Just to throw this into the mix!!
www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Kitesurfing/How-does-this-backwards-kite-foil-work_12145328.aspx
There are foilers who abandon the stabiliser altogether!! No FOMO on that front from me!!
Be interested in the replies on this.
Cheers
AP

... I had the unpleasant pleasure of breaking my mates Speedster fuselage where it snapped right at the end, where the rear wing attached to the fuselage so of course the damn thing bucked like a wild bronco and I ate sh!t, but after having a try again for sh!ts and giggles, just to see if I could foil without the rear wing, I kinda managed it, albeit wobbly. Wasn't that much fun but it got me thinking about the relationship between wing sizes and can anything be gained, like maybe a bigger one can help if your practising a new move?

Same as it is for any other wing: bigger = more lift and drag.

Possibly you won't notice for a while, I imagine the small difference will matter when you're good enough to feel it.

IMHO you'll have results while learning by paying attention to things like relaxed knees, staying loose and letting the board move under you, getting your feet in the right place...

In other words, shut up and ride nothing better then time on the water...!

So in regards to rear wing concave up or down.
Can be either way on some rear foils.As Slingshot
Pros & cons?
In other words same as front foil concave down or the opposite to the front.

And then there is the Canard design, bigger rear wing than the front, and both wings having lift. You don't see too many around but I have found the Spitfire with the xlw wings have worked really well in the surf, can go super slow, and can outrace all the bigger surf wings. It takes a few hours to get used to compared to standard foils, but after that I have been able to jump back and forth when I try other peoples foils. I am often asked to ride foils that people are learning on because they are struggling and they want to know if it's them or the foil. (It's almost always them).... Saying that, there are so many good foils on the market these days, great to see how much has gone into it in the last three years.

Puetz said..

Kamikuza said..
Same as it is for any other wing: bigger = more lift and drag.

Possibly you won't notice for a while, I imagine the small difference will matter when you're good enough to feel it.

IMHO you'll have results while learning by paying attention to things like relaxed knees, staying loose and letting the board move under you, getting your feet in the right place...

In other words, shut up and ride nothing better then time on the water...!

... haha yeah I'd definitely love to ride more and talk less, don't we all.

But in the mean time and between drinks,,,,,, have you tried different sized rear wings (with the same size front wing of course) and what did you find,,,, better or worse, any benefits? I guess I feel relaxed enough now on foils to wonder about the nuances now, especially seeing as a lot of the brands are offering different sized wings.

Robbie

Not on the current foil, but on my first I had a fuse with two positions. Longest position was more stable pitch/yaw -- less reactive to handling and inputs. I assume that smaller wings would have the same effect as moving the stab forward ie. more reactive, needs more fine input control.

How much, is the question...!

eppo said..
..... Then experiment as I know you will ...and sooner than later will know more than most about what's going on ...

... haha, I think you know me well,,,, experiments have started,,,,,,,,,,