Here are my thoughts.
Age - mid 30s, 183 cm, 77 kg - winging since August 2020
Home spot - Fresh water - lakes - 12-20 knts avg - but a few days of storms with 25-30 knts
Nearly always in a wetsuit, 3/2, 5/3 or up to 6/4/3 (7 mm mitts + 7 mm boots)
Strapless only
Did ride my current quiver in saltwater as well (Maui, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Columbia) from 10-40 knts, with wings ranging from 1.9m to 5.5m
Started on a board I shaped (first time shaping) as everything was backordered due to the pandemic's supply chain issues.
DIY - 5'5" x 25" -
110 L- shaped after a Fanatic Sky Wing V1 - used it for about 50 sessions? - learned with a SABFOIL W1100 - 2100 cm2 front wing
Takuma TK 75 - 5'4?x 24 5/16 -
75 L - 50 sessions? (1050-1300 cm2 front wings)
Takuma TK 40 - 4'4" x19 5/16 -
40 L (52% of bodyweight) - 50 sessions (1050-1450 cm2 front wings)
Current quiver (I'm a North ambassador hence why everything is North)
North Seek 4'8" x 23 -
58 L (75% of BW) - 20 sessions? (Got it for the girlfriend, 55 kg, to learn how to wing) - very rarely using it, very light winds or if the gf was using my 43 L.
North Swell 4'7" x 20 14 -
43 L (56% of BW) - 100 sessions
(daily driver) (HA1050 for light wind, HA850 for anything else) - I can use the same size wings as local riders on their floaters. I used to rarely ride bigger than a 4.2 m even in light wind (12 knts), but since I go my hands on a Mode 5.5 m, that has changed due to how effortless it is to ride and the speed/upwind angle.
North Swell 4'1" x 19 1/2 -
33 L (43% of BW) - 5 sessions winging? Mostly my dockstarting board. Not suitable as a daily driver as I need to be very powered to bring the board to the surface to start pumping it. However, it became the gf's daily driver (60% of her BW).
I tried an Armstrong 4'10 - 39 L for about 5 sessions (51% of BW) while I still had my Takuma 4'4 - 40 L and the added length of the Armie made it much easier to start as the nose would rise to the surface earlier and allow the rest of the board to rise to the surface with less work and that was with HA725/925/1125, front wings which need higher speeds to start pumping the board)
Once I can bring a board from under water to the surface, 99% of the time I can get on foil. The limiting factor is usually bringing the board to the surface. I use a modified stink bug knee start as a crouching start requires more power to bring the board to the surface.
Based on the experience collected from 3 friends on sinkers, my gf and my own, I think that a sinker board around 50-55% of BW can become a daily driver without requiring to ride overpowered once on foil, that is, being able to use the same size wing as on a floater. Length of the board is a very important factor as well and given similar volumes, I'd opt for the longer board to facilitate waterstarts.
The gains from my 58 L to my 43 L are huge (same foil and same position in the tracks). Pumps with less effort, turns better, feels more nimble and obviously more easy to carry on/off the water and handle in white water/breaking waves.
Gains from 43 L to 33 L are not as huge and personally, I don't think they are worth having to ride an additional wing size (e.g. 5.5 m + 33 L vs 4.2 m + 43 L) in order to reliably be able to get going with the smaller board.
There are sessions when I'm trying new tricks during which I'll fall and restart 20-30 times in a 1h30-2h session with the 43 L and I don't mind falling as I know that I'll get back up on foil in <25-30 seconds.
I started prone foiling and I use the 43 L as well for that, so when I travel, it really is a one-board do-it-all.
Sometimes in light, light wind I have to pump like a madman as I didn't want to ride bigger than a 4.2, but that should change now with the addition of the Mode 5.5
(43L, HA1050, 4.2m)
Winging - decently powered - 43 L
www.instagram.com/p/CoZmYDBLs6h/Proning - 43 L
www.instagram.com/p/CnppvXNhnj5/Dockstarting - 33 L
www.instagram.com/p/CmFg4dDsq4k/
