Purchased one of the new Armstrong DW boards - 7’7" x 21 … I’m hardly a SUP expert, but this thing is really difficult to stand on. On flat water … no issue, but a little chop and just standing up is a struggle.
Could be that I just suck … but I was wondering what other’s are experiencing with the Armstrong and other DW boards in the Barracuda design. Is it just me? Did I purchase the wrong board?
Appreciate any feedback on other boards and or tips.
Just got the sunova aviator DW elite. 6’9’’ x 23’ x 111Liters. Im a pretty proficient foiler. Wing, prone, tow, kite. But I can barely stand on this thing in flat water let alone wind chop. Every time I take two paddle strokes I’m completely turned around. Granted I have very little SUP background. And Iv only had the board for 2 days but this is definitely gonna take some learning!!
Try moving the foil back in the boxes and using a bit longer mast. Back in the boxes will help you paddle straight and a longer mast and front wing will help with roll stability
Thanks, I’ll give that a go tomorrow @KDW
First session was like that, circles and couldn’t put the paddle in the water without falling, hopeless to catch waves.
A few flat sessions focussing on sup basics and then a few in clean glassy conditions and then a few choppy onshore and now I can catch waves easily and hardly fall in the worst chop. Initially I thought it would be a longer journey. Some hope.
The most useful thing was learning to brace against the paddle, swishing it forwards and back like a broom. If the paddle left the water then I likely fell. Also bending the knees when you fall backwards instead of the locked knee tree falling.
Interesting. I agree that back in the box help with paddling, but I had the impression in all my boards that moving the mast forward was generating a lot side to side stability. I’m curious to hear other opinions about this. That was one of my criteria to prefer foil brands that require to position the mast further forward. Perhaps I’m wrong
Spent time yesterday both in flat water and chop … defn. getting better - esp. with paddle bracing. Also refined/worked on my system to stand to my feet. It’s coming …
Update. Went out today with the mast set much further back in the tracks and that definitely seemed to make paddling straight a lot easier. Glide was definitely negatively effected but that comes later when I get the paddling and pop up dialed. I was able to paddle up on a couple of shoulders of waves that were breaking further up the point. then proceeded to catch one bump that was standing up a little more on a shallow sandbar. Overall a successful learning session. As always appreciate the tips!
Ive just started my sup foil journey. Im 82kg, Armstrong 7’4" x 21" 121L board. Im using a cabrinha 70cm mast h-1200 foil or ono 75cm mast and swift 230 foil. Its fricken hard to stay up consistently but I can paddle around in some swell. Im not fully able to stay up for long periods tho. And I havent caught any waves yet. Its quite the workout and not particularly fun lol.
My front foot is 45 deg and rear foot is perpendicular to centerline ,offset with toes on rail and heal about centerline. I keep my feet about shoulder width apart and def bending the knees help. When I paddle thru the water I sometimes feel having both feet closer to 45 degrees helps with body rotation to paddle in the forward direction. But My paddle strokes are eratic from just the effort to stay balanced is a bitch. If I get some momentum it gets slightly easier to balance but the stability is fleeting.
I would love some feedback. Do I just need to put in more time? Will it ever get easy or is sup/dw foil always going to be a gut wrenching balancing act regardless of skill?
It will take sometime, plus the extra volume make your center of gravity a bit higher too. Im similar weight as you but have over 17yr of sup experience. I like 95-105L board so my feet are closer to the waterline.
It will take sometime to re-train your balance, it might feel impossible but after each session, you brain get rewire a bit. I went through all the struggles at the beginning. I always tell people to go out when it’s choppy instead of calm days, your brain learn more. Try to stay on your feet more instead of knee paddling.
Also learn j stroke and paddle bracing, would do that in flat water.
Keep at it! Even if you can only go out for a quick 30 min flat water paddle session - go out as often as you can. You are building all these micro-feels in your ankles that will eventually make it feel way easier.
I literally gave up after a week on a KT Dragonfly Crossing (8’2 x 112L) two years ago and then came back 6 months later, put in the time, and it got easier after another couple weeks. I had zero sup background and could barely stand on the thing at first. Now I am riding a 7’0 x 100L as my daily SUP no problem.
You’ve got this!
Went in the water again today and altho it still feels like a bitch I was able to paddle up the point without falling, fell, then back without falling. Did a bunch of turns and tried pumping with my feet without much success on the pumping.
Is it better to have the feet narrower together or at about shoulder width specifically? Also I paid attention to my feet and my right rear foot is def pointing about 30 degrees heel on the stringer, and the left front foot was about 45 degrees toes close to midline. There were moments of ease but still pretty tough going…
foot landmarks on the deckpad, right rear big to just touches the back of the blue A and the left front foot heal touches the top of the blue A. It feels like the foot placement has to be really exact? Also the rear foot seems to be in front of the mast not directly over it.
