TLDR: this foil is not slow and is great for winging.
I’m a couple of prone sessions in on my new Progression setup (Progression 170, Medium fuse, Katana 75cm mast and the KD 14 tail) and while this kit has matched all of my expectations on prone, I was blown away at how good it was on the wing.
I weigh 72kg and typically ride the Axis 999 and 799 front wings and I’ve been enjoying the speed and glide that comes with these foils.
Curious to see how the Progression 170 would do with winging, I left the Axis kit at home and went for a flatwater session after work. Given this wing’s low end, pump-ability and hearing people say not to expect it to go too fast, I was expecting early lift and a limited top end with good turning. I was pleasantly surprised with the results:
Early lift =
Good turning =
Limited top end? = 18.9kts!
Breeze was blowing in the low teens and I was using a 5.5m wing. As soon as I was up on foil, things just felt “slippery”. I had to keep in mind that my Axis mast is 96cm so I was making a point of riding lower to avoid breaching. I did breach a few times but the recovery was easy. Jibes felt locked in and tacks were a breeze as I was confident in turning pretty hard and the glide carried me through the wind. I also tried to see how slow I could go as it is good to know just when your foil is going to drop out of the sky if a tack or jibe goes wrong. With the wing mostly overhead, I was able to creep along at an amazingly slow pace.
With jibes, tacks and stall tests out of the way, I wanted to see if I could find the top end of this foil even in this lighter breeze. I made a few speed specific passes and couldn’t see my speed in real time but things didn’t feel loaded up like they do on my Axis kit when I get to the upper teens. It felt great and I was really impressed with how fast this foil was able to go with no signs of an upper limit.
This single session has me debating a full migration to Unifoil for winging. It was that good. I will definitely be using the Progression setup for any upcoming downwinders or days that look like we might have a few bumps to ride.
Great job by @Clifford and Erik. I know that this foil wasn’t necessarily designed with winging in mind but it works great in that discipline as well.
I’m on the fence on which setup to buy. For prone mostly, if you had to start over would you go Axis or Unifoil? Both seem to have pros and cons, also Axis has something new dropping tomorrow that may change that answer.
@gneve thanks for an excellent post , and i certainly think you hit the nail on the head with your comments, i was also blown away by the amount of glide on the progression , it gives you time to think and adjust
you dont mention what shim if any you using >? do you have any uni tail stabs ?
Speed. The progressions are “relatively” slow, they have been fine tuned for florida conditions. If you use them in powerful conditions, you will quickly hit the top end. Still waiting to collect precise data on this, and exploring the limits. But comparing to the eagle for example it’s a snail.
@foilstate We went out towing with the progression 140 yesterday. Lots of energy from outer ocean wind from the past week including a few swells in the water. I definitely noticed it being hard to manage sometimes with the energy in the ocean and could have been on a 130 vyper in the waves. But compared to the 130, connecting ocean bumps on the 140 was easy until I could find a wave. Compared to the 170 the 140 felt able to accelerate much more coming out of turns and I could really crank out powerful turns. I’d definitely be interested in a smaller progression based on the feel of the 140.
The beauty in the 140 is that you can glide and connect so easily, and still crank proper turns. Interestingly the progression and eagle have very close aspect ratios and outline, both gliding and turning amazing, but they have been optimized for different speed ranges. The eagle is much more technical and higher stall speed but the top end feels almost unlimited. Two different tools for different jobs.
I have the 14” Uni 3 pack but only had one go (prone) on the neutral tail before the Marlin showed up. I’m riding zero degree but probably going to try -1 degree on the tail to see how that improves top end and at what price on lift.
I’ve been on the Axis bandwagon/cheering squad as it was my first proper setup. I do like the modularity and they do stand by their warranty. If I was starting right now, I’d go full Unifoil (Progression 170 for prone and light wind winging). I’d also get a 950 katana mast and a smaller foil for windy days.
ART1201 Pro - Looks like it’s intended for downwinding or larger riders.
There have been rumors about a more surf-specific front wing from Axis but I couldn’t wait any longer (I’m not getting any younger) and I’m frothing to keep moving forward on my prone skills. From the looks of the posts where it looks like they’re on this surf wing, it appears as if this foil is better suited for half decent surf. My conditions are very similar to those that the Progression range was designed for (not so good) which was a big selling point for me.
Yeah, I am in the same boat, I cant wait any longer. I don’t want to keep holding out for one brand when I could be having more fun right now if I branch out and continue to progress. I think Axis is invested in the DW and dockstart market. I’m looking to purchase Progression today or tomorrow and after a few sessions if I like it more put Axis up for sale.
I’m 77 KG, the 170 seems like the way to go for smaller waves which is the usual at my local spot in Norcal. 2-3 feet and long period (long pumps back to connect a wave). Actually a lot of the waves is chipping in on small white water inside and pumping back out because longboarders usually are getting on the best part of the wave before any foilers can try further in. Which is why its especially important to get a set up with better pumping for me.
Im on the Axis 810 right now with Ultra Short Advanced fuse. My main qualm is how taxing the pump back is, its like a HIIT workout and I’m just gassed after one connection. Looking for something more efficient so I can extend my rides with less effort.
My current thought is:
170 Progression
13" tail pack
Medium Fuse, maybe Short? Not sure how my current Ultra Short compares to Unifoil fuses. Ideally it would match what I am riding today.
75 CM Katana because my spot can get shallow with a sandbar
There is no question you should get a Unifoil setup
I wing almost every single day all year and the Unifoil wings are spectacular (both the Hyper2 and the Progression) and much better than Axis, you can’t go wrong with Unifoil. I still wing the Axis PNG1010 for single digit days and it’s a great setup, progression 170 still requires 9 knots for me on a 75L and 5m wing.
Wing: medium fuse, 83 katana, shunt tail zero shim
Prone: same but shiv tail
I haven’t tried any other Uni fuses or masts. I still think the Hyper2 is probably better for advanced winging but the Progression is the prone champion and prone is the rate-limiting step in foiling (hardest and most technically demanding for equipment).
I meant all of the Uni wings, not specific to the P170.
Im on the H2 190 with a Marlin tail and 0.5 shim, regular fuse and its a great setup for my downwind conditions. Got it as a lighter power setup, but it rides a lot smaller. Still waiting on my P140.
@beepityboppityboop where in NorCal (roughly)? I spent 13+ years in the Bay Area surfing.
I proned the BSC890 and then the HPS1050. 890 turned okay but I thought the pump was terrible. 1050 pumped okay but turning was a chore that had to be planned out in advance. I rode both with the 375p tail (no shim).
The 170, while significantly less surface area than the 1050 (1097cm2 vs. 1502cm2), pumps way better. When it came time to turn the 1050, I had to do this weird pump through the turn whereas the 170 I can make a decently tight turn all leveraging the glide I had going in. No need to pump through it.
Yeah I am worried about the small wave ability though, it might be okay. Realistically, after I get one, I will buy the other lol, so doesnt matter much
I think the Axis ultra short advanced is closer to the medium. I held the bolts in the same place and it seemed about the same with the medium maybe slightly longer. The short is 6cm less than medium which will definitely be further from the medium.
The 810 really didn’t pump for me at all, so I think even the 140 would be worlds apart in terms of range
I’ve had a couple sessions winging with 170 P, same with 210H2 and today finally the 170H2 for 3 hours. 5M/long fuse 13 shiv 0 shim, 14 knot AVG gusting to 30. For me as an intermediate-advanced winger, I love the top end I can get from the H2. It doesnt glide as well as the P170, and is harder to start…but i have zero complaints with the wing as a winging dominant option. Absolutely thrilled with the performance of the 170H2. At 84 KG on a 7M im flying the 210 in 7-9 knots, will use p170 9-13 knots, 170H2 13 knots and up. The p170 is for sure a do it all wing, but dont sleep on the hypers they absolutely rip.
