Forums > Kitesurfing Foiling

Triton T1 monowing, does it work?

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Created by drsurf > 9 months ago, 5 Feb 2022
drsurf
NSW, 179 posts
5 Feb 2022 11:17PM
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After seeing a thread on kiteforum and quite a a few adverts on the same I was aware of the Triton monowing but was not sure about taking it seriously. I was aware of Horst Sergio riding a monofoil but he is freakishly good and anyway his monofoil was an ordinary hydrofoil with the fuselage cut off behind the mast. Looked like pitch control would be challenging but he claimed it was low drag and fun.

There were a few videos coming out with people from around the world using the Triton monowing saying it was good and a guy from Texas was jumping and riding rodeo on it claiming it was fun & easy. Then one of my customers called me and asked me to get some into Australia and he'd buy one off me. So I started importing the Triton T1 monowing of which the first shipment arrived last week... just in time for the wind to fail

So I waited for the wind to return and sent one off to my customer who also had the wind turn ridiculously strong and gusty when he received his monowing. I screwed the Triton to an 80cm Axis mast with the supplied 8mm screws. Finally today I took it out today in wind which I hoped would be suitable. I should have paid attention to the fact that no-one else was out kiting It wasn't our usual lovely nor-east seabreeze unfortunately, but a sou-easter which looked good on the seabreeze graphs. When I got to the beach I checked the wind and it was gusting up to 18 knots on the shore and more out on the water I thought, so I rigged a 3m Peak4 figuring the wind should stay that way. And there was a sizeable shorebreak to negotiate through the cross onshore wind.

Rigged up and managed to drag myself through the shorebreak without too much trouble and then tried foiling on the Triton. After a few attempts, as I found the balance point on the board, I got up and foiling and it went smoothly with not as much pitch instability as I had anticipated. It felt very low drag and the manoeuvrability was great with very fast and easy turning almost on the spot. It would also foil up at low speeds and keep foiling as I slowed down almost to walking pace.

However the wind I had thought strong enough had weakened and become quite gusty so I headed for shore to change up a kite size. I jumped of the board before I hit the bottom and found myself in gutter of neck deep water and as I grabbed my foil the biggest shorebreak of the day hammered me and my gear taking down the kite as well. I decided to pack up and scope out another location for tomorrow which promised the same wind but less gusty and no shorebreak.

So for my first go on the Triton monowing I was impressed. It wasn't hard to use, 5 minutes to get used to your balance point and foot position and you're pretty well foiling as you would on a conventional surf foil, which it can be compared to. It does turn on a dime and although it is a bit more pitch sensitive it's not a problem. I can see it will be a lot of fun going forward and would be interested to see how it goes on a wingding. I need some more time to get used to things like how or if it pumps. Looking forward to more time on the water to do more testing

If anyone would like any more info feel free to contact me on 0411 572 725. I've sold out my first shipment and have another shipment on the way. I also have my Triton setup here for demo in Jervis Bay if you feel like having a go!

Clinton1020
QLD, 5 posts
6 Feb 2022 7:30AM
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Agree with Dr Surf. It works!

Here's my Triton T1 mono-wing foil review
31 Jan 2022

Is there a Monowing that's easy to ride?
Yes there is and it's awesome.

I purchased a T1 mono wing foil from Triton, a start up company in Canada, on the front of the oversized Pizza box in which it arrives is a bold statement , "The future of foiling".
But is it?
They have shaped the future,
And made it a reality.
So It's already here!

A furtive review of their website and a few reviews indicated these guys were on the leading edge of making a production model mono wing that was stable, accessible and fun to ride.

I quickly put together a business case presentation to my Chief Financial Officer (which she approved) and after a few clicks said future arrived by courier from Canada 11 days later on 25 January 2022.

2 bolts onto my current Nobile mast* and we were good to go at the local beach in Sandgate Brisbane that afternoon.

(*word of caution. Make sure your mast base is actually flat and your bolts done up nice and tight then check them again after the first 30 minutes to avoid things loosening as mast and foil bed in together).

One mono foil.
No fuselage
No tail.
No sharp edges.
Heaps of lift.
Effortless smooth gybes as tight or as open as you want.
Smooth and silent.
Stealthy like a B2 bomber.

This is an exciting development in foiling as the team at Triton have produced an extremely smooth, stable yet playful mono-foil.
It's shaped like a futuristic stealth aircraft and it rides like one too.

At 1850cm2 surface area you can drop a kite size which allows easier control of power on tap and brings the focus back on the foil and the riding style.

I had been needing to get a bigger wing than my current 700cm2, 56 cm span , 4 aspect ratio G10 fibreglass free ride Nobile foil. (the front wing measured 56 cm wide and 14.5cm deep yet only about 1cm thick.
The idea was to be able to ride swell across the bay with cruisier rides and gybes and maybe finally learn to tack.

The T1 foil has more than twice the area, with the front part of the wing a curved aerofoil to generating lift when cruising and the flatter body with upturned wind tips providing lift at lower speeds and higher angles of attack.
It weighs about 1.3kg which is almost 100gm lighter than my setup with fuselage.
By itself it has enough volume to float, coupled with my mast it floats the board on its side.

It measures 61 cm wide and 35cm to tail giving it an approximate 1.7 aspect ratio.

It's a wing, fuselage and tail all in one shaped like a cross between a flying V wing and a B2 Stealth bomber.

It has a thickness of about 3cm about 5cm back from the front of the wing.

It doesn't have sharp edges and straight out of the box it rides silently and smoothly.

Three weeks ago one of our local Sandgate Foilers posted a link to this little known Canadian company called Triton who have spent the past 3 years developing what looks like a B2 stealth bomber that you bolt straight onto your mast and foil away into the future.

I purchased the wing for about USD$999 or @$1499 and about A$1760 landed in Australia after paying transport and import duties. It took only 11 days to get here.

There was much anticipation from the local foilers as to whether this mono wing would be stable and manageable.

It is.

It is a similar price to buying a new wing, fuselage and stabiliser.
So thought I'd try it as it didn't require any modification to my current board and mast.

Nice.

After taking the old fuselage off with 2 bolts I simply bolted the new foil on with 2 new M8 bolts.
It's great that Triton have made this compatible with so many other brands of masts. They really have made it easy for you to give it a go.

The mast sits on pedestal like cockpit just behind the mid point of the foil.

Looking at it you realise how much work must has gone into all the svelt curves and bulges and the placement of the mast.
Under the mast pedestal the wing has a sort of a gentle 10mm of belly rocker so it's not flat on the base of the wing.

Basically the foil is the wing, fuselage and stabiliser all in one but about half the length and without sharp edges.

Unlike most marketing systems they've cleverly made the wing with the ability to fit to pretty much any mast with a flat base and two M8 bolt holes spaced from 45-65mm apart. Most of the aluminium masts should suit and some carbon mast if flat based or an adaptor to a flat base (such as some of the Moses mast mentioned in their website).
Their website provides an example of which masts they've tried to date.

Mine was going to bolt onto a Nobile 860mm aluminium mast with 50mm spaced M8 bolts that I have used since learning to foil (the past 3 years). This worked fine provided the base of your mast is dead flat and not deformed or you may risk damaging things. I had to trim 1cm off my mast base as it looked like it was partially deformed by 3 years of use splaying out in the middle a little and a bit squashed on the leading edge. Don't attach it if it's deformed or you may do damage.
There is also a stainless pedestal plate being worked on that will help spread the forces developed as the narrow edges of your mast can exert some pretty significant forces.

Make sure you apply enough tension to the bolts and double check them after your first 30 minutes to ensure they are good and tight. The bolts are going into a resin block which is super durable and at the core of wing which looks like a futuristic sleek carbon fibre toothless bat like creature.

I've attached some photos to see how much it looks like a stealth bomber, and it makes sense that the mono-wing would be some kind of flying V wing shape.

I've had 5 sessions on it totalling about 100km in the past few week.

It was so much fun my first session ended up being 35km.

It took around 3-5 minutes to get used to the balance compared to my old foil.
It required a little more concentration to begin with as being shorter and double the area the stance of the back foot is more forward so you may pop up a few times starting out. Moving the back foot forward to above the front or middle of the mast quickly fixes this as you tune in your balance point.
Being shorter it can also turn tight so be prepared to carve into turns or even turn on the spot.

I was pleasantly surprised how silent it was.
Also it rarely seems to cavitate.
It only has two tips that could cavitate instead of 4 (if front and back wings) and when it did breach I was often able to ride it like a small twintip before getting back in the water.

The wings floats, has no sharp edges and doesn't protrude as far back, this is a pleasent bonus as you're less likely to bang your shins against it in the shallows.
In reality it will probably be floating alongside you.

It has an insanely low stall speed by which time it's just about stationary ploughing sideways at a slow walking pace.

Top speeds were around 25kts and cruising around 17-22kts so far.

Going down wind on rolling chop it was happy to go with the flow at 12kts merrily gybing from turn to turn on the chop and felt as smooth and sure as roller blades on fine concrete.

If needed it can turn on a dime awaiting only your input.

It's a free ride low aspect fun wing and, not intended to be a high aspect race winning speed wing.

It kept me dry and up foiling for a couple of hours so it's stability and fun cruising style is a big plus.

It designed to be a stable mono wing and is a whole lot of fun, making carving gybes and riding swell or chop an enjoyable experience.

I would recommend it to anyone who can already foil who wants a wing with more lift and who enjoys carving or catching rolling waves. If they have a straight based aluminium mast with 45-65mm M8 bolt spacing then its a quick and easy changeover with 2 bolts to transform your board into a free riding fun machine.
You can always interchange your old foil for race days.

In 14-18kts I used a 6m kite (and perhaps could have gone smaller).
It did well upwind and being larger lift I could feel each wave it passed through like travelling with topography hugging radar.

On the downwind it was carving gybes and riding the swell which was a great sensation compared to my smaller wing which would tend to cut through and ignore the waves.

In 8-11kts I used a 9m kite and got going nice and early cruising at about 17kts with smooth carving gybes and top speeds around 25kt.

More posts to follow once some of the other locals have tried it out to compare with similar sized wings.

The future is now.

Clinton


Links

Triton
www.tritonfoils.com/t1.html

Commercial review





























drsurf
NSW, 179 posts
7 Feb 2022 12:15AM
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Better day today for the Triton. Tried a better location on the estuary where I live where the wind wasn't as gusty and no heavy shorebreak. Had to drag out through over 50m of seagrass which was a pain. If I tried to get foiling before I was out far enough, the 1.5m lengths of seagrass would grab the foil and over I would go with much bad language.

My bar and lines were still attached to the 3m Peak4 and I was too lazy to change them so I took it out as the wind seemed strong enough, though the 4m would have been better in the lulls. I was out foiling for about an hour with no crashes. Even when you pop the board out of the water it doesn't freak out and cavitate, you just keep going and get your mast to the right height. I usually ride a 90cm mast on my Moses/SABfoil and I have an 80cm mast on the Triton. On the subject of masts, you need to have a mast with a flat bottom and 8mm threaded holes to bolt the Triton to. I do sell the Axis foils so it was a good mast to try and it worked very well. You also have the option of 16mm or 19mm wide Axis masts.

Unfortunately the chop was pretty small on the estuary so there weren't any decent waves to ride, but I got the hang or riding the Triton through the lulls as it pumps differently to a standard foil. The smooth feel is probably the most significant difference to a standard foil, there is just no sense of turbulence, which must be created when you have a stabiliser following in the path of the front wing. You can carve as tight or as wide as you like, there's no stiffness like you get from a wide span, high aspect foil.

It's definitely a fun foil, nothing feels quite like it and best of all it's accessible to anyone who is a an average kitefoiler. About 5 minutes to just get the feel of it and you're now a monofoiler!

I'm selling the Triton T1 monowings for $1495 post free anywhere in Australia and can supply Axis masts if required. The future really is now and you can foil it

The fun package!

dafish
NSW, 1637 posts
7 Feb 2022 8:15AM
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I'll put it through it's paces next time I see you.

Wobbles
NSW, 29 posts
7 Feb 2022 11:29AM
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Hi Drsurf, what about prone foiling the triton T1. Does it work ? Have you ? or is it only for kiting. Thanks

drsurf
NSW, 179 posts
7 Feb 2022 12:34PM
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Select to expand quote
Wobbles said..
Hi Drsurf, what about prone foiling the triton T1. Does it work ? Have you ? or is it only for kiting. Thanks


Hi Wobbles.
Haven't tried prone foiling or heard of anyone doing it on the Triton, but if you can prone foil on a standard surf foil I can't see why it wouldn't be possible on a Triton. The Triton monowing was only released in December so it's still quite new with lots of possibilities.

Let me know if you want to come to Jervis Bay and have a go or lash out and buy one.

Wobbles
NSW, 29 posts
8 Feb 2022 8:10AM
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Thanks drsurf. Looks interesting. Look forward to seeing more info. ??

drsurf
NSW, 179 posts
12 Feb 2022 8:46PM
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Good video review of the Triton in light wind.

kiteforum.com/search.php?author_id=88900&sr=posts

Tried to post the youtube link for this video but unfortunately the Seabreeze site settings kept breaking the link.

KBGhost
QLD, 273 posts
14 Feb 2022 2:39PM
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I had another session with my Triton yesterday (3rd proper session), in waves for the first time. Had a great session, lots of fun. I found the Triton went well in the waves, however needed very quick reflexes a few times as it's very lively and reacts to changes in the waters. I must be getting used to it though as there were patches of standing waves and weird currents and they didn't really affect me too much. It's not a super fast foil but I was definitely on a par with some of the faster moses foils on that day. I have recorded 17-19kts cruising speed with fairly light winds. Definitely a fun & addictive rig. Generates massive interest on the beach, better give Dr Surf a yell if you want one of the next batch, I know a few who are keen.


bigtone667
NSW, 1504 posts
16 Feb 2022 6:44AM
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All of these points of view can be seen in the light of what you are used to.

I primarily wing now and only kite on the 10 knots and below days. So I use my wing foil (2100cm2) just to have a desperate run around. Top foil speed is roughly 15 knots and low speed is around 6 knots (so slow!!!). I fly a Peak or Cloud.

I prefer to wing rather than kite.

I picked up a Triton from Dave and have now completed about 100km worth of riding. The Triton has given me an interest in kiting again. So for me, something fun is going on.

Because I generally ride such a huge foil, I would describe the Triton as "Tiny", requires a lot more power to get up, is a little squirrelly side to side, locks in nicely in a straight line, is fast, doesn't cavitate, and has really nice tight banked turns. I am not quite up to being able to set up a deck chair and have a margarita like I do on the 2100cm2, but with a little muscle memory taking over, I think I will get there.

I could not complete a gybe on my first session (8 or 9 knots and 13m Peak) simply because I could not turn hard enough and kept out running the kite and losing speed (no issues on the 2100cm2). By session number two (15-20 knots and 5m Peak) I had figured out that downlooping enabled me to gybe simply because it kept power in my turn and therefore speed). By session number three I had figured out how hard I could turn this little sucker so gybing became a non issue.

My top speed on the 2100cm2 is about 31km/h and is generally followed by a big breach. The Triton got me to 36.5km/h and was steady and feels like it has a long way to go. I was super impressed the little 5m Peak4 could pull me that fast.

The actual Triton surface area of 1800cm is completely misleading, it feels more like 1000cm2 to me .... at 105kg, I need to get up a little forward speed on my board before I can pop it up. But once engaged, it accelerates!!!!

I tried winging the Triton on my 95L wing board for a giggle. I got up and was flying along completely out of control but I did 300m in a straight line and it was fast!! I needed a lot of wind and big wing just to get up. It will be something to try again when I get 20 knots.

It is a super positive experience. I would certainly recommend it.

dafish
NSW, 1637 posts
16 Feb 2022 8:39AM
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I had about 10 minutes on Dave's Triton the other day. Would have ridden it longer but he had to leave. I got up and riding instantly. this foil is the easiest transition to a new setup I have ever tried. I was instantly comfortable on it, gybed both ways, was able to swap feet despite having an annoying front footstrap that I forgot to adjust and I couldn't even get my fat foot into. ( I ride strapless normally so even if the fit was good the strap would annoy me). The stealth bomber turns on a dime. I didn't try and duck tacks as I would still need more time to adjust to the way it felt but over all it was a pleasant short ride. I will have another crack at it when I see Dave on the beach again. The board he has it mounted on is much bigger than mine, and that felt a little awkward as well as I have been on a small pocket board for a few years. I actually had a hard time readjusting back on my normal board for a minute or so, but I have never been good at swapping boards and settling in straight away. As a surfer I could never ride a long board on smaller days and then jump back on a short board or visa versa.
All in all this is a fun ride, but I would be curious to see how it performs on waves. This bomber doesn't pump, and that is critical to swell riding. I would love to hear how you go in some waves Bigtone, I would only be sold on the idea if it really performed in waves. And then there is the aluminum mast issue too. I believe the all carbon setup is the way to go.

KBGhost
QLD, 273 posts
18 Nov 2022 6:15AM
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If you're lucky enough to beg borrow or steal a $500 Naish Microchip, makes the ultimate pair with a T1. This is the combo I've been working towards for years. My axis gear is getting the chop soon. They are so good they are starting to multiply around here.







Leighbreeze
WA, 547 posts
20 Sep 2023 8:20AM
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Select to expand quote
bigtone667 said..
All of these points of view can be seen in the light of what you are used to.

I primarily wing now and only kite on the 10 knots and below days. So I use my wing foil (2100cm2) just to have a desperate run around. Top foil speed is roughly 15 knots and low speed is around 6 knots (so slow!!!). I fly a Peak or Cloud.

I prefer to wing rather than kite.

I picked up a Triton from Dave and have now completed about 100km worth of riding. The Triton has given me an interest in kiting again. So for me, something fun is going on.

Because I generally ride such a huge foil, I would describe the Triton as "Tiny", requires a lot more power to get up, is a little squirrelly side to side, locks in nicely in a straight line, is fast, doesn't cavitate, and has really nice tight banked turns. I am not quite up to being able to set up a deck chair and have a margarita like I do on the 2100cm2, but with a little muscle memory taking over, I think I will get there.

I could not complete a gybe on my first session (8 or 9 knots and 13m Peak) simply because I could not turn hard enough and kept out running the kite and losing speed (no issues on the 2100cm2). By session number two (15-20 knots and 5m Peak) I had figured out that downlooping enabled me to gybe simply because it kept power in my turn and therefore speed). By session number three I had figured out how hard I could turn this little sucker so gybing became a non issue.

My top speed on the 2100cm2 is about 31km/h and is generally followed by a big breach. The Triton got me to 36.5km/h and was steady and feels like it has a long way to go. I was super impressed the little 5m Peak4 could pull me that fast.

The actual Triton surface area of 1800cm is completely misleading, it feels more like 1000cm2 to me .... at 105kg, I need to get up a little forward speed on my board before I can pop it up. But once engaged, it accelerates!!!!

I tried winging the Triton on my 95L wing board for a giggle. I got up and was flying along completely out of control but I did 300m in a straight line and it was fast!! I needed a lot of wind and big wing just to get up. It will be something to try again when I get 20 knots.

It is a super positive experience. I would certainly recommend it.



Hey BT
How's it going?Also hi to Dr Dave & Ghost
well I still haven't kite foiled my TI but did purchase an X1 -Monowing from Dave,mainly for Wingfoiling.
Had a crack in 12-15kts in the Peel Harvey estuary near Dawesville in Mandurah area WA.
I'm in the big Dawg category 110kgs.
Kalama E3 6'0"x30"-130Ltrs 6.5m Duotone Dlab unit,with the Triton X-1 which is larger in surface area than the T1.
Well couldn't get it up on foil until I really beared away
then quickly realised my normal stance was 6-7" to far forward.Once stance posy was right the pitch control balanced out to a very smooth ride.Long runs in the estuary so didn't gybe much but did a lot of s turns just to feel the looseness.
Was a bit exhausted after a session understanding the pitch control but at 67yrs and only 10 mths of winging experience I thought ok I reckon I could get to like this weapon of pleasure.
Thanks to Dave for arranging it for me.
I do have a Brand new TI Monofoil for sale I thought I would use for Kitefoil but am winging 100% now and am selling all my kiting & Kite foiling equipment which is extensive as people who know me will appreciate
All the best fellas



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"Triton T1 monowing, does it work?" started by drsurf