329 posts
Transferred form the 940 to the 835(the smaller Onda) then moved to the 808 as my most used front wing. Also reducing stabalizers size as I went along. I actually use the 707 when its windy and go back to the 835 very light wind days.
The progression probably covered about 2 years but I foil around 100 days a year. I found the transition easier than I thought and within a few sessions I always felt pretty comfortable while enjoying the advantages of a foil that was a little faster and a lot more fun to turn. What is interesting is before I got each smaller foil I used the "old" foil in all wind conditions [I did not know better] but when I got the new smaller foil I would use it in lower winds unless the wind was too light to get going on my 4.4m then would grab a bigger foil and often a bigger sail.
I am 85kg and use the 808 on my 100L board when the GUSTS are around the following. I prefer to have a sail sized so I can waterstart in the gusts and of course once on foil you don't need much wind. That is one thing I like about the smaller foils is you are moving faster creating more apparent wind and can foil through lulls easier. So as long as you can get going in the gusts the wind minimum seems to be lower.
Using Goya Chyphers (I wound add around a sail size if on wave sails)
4.4m - 15mph
3.8m - 25mph
3.4m - 30/35mph
3.0m sailworks retro 35/45 mph not a freestyle sail
Long answer but hope it helps.
What I love best is riding waves/swells 90 degrees to the wind down the line with power in the sail. Also have a blast downwinding on swells but again powered up. The 808 is fun to carve and I use the 370 or 325 stab on a custom 800 fuse
Not sure if you downwind with the sail flagged
