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Armstrong HA725

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Created by MidAtlanticFoil > 9 months ago, 16 Oct 2021
MidAtlanticFoil
672 posts
16 Oct 2021 10:03AM
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I've got my preorder in and this vid of KDMaui ripping at Mach10 had me all the more psyched:

www.instagram.com/tv/CVEYGU9F34I/?utm_medium=copy_link

Check the comments for his take. Says it will be a race foil for him at his weight. Says it will be great for light weight riders

stroppo
WA, 727 posts
16 Oct 2021 11:27AM
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Geez he is making it look easy

FoilAddict
95 posts
16 Oct 2021 2:40PM
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Here's a more detailed take. short version is its amazing that wings like this are available as production foils! The wings are basically what we've had for windsurf foiling forever but with the fuselage and mast geometry adjusted for much better riding with a wing or surfing. Im continually amazed at how many intermediate riders can ride these and it opens up a world of possibilities!

Make sure you use at least a -0.5 shim with 232v2/A+ 72 mast/60 fuse. I needed -1.5 with the V200 on the same setup.
I strongly recommend -1.5 on the 85 mast and -2 with 1125 on 85 mast. 85/60 and v tail might need -2.5.

70 fuse should massively reduce the needed shimming and in my experience is so much better for winging! It's also worth a shot surf foiling but I suspect the 60 is much better. Never liked the 50 much winging or surfing, though it could be sick with a big tail!

Otherwise these wings are amazing for winging! The glide, speed, jumping, and upwind performance are top of their class! They really do fly great! The big sizes take amazingly little power to stay on foil and the small sizes are little rockets. that video speaks for itself, you can see how fast and stable it is.

You can find the shim files on my site, Armstrong only offers + shims as far as I'm aware. I'll be updating my tail offerings to account for this and include shims for different front wings and mast lengths soon!


Also tried the 999/ultrashort/400/85 Alu and oh man was that fun! So dialed- easy takeoff, great glide and pump, surprisingly had decent top end and turning too! spent most of the time riding sitting down and even started making tacks without having to stand up! downwind is almost effortless and a good rider can ride without pumping at all. That wing definitely punches above its class.

If you buy, make sure you use the aluminum mast to get the best results. For Maui conditions its probably a rider's second foil after learning.


Another ride yesterday was the Lift 120 with FoilParts adapter and my 11.5" on long position. That setup just rides beautifully- The speed is between the 999 and 725, but closer to the 999. Pumping is at least as good as the 725, just happens at a lower speed making it easier to keep on foil. Talking about low speed, takeoff and tacking are easy too! The turning is actually amazing flat out, not just for a high aspect. It felt like playing with a toy. This is probably the most fun surf foil unless the waves are minuscule and you need a Kujira 1210 or something! Other stuff has a higher surf performance ceiling but this foil is probably more fun for more people. According to the feedback I have recieved, you need the 11.5" to get it to this level but of course that feedback and I are biased.

Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!

wicka
VIC, 84 posts
16 Oct 2021 10:38PM
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Select to expand quote
FoilAddict said..
Here's a more detailed take. short version is its amazing that wings like this are available as production foils! The wings are basically what we've had for windsurf foiling forever but with the fuselage and mast geometry adjusted for much better riding with a wing or surfing. Im continually amazed at how many intermediate riders can ride these and it opens up a world of possibilities!

Make sure you use at least a -0.5 shim with 232v2/A+ 72 mast/60 fuse. I needed -1.5 with the V200 on the same setup.
I strongly recommend -1.5 on the 85 mast and -2 with 1125 on 85 mast. 85/60 and v tail might need -2.5.

70 fuse should massively reduce the needed shimming and in my experience is so much better for winging! It's also worth a shot surf foiling but I suspect the 60 is much better. Never liked the 50 much winging or surfing, though it could be sick with a big tail!

Otherwise these wings are amazing for winging! The glide, speed, jumping, and upwind performance are top of their class! They really do fly great! The big sizes take amazingly little power to stay on foil and the small sizes are little rockets. that video speaks for itself, you can see how fast and stable it is.

You can find the shim files on my site, Armstrong only offers + shims as far as I'm aware. I'll be updating my tail offerings to account for this and include shims for different front wings and mast lengths soon!


Also tried the 999/ultrashort/400/85 Alu and oh man was that fun! So dialed- easy takeoff, great glide and pump, surprisingly had decent top end and turning too! spent most of the time riding sitting down and even started making tacks without having to stand up! downwind is almost effortless and a good rider can ride without pumping at all. That wing definitely punches above its class.

If you buy, make sure you use the aluminum mast to get the best results. For Maui conditions its probably a rider's second foil after learning.


Another ride yesterday was the Lift 120 with FoilParts adapter and my 11.5" on long position. That setup just rides beautifully- The speed is between the 999 and 725, but closer to the 999. Pumping is at least as good as the 725, just happens at a lower speed making it easier to keep on foil. Talking about low speed, takeoff and tacking are easy too! The turning is actually amazing flat out, not just for a high aspect. It felt like playing with a toy. This is probably the most fun surf foil unless the waves are minuscule and you need a Kujira 1210 or something! Other stuff has a higher surf performance ceiling but this foil is probably more fun for more people. According to the feedback I have recieved, you need the 11.5" to get it to this level but of course that feedback and I are biased.

Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!


That's awesome feedback Kane! How do you find the ha925 within this comparison?

foilthegreats
526 posts
16 Oct 2021 8:52PM
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Thanks for the detailed review FoilAddict!

FoilAddict, do you have new stabs coming for Armstrong that you'll specifically recommend for the HA Foils?

Anyone wondering where to get KD stabs: kdfoils.myshopify.com/collections

MidAtlanticFoil
672 posts
16 Oct 2021 9:01PM
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Hey FoilAddict, really enjoyed your latest progression podcast!
Regarding your negative shim recommendations for the Armie HA line, how much of that correlates with rider weight to you think? I'm only 63kgs and have been riding with two red shims or red and blue lately (so +1 or +.5 overall). Tuned for riding short period windswell downwind on 85M/60fuse/fv200. I've been in foot straps for occasional boosts, but feel like I need to ditch the straps to really dial in my setups. Recently broke 20mph finally and it was de-powered riding a chest high bump downwind at +1. On your site, the $5 Armstrong shim option includes all three shims negative shims? I'm always game to tweak the ride! I need to try your 13" tail again now that I have the A+ fuse (only tried briefly on 70 A-fuse)

dejavu
808 posts
16 Oct 2021 9:56PM
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Select to expand quote
FoilAddict said..
Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!


Please do! Love your videos -- very helpful.

greg87foil
130 posts
18 Oct 2021 4:36AM
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Select to expand quote
dejavu said..

FoilAddict said..
Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!



Please do! Love your videos -- very helpful.


+1 to YouTube reviews

Awesome feedback on the 725! Curious about your take on the 925

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
18 Oct 2021 6:23AM
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Select to expand quote
greg87foil said..


dejavu said..



FoilAddict said..
Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!





Please do! Love your videos -- very helpful.




+1 to YouTube reviews

Awesome feedback on the 725! Curious about your take on the 925



Yeh me too. Namely what tail shim on the 85mast with either the V tail or the 232 on the 925.
given a 60 fuse. And are you running these HAs further back in the box or further forward?

leepasty
328 posts
18 Oct 2021 2:44PM
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Select to expand quote
eppo said..

greg87foil said..



dejavu said..




FoilAddict said..
Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!






Please do! Love your videos -- very helpful.





+1 to YouTube reviews

Awesome feedback on the 725! Curious about your take on the 925




Yeh me too. Namely what tail shim on the 85mast with either the V tail or the 232 on the 925.
given a 60 fuse. And are you running these HAs further back in the box or further forward?


I think he's running negative d so him so can have it back in box.
Prob fine in the super strong wind he's riding in but think would feel draggy in normal conditions light/med wind wing or weak surf?

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
18 Oct 2021 3:22PM
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Maybe. Im running only minus 1 but thats on the old system not the A plus. So thats shimless on the A plus. Might provide more front foot pressure and maybe slow it down a bit in waves. Not sure.

leepasty
328 posts
18 Oct 2021 4:02PM
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Select to expand quote
eppo said..
Maybe. Im running only minus 1 but thats on the old system not the A plus. So thats shimless on the A plus. Might provide more front foot pressure and maybe slow it down a bit in waves. Not sure.



The difference between zero(red shim) and -1(no shim) on the 925 for me is that with shim need it 1cm further forward to keep same foot pressure. so putting extra -2 should in theory move mast back 2cm but would of thought lot more drag. This is prob not noticed when super windy and just equals more stability?

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
18 Oct 2021 4:54PM
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not sure its as simple / proportional as that. Bloody wish it was.

leepasty
328 posts
18 Oct 2021 7:04PM
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Yeah but what I mean is if you put -2 shim in I reckon you will need move mast back for sure

jatem
13 posts
20 Oct 2021 6:29AM
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Select to expand quote
FoilAddict said..
Here's a more detailed take. short version is its amazing that wings like this are available as production foils! The wings are basically what we've had for windsurf foiling forever but with the fuselage and mast geometry adjusted for much better riding with a wing or surfing. Im continually amazed at how many intermediate riders can ride these and it opens up a world of possibilities!

Make sure you use at least a -0.5 shim with 232v2/A+ 72 mast/60 fuse. I needed -1.5 with the V200 on the same setup.
I strongly recommend -1.5 on the 85 mast and -2 with 1125 on 85 mast. 85/60 and v tail might need -2.5.

70 fuse should massively reduce the needed shimming and in my experience is so much better for winging! It's also worth a shot surf foiling but I suspect the 60 is much better. Never liked the 50 much winging or surfing, though it could be sick with a big tail!

Otherwise these wings are amazing for winging! The glide, speed, jumping, and upwind performance are top of their class! They really do fly great! The big sizes take amazingly little power to stay on foil and the small sizes are little rockets. that video speaks for itself, you can see how fast and stable it is.

You can find the shim files on my site, Armstrong only offers + shims as far as I'm aware. I'll be updating my tail offerings to account for this and include shims for different front wings and mast lengths soon!


Also tried the 999/ultrashort/400/85 Alu and oh man was that fun! So dialed- easy takeoff, great glide and pump, surprisingly had decent top end and turning too! spent most of the time riding sitting down and even started making tacks without having to stand up! downwind is almost effortless and a good rider can ride without pumping at all. That wing definitely punches above its class.

If you buy, make sure you use the aluminum mast to get the best results. For Maui conditions its probably a rider's second foil after learning.


Another ride yesterday was the Lift 120 with FoilParts adapter and my 11.5" on long position. That setup just rides beautifully- The speed is between the 999 and 725, but closer to the 999. Pumping is at least as good as the 725, just happens at a lower speed making it easier to keep on foil. Talking about low speed, takeoff and tacking are easy too! The turning is actually amazing flat out, not just for a high aspect. It felt like playing with a toy. This is probably the most fun surf foil unless the waves are minuscule and you need a Kujira 1210 or something! Other stuff has a higher surf performance ceiling but this foil is probably more fun for more people. According to the feedback I have recieved, you need the 11.5" to get it to this level but of course that feedback and I are biased.

Might be time for some Youtube reviews . Soon I'll test the Gofoil RS, other Armstrong HA, Cabrinha, and some other good stuff too!


The 999 is definitely user friendly and yet it has so much gliding performance. When you say use the alu mast 'for best results', are you referring to the carbon mast not being as stiff?

FoilAddict
95 posts
20 Oct 2021 7:52AM
Thumbs Up

Yeah the carbon mast is super flexible and makes it hard to control a wide span like the 999. I'd go aluminum or cedrus/nolimitz if you have the budget!

MidAtlanticFoil
672 posts
30 Oct 2021 2:01AM
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725 and tail to be delivered tomorrow!
Oskar J says it's the best foil he's ever ridden.

Can't wait to test it out!

north_kiter
NSW, 233 posts
30 Oct 2021 6:21AM
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going to be too small for riders winging > 85kg imo

MidAtlanticFoil
672 posts
30 Oct 2021 4:14AM
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Yeah I'd probably agree. I'm a welterweight (64 kgs) so I think the 725 might be perfect for me. For example I was fully lit on my 925 and 4M in 18-24 mph last session, almost no pumping needed to get on foil. Stall speed of the 925 is surprisingly low when you don't weigh much.

For someone in the 85kg range, the 925 probably feels like the 725 will for me..

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
30 Oct 2021 6:47AM
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Havent found any stall issues winging the 925 at 75kg. Different story proning though. But thats not the wing - I just got to get better.

north_kiter
NSW, 233 posts
30 Oct 2021 12:22PM
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I'm 95-100kgs and only used the 925 once winging and loads kiting, but I think the 925 is a high wind wing foil 18+ knots up for me, could even be 20+ knots. Add an extra 5kg for board, 4 kg for foil, 2-3kg for the wing, wetsuit, helmet, protective vest and that's 115kgs it has to lift, so forward momentum is needed to keep her from stalling

Oahuwaterwalker
198 posts
5 Nov 2021 7:37AM
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I'm about 75kgs and find I can get the 925 going on a 4.5M Armstrong A Wing and 69L board in a 10-12knots "IF" I'm able to also use a small chop running in the same direction the board is pointed. Once up, it takes almost nothing to stay up. In order to get on foil heading into the chop, I need a steady 12-14knots of wind.

The HA725 looks like it would be a weapon in a stead 18+ knots for someone my size.

Fantastic instagram video...

hilly
TAS, 7195 posts
5 Nov 2021 10:44AM
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hilly
TAS, 7195 posts
5 Nov 2021 10:46AM
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hilly
TAS, 7195 posts
5 Nov 2021 10:50AM
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www.facebook.com/628686750/videos/2986872354919544/

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
5 Nov 2021 8:36AM
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Damn!,,,

north_kiter
NSW, 233 posts
5 Nov 2021 2:01PM
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I'm going to have to wait till I'm 80 years old and lost all my muscle mass before I can use this wing!

Anyone using this in the weight range > 80kg winging, if so what's the min wind speed 25knots?

MidAtlanticFoil
672 posts
7 Nov 2021 6:02PM
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Ran the 725 yesterday in 26-36 knots, side shore conditions in the mouth of large bay. It christened my 2M wing promptly when it blew over my head going over the shore pound (literally a cross shaped canopy tear). Grabbed my 3M and ripped around for a bit. If I had been on any other front wing, I probably would have had a lot of trouble keeping it in the water. The 725 felt amazing dropping in on larger swells. So fluid and intuitive and the glide was really good.

Windoc
376 posts
22 Nov 2021 3:08AM
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I just picked up the 725 and had my first session on it. 90kgs, 5.2 Takuma wing, 85, V-tail, -1 shim, position 8 in Armstrong board. Wind was 15-18 knots. What a little rocket! As you'd imagine, it needs a little more forward speed to start lifting, but once up it's super efficient. Glide was pretty good if you have enough swell or wave power. Seemed easy enough to ride out of the box which was a huge surprise at my level. So far I've ridden the 1125, 925 and now 725 and they all feel very similar. What's really cool about the 725 is that it responds to a quick yaw motion to the outside of the turn before really railing; the feeling is pretty electric. And this is riding the Armstrong 5.11! Can't imagine how good it'll feel on the small board (I'm travelling and brought one board for SUP and wing). One interesting thing is that around the 35-40+km/h mark, the foil or V-tail was absolutely shrieking. Need to figure out which foil is the culprit; front or back. My 925 with V tail does this to a much lesser extent. For now it's just the sound of speeeeeed! Going to be tough to choose between the HA wings. They seem to all work quite well in similar wind strengths but the 725 needs a grunty wing in lighter air.

Foilnut
172 posts
22 Nov 2021 5:19AM
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Select to expand quote
Windoc said..
I just picked up the 725 and had my first session on it. 90kgs, 5.2 Takuma wing, 85, V-tail, -1 shim, position 8 in Armstrong board. Wind was 15-18 knots. What a little rocket! As you'd imagine, it needs a little more forward speed to start lifting, but once up it's super efficient. Glide was pretty good if you have enough swell or wave power. Seemed easy enough to ride out of the box which was a huge surprise at my level. So far I've ridden the 1125, 925 and now 725 and they all feel very similar. What's really cool about the 725 is that it responds to a quick yaw motion to the outside of the turn before really railing; the feeling is pretty electric. And this is riding the Armstrong 5.11! Can't imagine how good it'll feel on the small board (I'm travelling and brought one board for SUP and wing). One interesting thing is that around the 35-40+km/h mark, the foil or V-tail was absolutely shrieking. Need to figure out which foil is the culprit; front or back. My 925 with V tail does this to a much lesser extent. For now it's just the sound of speeeeeed! Going to be tough to choose between the HA wings. They seem to all work quite well in similar wind strengths but the 725 needs a grunty wing in lighter air.


Windo****hanks for your comments. Now this is making this tough, LOL

you mention position 8 on 5'11" FG, I am riding at position 4.5 on 5'8"/99 FG. My feet are pretty well where foot straps would be. Where do you find your feet land? Foot straps?

eppo
WA, 9372 posts
22 Nov 2021 6:03AM
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My son has done a number of downwinders on the 925 and recently the 725. Not sure he's gonna touch the 925 again except for proning on a small day



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"Armstrong HA725" started by MidAtlanticFoil