Windfoil Foil sizes ?

[PeterSS]

Hello - I got the Naish Hover 122 last year and the Naish Windsurf foil which is about 1200cm2. Im abut 170lbs windsurfer for 20 years. Kite for 10 years. I used the Windsurf foil to learn to Kite Foil and it seemed like a perfect size for kite learning, but seems way way too small for windsurfing/ foiling. I remember going out first time in 10-12 knots and a 4.8, very excited.....no chance of getting onto a foil. Then I tried my 6.5 in 10-12- Nada..Schlogging...Finally took the 6.5 out in 15 knots and would get up on foil, immediately overpowered the board would roll to leeward and I would bail to windward with the foil almost impaling my back..Now I see Slingshot has this 99 Wing thats 2200cm2... Is Naish just expecting that everyone is as good as Robby and should be fine with a 1200 foil? What size or brand should I try before I give up? Im on the East coast and in the summer winds are typically ~10knots, thermals.. If the kite falls into the water, you're doomed, so would like to figure out this windsurf foiling, but its a lot harder than YouTube vids make it appear. I have a bunch of Sailworks Sails. Thanks for any guidance on size or brands.

[kevinkan]

my first experiences foiling were on the Fanatic Flow H9 (744cm) and pink NP Flight. Both those setups basically required me to get the board to or close to the planing threshold before they would lift out of the water and required more sail power to keep foiling.

transitioning to the Slingshot Infinity 76, that front wing (~1500cm) will lift the board out of the water before you hit the planing threshold, and if you are good at pumping and unweighting the board, you can unstick and get foiling at pretty low speeds. It's an acquired skill, but if you go with a bigger high lift wing, you can get foiling in pretty light wind. Slingshot also makes larger wings like the Infinity 84 (2000cm) and 99 (~2400cm). I have not tried the 99 for windsurfing yet.... only winging on it so far. When the water level is low and I'm wading out through the mud to deeper water and pushing my wing board with 99 attached, the board will actually start flying at mud walking speed.

I would look at the Infinity 84/76 foil or something similar. I think Naish also makes bigger wind foiling wings now? Some are going more high aspect for efficiency and glide at the expense of raw low end grunt.

[dllee]

Same Naish 122 and ws foil.
Same weight ready to go.
1st day, 5.2, wind mostly 12-15, easy sustained foiling and way overpowered in gusts of 20mph....up and down
Gained some skill after 70 foiling days now.
Any wind below 10 mph gusts mean slogging only.
You can glide thru 8mph, but needs gusts of 14 with some pumping.
My setup is for handling 6-20 mph winds, which I still struggle with in the top end...when on 5 meter sail.
Board setup is critical. I use sail mast track centered, footstraps forward, foil 1" forward from rear most position.
Rear wing set just over 1 mm DOWN, to drive the rear down, meaning LIFT the front wing to provide resistance and stability while weighting the front foot once foiling, and MORE front foot pressure as wind increases beyond 17 on a 5.2 sail.
Adding front foot pressure until you're lifting on rear strap.
10 mph winds, no gusts over 15, try a 6 meter sail.
I am an extremely good pumper, and have had great days with a 4.5 sail in 5-13 mph breezes but it's lots of pumping and attention.
The board easily holds a 7 meter sail, but I am more efficient with a 5.5 even in 10 mph gusts, due to ease of pumping.

[dllee]

Bear in mind, Kevin above has almost Pro level freestyle skills, and a superb athlete.
I'm a fat old 70 year old stuck in old school windsurf technique and cannot even loop.

[dllee]

Yeah, you can buy a Jet wing of up to ridiculous size, but at 170 lbs., really only need the 1220 ws front wing correctly set up.
10 mph wind on a sunny day is full white capped water.
Whitecaps start at 6 mph breezes in most depths.

[dllee]

I think Coachg and Novaan also have used the Naish setup.
Both post on here and have more experience than me.

[dllee]

I suspect both of those guys are our size.
Novaan switched to 1150 jet front wing for a bit more speed and less drag.
Several Naish foilers switched to longer masts for less breaching.

[PeterSS]

East Coast summer wind is super humid and far less dense than San Fran breeze.. 10mph here is not white caps...it just has no punch. Thats interesting about SlingShot 99 getting up with a push.. Thats what I want! Huge wing, small sail..I dont need to go 30 knots, Im not racing...Re: the Naish set up, I experimented with moving mast/ footsteps and Foil Mast.. it was all just so frustrating after watching Robbie foil in seemingly 5 knots... If its over 12-14 its also very choppy in LI Sound. I really want to just get going so am leaning toward grabbing a much larger front wing..Im leaning toward grabbing a slingshot 77 or 84..I have zero interest in Schlogging.. Anyone windsurf w/ Armstrong Foils? My Naish foil is also like the original year.. I assume they are more efficient now ?
Thanks for all the replies thus far.

[dllee]

Hit up MacKite for a 2400 front wing around 550 bucks.
In Naish '18 video, wind was 6-14 mph.
In that wind, I'd be on 5.7.

[dllee]

Peter, Robbie is a great pumper.
Are you?
For most rec foilers, you need to pump hard 3-6 times before enough speed is available to lift the board with foil and board surface area.
If you can foil without pumping, you are mostly overpowered once up on foil.