Light, puffy winds are not fun, however our local spot we cannot be too picky (when it blows though its pretty good).

Few days ago we tested side by side different size wings and foil wings.

Brad - 6' 1" @ 80kg using the a 5.4 slingwing V2 (orange) with the SS infinity 99 wing and 115 Quatro Board
Myself - 5' 10" @ 89 kg using the 6.4 slingwing V2 (green) with the SS infinity 84 wing and 110 Takuma Board
(I had also rigged a 5.4 thinking it would really pick up)

Fresh water lake, wind average around 10-11 knots, with some puffs no more that 13 knots and massive holes of 7-8 knots.

Brad has very good light wind pumping techniques and was flying around me even though he was on a smaller wing but bigger front foil wing.

Just a food for thought, but bigger wings are heavier and more drag, so try a bigger foil wing and practice that pumping technique

Curious where he has his back strap placed and also the foil position in box on the Quatro.

I've been considering changing my 6.4m Slingshot v2 (which has been great!) for a smaller Wing for light wind - sounds Irish! But as you have pointed out its not very efficient pumping a big wing and slightly clumsy in transitions. Bigger foil and smaller wing is the way forward I think. I'm 77kgs and I'm thinking about finding a really powerful 5 or 5.5m wing for light winds, maybe the Duotone Slick. My 4m Takoon is sweet when the wind is over 15/16 knots..

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Shlogger said..
Curious where he has his back strap placed and also the foil position in box on the Quatro.

I had saved a pic from a while back with strap placements and I think the foil base is around middle of the track?

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IanInca said..
I've been considering changing my 6.4m Slingshot v2 (which has been great!) for a smaller Wing for light wind - sounds Irish! But as you have pointed out its not very efficient pumping a big wing and slightly clumsy in transitions. Bigger foil and smaller wing is the way forward I think. I'm 77kgs and I'm thinking about finding a really powerful 5 or 5.5m wing for light winds, maybe the Duotone Slick. My 4m Takoon is sweet when the wind is over 15/16 knots..

At your weight a 5ish wing should be enough with a big foil and some good pumping.

The 6.4 has some grunt but transitions can be difficult, the wing tends to drop down very quick in light winds. I try to go 5.4 as much as I can but at my weight I have switch back and forth.

4.0 slingwing is my absolute favorite size, I foiled it for nearly 3 hours yesterday in 15-30 knots, that wing is super sweet

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CoreAS said..

Shlogger said..
Curious where he has his back strap placed and also the foil position in box on the Quatro.

I had saved a pic from a while back with strap placements and I think the foil base is around middle of the track?

I'm laughing because that's what I did w my back strap. I've settled on middle as well for foil placement. Though on certain really light days I'll outfit all the way forward.

My big 7.2 Naish wing has great light wind power and feels like a big spinnaker when going down wind in a light breeze.

The trouble with big wings is they are tricky to manage. I was in very light wind the other day and the wind completely dropped. I had to get out were I normally wouldn't as its a very shallow sand bar creating a horrible shore dump. As soon as the big 6.4 went under the water I had problems as I couldn't man handle it as I'm not that tall. In the end the foil feel into the canopy and another visit to the sail maker followed.. Lol. I am convinced this wouldn't have happened with a smaller wing. The worst thing was there was around 30 kiters on the beach watching... my only feel good was at least I had been in and had a small session when the majority of the kitesurfers had been waiting for it to improve, which it never did!!

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DavidJohn said..
My big 7.2 Naish wing has great light wind power and feels like a big spinnaker when going down wind in a light breeze.

That's a big wing, and is working very well for you! also great video, I enjoy watching them and just a tad jealous of your beaches and water color

Jesus call that a beach. You guys must be real hard up lol. Enjoyed that thanks, must be sweet cruising along on that mirrored water.

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eppo said..
Jesus call that a beach. You guys must be real hard up lol. Enjoyed that thanks, must be sweet cruising along on that mirrored water.

Yep we lost 2 main launches due to COVID and private development.
That "keyhole" was cut through by 2 windsurfers that live on the lake. That tall grass/reeds is home to the Texas water moccasin snake and they will attack you (extremely venomous). So you can't hang about when launching etc.

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Shlogger said..

CoreAS said..

Shlogger said..
Curious where he has his back strap placed and also the foil position in box on the Quatro.

I had saved a pic from a while back with strap placements and I think the foil base is around middle of the track?

I'm laughing because that's what I did w my back strap. I've settled on middle as well for foil placement. Though on certain really light days I'll outfit all the way forward.

I spoke to him today he moves the i99 foil all the way forward in the twin tracks as well.

This is about as low wind as I would ride. Maybe 11 KT avg with a gust or two around 13-14 kts to get me up on foil (just my feeble guess but you can make your own estimate from the video). 76kg, Echo 6m (or maybe it was my 5m, I can't remember!), Gong Veloce XL, FSM 90L/5'1" board. You can see on some of my tacks and 360's it was hard staying completely on foil at the end of the transition. If I completely slowed down off foil, I knew I'd never be able to pump back on foil until another decent gust came along.

Right after this drone session I rerigged with my Veloce XXL. With the larger front wing I was able to stay up on foil that much easier during those upwind transitions. For no brainer downwind jibes it wouldn't matter at all. The Gong Veloce is extremely thin and very efficient through the water. Don't think I'd be able to do this with a draggier foil.

I have to admit there are very few days i ride with my 6m Echo and Veloce XXL. I tend to go out with my kite foil gear on those really light days

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Right after this drone session

Are you wearing a drone tracker?
edit. Lol ?? ok I googled ...sweet.
I was looking at a SOLO SHOT 3 robot cam.
perhaps the staaker drone better idea ??

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Boracay.Villas said..

Right after this drone session

Are you wearing a drone tracker?
edit. Lol ?? ok I googled ...sweet.
I was looking at a SOLO SHOT 3 robot cam.
perhaps the staaker drone better idea ??

Yes, the Staaker drone has a waterproof gps beacon that you wear on your arm for tracking. Good tracking drones are not cheap and they always involve a bit more crash risk than a Solo Shot or GoPro mounted on your wing, but they can offer an amazing perspective. This is another recent flat water wing foil video I shot with Staaker in stronger winds than the earlier one. It really does a great job of tracking


'

What has really opened up my eyes lately with light wind sessions, is using a large HA front wing with my 6m Smik.

I use the Axis HPS1050 which has a lot of surface (1502 square cm) for a HA wing but this gives me SO much glide which is critical in light winds to get through the lulls and transitions. Also pumps amazing.

My last 2 light wind sessions (about 11/12knots with some gusts to 14) I managed to stay on the board without falling in for 1h2min and 1h23min all thanks to the extra glide, stoked
Even got a wing tip catch the water which flipped around and I was hooked in with my harness, had plenty of glide to sort it out and not touch down

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Dspace said..

Boracay.Villas said..

Right after this drone session

Are you wearing a drone tracker?
edit. Lol ?? ok I googled ...sweet.
I was looking at a SOLO SHOT 3 robot cam.
perhaps the staaker drone better idea ??

Yes, the Staaker drone has a waterproof gps beacon that you wear on your arm for tracking. Good tracking drones are not cheap and they always involve a bit more crash risk than a Solo Shot or GoPro mounted on your wing, but they can offer an amazing perspective. This is another recent flat water wing foil video I shot with Staaker in stronger winds than the earlier one. It really does a great job of tracking

'

Thats amazing.

so much being said about the solo shot3 and how poor its tracking focal point is.
it's a risk to drop the cash on it. 9 out of 10 reviews are a 1star poor rating, saying the company are crooks.

yet, your staaker is even programmed to stay upwind of you? So you can be fully seen, not hidden by the wing?
wanna sell it? (Why are they not selling staaker drone anymore I wonder) problems?

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Boracay.Villas said..

Dspace said..

Boracay.Villas said..

Right after this drone session

Are you wearing a drone tracker?
edit. Lol ?? ok I googled ...sweet.
I was looking at a SOLO SHOT 3 robot cam.
perhaps the staaker drone better idea ??

Yes, the Staaker drone has a waterproof gps beacon that you wear on your arm for tracking. Good tracking drones are not cheap and they always involve a bit more crash risk than a Solo Shot or GoPro mounted on your wing, but they can offer an amazing perspective. This is another recent flat water wing foil video I shot with Staaker in stronger winds than the earlier one. It really does a great job of tracking

'

Thats amazing.

so much being said about the solo shot3 and how poor its tracking focal point is.
it's a risk to drop the cash on it. 9 out of 10 reviews are a 1star poor rating, saying the company are crooks.

yet, your staaker is even programmed to stay upwind of you? So you can be fully seen, not hidden by the wing?
wanna sell it? (Why are they not selling staaker drone anymore I wonder) problems?

I don't want to keep diverting this thread too much so I'll start another one on the Staaker drone. But the short answer is yes, you can set to maintain a compass location (whatever the upwind location might be), AND you can still buy the Staaker from the company (Nordic Unmanned) that bought out the original Staaker company. They are offering a pretty good deal on it right now as well. I'll link it in the other thread

Select to expand quote

Dspace said..

Boracay.Villas said..

Dspace said..

Boracay.Villas said..

Right after this drone session

Are you wearing a drone tracker?
edit. Lol ?? ok I googled ...sweet.
I was looking at a SOLO SHOT 3 robot cam.
perhaps the staaker drone better idea ??

Yes, the Staaker drone has a waterproof gps beacon that you wear on your arm for tracking. Good tracking drones are not cheap and they always involve a bit more crash risk than a Solo Shot or GoPro mounted on your wing, but they can offer an amazing perspective. This is another recent flat water wing foil video I shot with Staaker in stronger winds than the earlier one. It really does a great job of tracking

'

Thats amazing.

so much being said about the solo shot3 and how poor its tracking focal point is.
it's a risk to drop the cash on it. 9 out of 10 reviews are a 1star poor rating, saying the company are crooks.

yet, your staaker is even programmed to stay upwind of you? So you can be fully seen, not hidden by the wing?
wanna sell it? (Why are they not selling staaker drone anymore I wonder) problems?

I don't want to keep diverting this thread too much so I'll start another one on the Staaker drone. But the short answer is yes, you can set to maintain a compass location (whatever the upwind location might be), AND you can still buy the Staaker from the company (Nordic Unmanned) that bought out the original Staaker company. They are offering a pretty good deal on it right now as well. I'll link it in the other thread

Not a problem, keep the info coming I have been looking for another drone for better cam shots. And very nice riding as well!