Foilnut said..
Was on the 1125 today with -2 shim (reverse the +1 & trim- Thanks Hilly), Used 60 A+ fuse with 232 tail. Winds were 18-25 knots, wind swell. Worked great, pumping is stellar. Better than 1250 for pumping, although the 1250 is easier to ride and surf

Pacey, thanks for details on impact of rider weight.

For the record I am 85 kg. Next session will try 60 vs 50 fuse

hilly said..

Are you fat shaming people
I resemble that remark
I try to reference all my comments with the fact I am in the 100keg class so take my comments with a pinch of salt
A very good point you have raised, weight and age and athletic ability are crucial factors.

you are right, age and athleticism are the other factors. If you are older your reflexes will be slightly slower, as will the speed of your muscle contractions. So a slightly more stable setup will be more comfortable to ride but less dynamic.

all of us are basically minimising the longitudinal stability of our foils to give us the best compromise for our weight and skill level. The video I saw a while ago of a guy riding an Armstrong 1550 in the surf with the fuse cut off just behind the mast and no stabiliser at all shows that if your skills are good and your reflexes sharp, you can reduce the stability of the foil setup to zero. For those of us who are older and more gravitationally attractive, some longitudinal stability is still desirable

Piros said..
No doubt the new Army's are a great high performance wings but have to say the constant tweaking with shims and mast placement and dealing with the high stall speed in lower winds and pumping can make them a bitch of a wing . I've just spent 3 months on the 1250 , 1550 V2 & 1125 plus the V200 tail. There were moments of brilliance on all three wings but honestly, these wings can get really hard to ride. I dusted off my old Axis wings plus jumped on a mate's Lift gear and it was a sweet baby Jesus moment . They were just so easy to ride with the & low speed stall and carry. Axis now have a massive range of wings to suit all weight & ability categories. As Hilly mentioned above us heavy blokes struggle on the limited wing range of the Army's . By far the best built wings on the market but the wing size & compatibility range to suit all sized riders pails in comparison to other brands. Just my humble opinion and this forward geometry thing just does my head in. We went through this 2 years ago on the Sup foils.

I think all the options to customize the ride on the Armstrong can be an advantage for some, but a headache for others, especially if you have limited time to experiment.
I have found myself tuning the gear past my skill level and then back again to find the perfect feel.
If you have the time to experiment you can definitely find what you looking for but it could take some time with all the options, or you may just find it with a standard setup.
I really struggled with the 1125 at the beginning and had to change everything from fuse/shim/and mast positions.
It took at least 6 sessions for me to find the right setup and now it's possibly the best foiling experience I've had to date, amazing performance ride....but had I not persevered I would have missed out.
Other wings for me were just plug and play and you're away.
I can see why some makers don't offer too many options to customize, because it's simpler to have a setup that works for most people most of the time, but in my experience if you are prepared to be patient and experiment with all the options you will be rewarded.

emmafoils said..
I continue to love the 1125 but do get early back leg fatigue. What's the simplest option for getting some minus trim? I have both A+ and Std fuses and all the plastic and Ti shims. Thanks

Flip the 1 degree shim on A+ and trim it or buy my -2 shim for the original fuse which I sold.

For me
- 1125 pumps better than the 1550V2
- 1550V2 is easier to get flying vs 1125
- 1550V2 is easier to foil than 1125, more forgiving and lower stall speed

*Based on 60 fuse, 232 tail

emmafoils said..
1125 is the best pumping foil I have used.

What tail do you use ?

80 kgs 1125/50/v200/0 shim , for me this is an awesome setup , I can't ride anything else atm. I've tried the 60 fuse 232 tail and +1 shim. The 232 is more stable but not as efficient , the +1 shim reduces the pump lift a little and tends to nosedive easier if going slow or pumping too hard. The 60 fuse is good for stable pitch but I prefer the 50 as it makes it turn really quick and easy as well as making it easier to get back up high on the mast when pumping and because the pump is more of a tap this also suits the shorter fuse. I think you can get more pump speed out of the 60 fuse though,as the pump arc is longer and you can put down more power. It takes a little fiddling to get this wing dialled but when you do it's unbelievable, haven't ridden anything with the glide/ speed / efficiency of it.

emmafoils said..
1125 is the best pumping foil I have used.

Can I ask you if you have tried any other Armstrong Wings regarding a pumping comparison, what about the 1850 as I was thinking about looking to buy one?:-)

I'm 75kg and the HA1125 is now my lightest wind foil. You'll need to put in the time on this foil to get it working for you but when you do it will be worth it.
I haven't used my HS1850 since getting the pump up dialled in on the HA1125.

The HA1125 pumps up extremely well once you get the technique down.

Flat water it really shines for me as the speed and glide are so addictive.

I've tried most settings and ended up with the foil slammed all the way forward on my Appletree 4'9" 70L. Liking the 1125/72/+A60/V200/no shim

The main thing to be aware of and I've read this all over and experienced myself in trying the HA1125 a few times is deciding it's not for you or just doesn't feel good. I felt the same way at first. It just felt off. I think this is because it rides so much differently than any other Armstrong wing you're used to. All other Armstrong wings are really easy to use. This is just not the case with the HA1125. Put in the time and this will become your favourite foil.

foilthegreats said..
I'm 75kg and the HA1125 is now my lightest wind foil. You'll need to put in the time on this foil to get it working for you but when you do it will be worth it.
I haven't used my HS1850 since getting the pump up dialled in on the HA1125.

The HA1125 pumps up extremely well once you get the technique down.

Flat water it really shines for me as the speed and glide are so addictive.

I've tried most settings and ended up with the foil slammed all the way forward on my Appletree 4'9" 70L. Liking the 1125/72/+A60/V200/no shim

The main thing to be aware of and I've read this all over and experienced myself in trying the HA1125 a few times is deciding it's not for you or just doesn't feel good. I felt the same way at first. It just felt off. I think this is because it rides so much differently than any other Armstrong wing you're used to. All other Armstrong wings are really easy to use. This is just not the case with the HA1125. Put in the time and this will become your favourite foil.

Foilthegreats can you please give me a bit of comparison between the 1850 & 1125 as I have only been sup foiling for a few months & where I intend to use the 1850 / 1125 would be in waves/swell under 1ft (mainly unbroken swell bumps) also I use the Foil Drive paddle assist catching system so I have heaps of speed up my sleeve I just need to be able to pump & glide more, also I have been using the 1550 mainly & the 1250 but it needs a bigger swell / wave?:-)

100% for SUP go 1125 over 1850. Pump and glide 1125 is king but still surfs decently. I've only had a few session on the 1125 prone foiling but found the learning curve was much easier then with the wing.

emmafoils said..

Johndesu said..

emmafoils said..
1125 is the best pumping foil I have used.

Can I ask you if you have tried any other Armstrong Wings regarding a pumping comparison, what about the 1850 as I was thinking about looking to buy one?:-)

Reading your other questions, if your main interest is SUP in small waves with a Foildrive, I would strongly consider the 1125 over the 1850, especially if you are able to paddle while on foil pretty efficiently. The 1125 is the perfect foil for SUP with motor assistance. So the motor to get on foil and then either small swell, gentle pumping or paddling.

With experience, I have learned how to go surprisingly slowly on it without stalling. It is a matter of back foot pressure combined with turning if you have to slow down. It will definitely glide better than the 1850 on one foot waves. I only wing, but since getting the 1125, I have used it exclusively except for one session when the swell was real big and I chickened out and went with the 1250. I feel like next time, I will stick with the 1125.


BTW, I am on the 232 with -1 shim (Kane). Still has plenty of glide and speed but much less technical. I found the 200 to be too pitch sensitive.

Hope this helps.

Ok thanks emmafoils, foilthegreats & baldy123 thanks for the info also what about the 1550 v2 how would it compare then?;-) also I forgot to mention that I am a light weight (65kg dripping wet in full wetsuit:-)

emmafoils said..
The 1550 v2 feels really slow coming from the 1125. I was disappointed as some have reported online that the 1550 v2 was a lot like the 1125 but just not as technical. I strongly disagree.

It feels way way better than the 1125 Especially clipped a bit it turns so nicely. The 1125 is strictly flat to tiny waves or downwinders for me.

Johndesu said..

hilly said..

emmafoils said..
The 1550 v2 feels really slow coming from the 1125. I was disappointed as some have reported online that the 1550 v2 was a lot like the 1125 but just not as technical. I strongly disagree.

It feels way way better than the 1125 Especially clipped a bit it turns so nicely. The 1125 is strictly flat to tiny waves or downwinders for me.

I see so the 1125 might be better suited to my needs hilly & I think emmafoils also agrees but I am concerned that it is a more difficult foil to ride / learn to ride (according to foilthegreats) as my skill level is still pretty much at the beginner level so any comments please?:-)

It is not a beginner foil. Quite technical but very good glide and pump. The CF range are the best beginner foils or HS 1850

On the 1125 had a solid session today in 12-18 knots wind with up to 1 m swell. Previous sessions had been difficult especially jibing as the foil needed a lot of knee pressure to carve the turn. I switched out the 60 fuse with the 50 and went from 232 tail to the V200. Really unlocked the turning. Easier and shorter radius. Still a technical foil and not as easy to ride as the 1250 but the glide is sweet. Way more comfortable with this setup. Moved mast back 1 cm to provide more gradual lift and no slapping

85 kg - 90l Phazer, 5m strike, 50 fuse with 0 shim