BullroarerTook said..

leepasty said..
Little video here in the waves. www.instagram.com/reel/C9F_Esvo3iM/?igsh=MTV5ZTE3ODk2ZXdsYQ==

used it on flat water today will have the review on my YouTube in few days ??

Lee, at the risk of derailing the thread, what length Dakine harness line are you using there? I want to try those lines but have to order online. Thanks much.

It's the 28. They measure just the white loop so it's more like a 32 to the connection

Ingenuity said..
leepasty: For winging would you consider the Skybrid 85L as the replacement to the wingboard Sky Style 85L? Sounds like initial test you are positive and heading in that direction. With the longer length does the board ride bigger for its size. Minimal swing weight? Unfortunately, I don't have the opportunity to test boards and rely more on reviews. At 80 kg looking for the one board quiver from 10-30 knots.

Yeah I replaced the style 5'1 with the 5'8 as my light wind board. you could prob go the 70L I'm 90kg. its about 25mph in the video and it worked great not as good as my 50L 5'1 I'd normally be on it n that wind but I wanted to test it out

Pete2378 said..
Like the look of the Skybrid. After a light wind board. Tried the skinny 20"s but didn't feel the instability was worth it so like these are a little wider. I'm 90kg and intermediate. Tossing up for the extra couple of inches and pounds whether I just do the 6' at 115l. Assume it will give me even better light wind performance? Thoughts as to whether that is a good option or go with the 5'10" and 100l?

Not sure what your level is exactly but I recently switched to a 5'6 midlength board just under 20 inch wide. Took me a session or 2 to get used to it, but now it's as easy as my previous board, if not easier because it picks up speed instantly and stabilizes. Just start with a stinkbug method and 0 issues. Recently swapped back to my old board again just to see the difference back to back, and although that was quite an efficient shape already, it felt like a more stable but sticky slow barge now that I am used to the skinnier midlength. Kind of crazy as I hated that previous board so much in the beginning, as it felt so unstable coming of a bigger volume beginner board! And now being used to the new midlength it feels like a boring barge .

Anyways, point being: the 20'' you will get used to and the thinner the board, the better it will slice to the water and get you up and flying. And once flying, turns better too.

Pete2378 said..
Like the look of the Skybrid. After a light wind board. Tried the skinny 20"s but didn't feel the instability was worth it so like these are a little wider. I'm 90kg and intermediate. Tossing up for the extra couple of inches and pounds whether I just do the 6' at 115l. Assume it will give me even better light wind performance? Thoughts as to whether that is a good option or go with the 5'10" and 100l?

I don't think you need the 6'0 unless you want to go under 10mph. I'm 90kg and can go in 10mph with Whizz 1000 5.5 unit dlab & 5'8 skybrid

Pete2378 said..
Ok might go the 5'10". Could go 5'8" but lIke having a bit of buoyancy. Don't feel the extra size makes much difference when up on foil and foam is definitely your friend in lighter wind.. Seem too often to get stuck bobbing out there when the wind drops. I'll keep my 5'3" style for when windier. That is 95l. Had an 85l and went up a size. Didn't notice any difference when up on foil and definitely easier going when wind drops. suppose it comes down to what conditions you sail. Sydney gets plenty of marginal days.

Bet you don't keep the style ??

leepasty said..

Pete2378 said..
Ok might go the 5'10". Could go 5'8" but lIke having a bit of buoyancy. Don't feel the extra size makes much difference when up on foil and foam is definitely your friend in lighter wind.. Seem too often to get stuck bobbing out there when the wind drops. I'll keep my 5'3" style for when windier. That is 95l. Had an 85l and went up a size. Didn't notice any difference when up on foil and definitely easier going when wind drops. suppose it comes down to what conditions you sail. Sydney gets plenty of marginal days.

Bet you don't keep the style ??

I hope so ! :)

JuriM said..

I got a 6'0" Gong Cruzader Diamond (100 liters) for this year and while it is floaty enough, it's also tippy (roll) and I'm finding my balance is kind of so-so for making taxi turns on it (which you do if the wind drops to below foiling) and it's been challenging in some other ways too. I went back to a 5'2" Sky Wing (85 liters) and it's actually easier in every respect and seems to pump up to foiling pretty easily too, so I'm really having doubts about the downwind board revolution right now. Is the added difficulty worth the potential light wind performance? I think it comes down to personal skill levels and in that sense, the Skybrids might be much more accessible while still being "fashionable".

i'm not sure there is much 'added difficulty' with the longer narrower boards as you get used to it pretty quickly, but i'd agree that the DW board thing is overblown. i have the Omen 5'7" 'mid length' and an Armstrong 7'2" DWer, and the difference between the two is very marginal. The only benefit of the DWer is that i haven't had to use my 8M hand wing in the light stuff but can instead use my 5.5m. So the question for me becomes: is the 8m wing a bigger or lessor pain in the ass than a 7'2" board? the jury is still out...

beached57 said..

JuriM said..

I got a 6'0" Gong Cruzader Diamond (100 liters) for this year and while it is floaty enough, it's also tippy (roll) and I'm finding my balance is kind of so-so for making taxi turns on it (which you do if the wind drops to below foiling) and it's been challenging in some other ways too. I went back to a 5'2" Sky Wing (85 liters) and it's actually easier in every respect and seems to pump up to foiling pretty easily too, so I'm really having doubts about the downwind board revolution right now. Is the added difficulty worth the potential light wind performance? I think it comes down to personal skill levels and in that sense, the Skybrids might be much more accessible while still being "fashionable".

i'm not sure there is much 'added difficulty' with the longer narrower boards as you get used to it pretty quickly, but i'd agree that the DW board thing is overblown. i have the Omen 5'7" 'mid length' and an Armstrong 7'2" DWer, and the difference between the two is very marginal. The only benefit of the DWer is that i haven't had to use my 8M hand wing in the light stuff but can instead use my 5.5m. So the question for me becomes: is the 8m wing a bigger or lessor pain in the ass than a 7'2" board? the jury is still out...

8m? I start to wonder in what conditions ppl tend to go out. My biggest wing is an 6m Dlab, I weigh 95kg and got a normal Wingboard (phazer 110l). Mostly on Inland lakes. With 8 to 10 knots groundwind and gust around 18 to 20 I start to have fun and can to Manoeuvres and try new stuff, have some speed runs. Everything below that is a struggle and just boring. Go straight ahead Adolf and nothing else.

happysam said..
Just received my 5'6 skybrid. Was out in 10 knots on a 5 m. Its stable in my opinion but with new foil system (swapped from Armstrong) and new board and wrong strap placement I only managed to get up once. It catches speed quickly and floats my 75 ish kg well.

Should add that I was on a 90cm dlab and 850 carve and 5m slick v4. The slick isnt good in light winds I found. The 4.5 unit has better grunt. But unit is Quick

I think these discussions are highly location specific and one big factor is max gust strength. Everybody has a different definition for light wind, and air density, water temperature, elevation, etc... alll play a factor. Luckily, where I live and sail, it's either windy or it's not... we don't have steady light wind in most spots... other people in other spots have different conditions. Personally, I find light wind winging to be really fun.

Have a few days on the Skybrid 5'6" 70l.... I think it's my daily driver and will replace the Sky Style 4'9" 65l. Someone asked me the other day if going to a midlength allows you to ride with less volume, and I thought it was the opposite. My midlenth boards let me ride with more volume without any penalty. I have the AFS Blackbird 6'2" x 21" @ 90l as well. My wife tried the Skybrid 5'6" the other day (she's a decent foiler can jibe, switch feet, ride swell) and she thought the extra length made it a very forgiving experience. she didn't have to set up in exactly the right spot to get going or to stand up. She always comments that the Fanatic/Duotone pads are her favorite which mirrors my experience.

I've ridden it so far with my Unit 3.0 and Unit D/LAB 3.5 with Silk 850 foil. Easy starts, and feels really balanced while flying. Feels awesome on the boat wakes, riding swell, and pumping despite being longer and a tiny bit heavier than my Sky Style 4'9". I think it's about 5" longer in front of the front foot and 4" longer in the tail.

Interestingly, this board feels narrower when setting up than my Blackbird 6'2" which is about the same width. I think the BB has that nice sunken deck, so it really settles into the water when kneeling, but both are easy to setup and get going.

I'm ~85kg right now, so the BB is near neutral and the Skybrid is -15.

foggy day clip of the 5'6"

www.instagram.com/p/C9z9gzNPx2n/

Guys, got myself a Skybrid 85 liter before the holiday. Coming from a JP Xwinger 95. Weigh 80kg, and use Sabfoil M93, 869 with 375, or 899 with 425. Need some help. Despite very positive reviews I am not yet a fan. Before the holiday I tried some Groove boards (freestyle 85 and Gwave 85), and these felt spot-one with the Sabfoils, with amazing pitch control etc. I really could crank the turns. With the Skybrid I feel like I am balancing on the end of a springboard in the middle setting. I also have my feet before the front footstrap inserts. Putting the mast further back did hardly help. Maybe it's me but I totally lack the ability to really carve the turns. I don't feel in control like I expected. And the limited width doesn't help. Putting the track more to the rear made the springboard effect bigger, especially with pumping.... Putting it to 1/4 in the front somehow improved the handling, but it was more difficult to pump it on foil.... I don't know whats the deal. Maybe Sabfoils I have don't really work with the Skybrid. Don't know exactly what to do. Sell the board, and get a Groove board, sell the Sab and get Duotone foils, but I don't have a lot of money left this year to invest even more money....... Do people recognize that my Sab's are not working with the Skybrid? maybe other wings? all in all I am not happy as I expected. Low wind performance getting up is ok, but not the revolution I expected as well.... So really I don't see a lot of advantages at the moment... maybe it's just me

The 869 feel much better than 899 for sure. And I understand what you mean about sizing. Whilst submerging the 85 I thought the 100 would be more comparable to my previous 95 in flotation. And therefore also takeoff with 85 skybrid vs 95 old shape is there for sure. But not a massive difference... I think you are right I need to dial in the moves again with my feet more centered.. I will try a lot of different track positions next sessions. The 899 is sold today. So I will get something bigger then the 869 for lighter winds. Maybe 909 or any tips?

Anyway not a direct love affair...

After a test session yesterday the Duotone Skybird's carbon tracks stop it working with the Gen 2 Foildrive.

CraigGDuotone said..

airsail said..
After a test session yesterday the Duotone Skybird's carbon tracks stop it working with the Gen 2 Foildrive.

Have you tried using the foam inserts as per the instructions from FD? Apparently this should solve the issue?

Yes, tried that. As soon as you stand the signal cuts, common problem with carbon tracks. If you are an experienced Foildrive user you can go from prone to standing and flying quickly before the signal cuts. Once the battery box is out of the water the signal is restored.

Beginners tend to taxi around with the battery box submerged, the signal cuts and they nose dive over the front.

There is an external antenna that will fix the connection issue so moving forward anyone considering a carbon tracked board should factor in the external antenna, Armstrong boards have a similar problem.

Foxi said..
Today Nia Suardiaz took her Skybrid custom to an impressive win of the opening Marathon in chinese Pingtan Worldcup ! Now the top end potential of this lovely stick got its approval !