i am wondering where to put the boxes… i think i will put them at 36 cm from the tail because of the outline and volume distribution but it seems to be the trickiest part of the design.
i have read that boxes are at 22 inches on the barracuda but they are way longer than mine…
looking to build a similar one Just a bit less volume. How far from tail did you put your boxes? That is so hard to find the Sweet spot.
Thanks in advance!
I’ve been riding an 8’6 x 18, a 6’6 x 24 and a 6’2x21 extensively this summer, I learned on the 6’2 and I can confidently say as a pretty mediocre winger that they all kinda suck compared to a 5’0 wing board. Everything is 10x harder, and if the wind is below 15kn and I can’t get the 5’0 going then I’ll do something else 
It was sort of a revelation when I got on the 5’0 and found everything much more fun (if there is >15kn wind)
Approximately: any gain in low end is taken away in equal proportion from the ease of use / fun factor across those 3 boards. Granted only the 6’6 is a production (Hybrid Axis), but the point stands.
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Ive spent a lot more time on my 5’7" / 21" / 80L Apple Skipper DW. My everyday board is a 4’9" / 22" / 60L Apple Slice that I ride strapped. Im ~80kg.
The DW board is fun in cleaner conditions, both high and low wind. In clean (or flat) lightwind conditions, I can forgo the huge wing and use a 5m down to ~10knots (I’d need a 7m with the smaller board). This also generally of applies to a lesser extent in less clean conditions, but where waves are either coming at the nose or tail of the board and not from the side. I also prefer it for downwind riding because I can ride it strapless and fine tune my footing a bit more. Maybe its because it its strapless, but the board also just feels more stylish to ride in waves, and the slightly narrower width feels sporty (~1" narrower is definitely noticeable). The board pumps just as well as the smaller board, and it is built lighter, so I really don’t notice any difference in swing weight. It was built with Appletree’s new long tracks (I think they are 14") and I am mounting Uni gear right around the midpoint (I am slammed forward in the tracks on the smaller board).
The limitation of this board is that when it is choppy, or cross-grained, I need to be properly powered. In these conditions, the board is a chore to slog as it gets pushed around on the surface a lot more, and I want a wing that will get me onto foil asap (essentially the same size wing as what I would use with the smaller board). The board doesn’t like waves coming from the side when it isn’t on foil. Its still fun in these conditions, but you can’t “rig down” with smaller gear. Another consideration is that it is definitely riskier to get a board this large through shore dump. It doesn’t have a handle on the bottom (it has one on the deck, but I don’t find it very useful), and it is liable to catch more water due to its size/surface area.
One thing that really helped me figure out this board, was adding traction strips and a kick pad for reference points. Maybe its because I ride strapped so often, but I was having a hard time feeling out the sweet spots with so much deck space. I just stuck the self-adhesive pads down and they seem to be holding great.
All-in-all, its a super fun board to add to the quiver. I probably use it 30-40% of the time. Basically anytime the wind is light and/or conditions don’t suit jumping, it can be a lot of fun. When the conditions are hectic (choppy, chaotic wave direction, lots of water movement) I’m generally better off on the small lower volume board.
If I were to do it again I might go 6"/21"/85-90L to give a little bit more differentiation between my two boards. Thinking that additional length and volume would make a difference on low and and maybe some additional stability, without sacrificing a lot.
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I’m curious. Is the mottled black finish I’ve seen on most downwind board a result of the carbon/ glassing/ sanding process, a UV treatment or just a fashion like acid washed jeans?
we have put the boxes at 40 cm from the tail.
I wanted to put them at 36cm but a friend of mine send me a picks of his takoon ultraglide 6’0 and the boxes start at 45cm… so i decided to go forward a bit.
i will test the board at the end of the month so i’ll let you know if the placement is ok.
Foil fone eagle 790
Whats your mate think of the ultra glide? I cant make up my mind between ultra glide and escape sw 6’6s
Mike
Hi Mikedubs
have the 6’6 escape sw. 90 l for 74kg rider. very good in light wind winging. originally thought for supfoiling too, it’s just a little low on volume…but will try again and again. on flatwater i’ts ok to stand on. in the chop almost impossible for now… mine weighs 6.1kg and i put fooststtraps up front¨
really like it. good with my cloud9/850 from 10kn.
I chose it beacuse its a little naroower even than the ultra glide
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he is in love with the ultraglide because the feel of the foil is so much better. the escape is really thick so he doesn’t feel the foil enough.
So if you dont do SUP, ultraglide is for you.
When I get there, I’m leaning toward something like the recent posts from DC:
That’s a really good looking bottom shape. The old Tony Logosz concave rail in the back but with the extra chine off the bottom 
Interesting. that’s a similar bottom concept to the shrunk-DW-board I’m building for myself right now.
Works well on my regular wing board, so I stretched it.
Also building a smaller prone with this bottom.
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One in the middle all day long for winging (and sup surf). 5’6 x 20.5” 87 ish litres. It takes off very nearly as early as the one on the right and it doesn’t feel like monster in the air. In fact it may feel nicer/less wind resistance than a wider shorter board. I’m definitely in no rush to change it for the board on the left when the wind picks up
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That middle board is gorgeous. I would have thought a lot more companies would have come out with boards like that this year.
What brand is that?
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Garage built boards by me just for myself. No brand name but if i did it would be something like ‘usually 100% watertight’ 
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@mattllew I agree with @beavis the middle board is a beauty, looks like what I’m looking for. Where are you located? Are you taking orders? 
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Thanks for the reply Matt. To bad none of the major brands are as smart as you.
It is a shame that all the talk on the forums for … what …about 6 months now has been on the efficiency of using downwind boards for light winging. The Kalama E3’s ( even more than 6 months) have proven from all the reviews I have seen to be very good at faster takes offs, using smaller wings and foils in some cases. So not we just had AWSI and I have been trying to look at as many videos about the show as I can find about newer wing boards looking specifically for these newer designs. I do not see any. All flat wide tails pretty much. Only a few companies have followed this trend that I have seen but yet very little information of videos on them.
First, what I am looking for.
Will not be used for jumping. Wave riding
Something slightly more than my body weight 90-95L and length betweeen 5’10 and 6’6
Something a little longer and narrower than normal but not DW thick
Some that I am talking about that interest me.
The Omen flux in the 84L, very tempting but wish a few liters more, so sweet looking
The Blackbird in 6’2 at 90l
The appletree dw skipper 5’11 wide at 92
I saw that Blueplanet may have a new design coming that looks possible
I have a DW board for light wind winging and it is great. actually 2 but that is another story. I have a -20L board for windier days. I am kinda looking for the goldilocks in between with the features of both. Their are shapers like Matt, Judochop, clemop are making these awesome designs. But a lot of the big companies seem like they have their heads in the sand and are not paying attention to how good a lot of people think these shapes are.
One of my DW boards is the Naish 7’4 that I got for SUP surfing in choppy waves. Went with it for the few additional inches of width. Was hoping they would have updated their wing boards with the same type of tail. Nope. Just regurgitated the same shape with a new color scheme.
If i am missing something here, let me know
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You might check out Stinger — they have a downwind range, but also you can spec a custom board to your liking with all of the hallmarks of a modern dw board, at a really competitive price. A friend just ordered one.
I’m 170lbs and riding the 60L with the Omen 1050 foil in 12MPH wind and up. 12 seems to be my threshold. But the Omen board is light years better than my old Cabrinha 58L board.
I also have a FFB 7’5" dagger that I winged once. After riding the Omen Flux 60L I never tried the dagger again. I really like the Flux.
EDIT: To below, yeah, I’ve seen his new instagram posts. Looks kind of like a slimmed down Flux. Not following in the KT Dragonfly vein.