I've just bought a new hPS980 foil & had a few goes on it. I like it a lot but it does need a bit more windspeed than the learner foil. I was going to hang onto the super easy start 1040 in case I found I couldn't get going with the smaller one until next spring then sell it however someone is interested in buying it with my big board. If i sell I can buy more wings.
I have no intentions of keeping it to teach people etc.
My question is will my HPS980 be ok for a one foil does everything or should I keep the starter foil & maybe buy a slightly smaller front wing for when it's not blowing 20 knots? Did any of you guys get sellers remorse from selling your big stuff?
Am I overthinking it???

The 980 and 930 HPS are excellent foils for guys 70 to 90kg and long term keepers
I have the 930 and me 75kg so it's a keeper, I foil on it in sub 10kn to 30kn wind. If you are in this weight range sell the big cumbersome draggy monster.
I also have several ARTs but the 930 is my training wheels and for when I am feeling lazy.
Sellers remorse, yes twice now and have rebought 2 foils I sold about 1 year ago.

I'd say hang onto it.
I've kept my Naish HA 2140, even though I'm using the 1040 or 1400 for most sessions. Sometimes in light conditions or when it's a choppy sea rather than swells, the 2140 is perfect as you're not chasing speed.

Here's my feeble input. Sure, hang onto it for light wind days, or training someone, BUT based on the the 1040 volume spec (related to the average thickness of the foil):

Wingspan 1040mm, Actual Surface Area 1957sqcm, volume 3020cm3

i would opt for a much thinner foil with a similar span and area for light wind. I've never ridden the 1040 but I have ridden the original Axis 1020 waaay back when. It was a fat monster as well, and it was like riding a sea anchor.

For comparison I still ride a Gong Veloce XXL that's almost 3 years old now:

wingspan: 1070mm, surface area: 1900 sq cm, volume 1700cm3 (1.7l)

I would guess it's almost half the average thickness of the Axis 1040. Of course it wasn't designed as a beginner foil either. Completely different performance and feel based on my experience with Axis 1020. Great ultra low wind performance AND very efficient glide and pump. I can even crank it around in some pretty tight flat turns, upwind and downwind and push it pretty fast if so inclined. Maybe Axis has something something sort of equivalent to this. That would be my recommendation for a light wind foil. Foil thickness has a huge impact on overall performance and it still rarely gets discussed.

I kept my 1780 for dock start...teaching friends. Larger foil is a must for me in my quiver, not that I'm using it a lot, but it's fun to going back to the slower, cruzy, feeling from when I started.

I learned on the Axis BSC1060 and have held onto it for those really light days where it might be a struggle to get the ART999 going. To simplify things, I have just picked up an HPS1050 for lighter days and will be selling the 1060 and red short fuse. That all being said, the 1060 absolutely saved me when I went up to OBX last spring. Nobody else was even considering going out and I was able to mow the lawn on the 1060.

Started on a CF2400, qickly moved on to the HS1850, got a HA1125, sold the 2400 and intended to keep the 1850 as low wind, but ended up selling that as well since I felt it was to dragy and eventually my technic got quite good, so got the 1125 up in less and less wind.

Then moved over to Gong, had a fluid 1550cm2 as low wind, but sold it too. Now I only have a YpraS 1200 and a Ypra 1000cm2 for low and high wind. I just size up in wind wing and pump like h**l...?? point for me as skill improve I can't stand the slower dragy foils, but each to their own...

Thanks for the replies. I think I will end up selling it as, if I'm honest, I don't actually enjoy winging on light days (anything under 12 knots) as I get quite frustrated.

" on light days (anything under 12 knots) "

That's funny. Where I have been foiling for the last 12 months, 12 kn is nuking!

Once you get used to a foil with glide you really won't want one that doesn't.

I'd been looking for a used GT2200 but none ever come on the market so i but the bullet and forked out for a new one (my first new foil purchase, all my RS and GTs I've managed to buy used). It arrived yesterday and as I was unboxing it I got a call from someone who wanted to buy my M200 that I had advertised for the past 4 months.
Took the GT2200 for a very light wind wing and with my new Strike 8M and FoilDrive I was able to get up and stay up in very light wind

So I thought I was going to have the M200 taking up space in the foil box and I doubt I would need to use it again, but it's gone on to live a life of more lift






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Learner wings help if gusts are very short-lived.

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Grantmac said..
Once you get used to a foil with glide you really won't want one that doesn't.

Unless you want to turn on waves

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hilly said..

Grantmac said..
Once you get used to a foil with glide you really won't want one that doesn't.

Unless you want to turn on waves

Plenty of foils do both, especially in sizes smaller than a beginner will use.

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hilly said..

Grantmac said..
Once you get used to a foil with glide you really won't want one that doesn't.

Unless you want to turn on waves

Yes that's why I got the 980. From reports it's pretty good at most things. Might take a year or so to find out

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kersh said..
" on light days (anything under 12 knots) "

That's funny. Where I have been foiling for the last 12 months, 12 kn is nuking!

Yeah the locals go out at around that but until I get my gybes down & can wing continuously without falling off I'll sacrifice the lighter days - I just don't learn anything & it's just demoralising trying to slog along getting on the foil while they are dancing around.

I was out the other day & the wind died. There was a15kg teenager doing jumps & fancy tacks while us oldies were taxiing back to shore. Straight up if he was within striking range I would have thrown my wing at him

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Microsurfer said..

kersh said..
" on light days (anything under 12 knots) "

That's funny. Where I have been foiling for the last 12 months, 12 kn is nuking!

Yeah the locals go out at around that but until I get my gybes down & can wing continuously without falling off I'll sacrifice the lighter days - I just don't learn anything & it's just demoralising trying to slog along getting on the foil while they are dancing around.

I was out the other day & the wind died. There was a15kg teenager doing jumps & fancy tacks while us oldies were taxiing back to shore. Straight up if he was within striking range I would have thrown my wing at him

Yes, it can be demoralising and frustrating and you may think you don't learn anything. But I've found I learned more about wing handling and foot movement during these 'wasted' sessions. I think it helps develop better technique and learning to read the ocean and wind.

Persistence and time on the water in all conditions pays off in the end. You can be sure the guys dancing around now, weren't doing that in their beginnings.

I also take any time on the water I can ( on the wing or my surfboard ), even when it's ****house. As you never know when you won't be able to get out there.