Windsurfing foiling on the Slinghot foils – I reckon it’s a game changer for windsurfing… light winds are back on the menu!
At 2XS have been out testing the Slingshot windsurf hydrofoil at West Wittering beach. The new Slingshot Hover glide FWIND1 has been a real success, however it has been a bit of learning curve but everyone who has so far tried it has been up and riding. We have been using it at high tide with the medium length mast in winds from 8 to 20 knots with 5.0 –5.7 Ezzy Taka 3s and Elites. What we have found is that it is super stable once you are up and riding but you need to be bit more gentle with your foot pressure and feet positioning on the board. We have been using the Slingshot Wizard 125litre new windsurf foil board with it. The board is pretty short, but easy to tack and up hauling seems to be the best way to start to avoid hitting the foil with your feet. We have been working through the mast package and we are using the 26inch mast so plan to work up to the big beast once we mastered the technique on the smaller masts.
Once the foil lifts up the board, the connection to the water changes and it becomes silent, and you start to glide. It feels weird at first but you can manoeuvre the board and foil pretty well – Neal managed a gybe first time out – whereas I caught a wave and it felt very positive with my foot pressure. It really doesn’t seem right to get planning in non-planning conditions on your wave sails.… and the foil feels a bit awkward to launch and carrying it in and out of the water as the board is the water on the deck and foil up point to the sky – and you do certainly need to check your depths.
Dan Maccaulay “Hydrofoil windsurfing is a completely new sensation and something all competent windsurfers should try at least once. It’s like flying! The 2XS crew are way ahead of the crowd and have everything that you need to get started in a safe and controlled environment”
Take a look at the slingshot windsurf foil academy to idea on how to use this. There is a FOC 20 minute tutorial.
