Yes glad to get clarity on this. It’s a pity this convo isn’t happening on this thread
In rough order of importance though I feel like only 1 is relevant to the drift of where we started:
- Code viability: Yes I think Code with the ~700X will achieve 3-1 no problem for me, not digging through absolute slop but in clean waves I don’t think it will at all be a challenge. I feel like this is the essence of your point and it’s entirely low probability speculative in my opinion. Is Code not popular in your area? I don’t really see pumping 3-1 likely to be a challenge on any of the current crop, the 810x is super easy to dig out.
- On what pros ride: As we know from surfing, what a pro rides is almost entirely irrelevant to intermediates. 99% of surfers would benefit from more float, more forgiving rails etc but they get suckered into knifey shortboards (joke how many get sold in the UK), the foil equivalent is the same, bogged turns and not keeping the small foil moving.
I do agree with you that most should try smaller foils. Also because of steep progress, the latest foils are still ~always better
But “too small” bad .Surfboard wisdom applied. I’m riding a “performance mid” and happily enjoying it. - Smaller foil: I don’t think the 850 or 810x are too big for my conditions. It’s not perfect, but it a sensible compromise. I would prefer a 700 foil, I would also prefer the waves to be better. Note I never tow, crap UK waves, always paddle. Most people are on similar sized foils or bigger.
- UK vs Aus A year ago was mostly riding an 1100 foil, and before that even bigger Axis, because at the time I was learning downwind and pumping was focus (as one does). Now the 850 feels like a shortboard to me. Boots, 5.5mm wetsuit, onshore 15-30kn for most of the year. Very different situation to Aus where a fullsuit is rare and towing is not? Tom Earl as a pro is on 750 sk8 (my top alt option). In SA (ZAF) the 850 always felt too big, as you’d expect.
- Choosing foils: I’d love more performance foils but the waves don’t justify it. I’m currently testing a mates Code foils while he is injured, I haven’t tried the 720s but that would be my choice. AFS Silk and F-one Sk8 are old. If there was a Silk 700 and I could afford more then I’d ride that as daily driver If wishes were horses etc I’d have way more foils
My multi-dimensional optimisation:
foil_brand (available used, excellent downwind, excellent surf, rock solid mast, UK warranties).
- Code:
(available used=NO) - KT:
(available used=NO) - F-one:
(rock solid mast=NO) - Armstrong
(rock solid mast=NO) - Axis:
(excellent surf=NO)
etc
- Flux: I assume from what you’ve said that you do have some association with Adam, or a loose sense of affiliation (that’s not a dig) or you’ve ordered one or something? (only way to piss off a foiler is to cast doubt on hist latest and greatest)
I do think from listening to Erik when describing Flux foil, it’s exactly what I’ve described in comment below. Adam clearly has an extremely specific feeling he is after, and pushing hard to get it
- Axis: Because of how fine the margins are for “great”, I wonder. An improvement on the absolute best Axis (Art v2 I guess??) would still not necessarily even feature. And a foil is the sum of mast, stab, and fuse all in refined harmony… Pitch stability is the thing that Adam goes on about on Flux. I won’t say more here
- Surf style: It’s hype but also an avenue for opportunity and to keep it interesting and refine things. I do think that surf style is an extremely self-defeating line of development for foiling, (to make it more and more critically surfable), because now foils needing actual waves, with surfers, in the actual lineup to be fun? Seems like a risky direction, I’m now burning surfers to get onto waves, LOL!
In good faith I out of curiosity would like to see footage of your prone surfing in various conditions on the 690 f-one (not tow), if possible? (If you have a reason not to because famous, infamous, anon then DM)