The cheap gong stuff probably won’t be much better than what you currently have. You need to spend at least 1k euro for their pro gear that will be efficient enough for linking waves well and still turning nice, comparable to the axis stuff probably. Gong does have a fairly long/soft fuse with the pro stab length, which makes for a pretty stable ride, but doesn’t have the same direct drive efficiency in pumping I find in comparison to unifoil or Armstrong.
Shipping plus customs for gong is around $100-200 for foils. They don’t ship boards, but you can arrange it yourself for around $400.
Definitely can learn with what you’ve got, will probably hit the sand/reef a bunch learning and don’t want to do that to nicer gear!
Not sure if it was a good idea or not, but I think it’s a pretty good deal…
I ended up buying a used Sabfoil/Moses:
72cm Carbon mast
W1110 Front Wing
W940 front wing
S399 tail wing
F647K fuse
F713K fuse
For $800USD for everything.
Probably too advanced for me now, but I am hopeful I will be able to use it in the not too distant future. (Or I could probably sell it for what I paid for it if I give up learning how to prone foil. )
Sick man, nice to make the decision and get out there! I’ve never seen a Sabfoil in the flesh, but I hope it works really well and you enjoy learning - it’s such a unique learning experience; unlike anything else really. Have fun, Yew! :B
Axis requires an encyclopedia and interperter to understanding. They have so much foils that its quite confusing. I quit them after the 1099 and their $3000 mast release, fricking ridiculous. The AFS UHM mast is $1200, thinner, stiffer and 10x better.
I’m locked into the Axis system & I just roll my eyes now every time a new foil is released, as it’s always the best thing since sliced bread. I think if I get one more year out of my existing gear I will happily change to another brand to simply get away from the feeling that I’m always 2 years behind the current trend.
Based on first hand observations such as lots of riding time on both masts and basic torsional tests I did at home.
You know there’s no magic.
The AFs UHM75 is one of the thinnest and tinniest chord mast on the market.
It’s also super Light
But it comes with compromises.
So few material cannot be stiff for the avg foiler.
I just upgraded to the 80cm which is completely different, it has a much larger chord beyond scaling up.
They know very well their 75cm isn’t a viable design for most foilers
Interesting I only have the 80/85 afs uhm because the 75 wasn’t available during initial launch. The first thing I thought was, damn these things are heavy. I was expecting it to be light. It’s unexpected to hear that the 75 is a totally different construction. That doesn’t make sense really. Why would they gimp their 75 where everything else is stiff. Super weird and not professional if that’s the case
That’s disappointing. Especially if they aren’t informing customers there is a difference. If anything the 75 should be more stiff than longer. Not professional at all.
They are semi transparent about it, they have specs published on their website.
They also just renamed their products.
The 75cm UHM is now renamed “skinny”.
There will also be a 85 UHM skinny, with the same skinny build.
Where they are not very transparent is that everybody says the 75 UHM is stiff (both AFS and the ambassadors) .
When I reported on a French discussion group that I found the 75 cm fairly flex, everybody said “oh that’s weird it’s very stiff”.
Two days later I asked if I would find the 80 cm stiffer than the 75cm, and everybody said “oh yeah much stiffer”.
Wait a sec…
either the 75cm is very stiff and then then 80cm won’t make much difference OR the 75cm is a noodle and indeed the 80cm is much stiffer
But it can’t be both.
For the meantime, I ride AFS enduro, and it works pretty well, it’s a good foil.
But I really dislike the circle jerk ambassador community (at least in France).
Exactly this situation around the masts has me holding off buying something as I haven’t been able to demo or even touch the AFS stuff in person yet. Not sure if/when I will get such an opportunity
so appreciate everyone whos has AFS gear sharing their experiences.
For prone that w940 is a dog. Slow and doesn’t really pump despite the proportions being solid. I rode that setup for a few months like 3 years ago and even by the standards of the times it was weak. Unload that sucker on a winger (no karma hit - everything is good for winging).
If you want to surf waves and pump and not spend a fortune get a kujira 1210, a cab h1200(both with a cedrus aluminum mast). Maybe a prog/lift 200(but the span is a little big for my surf foil tastes) or prog/lift 170 (starting to get a little too small for learning unless you have a little faster waves). North SF 12** (whatever the number is). At the end of the day your looking for a span between 900 and 975 (shorter won’t pump longer won’t turn) and an area between 1100 and 1300(bigger too slow smaller too fast)
I don’t know what to say about gong. Those frenchies are wild and I’m sure they make some good stuff but I think you’d have to speak French and be on the right FB groups to decipher which of those wings are any good for prone and they have some many which one is the right one! Also dealing with the international shipping/logistics/is it held up in customs whatever is a layer I don’t want to deal with. If gong was available on Mackite that would be my next setup maybe
Foils to stay away from -
Anything axis - span is crazy on the wings that pump, wings that surf are too slow to pump
Gofoil - maybe the newer stuff is better but I never found my RS 1150 to pump and the current mast is a dog
Sabfoil - great for winging(but anything is good for winging) but no real surf wings.
Wasting money on crap that doesn’t work is part of the game. Foils I’ve owned (by brand - chronologically would be hard)
Gofoil IWA, Maliko, GL 130,PNG, NL 130, RS 1000, 850, 1150, 1075
Some Big slow gong from the early days.
Naish HA 1400, 1240, 1040
Takuma 1210(twice), 1095, 980
Lift 120 (still have for funnies)
Unifoil prog 170(still own don’t use), 140 vyper 130(current wing)
Cab 1000, 1200
Sabfoil W940
North SF 930(current prone)
DO NOT LET MY WIFE SEE THIS POST. Jesus 24 wings it’s been a long 7 years in this sport
I own the 75, 80, and 85cm masts. The 75 does have some flex. It isn’t an issue with the Silks. But with the larger Enduros you can definitely feel it. For prone I prefer the 75 with my Silks. The mast is super efficient/ (glides very well) through the water especially when pumping and connecting. I am not unhappy with the characteristics of the 75.
)