This is my first post although I have been following this forum for a while.
I am 59 years old, 1.70m tall, weigh 70kg and have been windsurfing non-stop since I was 16. Of these 43 years, the last 5 have been exclusively windfoiling with boards of about 100L.
Although during this time I have tried many models of boards. Until the beginning of October last year, my favorite board was a slightly modified Starboard Foil X 105, inboard footstraps and double rail on the hull to be able to adjust the foil, but I found a Slingshot Wizard 103 at the brand's distributor in Spain with an 82% discount and although I had doubts, since that board had always seemed super strange to me, but given the super bargain, I could not resist the temptation to buy it.
For me, that board has been like reaching Nirvana from the moment I went out foiling with it. That concept of a super-compact, almost no nose board works incredibly well in all conditions. I immediately understood the "no shing weight" concept that is sometimes mentioned.
It's super stable, fast, and easy to maneuver in any water or wind condition. It doesn't matter if the wind is light or strong, gusty or steady, and whether the water is choppy, flat, or with a swell, the board is always easy to use.
I haven't used another board until a few days ago when I went foiling a Slingshot Freestyle 115 I had and also bought on sale last year. It took me almost 30 minutes to get the hang of this concept of a board with a lot of nose. Compared to the Wizard 103, I didn't like that type of riding at all and I immediately realized that I can't foil any board other than the super-compact one.
The witch has cast a spell on me!!!

I use it with three Sabfoil wings: the Balz Pro 808 for strong winds, the Medusa 899 for medium winds, and the Tortuga 1250 for light winds. I have two Goya Fringe sails, a 4.7 and a 3.7, as well as a Goya Guru 2.7. With this equipment, I can foil from 8-10 knots up to about 40 knots.
The Slingshot distributor in Spain still has some 2020 Wizard 90s at an 80% discount.
www.b3proshop.com/es/foil-kitesurf/4282-tabla-windsurf-foil-slingshot-wizard-v3.html
I'm thinking about buying one, but I'm wondering if it will be too difficult to uphaul in light winds and choppy water

skyking1231 said..
with what foil ?I have the 114L (blue&yellow one)... I was almost tempted to get the 90L ....was heavily discounted....but didn't. and now sold out

Not sure where you are, but I have a 90ltr unused sitting in Baja. Excess to my needs as I have 2 other boards I prefer....

Congrats !. I got the 90L V4 wizard a month ago. Loving it !!. Not just having no swing weight, but lots of nose clearance carving with the board leaned over.

WsurfAustin said..
Congrats !. I got the 90L V4 wizard a month ago. Loving it !!. Not just having no swing weight, but lots of nose clearance carving with the board leaned over.

That's right, it's an incredible feeling, especially when you ride it in waves, it's a very fun board.
I've already expressed my desire to buy a 90L V3 Wizard, but I also have doubts about uphauling in light winds, and I wanted to know how it has worked for you in that regard, has it been very difficult for you?

Eugenius 2.0 said..

WsurfAustin said..
Congrats !. I got the 90L V4 wizard a month ago. Loving it !!. Not just having no swing weight, but lots of nose clearance carving with the board leaned over.

That's right, it's an incredible feeling, especially when you ride it in waves, it's a very fun board.
I've already expressed my desire to buy a 90L V3 Wizard, but I also have doubts about uphauling in light winds, and I wanted to know how it has worked for you in that regard, has it been very difficult for you?

That was kind of biggest concern with buying a 90L board. I have a lot of what I call "float and fly" days where uphauling is essential. It takes a little more technique, but I got used to it quickly and I can still slog it home if need be. I'm 145lbs BTW.

Eugenius 2.0 said..
I immediately realized that I can't foil any board other than the super-compact one.
The witch has cast a spell on me!!!

Congratulations,
Short chubby no nose boreds are the only way to foil.
You're one of the few who understands this I've been amazed on how few people are willing to even try to ride short compact boards.
I find 150 cm is the perfect length for me.
If you look at my profile pictures you'll see what I've been riding.
I decided to build my own when I couldn't get my eyes on a 103 about 5 and a half years ago

I've always been the lone Wolf so it was easy for me to go down this road early on.
I also ride where it's windy.




Keep on riding

Gwarn

Eugenius 2.0 said..
I use it with three Sabfoil wings: the Balz Pro 808 for strong winds, the Medusa 899 for medium winds, and the Tortuga 1250 for light winds. I have two Goya Fringe sails, a 4.7 and a 3.7, as well as a Goya Guru 2.7. With this equipment, I can foil from 8-10 knots up to about 40 knots.
The Slingshot distributor in Spain still has some 2020 Wizard 90s at an 80% discount.
www.b3proshop.com/es/foil-kitesurf/4282-tabla-windsurf-foil-slingshot-wizard-v3.html
I'm thinking about buying one, but I'm wondering if it will be too difficult to uphaul in light winds and choppy water

Jeez, you're 70 kg and the Sabfoil WM899 is your medium wind front wing? Your max sail size must be tiny! I'm 78 kg, and my light wind setup used to be the WM799 with a 5.6 sail. I had the full set: WM699, 799, and 899.
Honestly, I found the WM899 unbearably slow, just crazy slow. Didn't like it at all, so I sold it.
That said, I totally agree with your comment about Slingshot. They really nailed the board designs. Personally, I use the SS Freestyle 87L and the 115L for light wind. My style leans more toward freestyle-wave, so the Wizard series doesn't work that well for me. As for uphauling, I've managed to do it a few times on the 87L Freestyle, but even on flat water it's super difficult and I'm only 78 kg. Most of the time I wait for a gust to waterstart, and worst case, I swim :) . But yeah, that small 87L board is a dream!

The owner of one of the iconic windsurfing shops in the area is retiring after almost 40 years of business. To avoid having to store any equipment after closing, he's put all the material he had in stock at a 50" discount.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, I was thinking of buying a smaller, faster wing than the 799 I've had for years and I bought the Balz pro 808.
It was a surprise to discover that besides going much faster, it's much more controllable and maneuverable in strong winds and also takes off in the same wind as the 799.
Seeing this, yesterday I bought the Balz pro 969 to replace the 899. Today I tried it out and it was also a pleasant surprise, it takes off much faster than the 899, is much faster and super maneuverable, and has an incredible glide in downwind.
I'm not much of a freestyler but I am into foiling in waves and the Wizard is ideal for that. Yesterday I was foiling with some 25+ knots with a good swell and it was a very fun session

Although I've been there many times and lived in Tarifa for periods, I currently live in Mallorca.
It's nowhere near as windy as Tarifa, but luckily we have a six-month season of daily thermal winds interspersed with days of Tramontana winds with good swells. This allows me to foil an average of four to five days a week (it's a self-imposed limit).
There's a trick to foiling at 40 knots.
One good thing about living on a small, well-connected island is that you can drive from one end of the island to the other in about 30 to 40 minutes and choose the spot that best suits you that day. There's a northeast-facing spot for days with strong southwesterly winds, where the wind is offshore and is also accelerated by the northern mountain range. Here, the wind is strong, but the water is as flat as a swimming pool, allowing you to foil and maneuver without any problems at 30 to 40 knots. The same for the northeast wind on the other side of the island.

Although it may seem strange, it's incredibly good for taking off in very light winds (today I foiled in 7-8 knots with the Fringe 4.7) and comfortably handles winds of up to 12-14 knots.
I'd say the hardest part is learning to gybe very slow on a wing with such a wide span and area. It's essential to gybe wide and without leaning the board too much to maintain control, and above all, you have to maintain balance when performing the entire maneuver at very low speed. The wing has incredible lift, and even in very light winds, you usually end the gybe almost static in the air but you just need to pump the foil and sail again to keep flying.
It's very helpful to do everything with a board with a wide tail and short span like the Wizard 103. All the volume is concentrated under your feet, making it a spacious dance floor that makes everything easier. I've tested the 1250 with the Slingshot Freestyle 115 and while it takes off in less wind but, the extra length and narrow tail make it much more difficult.
Gybing when flying at higher speed is much easier

Eugenius 2.0 said..
I use it with three Sabfoil wings: the Balz Pro 808 for strong winds, the Medusa 899 for medium winds, and the Tortuga 1250 for light winds. I have two Goya Fringe sails, a 4.7 and a 3.7, as well as a Goya Guru 2.7. With this equipment, I can foil from 8-10 knots up to about 40 knots.
The Slingshot distributor in Spain still has some 2020 Wizard 90s at an 80% discount.
www.b3proshop.com/es/foil-kitesurf/4282-tabla-windsurf-foil-slingshot-wizard-v3.html
I'm thinking about buying one, but I'm wondering if it will be too difficult to uphaul in light winds and choppy water

That 90 L was my dream board before my fall from grace.

Eugenius 2.0 said..
The truth is that I know people who combine wingfoiling or windfoiling with another activity such as fin windsurfing, but I don't know anyone who combines wingfoiling with windfoiling.

I do.

I know that, apart from Balz M?ler who does everything, there are people in this forum who do both, wind and wing foil, but I personally don't know anyone who does it.

PatK said..
I do

When do you choose one vs the other? Part of the reason why I stopped windfoiling is that I got sick of dealing with the shore break. And manufacturers seem to have abandoned it except for racing.

Faff said..
When do you choose one vs the other?

I mostly winDfoil, windsurfin' every time I get good conditions. Winging when I can't travel with my winDfoil or windsurf gear or when I have to rent, because it is geting easier to find winging gear than windsurfin' gear for rental. And obviously winDfoiling is mostly unavailable to rent.