Just picked up a Gong lethal, it will be a while before I get time to get out on it but I would be interested to get feedback from others on their experience with this kit, what conditions they find it favours and which mast lengths and foil set ups are giving you the best time
cheers

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sultanofwing said..
Just picked up a Gong lethal, it will be a while before I get time to get out on it but I would be interested to get feedback from others on their experience with this kit, what conditions they find it favours and which mast lengths and foil set ups are giving you the best time
cheers

What size do you have? I moved to a 4'10" 80l lethal last September, down from a 6'0" 95l. I'm probably about 80kg in winter kit (cold weather kit) so board stays on surface when starting. Its very tippy fore and aft so getting on it going in windswell can be annoying. I suspect more stinkbug and/or getting a smaller board would help me out. I love it other than that, releases water well when starting, bounces off water in turns or surfing nicely and it feels so small underfoot.
I think mast length and foil are probably separate discussions but I ride this with an 85 cm gong and a curve or fluid LT depending on conditions.

4"6 @65 liters
construction looks top notch, time will tell for durability, but it really looks great - only about 4kgs

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sultanofwing said..
4"6 @65 liters
construction looks top notch, time will tell for durability, but it really looks great - only about 4kgs

Hi sultanofwing, are you happy with your choice?

I bought a next-generation Lethal, also 65l (for my 72 kg) and I love it. Had no issues with jibes when I switched from my 95l board, I would say these even improved at that time.

I wonder if 80l would be easier in the low wind but I can still get on foil in small gusts without any issues.

Kvek thanks for asking, I got all my wing gear used and when looking for a board was going for volume equals bodyweight (actually for really light wind a slightly longer board @plus 10 liters would probably be the easiest of all) and when I saw this come up over here in Japan I couldn't resist.

Downside is in really light wind you can only stay up if there is some wind, in really gusty conditions you may have to keep restarting as you drop off and in really choppy conditions (getting up) you need to stay focused as the slightest error pays, that said I thought getting back was going to be the challenge but I have found all sorts of ways to get back without too much trouble

The shape is amazing and you can have fun touching down and coming up with ease. it turns and carves really nice. Construction and quality seem great. I have 2 gripes, one the deck pad came unstuck a little at the sides (glued it down), the other is foot strap position options are limited and I can't put a single offset strap at the front, but hey each board has it's qualities. It's my daily driver and I can't get on it enough (now paired to a GF 65cms mast and have 6.0 and 4.0 wings)
I would say that another board I would consider very highly would be the naish it has almost the same shape, is longer and the volume is spread a little thinner but it seems to perform in a similar way.
hope that helps

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sultanofwing said..
Kvek thanks for asking, I got all my wing gear used and when looking for a board was going for volume equals bodyweight (actually for really light wind a slightly longer board @plus 10 liters would probably be the easiest of all) and when I saw this come up over here in Japan I couldn't resist.

Downside is in really light wind you can only stay up if there is some wind, in really gusty conditions you may have to keep restarting as you drop off and in really choppy conditions (getting up) you need to stay focused as the slightest error pays, that said I thought getting back was going to be the challenge but I have found all sorts of ways to get back without too much trouble

The shape is amazing and you can have fun touching down and coming up with ease. it turns and carves really nice. Construction and quality seem great. I have 2 gripes, one the deck pad came unstuck a little at the sides (glued it down), the other is foot strap position options are limited and I can't put a single offset strap at the front, but hey each board has it's qualities. It's my daily driver and I can't get on it enough (now paired to a GF 65cms mast and have 6.0 and 4.0 wings)
I would say that another board I would consider very highly would be the naish it has almost the same shape, is longer and the volume is spread a little thinner but it seems to perform in a similar way.
hope that helps

Thanks for the answer. I agree that it is not so hard to mount a board and it seems that you also have a feeling that 80l would be easier low wind option.

I hope I won't need another board - one board plan seems to be the simplest approach. I plan to continue using this 65l for all conditions and for now, it works great :)

Enjoy your board, I am glad you do like it :)

About the grip - they mention in the manual that you should use the rolling pin before the first usage of your board. I missed doing that before using my first 95l Gong Mint board and I needed to glue small patches.

DON"T leave it in the sun for any length of time. Ours blew up like a balloon and never regained it's original shape. I guess the same could be said for any EPS cored sandwich construction board though. Those tiny gore-tex valves are just not enough to equalize pressure quickly and there will never be a great bond between EPS and ANYTHING.

EPS boards just need to be painted white!

"DON"T leave it in the sun for any length of time". yep it says on the board not to leave it out in the sun, but really they need to address this - it's water sports equipment and it get's left on the beach in 40 degrees heat for as long as you take a break, at least mine is light grey and I only leave it on the side - I've surfed and supped for years and never had any problems (leaving a surfboard in a hot car all day isn't the best idea) I had a JP sup board and a Starboard WS board that I left out for hours each summer - zero issues, I hope that the Gong is solid too - so far so good, at the moment I am the one who is taking the beating

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Thatspec said..
DON"T leave it in the sun for any length of time. Ours blew up like a balloon and never regained it's original shape. I guess the same could be said for any EPS cored sandwich construction board though. Those tiny gore-tex valves are just not enough to equalize pressure quickly and there will never be a great bond between EPS and ANYTHING.

EPS boards just need to be painted white!

My friend who repairs boards (and does all sorts of amazing stuff with his hands) said to me some years ago that coloured boards are really bad. He showed me a darkly-coloured windsurfing board on which the bottom was fully delaminated because of the sun.

I love the nice colouring of my wing foiling board and I do take care to keep it in shade or at least covered with a towel but I would feel safer if it is white

about a dozen sessions or so in to this sport now, wind has been very light and gusty, 3-8knots mostly. Getting better at pumping up, pumping riding and experimenting more with moving the mast. So far I only use Go Foil 70cms mast and M200 with Kai, can't get on foil in under 6knots, but 6knots if it gusts is doable, 8knots plus has been a lot of fun, the foil is smooth and predicatable, doesn't go too fast but if you pump the foil and the sail when the wind blow kicks in you can pick up some good speed. Starting to carve alot now but haven't figured out how to jibe without getting wet What I like a lot is the weight, so easy to carry to and from the water and around the garden etc. Perhaps not the most user friendly light light wind board, but once you are up all is forgiven, it's a little gem really

After some dozen number of sessions, I believe I will stick to the one-board approach with my 65l Lethal. After few sessions on my new "big" foil front wing (105 cm span, 1950 cm2 area, fluid xxl-t) I guess I won't need a bigger board. As you mentioned, when wind almost stops it is not possible to stand on the board with my 72 kg but if there is a bit of the wind I can still taxi with it.

Sometimes it seems to me like a magic, once I get on the foil it feels that I can keep going with almost no wind. Wing foiling is really great for so many different conditions. Lately, for me it is mostly low wind and often at the small local lake, far away from the cost but wing foiling works there much better than windsurfing or kitesurfing.

I now have a new Front Foil Wing (GF EZ1275) so that will give me more to play with and get more out of the board. One thing I have come to notice recently is that the double US box on this board is set far back compared to other brands (like the PPC Soar for example, box is much further forward from tail) and in consequence the rear strap options are way back, right up to the little kick lip. I have found that with the Go Foil M200 I can get better cruising with the foil around the middle of the box.
One trade off is what foil position does when just standing on the board and foil position when riding on foil. Foil right back or right forward in the box may work for being on foil but it makes the board wibbly wobbly, especially in chop, when stink bugging.
Also the bigger M200 makes the board more stable when stink bugging and a smaller front foil wing makes the board less balanced (again especially in heavy chop and light winds)
And foil right forward makes the foil lift almost instantly as you are getting up in stronger gusts and that can upset your balance if you are not ready for it, so with the M200 I find the middle of the box area is best, also I need to keep the front foot straps a little further forward to get just the right front foot pressure so I can push the nose down and get the acceleration that I want whilst keeping a comfortable balanced position.

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sultanofwing said..
I now have a new Front Foil Wing (GF EZ1275) so that will give me more to play with and get more out of the board. One thing I have come to notice recently is that the double US box on this board is set far back compared to other brands (like the PPC Soar for example, box is much further forward from tail) and in consequence the rear strap options are way back, right up to the little kick lip. I have found that with the Go Foil M200 I can get better cruising with the foil around the middle of the box.
One trade off is what foil position does when just standing on the board and foil position when riding on foil. Foil right back or right forward in the box may work for being on foil but it makes the board wibbly wobbly, especially in chop, when stink bugging.
Also the bigger M200 makes the board more stable when stink bugging and a smaller front foil wing makes the board less balanced (again especially in heavy chop and light winds)
And foil right forward makes the foil lift almost instantly as you are getting up in stronger gusts and that can upset your balance if you are not ready for it, so with the M200 I find the middle of the box area is best, also I need to keep the front foot straps a little further forward to get just the right front foot pressure so I can push the nose down and get the acceleration that I want whilst keeping a comfortable balanced position.

I must admit that I didn't try to test different mast positions. All 3 foils I used are Gong and I placed mast for all of them in the middle of the double US box. It works quite fine so I am unsure if I should get anything by testing different mast positions. On the other hand, I am a bit curious to see how much the board's behaviour will change if I move the mast a bit to the front/back.

I am now mostly using a knee start (though in the video below I am using a half-knee start), it works fine in all conditions (flat, choppy) for me though, I was not able to test the board in bigger waves yet. I would like to try to use some kind of sitting (straddling) start as I saw in the Alan Cadiz video - this seems like a more comfortable and faster way to get on the board.

Here is a nice session with my friend from a local lake:

Kvek I think I'm coming to you for lessons! Looks great and that foil is way faaaaaster than my GF M200. Do you use the back footstrap much? Do you find you can adjust it to the position you want?

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sultanofwing said..
Kvek I think I'm coming to you for lessons! Looks great and that foil is way faaaaaster than my GF M200. Do you use the back footstrap much? Do you find you can adjust it to the position you want?

Thanks sultanofwings. It seems to me that on the drone footage everything looks even better ??

That was Curve XL, with Fluid XLS I feel like I can go faster and turn quicker. The agility of the Fluid is great, I love it??

I use the back footstrap mostly only to pump on the foil and to jump (having said that, I don't jump often). When cruising and turning, most of the time I use only the front footstrap. At the beginning, I used the back one more but I don't see much benefits now, outside starting and jumping. Even in small waves it is fine for me with the foot in front of the back strap.

I put footstraps in the "middle" positions and that suits me fine. I am used to having one foot in the front footstrap while position of the other foot is more flexible: in the strap, just in front of it or a bit more in front of it.

Any comment on build quality, weight, impact resistance compared to other brands?
Any negative considerations? Looking at a 4'4 for surf foil

the board shape looks excellent for surf foil (surfing for 25 years or so) but hey it's your call. I get the feeling that most serious prone surfers use pretty low volume boards, lower than would be ideal for wing foiling (no wave to bring you back in if wind dies)
perso I really like the shape but it llacks a little stability for the given volume, wider and longer and thinner would be more stable, however it's ability to touch down and fly is amazing (like doing bump and go on an aircraft carrier)
as the company warns us the board does get very hot in the summer sun and I would try to cover it or move it to the shade although never heard of any delam problems
the deck pad is not my fav and does unstick a bit at the edges isn't that grippy and wears quickly
the rear footstrap options are located too far back so you cannot follow the placement of the foil mast
the foil box is placed more to the rear than some other brands (ie PPC Soar) but this could be an advantage depending on your riding style and of course the foil that you are going to pair it with
the straps are small if you have big wide feet but are soft and comfy but only fix with one screw at each end (2 is better imo)
overall I personally would highly recommend this board to anyone who enjoys foiling on a seriously surf short board shaped board.

The board seems to be lighter than any other board I have come across at my local beach

one good thing is with the kick pad and front foot staps you can put the board down on any surface and it doesn't damage the board or nose in any way

I have only been on mine a couple of months (I learned to foil on this), no issues so far, one small paint chip (seems normal). The only other thing I would recommend is a small thin mast plate to stop the mast chaffing the bottom of the board - I just put gaffer tape on the mast base and on the board base
does that help?

Bonne idee
sur le Flint vous pouvez mettre le strap avant en ambie (pas possible sur le Lethal)

Ordered a 4'4 32L for surf, lets see Hopefully the foil box being too far back isn't an issue that can't be solved some way (takuma happy like this)

And yes I just tape the nose, to prevent scuffs.

Cornwallis sounds good, in the clip below you can see Sup Tomo's board (sounds similar to your choice) paired up with the GF EZ1275 that he says he enjoys for surfing in the pocket. I don't get to do much surfing these days as the foiling spot is way closer for me and seeing as petrol costs are so high now, foiling is my no1 water sport

You want pics, here's some beach shots , could be some wind next week, yay

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sultanofwing said..
Cornwallis sounds good, in the clip below you can see Sup Tomo's board (sounds similar to your choice) paired up with the GF EZ1275 that he says he enjoys for surfing in the pocket. I don't get to do much surfing these days as the foiling spot is way closer for me and seeing as petrol costs are so high now, foiling is my no1 water sport

Really struggled to follow much in that video! Take your word for it

Yep but you can SEE the short wing foil board that he uses, he is just saying how much he loves to prone surf with the 1275 compared to his other foils. How are you enjoying your setup. No wind today, could be some on the way but it will be back to the M200 as just very light wind again

picked up this board used, very rare to get a European import here in Japan, coming from surfing and windsurfing and SUP it just looked right, never foiled in my life, took me ages to get a used wing and fix the punctures and then a used foil, with a beginner front foil together, I think I made my first purchase in April and we didn't get any decent wind when I could get to the beach until the tail end of July, then the local beach was closed for swimming only and we had to go to the secret spot where they were doing construction work and set up buoys (never can spell this word!) to protect the diver, we have to foil between the oyster boards (large rafts made of bamboo for hanging oysters), I have given up a lot of blood to the vampire oyster shell, it's been a long time coming, so apart from the back foot strap adjustments I think this board is a serious packet of healthy fun

Gong Lethal 4'4x16 32L arrived,

First impressions:

- nice size, smaller than I expected, and quite parallel rails
- feels very rigid, and pushes energy into the foil well when pumping
- the gap between the front and back deck grips doesn't make sense, but most boards do this and I dislike it for pumping
- finish feels solid, though I did manage to make a small chip on a rail
- foil tracks are quite short, and could be more centred to the board
- releases well from touchdowns, better than any board I've tried (3 boards)

Glad you are enjoying yours too, I wish we had more wind as it's the summer hols, and yes the board hardly sticks on touchdowns, you can even do them for fun, coming down to make spray and pulling up, I quite enjoy doing this if there is enough wind to power out

Other comments
- Completely flat deck with no deck concave or rocker, and the tracks seem parallel with the deck
- Top rails are rolled at the front, maybe a wing thing? They are square at the back, so it looks like a little hip
- Bottom is chined all the way through, with quite a flat hull shape, slight double concave in the nose
- Deck pad is solid, and maybe even quite rough on the wetsuit for prone

I'm going strapless now, hoping I can make a jibe, maybe being too optimistic, and like Colas said I added a nose protector as the strap isn't there now, old windsurf sail parts, scissors and neoprene glue seems to do the job

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sultanofwing said..
I'm going strapless now, hoping I can make a jibe, maybe being too optimistic, and like Colas said I added a nose protector as the strap isn't there now, old windsurf sail parts, scissors and neoprene glue seems to do the job

sultanofwing - I feel like front straps help me to easier switch feet after jibes. The front straps give me exact positions to put my feet to. However, it could be that strapless riding gives a nice feeling of freedom to position your feet wherever you want.
For me, straps are really helpful in two cases:
- it helps me to pump the board when the wind is very low
- every now and then (not too often) when I do jump, straps are mandatory

Disclaimer:
The friend's board I made my first steps on (3 days) had "wrongly" positioned straps (the board is a windfoiling/supfoiling/wingfoiling hybrid and the straps were put for windfoiling). These were getting in my way when I was trying to switch feet.
After I bought my first board (Gong Mint 95l), I started to ride my board with straps from day one so I can't say if riding strapless could make a change for the better or worse in my case.

I had a short session strapless and enjoyed the freedom of putting my feet wherever balance felt best, it makes pumping up a tad more difficult but I think I'll get used to it, however I did nail a couple of jibes so it definitely is helping me think less of where my feet are and just concentrate on getting round the corner maintaining balance and finding the wind, no good wind this week though

Update after 6 months on the GONG LETHAL 4'4 32L, probably 100-150 hours, prone foiling, linking waves, lots of pumping. I surf a shortboard around the 33L mark for reference, weight ~70kg.

www.gong-galaxy.com/en/product/gong-surf-foil-board-lethal-fsp-pro-2022/

Construction
+ Remained stiff, no noticeable flex around the base, this to me is the most crucial
- Garbage deck pad, lots of tears, peeling etc. Replaced after 2 months
- Paint chips pretty easily
- Crack where I fell on it with my hips and the rail split, no real bruising on the hips, so I guess not super strong

Design
+ Catches waves easily enough
+ Release from water and rebound all reasonable
- Narrow design is definitely trickier to pop-up than an equivalent volume wider board, and the volume in the tail is against the current trend I guess
- Thickness is quite noticeable. I felt that the thinner boards feel better under foot

I would suggest this board to those in the EU who are looking for a cheaper alternative. The drawbacks probably do not outweigh the positives, and feel like it is reasonably good value for money. However if I get the opportunity I look forward to replacing it with a more refined surf optimised shape with more carbon, and a more robust finish.