marginal wind < 15knots, best investment, bigger foil or bigger wing?

I would say definately bigger foil as your current foil is pretty small.
Our summer is mostly light winds around 6-12knots and i have tested different setups. I'm 90kg with wetsuit etc.

I had previously 9m wing, have tested 7m but currently biggest that i use is 6m. Especially with light winds there is marginal gain when increasing wing size but handling gets harder. Also you have to consider that with bigger wing you cannot pump that efficiently thus reducing marginal gains that bigger wing would give.

Above 8knots i use 6m and 2100cm2 foil, above 10knots 1900cm2 foil and above 14knots 1300cm2.

I weigh 85kgs without suit, I am tall.

My smallest foil is 1700cm2 and I love my 8m fone cwc when wind is gusty below 15knots. I have a 2500cm2 foil and I was successful with 6m wing but the drag makes things a lot less fun. We don't get steady low winds, otherwise I could try the two biggest things together.

As other people have said I think a bigger foil will work for you given how small your current foil is.
i

I've got Rs1000, 1150 and GT2200. My biggest wing is a 5m @85kg.
I've used the GT2200 for light wind dinging, but mainly use it for Sup downwind. It ain't all that fast or exciting winging with it, but you do get out and fly in almost no wind. It's like driving a truck around compared to the RS wings. Once a foil is over 1m is becomes a bit of a pig for winging. I'd rather go bigger wing and keep riding my 1150 to squeeze more performance. I often use my downwind supfoil if it really light wind. Easier take of and can stand upright on it when waiting for gusts.

Some guys at my local are going larger wing and same foil size, I'm just not convinced it will work. I see videos of 60-75kg guys using 1000-1100cm2 foils in light wind, but no one at 100kgs.

I'm on Go Foil RS1150 (AR 7.37) and I like the speed and turning characteristics of it and looking for the same in a bigger foil. I don't really want a foil over 1500cm2 as too thick and slow. I want to be able to make tacks etc. I think my only options are:
- RS1300 (AR 7.81)- be similar to the HA1125 in terms of turning and smaller span, but will have the lift of the HA1325
- GT1400 (AR 6.73)- may be too slow, not sure but has the biggest cm2, but will be slower than the RS1150
- GT1250 (AR 6.24) - only an extra 100cm2 so not that much more lift, not sure about speed

Has anyone ridden the RS1300 or the GT1400, how do they compare for speed, turning in low wind?

I've had the following:
- Moses W1100 (2100cm2) - first foil, good for learning but slow and breaches as it has winglets
- HA1125 - very similar to the RS1150, but RS1150 turning is superior and has a better low end, not sure if faster
- HA1325 - turns are so wide and locked in feel, but had the lift for 15knots
- HS1550v2 - too slow in flat water

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north_kiter said..
100pies, own a 6m, sketchy as winds < 15 knots, biggest foil 1150cm2, winging for a year.

Where is the money best spent, a bigger wing or foil?

The 1150 is good from 15kn + at my weight , so I'm thinking a bigger hand wing will give more power in lighter winds or same hand wing and a bigger foil (but this will be slower)

I would suggest mtb, surfing, motorbike, fishing, etc.
Having spent a small fortune for light wind windsurf and kite gear over the years only to find 10 knots is not much fun on flat water. The law of diminishing returns when weight and size impact on performance. Like riding a jet ski sounds fun but you soon get bored of it.
I used to have a 2400 and an 1800 both were dreadfully slow. I had a 1350HA which was a bit faster, but the huge wingspan made it hard to turn. Again boring.

Technique is going to make an enormous difference the more you do it. @105kg (on a good day) with a GT1400, large board and a light 6m I can get going easily in a 12-knot gust and stay up in noticeably light lulls (Glassy water). The GT1400 is fast (knot or two slower average speed than the RS1000 on Strava) and turns. Saying that the low end on the RS1100 is close to the GT1400.

Larger HA tails can make a dramatic difference too. I have an 18-inch SPG Sprint tail that I used with my Armie gear and that really got going early and had a great top end.

Horses for courses, if I go out in light wind, I want to ride waves so the smaller and lighter the gear the better for me, that might not be your criteria.

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Windbot said..

Ch0p said..
I weigh 85kgs without suit, I am tall.

My smallest foil is 1700cm2 and I love my 8m fone cwc when wind is gusty below 15knots. I have a 2500cm2 foil and I was successful with 6m wing but the drag makes things a lot less fun. We don't get steady low winds, otherwise I could try the two biggest things together.

As other people have said I think a bigger foil will work for you given how small your current foil is.
i

Hi Ch0p, what is you absolute low end with the 8m CWC and the big foil? I have a 2100 foil and 6.2 wing with 85L board, weigh the same as you, and often feel like I can't get going until I have about 15kts.

Sorry never tried it. The winter season has very unpredictable and fast changing conditions, with the 8m I may be overpowered 30% of the time but I maximize the amount of fun.

Will try the huge-huge combo and report back.

Finally got to try 8m wing with 2500 foil. The wind max was around 10mph, average maybe 6. Got on the foil twice for a couple of minutes. I feel I could make this work more reliably if those conditions repeat. Will try to attach a wind graph.