I have 8 sessions under my belt wind foiling. I weigh 90kgs. I use a Fanatic Flow 1500 with a Mistral 137 (82 wide) slalom board and Severne Glide 7.0. The Flow 1500 is very stable and easy to learn on. I can maintain stable flight in 10 to 16kts of wind with this combo. I can confidently mow the lawn, work to windward and down wind foil. I've just started tentative attempts to learn to foil gybe. Once I've got this mastered, I'd like to get into some wave riding on wind chop on Moreton Bay. What are my options for a new foil board with this in mind?
I love the Fanatic Stingrays + Supercruiser for riding swells ...
If you only want to carve, the many short designs (<210) are sweet - if you want blasting option as well I suggest longer shapes
I have the FG 7.0, great sail but for carving it is too locked in so you need to go smaller - I just use Blades
For swell riding I inboard straps front and center back, others go strapless rear (and a few strapless front and rear) so insert position doesn't matter too much
I also want a board with compact geometry (mast track closer to front foot) for swell riding
I use the slingshot freestyles but they are a bit more difficult to gybe, so the new wizards work great if you need to get your gybing consistency up and still want to ride swells
I love the Fanatic Stingrays + Supercruiser for riding swells ...
If you only want to carve, the many short designs (<210) are sweet - if you want blasting option as well I suggest longer shapes
I have the FG 7.0, great sail but for carving it is too locked in so you need to go smaller - I just use Blades
How heavy are you and what size Stingray do you have?
97kg, I have had the SR 140 LTD for a while, out in all conditions including open ocean and 30++ winds
Grabbed the 125 LTD as well for windy days, couldn't resist, same ease and versatility, noticeably more reactive under my bulk, and I go the 140 if there is a risk of wind dying
At your stage, I reckon 140 is the better choice if you can find one and it handles bigger sails/ blasting foils better if you get into that later on
Both handle FG 7.0 just fine
For wave/swell riding you really need a centre back strap and inboard front ones. Slingshot Freestyle or Wizard. There are a few others but are probably too small for your weight.
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I love my Stingray 140 ltd, perfect freeride/freerace board, so easy to foil, will put a smile on your face.
Fanatic foils are also lovely, can't wait for the carbon edition which will be introduced around september.
Nice video. Would love to sail a spot that flat and breezy some time.
What foil were you riding? Is that a FoilGlide 7.0?
I notice that he keeps the back foot out of the strap, in front of it. I foil my Stringray 140 this way, too. This seems to be a common thing.
Is everybody "floating" their back foot?
I notice that he keeps the back foot out of the strap, in front of it. I foil my Stringray 140 this way, too. This seems to be a common thing.
Is everybody "floating" their back foot?
Mostly in straps. I feel more safe while locked in and am able to push more speed out of it. Only sometimes on downwind legs I put backfoot out, because board is not horizontal and wants to head up.
I notice that he keeps the back foot out of the strap, in front of it. I foil my Stringray 140 this way, too. This seems to be a common thing.
Is everybody "floating" their back foot?
Actually reverting to using the back strap more the last few months. For freeride foiling with a larger sail in flat conditions, "floating" is fine. Also, like che66er, going off the wind wound up. I got into the habit because early on, it was an easy way to deal with too much power under the front foot when overpowered as I'm on the smaller side and winds can be gusty at my venue.
I was using Foil Glide 7.0 and Flow foil 1000. I was actually overpowerd that day and riding short runs around the camera boat, so back foot not that much in the back footstrap, on longer upwind runs the backfoot is in back footstrap and everything is well balanced.
So I think my choices are:
Stingray 140
Stingray 125
Wizard 130
The first is the safe choice, the third the most challenging but potentially rewarding and the middle might be a good compromise.
My two cents.
Not all liters are created equal it seems. Fanatic liters =! Slingshot liters.
When I started foiling I was about 90 kg and I bought the Stingray 125. Because I was able to spend so much time otw I've dropped 5 kilos. I'm really happy with my SR 125. But.
The thing about foiling is that most of us tried it for the magical low wind threshold but then found out how fun it was in general. To me it isn't about the low wind anymore, it's about being able to turn mushy wind swell into fun. So now I am looking for an even smaller board to realize better surfing on the wind swell. (This is what the WA crew re doing.)
I'm im keeping my SR125 fir light wind days, but for heavier wind days I'm looking for a smaller board now. The point is that at your weight I recommend the 125 over the 140 if you are looking at the stingray. (I have the Flow 1500 and have also used the Aero1750 with the SR125.)
You have a great journey ahead.
For that use you definitely want a compact board with compact geometry (mast base to foil distance) and inboard straps. I also definitely recommend the Starboard Supercruiser, the quality is well ahead of most of the competition.
Maybe to make it even more difficult, soon to come out the new Fanatic Stingray 130 ltd, all new shape, more compact.
There will be a 115 and 130 in ltd construction, and in HRS will de the 2020 shapes.
I started foiling on big slalom board 235 x 85, 136 liters, it was easy but soon enough I started feeling bored, too easy, too flat. Then I switched to my current board - RRD Pocket Rocket 120 liters (180 x 76). Different story. Much more dynamic, more exiting, more rewarding.