Smallest Wing Span ?:-)

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Johndesu > 9 months ago, 4 Oct 2021

Zigs

NSW

67 posts

8 Oct 2021 10:35pm

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Johndesu said..

Gorgo said..

Johndesu said..
I am too small & short to handle / manhandle a 5m Wing so I was thinking a 4m maybe? are there any ideas about a small 4m wing? which has the shortest wing span & maybe also really light buy still with a lot of available low end wind range please?:-)

How tall are you and what do you weigh? Any comments made without knowing are just guesses.

I am 5'4" & 65kg dripping wet in a full wetsuit & 60yo in a month and I can just can not carry & handle & take a large Wing to the surf & it just does not feel right so I want to try a smaller Wing and if that does not fit then I will just stick to the Sup & Prone:-)

Gorgo said..

How tall are you and what do you weigh? Any comments made without knowing are just guesses.

I am 5'4" & almost 65kg dripping wet in a full wetsuit & 60yo in a month and I just can not take & handle a large Wing to the surf & it just does not feel right so I need to try a smaller Wing or give up wind foiling & just stick to Sup & prone:-)

I am about the same size as you and can use a 5 easily. Just do a bit of practice steering the wing on the beach. Wings don't have much power and you will need a lot of wind to be able to get going on a 4. They pack down to the same size pretty much. Weight doesn't really matter as the wind holds most of its weight when flown correctly. Getting a 5 is well worth it for ease of learning as you will be able to get up on the foil without as much pumping. If you struggle to roll it over you just need to move your hands closer to one of the wing tips to roll it but after you flip it over you shouldn't have to many problems with wingtips catching after a bit of time practicing wing handling on the beach. Get wing that is stable when luffing so you can just hold it by the leading edge to get to the water.

JonathanC

VIC

1024 posts

9 Oct 2021 8:00am

I'm 5'7 and I'm my 60's and use both 5 and 6m Smik wings absolutely no worries.. just get something and get out there !

Johndesu

NSW

566 posts

9 Oct 2021 11:28pm

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martyj4 said..
Hey Johndesu,
I'm just wondering if you might be having the same issue as me (when I tried a Naish 6m)? I'm 174cm and 70kg and have been using Duotone Echo's (4m and 5m) and Slicks (5.5m). All have booms. I have found them to be great for control as the boom allows you to twist the wing which might not be great technique, but it definitely assists with preventing the tips from dragging in the water.
I used a 6m Naish (with material handles) and found the thing flopped all over the place and I struggled with control - possibly ****e technique on my behalf too. I find the 5.5 Slick will get me going in around 10 knots. The 4m Echo in a little more - 12 knots. A lightweight like you will definitely have the potential to get a 4m wing going in 12 knots (possibly less), depending on your foil and board. There are oodles of youtube vids out there showing foilers up and going in sub 10 knots with 4m and smaller wings. The thing is, you need time and technique to get to that stage. If you haven't tried a boom, I'd suggest giving one a try before you commit. Any friends/shops you can loan for a go?

Yeah I hear you marty actually I was leaning towards the 4 or 4.5 Duotone Slick as my 1st wing (& maybe my last0 as it is available in my area and not too pricey, what do you think?:-)

foilthegreats

770 posts

9 Oct 2021 8:53pm

I love my 4m Dart, it's compact and powerful just not a great flagger but I love wave riding with it.

surfcowboy

164 posts

10 Oct 2021 1:02am

Please post how on your first session on the 4 you never catch a tip and your arms don't get tired and you ride for 2 hours in 15mph wind. We are all waiting to hear what It's like to be Kai Lenny.

Good luck man! I mean that even though I couldn't resist ribbing you a bit.

Johndesu

NSW

566 posts

10 Oct 2021 7:44am

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surfcowboy said..
Please post how on your first session on the 4 you never catch a tip and your arms don't get tired and you ride for 2 hours in 15mph wind. We are all waiting to hear what It's like to be Kai Lenny.

Good luck man! I mean that even though I couldn't resist ribbing you a bit.

Yes I showed Kai everything I know, seriously I just want to be able to get up and go straight a bit on a less cumbersome / bulky wing that is a bit easy to deal with / handle for me, so I might just get a decent Duotone Slick (second hand if I can find one?:-)

DWF

710 posts

10 Oct 2021 7:43am

Don't over think wing span. You'd be surprised how irrelevant span width is to how often wing tips hit. So many other factors affect when tip hits the water. Dihedral, tip width, the balance of the wing, and what angle it naturally flies at. It's bizarre really.

Wings that pull like a tractor will allow you to ride a smaller size.

Johndesu

NSW

566 posts

10 Oct 2021 11:43am

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DWF said..
Don't over think wing span. You'd be surprised how irrelevant span width is to how often wing tips hit. So many other factors affect when tip hits the water. Dihedral, tip width, the balance of the wing, and what angle it naturally flies at. It's bizarre really.

Wings that pull like a tractor will allow you to ride a smaller size.

Ok yes I see and I think I have a few to choose from but I am thinking Naish Matador & Duotone Slick both around the 4M mark (as I do not want to go any larger in size) as the favorites now so I just need to find the availability & cheapest price?:-)

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