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It's about getting balance - between the front and back feet. As a rough guide the front wing should be equi-distant between the two. Some people like to have more front foot bias. Another common way to adjust the balance if you don't have spare foot strap settings is to shim the Stab. Set so that the leading edge is lower than the trailing edge , this will give more lift but at the trade off is less speed. Take the time and experiment. It will be worth it. The set up I'm using in the vid with the 799 front wing & 425 stab is very balanced on the SB Foil X 105. If I were to use the faster 399 stab I'd need to shim at approx 2°.

Hi - I've used google translate & I think you are asking why am I using a foil? Basically because I find it more fun than windsurfing. I've described why in answers to other questions on this page. Happy New Year to you too! 🤙

Hi Ben, thanks for that. Good to hear you're interested in small board windfoiling! Yes I had the 790 (a really forgiving wing & excellent to learn gybes on imo) I still have the 679 which I used to change down to when the 790 became overpowered, but I've not used either since I got the 799 back in Aug/2021. So I recall the 679 was more reactive as you'd expect compared to the 790 & that little bit harder to gybe. I think the 799 is a definite step ahead of it in range & ease of use. Sailworks at the Hood river USA have compiled a comparison list of many Sabfoil front wings, so if you haven't seen that www.sailworks.com/the-gear/foiling/windfoils/sab-foil-complete-kits.html From looking at that list you could read there's not much difference between the 679 vs 799, but I'm staying with my comment that the 799 is superior. I did use the 679 with a bigger board - JP135 & 5.5 & 7m sails & it worked reasonably well so maybe you could use it on the 105 for that purpose. SB claim the sail range of the 105 is 3-7.8 (7.8 seems pretty big) so 5.5 will definitely work. Probably requires some foot strap adjustment etc. Worth exploring if you're going for a one board solution. Cheers Brett

Hey Duncan. Fairpoint re 'shorebreak' - yes there are no big rollers dumping onto the beach as you say. I guess I've just used the term as shorthand for onshore waves & conditions that can be a little challenging (for me anyway) when going out foiling. As for windsurfing I've got the gear still - 70l wave board, 86 freewave, 89 &113 Falcons & even a big speed board 49 wide & 64l. They're largely all gathering dust. The reason is I find windfoiling esp on smaller gear so much more satisfying, or in short - for me its just consistently more fun. I added some comments as to why this works for me elsewhere on this page so won't re-list them now. Basically though my thoughts are do what you enjoy, & who cares if it's windsurf vs windfoil vs winging etc. If you're having a fun session on the water that's a win right!

@@brettwindfoil fair enough , I cant afford wind/wing foil setup - as well

Thanks & cheers 🤙

Hey Sondre, thanks!. At 60kg you should be fine on a 105. I'm 75-77 kg and I can pretty easily uphaul & schlogg home on the board when the wind drops. The largest sail I use is 4.3m² with the Balz Pro 799 wing and if there's 12-14 knots (i.e. just starting to white cap) then with plenty of pumping I can get it flying, so you should get going sooner. SB claim a sail range of 3-7.8m² (that seems a bit high?) but I can't comment on larger sails & using the outboard strap positions as I've never tried it. I saw your foil gybe video (👍) so if you're still using the 155 Alien then a 105 litre board might seem too small initially but you will soon get used to it (that was my experience). With still more experience and in medium to strong winds I think 90 litres would be fine for you if you want to use small sails, but it's probably best not to go too small too soon... PS - I'm a little obsessed with light board weight: My 105 is the first version - 183x62, about 7.5 kg & deep tuttle box. The current SB Foil X 105 is 185x63, a quoted 8kg in wood sandwich construction & with tracks. SB's new Foil Freestyle board seems to be the exact same Foil X 105 board but 7.2kg in carbon. You could always stay with Severne of course as the Predators are significantly lighter than the SBs and deep tuttle. I'd better stop trying to pick a new board for you haha, there's plenty of choices... Cheers🤙 Brett

​@@brettwindfoil Thanks a lot for your answer! Just the information I was looking for. The Alien 155 belongs to my local windsurf club, but I've been using it so much that it's about time to get my own windfoil gear. So just browsing the used market (trying to save "some" money😅) and I stumbled across a nice looking 105 from 2020, which I think is the same version you have. I really like the idea of a light and compact board (might even fit in my car?!), and good to know that I can get away with it even in lighter winds. Now just need to find the right foil for it. Do you think a carbon mast is essential? I was considering the Severne Redwing with a 1000cm/2 frontwing. But I also saw a great offer on a GA Mach 1 foil set with a 90cm carbon mast and a few more options for frontwings, including a 900cm/2. The Sabfoil looks nice though, but it's around twice the price.. Decisions, decisions.

@@SondreSandbakken Foil choice is definitely confusing , especially if you're starting out, plus foil design (& boards & sails) are still evolving... More gear to buy haha. Forums can be a good source of info - I'm a regular reader of www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/Foiling. The gear review on the French site windfoilfan.glissattitude.com/home is also good (you need to register for free). This months edition of the English Windsurf mag has a review of free ride foils & foil boards etc etc. I don't think a carbon mast is essential for free riding especially if you're starting out. Some aluminium masts can be as stiff as carbon but mast stiffness is not as critical for freeride as compared to racing. AL will also be cheaper, however unfortunately, reasonably heavier. If you keep wind foiling I'm pretty sure you'll eventually move to carbon so maybe look to a brand that offers a range of parts options so you can upgrade components as you go. Also on masts, unless you're sailing in shallow water, or dead flat water, I think longer is better for free riding. I found I made significantly more gybes after switching from 85cm to 95cm. There was more leeway for error especially in sea swell. I'd actually like a 105 for use with the Foil X. If you check out UA-cam for top rider Greg Glazier from Slingshot he's always on their 125cm mast! With front wings 1000-1100cm² and medium aspect seems a common size & shape now for wind foil free riding (cm² by itself is not a good descriptor of wing performance). Larger mid to low aspect wings can be good too for learning. They can be easier to fly and have a lower stall speed (handy in gybes) but may have less glide and be slower than higher aspect wings.The two options you're looking at would probably both be fine but I can't comment. I can say tho I really rate the Balz Pro 799 for what I'm trying to do. Sabfoil made a lot of noise about their Kraken system & new range of wings etc, so while expensive, it's unlikely (I'm guessing) that they're going to be changing designs significantly in the near future, which is always a risk. Lastly - light winds. If you are looking to blast around in light winds 8, 10, 12 knots, then a bigger wider board than the Foil X 105 with free race foil gear and larger sails would definitely be the way to go. I think you'll have a lot of fun on a Foil X 105 especially weighing 60 kg, but I just don't want to over inflate it's low wind ability. Cheers, & good luck! 🤙

Hi Tate 2. Sorry but here's a rather long reply: Agree - nothing wrong with wave sailing (or more like bump & jump & the odd carve down a small wave for me - I'm not a good wave sailor). I have an 86 litre freewave, 70 wave board - both great boards..., but nowadays I very rarely use them, I'm reaching for the foil gear instead. Either larger free-race boards and larger sails for lighter winds or preferably small boards and small sails in winds 12-15 knots and up. Especially if the sea state is lumpy, the small foil gear for me is way more fun. Why? I don't find rigging the foil and a little sail a hassle & the gear is light to carry. I can point significantly higher than the fin, which means I can spend time running downwind trying to surf swells especially in higher winds, plus I can run a long way downwind knowing getting back is easily doable Less down time - i.e. hardly ever schlogging, or standing on the beach waiting for the wind to lift again, or walking the gear back up the beach cos I was under powered on the return run. Gybing - I'm much more likely to keep going through a foil gybe and with some speed if I do it right. Gybing is one of the main things I like about the foil over the fin in both light and strong winds. Having said that it's still really fun to crank a fast planing gybe in flat water on a little slalom board, or nail a duck gybe on the freewave but either the conditions or my skills mean they don't happen that often. Carving up and down swells - this is just so much fun and makes the effort of getting through the shore break more than worth it. I can't properly describe the feeling I get foiling in swell other than, it's sort of like having a liquid skate park at your disposal that you're gliding through rather than bashing through. You can see the ramps coming and choose which one to glide up over & down, or to carve up and down etc. with for me, a feeling of more options than when I'm finning. So yeah I'm pretty hooked as you can tell haha. It'd be great if more people got into small board/sail winDfoiling, but I'm guessing it'll probably stay a bit niche? Cheers 🤙

@@brettwindfoil Hi, I highly respect your skills at foiling. Have you tried to get in/out of the shore break with the board and sail separated? Maybe would be easier and less dangerous for the sail. For attach/detaching both inside the sea a cardan power joint could help.

@@tate2863 Hey Tate 2. Thanks re my foiling skills which to be fair have a way to go yet, but it's fun learning! Sorry about the long rant - just keen to encourage others to try small board winDfoiling in swell. Thanks also for the caradan power joint tip as I'd not heard that term before. On bigger gear e.g. 91 wide board & 8m² sail I'll sometimes detach the sail from the board in the water. To make that easier, I've considered buying a Chinook Pro Flex Mast Base which has both the mechanical joint and a tendon. For the small gear I'll stick with entering and leaving the water with the gear attached. It's not as bad as the video might make it appear, and it's good to have it assembled for a quick start if the opportunity arises, i.e. between sets. I tried years ago with windsurf gear assembling the gear in waves, and a wave caught the board and smacked it into the mast base putting a ding in the board ... Cheers Brett

Hi KOR7. I can't say how durable it is as I haven't crashed it really really hard yet. Plus I've got that ugly foam protector on it (which I might remove). The lightness of this boards is amazing which helps it to fly early, but it still feels very stiff. I'm very happy with it so far, but a downside is it was more expensive than a standard construction board. If you haven't seen the video from Patrik below check it out as he demonstrates how tough the boards are and that they float even if filled with water. Cheers Brett ua-cam.com/video/dwnDwDjU3IQ/v-deo.html

Haha! I would've said the same a while ago. Getting off & back to the beach can be a little trying sometimes, but the more you do it... Overall though its loads of fun, which is why my windsurfing gear seems to be gathering dust... Cheers 🤙

Hey Jose. Thanks for that.🤙 I've left the rear foot straps on this board for 3 reasons: 1 - it makes carrying or handling the board on land or in the water easier at times. 2 - I want to learn how to jump the board - that's definitely a work in progress haha. 3 - In case I hit something in the water & a foil bolt breaks etc & I lose the foil. For that I have a short length of kite line tied to the top of the foil mast and I use one of the rear foot straps to tie it to. Otherwise, on this smallish board with small sails I never want to use rear straps on the water. In lighter winds there's no need, and in stronger winds/rougher seas even less so. Then, I find at times I need to quickly move that rear foot fore/aft or to the middle or edge depending on the sea state/swell slope/gust etc, so having it free works much better for me. Cheers Brett

Hey Jens. Thought I'd have a look at the top of Toks this afternoon. SE supposedly...

@@brettwindfoil I had a good time today😎

@@jensfuerte Same!!! 🤙

👍

Thanks Kristian 🤙 The camera mount is home made. The rod the camera bolts onto is a 1.1m length of sail batten into which I've epoxied wooden doweling to give it more strength. The rod fits into a base made of marine ply that I've put a few layers of fiberglass over and that's bolted to an old waist harness. There's some kite line running from the camera bolt to the base in case of breakage. So far so good. Cheers

I've only posted a few videos and have little idea why some get way more views than others, however this one has only been up 3 days I think. Thanks for the compliment! - cheers

Hey Lukas. Good to hear from a (sort of) ex Kiwi! My windsurfing friend Garth is from Kerikeri but when there's a big Easterly blowing he drives the hour North up to Doubtless Bay/Tokerau Beach for the waves. I think we're better off in Doubtless Bay - there's always a chance to get on the water whatever the wind direction is, and usually from a sandy beach. Cheers Brett

Hey Tracy. Thanks for that (especially the grown adult bit haha). Small board, small sail, wind-foiling seems to be a bit of a niche thing unfortunately. There seems to be a thought among many windsurfers that wind-foiling is either for racing with big gear, or for mowing the lawns in lighter winds, but that's missing out a lot of potential fun, imo. I do have bigger foil gear (8m²/91 wide board etc) which is good too, but as you note handling the gear is harder, so my favourite option is the smaller gear say 3.7 or 3.1 in 15-25 knots & hopefully some swell - cos its the most fun for me, even ahead of bump & jump windsurfing. Cheers Brett

@@brettwindfoil I am I right in assuming that you don't weigh much, as 3.7 in 15 knots is very small. I was also very impressed with the quick up haul between sets.

Without the wet suit etc I'm in the 75-77kg range. I don't think I'm overplaying my abilities in saying I'll get going in a solid 15 knots on my 3.7. I really like the Sabfoil Balz Pro 799 wing I use with all my small sails. It has a lot of pop & the stall speed is surprisingly low,. Powered up its reasonably quick for what it is, & its very controllable and great for carving hard & in transitions etc... end of sales pitch haha. My video "Windfoil - Boards-eye view - Balz Pro 799" is me on the 3.7 in what I thought at the time was around 15kns. Took a little pumping but getting flying was pretty easy (the water wasn't flat, which helped). Cheers

Thanks for that Jens. Seems Tokerau could be on later this week🤞Cheers

Cheers Sam 🤙

Howdy Walter The shop I bought the board from have nose protectors made on request by a local boat builder. In the future I'll make my own as it takes a little time but its not difficult e.g. as shown in this video: ua-cam.com/video/kw-iTg1_PX4/v-deo.html I don't shim the mast - I've only just started experimenting with shimming the stab haha! Quite possibly I should, but atm the board flight angle seems reasonably good as is. It'd be really good if FF published tutorials on this subject, but I'm not aware of any. Cheers.

Hey Sam. Yep I definitely wasn't lacking for power that day haha. Thanks & cheers

Thanks for that. I use that board with 4.3, 3.7, 3.1 & 2.7 & I've found I prefer no lines for all those sails and associated conditions. If I wanted to regularly sail straight lines and over distance as per windsurfing, I'd probably wish I had some, but I don't sail like that on that board.. and there's no way I'd have wanted lines on that day! Cheers 🤙

Thanks Greg. Yeah a not so good day at the office ended up making some interesting video shots. Btw the pole is just under 1.1m long but the video edit can make the camera seem a lot further away. Cheers.

Hi Patrik. Using Google translate I think you ask - where's the camera & is foiling dangerous? The 360° camera is on a pole attached to my waist. The camera software removes the pole from the picture. I think windfoiling is as safe as windsurfing providing you hold on to the boom when you crash! Cheers Brett

Hey Greg. Yeah it was hard work at times but ultimately I enjoyed the experience & will repeat it if the conditions return. Pushing things a bit is good on several levels! Generally in choosing between fin & foil, I now invariably choose foil cos for me, it's more fun. That includes in higher winds & seas. Cheers Brett

Hi Brett, Good on you for sticking with it and keep pushing your limits. I'm not yet at the level on foil that this kind of conditions would make me happy! But never say never: I've been criticised for going out in rough conditions with "inadhequate" freerace/freeride gear on the fin and I found the experience challenging and fun, and worth repeating! Regardless your videos are great to watch and follow.

@@whynowind Criticised for "inadequate" gear, haha - I was wondering if it was re the 'Roughed Up by Lake Michigan' video?! Thanks for the vid comment. Making them is a fun extra (but it also distracts from the sailing sometimes!). Cheers

@@brettwindfoil Yep! You guessed it! Ha! Cheers.

Hey Daniel. Thanks for that. The details are all in the description above but basically its a 2.7m² sail with Sabfoil gear. Cheers Brett

Howdy Fleetwoodmarine - here's a rather long answer: The 145 replaces I guess my old JP 135 although I have other boards too & wasn't using the JP for a while. I'm trying to improve my speed (it's going to take a while!) & slalom seemed the way to do that so after reading reviews I went for the 145 when one came up for sale. I also saw that one of last year's women's PWA slalom events was won on a 145, & since I'm ~76kg and not 90 that seemed a good recommendation. Apparently the NZ nationals was won by an 18 year old on a 145.... Reviews however seem scarce. but there's this one on the Glissattitudeis website. They have reviewed a lot of gear and seem to know what's what. NB - you need to sign up but it's free, there's no spam & the pages in French translate well via Google Chrome: windfoilfan.glissattitude.com/devices/board/futurefly-flying-camel-145-pro-2022 I've had 8 sessions on the 145 and have no regrets. It feel's a step up from the JP as you'd expect & I like the wider tail. With a combo of 6m & 7m sails + 570cm² & 850cm² wings it feels very controllable and balanced (my fuselage is 105) however its also quick to respond but not scarily so - it's a bit hard to quantify that, but I guess it'd be fine for intermediate riders & above. The Glissattitudes review said the control was good which is something I wanted & agree the 145 has it. It feels well made & solid but it's still reasonably light. My most recent session was with the 671 wing (570cm²) and my new 5m Phantom Iris X Mk II sail. The wind was dying unfortunately but I had a few short blasts and from that I think the 5m & the 145 have a lot of potential and are going to work really well together - possibly the sweet spot? I've not tried my 8m & may not - that can probably stay for use with the 91 Patrik. It took 3 or 4 goes to get tacking sorted as at 208cm it's quite short but now it's not at all a problem providing I'm quick. The non-slip is very good - pretty tough on the knees but fine on bare feet. The white underside is good for when you leave it in the sun but it also has a self adjusting pressure valve (which I think should be mandatory in all boards.) Oh, and I like the look of it! The only downside i can think of is my short fall of talent 🙄 - I can't think of anything really to fault the board on so far... Hope that helps. Cheers Brett

@@brettwindfoil Many thanks Bret for taking the time to reply. I also use Sab Foil and my previous "big" board was a JP 135. I currently have the original model FC 145 (White with red Stripes) and never really liked it. Future Fly came out almost immediately with the updated version ( which you have) and it appears to be completely different and much better board. I always wished I waited one more year because I saw so many PWA sailors on the new version and loving it. I was never sure if it was me or the board, but going fast on the original design is scary. I managed to hit 27.5 mph with the 671 front wing and a 6.0 sail but had some bad crashes. The original design has a lot of nose rocker and a lot more volume forward of the mast track when compared to the new design. It always had a tendency to lift on me as speed increased and the stance never felt realy comfortable. I could never get comfortable enough to really push it . In higher winds 20+ I tend to sail my smaller Slingshot wizard 125 and 105 boards because they are so much fun. As compared to my FC 145 - they are much more comfortable, stable in the air and do not want to rise as your speed increases. I regularly push those boards to speeds over 24 mph with complete comfort. I really want to be able to go fast with bigger sails ( 6, 7 & 8 meter) in lighter conditions. I want to purchase the new version Flying Camel 145 but don't want to make another "mistake" that is why I was so interested in your experience with the board. Thanks again, Walter

All good Walter - I'm glad that my comments were helpful, but do keep in mind I'm not a pro - so I really recommend checking that review I linked to for a more informed assessment but, spoiler alert - they praise it! However they also make a brief comparison between the 145 Vs the Severne Hydro which you may find interesting - two slalom foil boards at opposite ends of the slalom board design spectrum apparently. It's very interesting we're both on Sabfoil and both with the 671 wing (and probably others?). If you do get the board and have success with upping your speeds I'd be very interested to hear any thoughts you have re set up etc. Lastly - yes small board, small sail windfoiling in the open ocean in 20-30 knots and over is fantastic fun imo - especially if the swell is up, but I confess I'm looking for control over speed in those situations. I'll save the speed attempts for flatter harbour waters. Cheers Brett

Hey Robert, thanks. The custom mount worked well in your video 👍. I used an old GoPro adhesive helmet mount, and the camera's on a 30cm extension clipped into the mount. In case of disaster its tied to a back foot strap using a bit of kite line. Cheers.

@@brettwindfoil Thanks for the info!

Yes I'm very impressed with the One X2 (already superceded by the One X3) & I've found editing via the Insta app is pretty easy.

Hi David. Good thought - ducking the gear is something I'll try as well as facing the swell. I'm getting away with what I'm doing atm, but any ideas for easing the path out through a shore break are gratefully received, cheers. 🤙

Hey Robert. Its a sail batten tube into which I've epoxied some wooden dowel to hopefully give it more strength. Some kite line runs from the camera bolt down to the base plate, in case it does break in two. So far so good... Cheers

Thanks, the shots look great!

Hi Mark 🤙. Yes there's plenty of lift with that sail & the 799 for my 76kg in those conditions but its ok providing I adjust my approach - i.e. don't try and muscle the sail but be happy with it sheeted out more than usual when reaching, and I also move my hands on the boom closer to the mast so changes I make in sheeting in & out have less effect. At my skill level & in those conditions I find controlling the power through the gybe harder than in say 20kns on 3.7 or 3.1 where I can crank the sail in more, and power around (or at least try to). It's just something I need to keep working on. I've considered getting the 699 front wing but am not sure it'd translate to feel like a smaller 799? The 799 is excellent imo. Instead of changing wings I'd more likely consider a 2.3 instead! Cheers.

Thanks - yes - lots of fun to be had foiling in higher winds 🤙

Cheers

Hi. This was filmed in the Far North of New Zealand (I've updated the description to include that) Cheers

Cheers 👍 I was on the 800 (840cm²) front wing, 107 mast, 105 fuse & 399 stab. I really like the 800! The board also handles a 115 fuse & the Sabfoil 1000 wing quite well with an 8m, which is my largest sail. On the other hand with the 105 fuse I've also used the 671 (570cm²) wing & 376 stab which is fine but probably better with a smaller board...

Hi Kristian. I'm very happy with the 799 and the whole set up works well for me at ~75kg. The 799 has a lot of pop & good speed & glide. The stall speed is surprisingly low. It also carves really well. Can't comment on jumping as I'm not doing that, yet :). Balz seems happy enough with it! I had the original NP glide but went from there to Moses 790 (1500cm²) & 679 (990cm²) on an 85 mast which was a def improvement. Now with the BP799 I'm happy with the one front wing & just use sails 4.7-2.7. Going from the 85 to 95 mast saw quite a lot less breaching. I'm happy with changing sail sizes now rather than front wings to keep control. I enjoy it most on on 3.7, 3.1 or 2.7 which I guess starts at 14-15kns. I have the 399 stab (use it with my other free race foil gear) but so far I like the 425 better - its easier to keep control which is what I'm looking for when the winds up (20kn & above) and the sea swells get bigger. I'm not foil styling, more swell carving. I will experiment further with the 399 though. I'm also yet to read anyone posting negatively about the BP799 & no complaints from me either - if it was stolen I'd buy the same gear again. Cheers

@@brettwindfoil Cheers Brett, really appreciate you taking the time to write back on that. I bought the thing, so good to know how you view it (and if it's good enough for Balz ... 🙂). Yeah, everyone seems happy with it but not so many put keys to keyboard to say exactly "why". I'm slightly heavier than you at 78kg, wife is 60kg and she'll be the one using it most, similar type of foiling as you, nice swell, not looking to jump it any time soon either. All good. Cheers and thanks again, k.

@@jksmurf65 Cool! Your wife should be able to use some pretty small sails with that kit. NB - I saw your Seabreeze forum discussion 👍. Also interesting on Seabreeze is "2keen" and his new small custom foil board with which I think he's using that exact same kit (399 stab) - he's an excellent foiler & its good to see what lesser mortals than Balz should be able to achieve on it with enough TOW. Catch you later cheers.