Hey guys, I’m looking to upgrade my mast and front wing but only have enough cash to get 1 item….
Would you choose to upgrade :
Original 75cm Uni mast to a 75cm Katana
Or
Vyper 170 to a Progression 170
Cheers
Kind of need more info on what you are currently feeling vs what you are after.
Do you feel excessive flex with your current mast? (presuming it’s the uni carbon) If not no need to change to katana as yours could already be lighter and faster.
Do you want more pump and glide from your wing? If so progression is a good choice.
But also what sort of waves are you riding? A smaller progression or even a different vyper or completely different wing might be a better fit depending on conditions and what you are after from your ride.
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Progression 170 no questions asked. I say this because if you were after ripping on a wave and only surfing the 1st wave you catch, you’d be on the vyper 150 or 130. So this leads me to assume you’re on the vyper 170 to be able to pump and get 3-1’s. If you’re prioritizing pump and still want to turn, then the Progression 170 will be way better for that.
The mast, will be a stiffer mast. On a narrower wingspan foil you might not even notice it that much. Plenty of people rode the old lift masts for years. Or the Takuma aluminum. You can deal with flex fine. You don’t NEED a stiffer mast unless you’re riding a massive front foil, then it’s a huge benefit.
Progression 170 will be the larger quality of life increase.
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its not an upgrade …
but i would choose the 140 prog imo if you light enough … you dont mention your weight ?
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Thanks for the replies drc13, Hdip, Clifford.
I’m from the Gold Coast so generally surfing up to 3ft beach break and very occasionally surf the southern points.
I’m an 80kg beginner/intermediate level foiler, I’m lucky if I can get in the water 1x per week. Not a great pumper and have only linked a handful of waves in the 12 months I’ve been foiling.
Current set up is what I have taught myself to prone with:
- 75cm carbon mast (gen1)
- 170 Vyper
- medium fuse
- 14” shunt and shiv tails
Prog 140 or 170 in my opinion. I think that the 170 will be showing you a lot about flow but eventually you will be riding the 140
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this is an excellent comparison between the vyper and progression
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Thanks Clifford.
At 80kg do you think the 140 would be a better buy than the 170?
Purely prone foiling, mainly beach breaks
because you have a vyper 170 already i would say yes , imo i think it would have been better the other way round , a vyper 130 for bigger days and a 170 prog for smaller days
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