Hi,
I've got a slingshot levitator 160, I'm around 92kg, I've just sold my JP freefoil and pryde foil, so now I can get a slingshot foil, the hover glide( if I had a phantasm I'd be best dressed swimmer in the water still) as I'm still pretty crap, is it best to go for a bigger wing, they come standard with 76, it is actually a good wing for larger guys or it is best to go bigger. I got levitator as I lost all confidence on 130 free foil, and was totally going backwards on the leaving curve.
J.

If I were starting out sgain with Slingshot I'd start with the 99 just to maximize flying time, then add the 76 (or just switch to a higher performance brand and sell the slingshot stuff.)

The 76 is a much more versatile wing but if you've been struggling then easiest liftoff seems like the priority. The 84 is at best a compromise.

76 was all time best wing 3 years ago.

If you are going hoverglide at your weight it would be 84 or 76+99 as mentioned above

I'm about your weight and have 76 and 84 wings on the 160 levitator, for 10 gusting to 15 knotts I need an 8.2 meter flyer. You can get the Phantasm foil for almost the same price as the infinity now on sale.

Get the Phantasm it's miles ahead, especially for a bigger rider. The Hoverglide mast is not stiff enough.

For what it's worth I am 6.4, well over 100kg and started out with an i76 Slingshot and still using it today. I added smaller wing at some point which I use in 20knts+ when there are no waves around. Would a 99 get my flying earlier? Probably but it would also be super slow. My biggest concern though would be the fuselage. I have now broken 5 of them due to a combination of pumping down waves and driving hard upwind well overpowered. I would be worried the extra load of the 99 would be too much for the fuselage in the long term.

Before the haters start saying "what do you expect using a Slingshot" let me just say this. Over the past two years I have seen people having problems with foils from almost every manufacturer. From broken masts, fuselages to wings . put enough load on the gear and it will bend or break eventually.

If you have decent windsurf skills, i wouldn't go bigger then the i76. Those bigger foils almost immediately top out and and quickly overpower making control difficult for a beginner.

If you can afford the phantasm line you will find them more durable and the pfi730 is a much better wing than the i76.

I think the hoverglide mast is plenty stiff enough.

As far as breaking fuselages my feeling is that its usually the higher speed wings that will break a corroded fuse. The bigger wings are more likely to shear the fuse to mast bolts though.

I would definitely look at sabfoil, axis and F4 if you are thinking of going full carbon.

Hoverglide is an extremely good deal right now though $725 US complete is damn good.

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thedoor said..
I think the hoverglide mast is plenty stiff enough.

As far as breaking fuselages my feeling is that its usually the higher speed wings that will break a corroded fuse. The bigger wings are more likely to shear the fuse to mast bolts though.

I would definitely look at sabfoil, axis and F4 if you are thinking of going full carbon.

Hoverglide is an extremely good deal right now though $725 US complete is damn good.

+1 with this.

Support from your local shop and the brands they stock is key. A good dealer is worth their weight in gold.

1. Do they have demo gear - that's the best option. Try before you buy and ask for advice.
2. Do they stock the whole range and does the range offer the type of foils to suit your style of riding.
3. Will they trade your old gear on newer stuff - will save you a packet if when you chose to upgrade.

Choose wisely as changing brands is expensive and with Foil FOMO - last seasons foils are difficult to sell. Example: jdfoils recommends the PFI730 - 18 months ago this foil was top performer for Slingshot, an upgrade to the i76 - now it's a very old school design. It works well but 2nd hand value is next to nothing.

The Hoverglide is excellent value but there are better options out there now if you don't mind investing a bit more. You won't go too far wrong with Axis, SAB or F4. Remember the rear stab is also a key component - Slingshot only offer 2 (and only 1 of them is good) compared to multiple options from the other brands.
Find someone with the skills you want to emulate and ask them for advice on gear. There a lots of opinions on gear and lots of people using it for different types of riding - speed, waves, tricks etc - you need to work out if their gear advice you have received is suitable for YOUR chosen style of riding.

US$725 is a great entry price IMHO.

The Sab foils look interesting but here in Australia a basic package with Alu mast will set you back AU$3,599. They have a lot of wing sizes to choose from but most of them aren't actually in stock which will rule out testing any of them to find the right size. I have been foiling for 3 years but find the wing range most brands now have on offer way too confusing. The web sites are usually not much help either as the descriptions sound so similar it's really a hit and miss... and again because you can't actually test most of these wings you are buying blind.

Just remember that SAB front wings also fit the phantasm fuselage (with cone or drill M8). SAB rear wings can also be filed to fit the phantasm fuselage. I wouldn't invest in Hoverglide system anymore. It is a great value, but why not buy modern wings and a system that you can expand upon. SAB 1100 Front Wing paired with the 872 phantasm fuselage would work great. Then adding later the 926 Front Wing would cover most of your wind range. The SAB 1100 and 926 can be found used and not expensive.

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Rewind said..

thedoor said..
I think the hoverglide mast is plenty stiff enough.

As far as breaking fuselages my feeling is that its usually the higher speed wings that will break a corroded fuse. The bigger wings are more likely to shear the fuse to mast bolts though.

I would definitely look at sabfoil, axis and F4 if you are thinking of going full carbon.

Hoverglide is an extremely good deal right now though $725 US complete is damn good.

+1 with this.

Support from your local shop and the brands they stock is key. A good dealer is worth their weight in gold.

1. Do they have demo gear - that's the best option. Try before you buy and ask for advice.
2. Do they stock the whole range and does the range offer the type of foils to suit your style of riding.
3. Will they trade your old gear on newer stuff - will save you a packet if when you chose to upgrade.

Choose wisely as changing brands is expensive and with Foil FOMO - last seasons foils are difficult to sell. Example: jdfoils recommends the PFI730 - 18 months ago this foil was top performer for Slingshot, an upgrade to the i76 - now it's a very old school design. It works well but 2nd hand value is next to nothing.

The Hoverglide is excellent value but there are better options out there now if you don't mind investing a bit more. You won't go too far wrong with Axis, SAB or F4. Remember the rear stab is also a key component - Slingshot only offer 2 (and only 1 of them is good) compared to multiple options from the other brands.
Find someone with the skills you want to emulate and ask them for advice on gear. There a lots of opinions on gear and lots of people using it for different types of riding - speed, waves, tricks etc - you need to work out if their gear advice you have received is suitable for YOUR chosen style of riding.

Hi,
I sold my old pryde foiling gear, got a V4 Fwind foil today, from nice people at slingshot UK, the phantasm wasn't much more but I couldn't justifie it to the wife to spend that much. They have all the wings in stock, so if 76 is bit small can maybe go up to 84. But once there's some wing I can get out on the water and have a play.

Have fun, you should change out the titanium bolts for stainless for the top plate and fuselage to mast connections if you got the hoverglide.

Yes, bin those Swiss cheese import Ti machine screws they supply and replace with quality 316 stainless.

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jdfoils said..
Yes, bin those Swiss cheese import Ti machine screws they supply and replace with quality 316 stainless.

I would agree with that statements... swap all bolts for 316 stainless steel or "real" titanium bolts from a reputable store (ie not your local hardware super store). Also use Tefgel to grease up the bolt before assembly. Regularly unbolt everything, rins with fresh water, clean the threads and re-apply Tefgel. As for the Slingshot switch fuselage, inspection the holes for the mast and the b-position holes regularly. If there is a any sign of silver showing through the paint replace the fuselage. It won't be long before it breaks.

Select to expand quote

TinktheStink said..

Rewind said..

thedoor said..
I think the hoverglide mast is plenty stiff enough.

As far as breaking fuselages my feeling is that its usually the higher speed wings that will break a corroded fuse. The bigger wings are more likely to shear the fuse to mast bolts though.

I would definitely look at sabfoil, axis and F4 if you are thinking of going full carbon.

Hoverglide is an extremely good deal right now though $725 US complete is damn good.

+1 with this.

Support from your local shop and the brands they stock is key. A good dealer is worth their weight in gold.

1. Do they have demo gear - that's the best option. Try before you buy and ask for advice.
2. Do they stock the whole range and does the range offer the type of foils to suit your style of riding.
3. Will they trade your old gear on newer stuff - will save you a packet if when you chose to upgrade.

Choose wisely as changing brands is expensive and with Foil FOMO - last seasons foils are difficult to sell. Example: jdfoils recommends the PFI730 - 18 months ago this foil was top performer for Slingshot, an upgrade to the i76 - now it's a very old school design. It works well but 2nd hand value is next to nothing.

The Hoverglide is excellent value but there are better options out there now if you don't mind investing a bit more. You won't go too far wrong with Axis, SAB or F4. Remember the rear stab is also a key component - Slingshot only offer 2 (and only 1 of them is good) compared to multiple options from the other brands.
Find someone with the skills you want to emulate and ask them for advice on gear. There a lots of opinions on gear and lots of people using it for different types of riding - speed, waves, tricks etc - you need to work out if their gear advice you have received is suitable for YOUR chosen style of riding.

Hi,
I sold my old pryde foiling gear, got a V4 Fwind foil today, from nice people at slingshot UK, the phantasm wasn't much more but I couldn't justifie it to the wife to spend that much. They have all the wings in stock, so if 76 is bit small can maybe go up to 84. But once there's some wing I can get out on the water and have a play.

Historically, many of the best freeride windfoilers got their start on infinity 76. It will teach you to windfoil the right way

Select to expand quote

stehsegler said..
For what it's worth I am 6.4, well over 100kg and started out with an i76 Slingshot and still using it today. I added smaller wing at some point which I use in 20knts+ when there are no waves around. Would a 99 get my flying earlier? Probably but it would also be super slow. My biggest concern though would be the fuselage. I have now broken 5 of them due to a combination of pumping down waves and driving hard upwind well overpowered. I would be worried the extra load of the 99 would be too much for the fuselage in the long term.

Before the haters start saying "what do you expect using a Slingshot" let me just say this. Over the past two years I have seen people having problems with foils from almost every manufacturer. From broken masts, fuselages to wings . put enough load on the gear and it will bend or break eventually.

I had the same problem, 3 Broken fuselages in Two years,thats why I moved to the Phantasm.Was very Happy with the Infinity 99 but the Phantasm is even better

Got some quality stainless screws for foil around ?25, what ever that is in dollars I don't know

Morning, I actually got my slingshot foil wet at the weekend ( unfortunately work, life and crappy weather get in the way) as I'm affectivity relearning to foil, was struggling to get 76 wing to lift, ordered 84 wing yesterday, I've read comments that can be best in position C, I've got 42 rear wing, which from comments seems perfectly ok, any advise be appreciated.

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Awalkspoiled said..
If I were starting out sgain with Slingshot I'd start with the 99 just to maximize flying time, then add the 76 (or just switch to a higher performance brand and sell the slingshot stuff.)

The 76 is a much more versatile wing but if you've been struggling then easiest liftoff seems like the priority. The 84 is at best a compromise.

Agree with this statement. I had the i84 and i99. Never bought the i76. I found I used the i99 more than the i84. If I had it to do over I'd definitely do i99/i76. I just made this recommendation to a friend who is getting into windfoiling and wants to do it as cheaply as possible for now.

The i76 and i84 are two very different behaving foils.

The i76 may take a bit more wind to get going and it has some serious lift, the i84 was my allrounder for quite a while as at the time I was wind foiling inland on Texas lakes and the word "gusty" wasn't even close. The i76 is quicker speed and quicker turns and the i84 has great low end, even better stall speed.

I did use both foils in position B....some foilers liked position C, I personally didn't like the fuse sticking that far out away from the mast, and instead used B and pulled the UJ/mast base back a bit more towards the foots traps. bringing your rig back will induce earlier lift but if you bring it back to far it will be foil sensitive.

This is an old video, but man was it fun testing boards and foils, getting them dialed in

I use the 84 in B position and foil mast at the very front of the tracks.

In the hoverglide realm +1 for the i76. I weigh 200 lb and have been using a i76 for three years in Florida. No reason to change. It rides well, provides plenty of lift, and is easy to foil. Position B. I don't own any other wings for the hoverglide since the i76 does everything.

Sure, other newer foils are faster or more maneuverable, the but the i76 just works. Also, it has a very broad and forgiving balance point. Mount it and ride it. Enjoy life.

Update, bought 84 wing, good price, went out yesterday, 18-28 ish, once got a bit of confidence, wing was lovely and stable, never felt like it was going to scream off into the sunset with me clinging on. 4.7 sail, position B with 42 stab, plate close to front of track, had to give it abit of a push to lift, a really positive session for me, as I'm kind of relearning, all good.

Awesome! I have a lot of great memories riding my Levitator and the i84.

Morning, out at weekend, with 7.0m ezzy hydra with 84 wing, the most awesome foiling session I've had on along time, hopefully the worm has turned, should of bought slingshot gear years ago, been nearly 5yrs of trying now.

Awesome!