kobo said..

CH3MTR4IL5 said..

eppo said..
nice in depth review of the 880..

-HA1125: perfect low speed take-off. Amazing glide. You can harness 3" bumps and just fly across em. It's hard to stall the 1125. It's a little hard to turn and it's a little slow. 50 fuse helped it turn but banking turns hard, it's sketchy. It breaches well and is perfect for **** waves. Easy to overpower in bigger surf/lift spike.
-HA925: I rode the 925 for well over a year and loved it til it was stolen. Only reason I stopped using it. It needs speed to take off but kicks up in mushy waves. It carves very well. It has some solid glide. It connects waves easily. It has amazing top speed to go from one shoulder to the next and make any section you want.
HA725: **** that wing. At least in small waves. It slashes turns like nobodies business. But damn. Any little mistake and it stalls. It's fast and loose, but I can't recommend it for small waves and inexperienced foilers. It's just a bad day. Fun, but just too difficult.

Thanks eppo this was handy to me as that's my current quiver, 1125/925/725, and agree entirely with the summary!

Still not clear to me if the HA880 replaces any of these wings if you can ride them comfortably already? Can it replace the 1125?

I have the same quiver 1125/925/725 as you and at 80kg the 880 replaces the 1125/925 for me . It's like a 925 and 1/3 I recon ,but it pumps and turns so much better than either of those 2.The 725 would still be faster though for sure.

yeh bang on kobo. if there was a 1025 HA it would be similar to the 880 but with a smaller wind span

I just had a wing session with the 880 on a new 40L board in some serious wind and great bay conditions I had the mast too far back and the foil felt like crap! I moved it forward 3cms from 3 to 6 and it was better, but still needed another nudge forward. Just a PSA to really nudge these forward, especially if using the 140 stab. It's a night and day difference.

The ease of cutbacks on this 880 is really awesome. I had one where I cranked at least 4 sweeping cutbacks without powering the wing in pretty tightly packed thigh high swell, with a pump to a wave behind mixed in as well. Just magic feeling. The pistol grip on the XPS is perfect as well.

wingedsurfer said..
Hi Mid, do you feel a lot of difference between 140 and 180 speed? i also have the new 40lt board and i love it, and planning to replace 1125 and 925 with 880, 680 and 580.
58kg

The 140 just feels faster and more responsive. 180 more on rails I'd say. But I need more back to back testing.
this was my 2nd go on the 40 L with basically onshore 25-30knt with a rocky shoreline. 3.6M got my 65-70kgs up and going quick! As soon as I can stand it goes.

CH3MTR4IL5 said..

kobo said..

CH3MTR4IL5 said..

eppo said..
nice in depth review of the 880..

-HA1125: perfect low speed take-off. Amazing glide. You can harness 3" bumps and just fly across em. It's hard to stall the 1125. It's a little hard to turn and it's a little slow. 50 fuse helped it turn but banking turns hard, it's sketchy. It breaches well and is perfect for **** waves. Easy to overpower in bigger surf/lift spike.
-HA925: I rode the 925 for well over a year and loved it til it was stolen. Only reason I stopped using it. It needs speed to take off but kicks up in mushy waves. It carves very well. It has some solid glide. It connects waves easily. It has amazing top speed to go from one shoulder to the next and make any section you want.
HA725: **** that wing. At least in small waves. It slashes turns like nobodies business. But damn. Any little mistake and it stalls. It's fast and loose, but I can't recommend it for small waves and inexperienced foilers. It's just a bad day. Fun, but just too difficult.

Thanks eppo this was handy to me as that's my current quiver, 1125/925/725, and agree entirely with the summary!

Still not clear to me if the HA880 replaces any of these wings if you can ride them comfortably already? Can it replace the 1125?

I have the same quiver 1125/925/725 as you and at 80kg the 880 replaces the 1125/925 for me . It's like a 925 and 1/3 I recon ,but it pumps and turns so much better than either of those 2.The 725 would still be faster though for sure.

Ah that's interesting. so close to a one foil quiver eh?

For a 80 plus kg guy up to 90kg for sure.

Alrhough we did a 25km down winder in lighter winds and the two Sup DW guys were on a 1080 and a 930 DWP respectively. The 930 looked effortless in those smaller bumps. But for winging and prone only - yeh.

ps both paddlers are very good waterman and weigh 80-82kg fyi.

Here is my report back on last three weeks with winging on the HA880.
Ive been on the ha880/935/180/60 for about 3 weeks now and it is nearly a one foil quiver for me at 82kg. Been in 10-30knots range over maybe 12 sessions with various ocean wind waves. My fg60litre board struggles in light wind with this foil, but with an upgrade to a dw style board I think the ha880 could be used in the lighter winds
Im really happy with the glide and the low stall speed of the ha880. Its forgiving riding down the open ocean wind waves. Steeper and larger overhead waves would need something smaller like a HA780 or HA680 if you wanted to really push the turns.

on the days I was overpowered with the wing I felt I would prefer a smaller foil (and smaller wing but was too lazy to go in and change wings). The front foot pressure seemed to increase as I got overpowered on the wing and wind waves picked up. It maybe just mast location or shimming the rear foil? The mast was set at 6 for the MA's now on 4. The foil still behaved perfectly but I noticed the extra load in my front leg.

The sweet spot for me winging on the HA880 was 15-20knots and up to head high ocean wind waves.

MidAtlanticFoil said..

Poida said..
Here is my report back on last three weeks with winging on the HA880.
Ive been on the ha880/935/180/60 for about 3 weeks now and it is nearly a one foil quiver for me at 82kg. Been in 10-30knots range over maybe 12 sessions with various ocean wind waves. My fg60litre board struggles in light wind with this foil, but with an upgrade to a dw style board I think the ha880 could be used in the lighter winds
Im really happy with the glide and the low stall speed of the ha880. Its forgiving riding down the open ocean wind waves. Steeper and larger overhead waves would need something smaller like a HA780 or HA680.

on the days I was overpowered with the wing I felt I would prefer a smaller foil (and smaller wing but was too lazy to go in and change wings). The front foot pressure seemed to increase as I got overpowered on the wing and wind waves picked up. It maybe just mast location or shimming the rear foil? The mast was set at 6 for the MA's now on 4.

The sweet spot for me on the HA880 was 15-20knots and up to head high ocean wind waves.

Great feedback. I agree about the sweet spot for wind speed. Today I could have easily been on a smaller foil with the 20+ knots, but a nice harness setup made the trips back upwind a non issue. (Thanks Wingman).

When I had my foil too far back, I found that I would get surges of front foot pressure at critical moments, probably because the weight would be too far back at the wrong time, sending the foil upwards, requiring much more front foot pressure to hold it down - think teeter-totter. When it's set up right, you have control at all times and can send it where you want. That being said, I haven't had it in any real waves just yet.

Today was my first time riding it with a small board - having only sessioned it with my 6'3" DW board. I almost liked it more with DW board, as pumping and turning is really tame and even easier. Getting on foil is insanely easy with the DW board.

thanks Mid,
Ill need to try and test the mast locations further forward. It was really only in 25knots plus overpowered wing with a solid ocean wind wave that i started to experience the increased front foot pressure. I think it was telling me time to change down.

eppo said..

Poida said..

MidAtlanticFoil said..

Poida said..
Here is my report back on last three weeks with winging on the HA880.
Ive been on the ha880/935/180/60 for about 3 weeks now and it is nearly a one foil quiver for me at 82kg. Been in 10-30knots range over maybe 12 sessions with various ocean wind waves. My fg60litre board struggles in light wind with this foil, but with an upgrade to a dw style board I think the ha880 could be used in the lighter winds
Im really happy with the glide and the low stall speed of the ha880. Its forgiving riding down the open ocean wind waves. Steeper and larger overhead waves would need something smaller like a HA780 or HA680.

on the days I was overpowered with the wing I felt I would prefer a smaller foil (and smaller wing but was too lazy to go in and change wings). The front foot pressure seemed to increase as I got overpowered on the wing and wind waves picked up. It maybe just mast location or shimming the rear foil? The mast was set at 6 for the MA's now on 4.

The sweet spot for me on the HA880 was 15-20knots and up to head high ocean wind waves.

Great feedback. I agree about the sweet spot for wind speed. Today I could have easily been on a smaller foil with the 20+ knots, but a nice harness setup made the trips back upwind a non issue. (Thanks Wingman).

When I had my foil too far back, I found that I would get surges of front foot pressure at critical moments, probably because the weight would be too far back at the wrong time, sending the foil upwards, requiring much more front foot pressure to hold it down - think teeter-totter. When it's set up right, you have control at all times and can send it where you want. That being said, I haven't had it in any real waves just yet.

Today was my first time riding it with a small board - having only sessioned it with my 6'3" DW board. I almost liked it more with DW board, as pumping and turning is really tame and even easier. Getting on foil is insanely easy with the DW board.

thanks Mid,
I'll suggestneed to try and test the mast locations further forward. It was really only in 25knots plus overpowered wing with a solid ocean wind wave that i started to experience the increased front foot pressure. I think it was telling me time to change down.

I'd suggest trying the dart tail as well!! Then she rips in the turns and for ungodly reason has more glide and pump! I've DW in 25 knots and it handles the big ocean bumps superbly. But winging in waves / flat - can be a handful in higher winds.

I havent tried the DW paddling with foils yet. That would mean a lot of commitment to the paddle training.
Ill have to try the dart! I was just glad of the progression I got from the HA after using the MA's atm.

First day on ha780... 80-82kg wet, FG60/935/60/180 with red shim/mast position 8 (1cm more than Ha925 and 2cm less than MA1225), 3m Mantis, 20-25knots onshore in Elwood Port Phillip Bay with confused wind chop.

Comparable to Ha925 but better:
-more user-friendly
-lower stall speed and slightly higher top end
-quicker rail to rail, feels very responsive but tolerant of mistakes
-better glide
-better pumping feel, has a trampoline-like response

Very happy with it!

bhc said..
First day on ha780... 80-82kg wet, FG60/935/60/180 with red shim/mast position 8 (1cm more than Ha925 and 2cm less than MA1225), 3m Mantis, 20-25knots onshore in Elwood Port Phillip Bay with confused wind chop.

Comparable to Ha925 but better:
-more user-friendly
-lower stall speed and slightly higher top end
-quicker rail to rail, feels very responsive but tolerant of mistakes
-better glide
-better pumping feel, has a trampoline-like response

Very happy with it!

This is what I was waiting for, in terms of lift do you think the 780 is similar to the 925?

880 ordered, u better be right about this eppo!

bolocom said..

bhc said..
First day on ha780... 80-82kg wet, FG60/935/60/180 with red shim/mast position 8 (1cm more than Ha925 and 2cm less than MA1225), 3m Mantis, 20-25knots onshore in Elwood Port Phillip Bay with confused wind chop.

Comparable to Ha925 but better:
-more user-friendly
-lower stall speed and slightly higher top end
-quicker rail to rail, feels very responsive but tolerant of mistakes
-better glide
-better pumping feel, has a trampoline-like response

Very happy with it!

This is what I was waiting for, in terms of lift do you think the 780 is similar to the 925?

Yes, but easier to get on foil than 925. Had tested 880 on a demo day and 880 had more lift than 925.. I agree with eppo's likening it to imaginary 1025 :)

The 680 is out for delivery, just in time for some friendly racing tomorrow in solid wind. Last weekend I was out with the same guys on my 725 with similar wind, so it will be interesting to see how it compares while pushing speed. Or I may grab the 525 and smoke these fools

MidAtlanticFoil said..
The 680 is out for delivery, just in time for some friendly racing tomorrow in solid wind. Last weekend I was out with the same guys on my 725 with similar wind, so it will be interesting to see how it compares while pushing speed. Or I may grab the 525 and smoke these fools

I think it is slower than the 725 based on my very limited experience on a demo day but much easier and friendlier. That may be an advantage with gusts and lulls.

Would love to hear your feedback before deciding what to order next... 680 or 580 or an MA800 for 30kn+ days when the bay gets really choppy and challenging.

CH3MTR4IL5 said..

eppo said..

Your weight, wind speed, board, mast, presume 60 fuse and what tails ? it's outrageously good on the 140 dart.

75kg, perth seabreeze, 40-70L ~4-5ft board (1 sinker, 1 semi-sinker), 865 mast, 60 fuse, 140 dart

didn't consider a 780? do a ton of downwinders ? Be good on a sinker no doubt.

ArthurAlston said..
This is one of the best non-sponsored videos of the 880 I've come across. His findings match mine after using the 880 for a couple of weeks. Essentially, the 880 is akin to the 1125 and sizing down two sizes is recommended. Worth watching.

IMHO there are limitations with 1-1 comparison between v1 and v2 HAs due to different characteristics e.g. user-friendliness, turning, gliding and especially the range. Per my earlier post I think 780 is closest to 925 but not sure where 680 and 580 sit wrt 725.