Hi everyone,
I want to buy a surf foil from Gong. I want something to be able to connect multiple waves and turn well. I have a friend who has an Armstrong HA680, and the ease which he can connect waves is impressive. Would the Fluid H be the one? Which size would you recommend for someone with 80kg.
thanks
Hello Yann,
I recently started using a Veloce L V2 (non H version) and I can connect several waves but can’t be pumping a long time. It’s really fun! Weighting a little bit less than 80kg dry.
I also have an Ypra S in M size V2 too, 785 cm^2 and I think 80cm WS and it’s NOT meant for pumping comfortably between waves. Not at my size and ability at least… It is an extremely fun wing to surf though, and blazing fast.
I’m sure the Fluid H can be great at bigger (90cm+) spans. I don’t remember exactly which sizes but probably L could fit you depending on your skill level, but definetely not something around 680cm^2 like the Armstrong.
If I were you, I’d check also the curve H and the veloce H. Seems like going higher aspect is better, especially for pumping.
You could go slightly smaller if you decided to go V3 instead of V2.
Suggest going on the FB Gong group to ask.
I previously was riding the Ypra Surf freestyle V2 but haven’t touched them since riding the Veloce V3 (main one is the Medium 890, AR10, 12mm thick). Does everything well.
Go with a V3 as they have changed the mast/fuselage and fuselage to wing/stab connections.
i have a V3 veloce H XL for DW and works very well, but i wanted something that could turn a bit better, and connecting waves with the Veloce XL is a bit hard because it is to wide and lifty.
and can you connect waves with the medium? how does it pump? i have a V3 veloce H XL and its to wide and big for surfing.
also, i have a Alu mast and feel a bit of drag with veloce H. do you think it is from the mast or the Wing? maybe the carbon mast could be a bit smoother
It depends on the size of your waves.
On small conditions, I have friends using the Sirius, pumps super well, and provides decent surf in small waves.
It does pump very well, glidy, less drag than Gofoil RS850i was using and North SF 930 I tried, has similar profile & thickness to a Code foil (didn’t get to try it).
Pretty marked change in turning ability from one size to the next. Using it with one size smaller stab makes a big difference also in looseness.
I don’t have the Gong masts, so don’t know. Used it with the Evolution Wing & Surf mast, the latter is faster in turn initiation.
But I’m no pro.
That one is 108 cm of Wingspan. I think you could go even two sizes smaller and get the M, which is 95cm of WS. Plenty enough for pumping, while being way more turny.
If you plan on mostly surfing, maybe a curve H is better
I love the V3 Veloce. Does everything well. I use the LG mostly plan on getting a Small also I’m mainly light wind winging and at 84 kgs I have know need for anything bigger. I try a few stabs and found I like best with the V2 Curves.
Been riding gong folks for a few years. Lately mostly on a fluid h v2 m for mostly winging/swell riding. Also use a fluid v1 XLT that is slower and easier to pump, but actually is worse for connecting because you have to work for longer to go the same distance and can’t really carry much speed off of a wave. I do some prone every once in a while and find that this wing works pretty well for playful riding and connecting, but pumping I find to be pretty laborious with gong foils and they generally have too much lift so I always have to slam them to the back of the box to not get lifted when catching waves.
They seem to have a pretty long fuse compared to other brands which makes the pumping slower and requires more precise positioning with more flex. Trying friend’s kt, lift, or unifoil, they all pump way quicker and seem to have a more direct thrust from the pump. The advantage to the long fuse though is stability, I can crank turns pretty hard while tip breaching in fairly comfortable control. The fluid h v2 has a nice low end too, and vibrates slightly before stalling so you can tell when you need to accelerate to prevent dropping. Would probably be as good as the best foils if they made a shorter/stiffer stab that mellowed the front wing’s lift a bit more. I’m~75kg.
You might want to try some V3 
Have you tried going with a smaller stab? I found that when i switched to a smaller stab my ride felt much more reactive, especially in pitch
I’ve got the small fluid h stab already. The shimmable version out now looks interesting though, might eventually upgrade to that.
I have the fluid FG S and L and they have an amazing low end and pump. Initially I bought the L as a cheap foil to learn parawing, but had to buy the S to see if it could replace my ypra s foil. It is amazing, but after winging and a little bit of anchorman in some ok size surf I would like to buy the surf stab in S and maybe also the XS fluid for the big days. I’m a winger and can’t talk to the performance in prone, but from my experience I would guess it should work great. If you can afford the carbon foil it is probably more efficient.
How would you compare the Fluid vs the Ypra ?
I have the V2 Ypra Slalom in M size, it is 785cm2 or something like that. It is fast and turns very vel, feels looser than the fluid but it does not pump very well and has not as good low end. The stab I have for that one is a v2 Veloce I think and it is longer than the fluid, so I think that has something to say comparing the pump. I have just cut the size of the stab down to match the size of the fluid to see if that helps. I really like the old ypra for its speed and playfulness, but it lacks low end and pump.
I have the same one and haven’t been able to wing it due to that really bad low end. But for surfing I find it REALLY fun while you’re on the wave. Extremely hard to pump though, the stall speed seems so high that they drop out of nowhere. Haven’t tried pairing it up with my other stabs but feel like it’s worth the try.
Are you being able to pump somewhat comfortably on the Fluid S? And also, how much do you weight? I’m getting these sensations weighing around 78 kg, I’m sure a lighter rider would be able to pump way easier.
Yeah the ypra s is really fun on the wave and in turns, but har to pump. You need to take small short pumps instead of powerful big ones. I’m about 74kg and the Fluid S is very intuitive to pump and with good glide. I would recommend it and I guess it will be even more fun with the surf stab.
What Fluid are you talking about? Being fiberglass I guess V3 H version? If so, there is also the difference between V2 and V3, I haven’t tried V3 as everything I own is V2, but there seems to be an improvement there.
Yeah V3, it’s a different ball game. It is lots of improvement between the V2 and V3 especially in low end and glide on all the foils. You can go down 200cm2 is what they say. That’s why I think the Fluid V3 XS should be perfect 