I read those articles earlier, but just went back through them. They are definitely the most informative on the internet that I’ve seen. My key takeaways from the reviews relevant to this are:
If you have to choose one brand, let it be Cloud 9. The wings are somewhere between high aspect and surf in that they are pump-able with good glide but retain some playful turning abilities.
The best all around wing from the lineup is the FS-850. The second best is the FS-1150 which is more of a fun cruiser.
If you’re going to brand hop, then the Unifoil Progression Project 140 is supposed to be super nice for mellow carving in small to medium waves, knocking the FS-850 out for this specific purpose.
Side note: Consider getting a universal mast system instead of committing to one brand (No-Limitz and Project Cedrus).
I’ve been watching a lot of downwind runs on youtube, and some people are clearly locked in with pretty big cruising wings, but I enjoy the ones who are still able to play in the bump and put down some nice flow along the way, so I’m thinking the FS-1150 might be the ticket, but I need to do a little more research to see what the downwind meta is to make sure this category isn’t completely different. I’ve asked on a couple of those downwind videos to try and track down their setups, but haven’t heard back yet.
The amount of choices for foils is mind boggling. Couple that with all the other variables (body weight, board, conditions, goals), and the fact that most people don’t have experience with many different brands due to either lack of local access or just the expense, and this is a tough thing to research given the relatively little amount of information available compared to the cost of the item.
Just in case anyone has any additional thoughts on my situation, I’m located in the Outer Banks, in the 165 lb range and basically only interested in downwind and mushy waves. I like the idea of towing out to both with a wing and then either packing it up or just flagging it out, but I’m not super interested in tacking back and forth on flat water, jumping with wings, etc. I’d rather kite for that. Right now I’m kicking around the idea of a Freedom Dagger 100L with the Cloud 9 1150, and simultaneously also considering a surfy prone / wing-tow with the FS-850.
Cheers!