Hola!
I just saw that post from Adam Bennets where he rides a Board which looks like a shrinked DW Board.
It seems to work incredibly well, I know that Mr. Bennets works incredibly well on any kind of Board, but I find this Board really interesting for Winging in Waves. Are there already other companies applying such a shape?
In this Video it’s a 5’5 x 17 @ 70L
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuP4zueA08L/
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Amos Sultan, Appletree Skipper DW, and Takoon Ultra Glide all have sizes specifically built for winging. The general idea is to make boards that work for lighter conditions or allow you to use smaller wing/foil combinations than the conditions would otherwise allow.
I dont know of anyone else doing it yet but they will. I think Mr Bennetts is pretty brutal when it comes to reviewing equipment… if it wasnt the next big thing then he wouldnt be using it.
I’m just about to start shaping one. I also want to sup foil it so I’ll make it an inch or 2 wider than I would otherwise. I Usually sup foil a 5’0x24 80L or my downwind Sup (6’7"x21.5" 95L) and I sometimes wing the 6’7" too. There’s definitely something to the longer narrower thing for winging but I find that the downwind Sup is a bit of a handful unless the water/waves are smooth.
I’m planning to make a 5’6x21.5" 90L board. I guess the general idea is that you can use smaller wings/foils but also to fill that gusty cross off wind conditions where you often get the best waves. Most good windsurfers have wat they call a ‘float and ride’ wave board… I think it’s inevitable that this becomes a thing for wing boards too.
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'Float and ride" board - thank you, that makes total sense. These shapes totally appeal to me but was struggling to understand why, that hits the nail on the head. You want confidence to get going in waves or swell and then not be limited once up.
I am building one right now at 6’6” x 19 x 90L trying to test out this very concept. I weigh 220 lbs and rodeo start winging. I am thinking that with a More slippery shape I’ll be able to ride a little more under powered. Hopefully be a size down on my hand wings which I really prefer. I sized it on the narrow side since with my rodeo start stability isn’t really an issue. I think that the sweet spot for the sizing on something for winging is different enough from what works for sup down winding it’s a different board entirely. I think that for these shapes waterline length is really important so we’ll hit lower winging volume targets by going narrower. I think 90% of body weight is a good target
I think a really neat underappreciated thing about this concept is swing weight. It’s not going to be dramatically worse than my 5’0” 75L fanatic from what I can tell. It’s longer but all that length is added to the tail(based on foot and track placement) so there’s not any swing weight penalty like adding length to the nose would do.
I like this idea because I just want to be less powered with my hand wing. I’m always happiest when it’s on the lighter side and I can barely get the board going. Also, being more under powered is a lot easier on your gear. Being lit really flogs those hand wings and reduces their lifespan.
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Just wondering if you can still rodeo start if a size down on the hand wing. I find you need power in the wing to get up from rodeo so that may be something to think about
I feel like these designs will be fine in that aspect. The whole principle relies on more board speed which starts early at the knees stage of the rodeo start. More speed = more stability from the foil and more apparent wind on the hand wing. Also, on my 75L there’s still a wind range where I can get to my feet but not up on foil so I have room there if that makes sense
Ah ok I thought by rodeo you meant straddled with legs in water. I do this on sinker but need fair bit of power in wing to get up to feet as the board doesn’t move very fast with legs in water. No way I’d get up from that position on a smaller wing.
On dw board I start on knees and stand straight up but I’m on a +10
Rodeo for me is straddle both hands on wing > knees > standing. All with the wing making power and speed. Even with legs in the water your getting some speed.
Yeah but if you couldn’t get going on normal board on a 5m you are not going to make any headway with legs in water on a 4m for instance, which is what you implied.
I think to get the most out of these boards you need to have same vol or +10 to weight. Then you can use a smaller wing. If you are on -10 or less then you need at least the same size wing to be able to stand up especially if it’s choppy. Advantage is you can go on smaller foil but not necessarily a smaller wing
I guess we’ll find out!
I’ve got the Appletree DW skipper being delivered next week (finally - took 3 mos). 5’7, 21 wide, 80 liters. I will be able to test it soon (wind willing) and will report back. Hoping to use at least 1m smaller wing vs my 4’9, 60l daily driver board (I’m 80 kg).
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If Mr. Bennetts is riding it now, in a few months everybody else will be as well. Can’t argue with the concept, long and skinny works better at any size. I just ordered an Omen 60L at 5’3 x 21". My test of the board showed a fairly dramatic improvement in getting off the water compared to the 70L 4’9 x 24" I’ve been using (Im 90Kg in a wetsuit).
17" seems way too narrow though. I thought the main purpose of super narrow was to make paddling straight easier and this is a wing board. Like in most things, the extremes will be pushed and widths will end up back in the middle.
Just picked up a Kalama E3 downwind (5’9”x 22.5” @ 95L) last week. Using it mainly as a SUP, haven’t tried it for winging yet. It catches small Florida waves amazingly well, and is better for pumping than my wider 5’6" foil SUP board. It is fairly tippy by comparison though, and I’m only 145 lb. Would highly recommend demoing first if you’re looking to go both short and narrow. I’m using a Gofoil 27.5" mast and a GT1250.
I rode one of these from a local LA shaper. Thing worked really well. Paddled like a surfboard, instead of a boogie board. I only towed with it, but it worked better for that than the wing boards I’ve used to tow. No problem carving since it’s so narrow. Pumped fine with no additional swing weight. It was a 5’6" version of the one I’m linking.
Nice! And the boxes look perfectly placed.
Having tried a 65L 6ft x 19in board of this type, I think this style of board is the way forward, jumping excluded. With forward track placement and a light build, swing weight and pumping don’t seem to be compromised, can lean so much harder so both carving and upwind much improved. Can just just smash through the wave peaks when it get really short and steep with wind against tide. Could ride the same size wing at 100kg with wetsuit, and comparing to a 105L Sky Wing. Starting in waves definitely harder, but 2nd session was already much improved. Only real issue at that volume was when there were big long holes in the wind, just couldn’t do anything other than sink and fall over. That board was a -10L for the owner, so I’ve ordered mine at 85L for something similar. Pushing width up to 20in just to get the volume without having to go like 6in thick. Keeping length the same for portability and swing weight reasons. Hopefully going to be a one board quiver killer for winging.
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Very rough cut of a 5’6” x 21” x 5.5” thick. Like I said I’d go 20 or 19 wide if it was wing only only but I plan to Sup it as well
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Looks like fun! Let us know how it does.
