with swell coming at an angle from behind. It differs quite a bit with wind and swell directions - some days it just works, other days when the angles changed a bit it's hard. The way the i84 "feels" what's going on under water can be fun, once you get over the initial "o **" reaction .

excav8ter said..
Did anyone's Levitator come with any markings on the foil track, or the sail mast track for easy set up, or remembering what setting works with which front wing? I was told there may be such markings on some Levitators.

SALKAN said..




My Levitator 160 came 1 week ago without any marking. I hope you share your experience with the settings.

SALKAN said..
FAST505 previously made marks on his levitator in this discussion (see page 1 in this discussion) that is quite useful for us to communicate in terms of locations of sail/mast and foil/mast so that there would be a good idea for a starting set-up.

Foiler69er said..
He's using cm - I will ask him to comment and upload the pictures in case you want to replicate his measurements. He and I started around the same time and figured it 'all' out.

Fast505 said..
Guys, my calibration scheme is quite simple. For the foil mast track I put the mast in its furthest aft position by using the set forward set of aft bolt holes (if that makes sense). This allows the mast to be mounted in its furthest aft position. I then sight across from the leading edge of the mast and use this as datum (0). I then mark in 1cm increments forward from 0 to 10. For the universal joint, since I use a Chinook 2-bolt base, I do likewise by sliding it back as far as it will go in the track but still stay bolted. As it turns out, this point is approx. 6.5cm from the very aft cutout of the track. I then mark forward at 1cm increments to 13.

The nice thing about this is that, for me, the numbers seem to match up reasonably well in that with my 84 wing in B position, I use a foil mast track position of about 6 and about the same for the UJ, although lately I'm around 7 with my Ezzy 7.0 Hydra. Still tweaking but those settings will get you in a good ballpark. For the 76, I'm back around 3 on the foil to keep the center of lift between my straps for even foot pressure. So, the 76 wants to be slightly further back than the 84.

Hope that helps!

excav8ter said..




That does help!

Fast505 said..




For folks adopting my calibration scheme, I would be interested to hear your setups on the Levitator, including foil and UJ positions, so that we can compare. Have you found some "magic" numbers? I'm interested in trying two things currently - 1) a larger sail than my 7.0 and 2) moving the 84 wing to "C" position with an adjustment to the mast track to keep the wing in the same relative position on the board. We have an event this coming weekend where the wind looks marginal on Saturday. I know I can get this board flying in 10 knots TWS with the 7.0. I was thinking about trying my 76 wing with a larger slalom sail (I have an older Maui Sails 8.5). The ability to share information is really important but you can't do it without a standardized calibration scheme. And yes, 1cm makes a noticeable difference!

excav8ter said..




I will share what Iearn for sure.

I went out this evening for a shot at redemption after Tuesday night's fiasco. Tuesday the board just wanted "wheelie out". No matter what I did I couldn't keep it down. Mind you, I had no idea where to start.
Tonight I moved the foil mast back and had stronger wind than the other night. I was able to get on foil, but it wasn't comfortable. I stayed out for and hour before the wind really kicked up. I made a small mark with my black marker where the front of the foil mast was. Next time I will move it forward 3/4" and see what happens.
I did have some great flights tonight, just not super steady.
I used my 7.0 Flyer and the i84 wing tonight. Could have easily dropped to a 6.0 or maybe 5.0.

I am curious of when to drop front wing size? I am not interested in top speed right now, because I am clearly not ready for that. I understand that smaller wings go faster, but if you go down in sail size, and front wing, does that also mean that the speed will be reduced too?

I know our fall winds are typically stronger around here in the fall, so I may be going to a 5.0 sail sooner than later.

excav8ter said..




I will share what Iearn for sure.

I went out this evening for a shot at redemption after Tuesday night's fiasco. Tuesday the board just wanted "wheelie out". No matter what I did I couldn't keep it down. Mind you, I had no idea where to start.
Tonight I moved the foil mast back and had stronger wind than the other night. I was able to get on foil, but it wasn't comfortable. I stayed out for and hour before the wind really kicked up. I made a small mark with my black marker where the front of the foil mast was. Next time I will move it forward 3/4" and see what happens.
I did have some great flights tonight, just not super steady.
I used my 7.0 Flyer and the i84 wing tonight. Could have easily dropped to a 6.0 or maybe 5.0.

I am curious of when to drop front wing size? I am not interested in top speed right now, because I am clearly not ready for that. I understand that smaller wings go faster, but if you go down in sail size, and front wing, does that also mean that the speed will be reduced too?

I know our fall winds are typically stronger around here in the fall, so I may be going to a 5.0 sail sooner than later.

excav8ter said..
I've been contemplating the Levitator 160 for myself too. I like my Fanatic Falcon light wind, but ifrom what I've read, the SS 99 front wing is only useable on the Levitator boards. I am wondering if that's really true. I, like many of you, am hoping to get out an foil in 10mph or even less if possible. I desperately need this kind of fun in my life. Been through some rough years, and this is something I feel will help me out mentally and physically.

I am 6'4" tall and about 225

Current sails are 8.0 Ezzy Cheetah, 7.0 Sailworks Flyer and Monday my Flyer 6.0 is scheduled to be delivered.

Would love to be able to use the 8.0 on the Levitator board with the 99 front wing in 10MPH.

SALKAN said..




New information on youtube for various slingshot foils including i99! Check it out at

excav8ter said..




Good information there from Wyatt.
I probably mentioned it previously, but last Saturday I used the i99 with great success on my Fanatic Falcon LW. I put the i99 in C position and it worked well. Used my Ezzy Cheetah 8.0, and put the UJ in the middle of the mast track. 8-12mph breezes and it flew nicely.

SALKAN said..




Can you compare the performance on i99 vs i84 in terms of performance on very light wind day? Do you think i99 levitates on a lower wind i.e. 2-3 mph lower. Wyatt is complementing how easy to make progress on i99 vs i84.

excav8ter said..
Did anyone's Levitator come with any markings on the foil track, or the sail mast track for easy set up, or remembering what setting works with which front wing? I was told there may be such markings on some Levitators.

azymuth said..
^^^ Salkan - must be something off with the setup - I can't imagine a foil more steady than the Infinity 84.

What fuselage position are you using?

When you're up on foil would you say that the center of lift of the 84 wing is halfway between your feet - and your feet widely spaced?

DB2 said..
Hi Salkan,

can you take a few pictures of your set-up? What position is your foil fuselage? A, B or C?

SALKAN said..





I received my 160 lt Levitator 3 days ago and it has no marking. I was before using i84 wing with 90 cm mast with my old starboard S-type 155 lt board that is 95 cm wide and I was able sustain my lifts for 60-80 yards with my 7.0 Sailworks flyer sail (I weight 225 lbs).
I note that Falcon Lightwind that you are using wider than Levitator (90cm, levitator is 86.36 cm).
I did not have a good experience with my new Levitator and despite several hours of trying, I felt like I was trying to ride a wild horse. Another proggressive beginner foil-windsurfer also tried my setting, he was worse than I was. Both of us are progressive beginners (on and off 4-5 months foiling on my old board) and he uses JP old foil with his SB 145 futura. So overall, my experience is very dissapointing with SS Levitator. I first put the foilmast in the middle of track, and 2nd day all the way to the front while sail mast is 3-4 cm forward from the insertion slot. I am not using the foot straps. I feel like as soon as the board lifts, it becomes very unstable and wobbling. I will try few more times; otherwise, I will look into putting a new foil box with tracking on my Starboard so I could make a better progress. By the way, the foil set-up on Levitator is very cumbersome and I was impressed with the Naish foil tracking system that does not require any screwdrive, called abracadabra (check it here: ). I hope slingshot will adapt this since SS system is not easy to set-up.

Windbot said..
Riding the 84 should be the farthest thing from riding a wild horse. I could make a sandwich and take a nap riding mine. Is it possible your rear wing was mounted upside down? I don't mean any offense, but I know it is a bit confusing with the two wing options and their reversed mountings. Good luck!