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Had my fist session on Lake water wind on and off with gusts about to 11kn.

I have Modes 4.2 and 5.5 and while the overall feel is similar the performance of the 8m Light Wind seems a bit lacking.
Pumping l found the 8m Light Wind flaps a lot, on checking I may not have had it pumped up hard enough so try again tomorrow. I am 74kg at the moment.
Just wondering what others experiences are and advice on how to fine tune this wing to match Norths performance claims?

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warwickl said..

advice on how to fine tune this wing to match Norths performance claims?

Put on 25 - 30 kegs and go out in more breeze!

i'm about 90 kgs and my lower limit on the 8m is about 13 knots. these bigger wings aren't miracle workers, they'll give you one or two knots below a 6m, which has saved a few sessions for me. but don't believe the marketing nonsense...you won't be going anywhere in 6 knots. and yes, pump it hard. and jibes require me to keep the wing high over my head so the strut tail doesn't hit the water. the nice thing is that i can keep riding the 8m into stronger winds. it actually becomes an easier wing to manage with a healthy breeze (though too strong a breeze and you'll want to head in for something smaller).

Keen to know of others experiences particularly inregard to pumping technique.

Here's some competition for the North and F-One 8 metre wings:

www.facebook.com/groups/733061377651549/permalink/1080386526252364/?paipv=0&eav=Afaqem5YG2NO-0vuqCtlQvDw5dUSU7ptk79TqhBxTDopIQhMbJpqYo_zLgKLaQR7GcM&_rdr

I find using a larger foil is more effective. I am 88kg and with a 1850 with a short mast (70) I can get up in marginal conditions using a 5m wing. Have a 6, but the 5 is a lot more comfortable, just needs a few extra pumps to get up over the 6.

I tried the huge foil route (SAB1100) and found that pretty boring and only very little over my Cabrinha H1200 (wich isnt a speed wonder either but still fun to turn).
The big question for me to keep me awake at night and in boring meetings is to go for a 7 above my 5m or get an Sup DW board that can double as an superlightwind glider-pump quicker onto plane as my 5.6 AK90l (I,m 95-97kg).
I will try to demo the North LW and 7mCWC and see if that is fun while it is 100% sure I can,t demo any DW supfoil next few months.

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Jeroensurf said..
I tried the huge foil route (SAB1100) and found that pretty boring and only very little over my Cabrinha H1200 (wich isnt a speed wonder either but still fun to turn).
The big question for me to keep me awake at night and in boring meetings is to go for a 7 above my 5m or get an Sup DW board that can double as an superlightwind glider-pump quicker onto plane as my 5.6 AK90l (I,m 95-97kg).
I will try to demo the North LW and 7mCWC and see if that is fun while it is 100% sure I can,t demo any DW supfoil next few months.

Having gone for the big wing, I'd say go with the board and possibly a bigger HA foil.

Regarding pumping technique - I find most big wings work best with a smooth and long back handed pump. With too fast a pump you don't get enough tension in the wing, and it doesn't translate to speed. Large wings have a delayed power transfer and short pumps don't get into their power zone.

With as much span and area as these wings have, they are all going to flap. You just don't have enough rigidity in the frame to tension that amount of fabric. Larger spans mean more flex.

I have NOT tried the North light wind, but I have tried the Mantis and CWC in 7m. I have recently gotten a 7m to work in 5 knots, gusting to about 8 (using a -20 board and a 1300 foil). In order to make it work in conditions that light I had to time my start to the swell and use waves to help build board speed. The waves are the only thing that made the session worthwhile. Getting up in these conditions is only half the battle, avoiding back winding and outrunning the wing is just as challenging in lightwind. The 7m is a session saver, but that's it. I can pretty safely say I'm never going to have a great session on a wing bigger than 5m. I wonder whether I could have gotten up with a 5m on a longer and more efficient volume neutral board (and whether that would have been more fun).

I owned an 9m SP from Gong once and sold it. After an year foiling for me everything under 10 knots is pretty pointless. It's just doing straight ahead adolfs because every trick will be tricky or impossible. So I think for this year.... I just go to the spot when it's sure that 4 bft are there. In future no bigger wings than 7. Maybe I can go to 6.5 as my biggest. All other s... Is so boring and just exhausting. Better practice pumpfoiling then and safe the time and gas to drive to the lake.

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Jeroensurf said..
I tried the huge foil route (SAB1100) and found that pretty boring and only very little over my Cabrinha H1200 (wich isnt a speed wonder either but still fun to turn).
The big question for me to keep me awake at night and in boring meetings is to go for a 7 above my 5m or get an Sup DW board that can double as an superlightwind glider-pump quicker onto plane as my 5.6 AK90l (I,m 95-97kg).
I will try to demo the North LW and 7mCWC and see if that is fun while it is 100% sure I can,t demo any DW supfoil next few months.

Having gone the SUP DW route, I think they're best paired with a bigger HA foil (Sabfoil 1150,1350). Then you don't need a 7m (I've tried these and found them too big).

Flat water will be ok, but any little bumps can be ridden and the big pump foil makes them feel massive, so it is fun with knee-waist high swell.

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Jeroensurf said..
I tried the huge foil route (SAB1100) and found that pretty boring and only very little over my Cabrinha H1200 (wich isnt a speed wonder either but still fun to turn).
The big question for me to keep me awake at night and in boring meetings is to go for a 7 above my 5m or get an Sup DW board that can double as an superlightwind glider-pump quicker onto plane as my 5.6 AK90l (I,m 95-97kg).
I will try to demo the North LW and 7mCWC and see if that is fun while it is 100% sure I can,t demo any DW supfoil next few months.

I also have a sup foil board, and wing it a lot in light wind and surf. Usually with 4m wing and ha 925 foil, if super light 5m wing. It is 120l custom, kalama like shape. It pops up very easily and it's fun to ride. You need to get use to the length, but it is far better than what I thought it would be.