Armstrong HS 1850

My first go winging with the 1850 today in a gusty NW at Kurnell, bitter cold but the sun was out. Started out 12 -15knots and ended up 15- 18 gusts over 20. (see image below between 930am and 1130)
I'm an advanced Windsurfer, Kite surfer/Foiler and wave SUP but a beginner at winging. 88kg on a 125lt board, 85cm mast, 232 tail, 60cm fuse and zero shim





I started out using my 7m kite to get familiar with the foil and board combination, pumping technique, foot placement, foot switching and gybing. I was a bit apprehensive expecting a ton of lift and a fight to keep it down but no the foil is so smooth and balanced and doesn't feel much more resistance than my 1200. I dropped my ride height into the gybes and never winged out once but using the 85cm mast gives me more room. It rolls into the gybes so smooth and is more responsive than I expected.

Then back out with the 5m Echo, I have the front foot strap on to make sure I get started the same each time and to help lift when pumping. The lulls suddenly seemed allot bigger around 10 knots with no chance, but as soon as a gust came though I could easily get the foil up with more lift coming from pumping the board than the Echo. Once up the ride is super smooth, going into the many lulls I could pump the foil and wing together and coast though. The foil glides so nice you have allot of time to get though the gybes. The Echo boom makes it easier for me as a windsurfer. Towards the end of the session it was gusting over 20 knots and the Echo was becoming a handful but the foil stay neutral and balanced.
I'm very happy with the decision I can easily ride this 1850 until my 1200 will go. Riding speed was a respectable 19 -24Kmph but there is allot more to give and that's before trying a +1 shim.
Looking forward to trying it in some swell and waves.

First wing session in the waves with the 1850 the other day. Side offshore 10-20mph. 6m BRM. Waves waist-stomach high on sets, completely flat in-between sets. Clean long south swell walls from Hurricane Isaias. Beach break. Wind SSW. I had my concerns going in that I wouldn't be able to hold ground with the longshore current, wind, and waves all headed north.

Ran the +1 shim and the wing went amazing. Able to cruise out upwind against the longshore current and pick off swells from way out the back. This is where the 1850 smokes the 2400, as that wing you almost have to jibe one wave ahead of the one you want to track down, letting it catch you as it stands up more one the inside. The 1850 could keep me on the unbreaking wave long before hitting the sandbar, even when depowering and riding the wave at an angle into the wind. The 1550 wouldn't have been as much fun in the lully conditions either.

The 6m BRM went insane too. Despite the ginormous leading edge diameter, the thing cuts through wind like a katana. Much more resistance felt from my own body than the wing when cutting back into the wind.

Wiped out once on the first wave of a set in chest deep water and the photo of Hilly's busted wasp flashed through my head. I let the foil board flag out on the waist leash and held the 6M wing up in neutral by the front strut handle to get over the three remaining waves and stay clear of the board.

The wind died a bit and I noticed the current was really taking me down the coast. Caught the next gust in and my buddy came up and was like, 'Need a ride?' - See photo he took below. I had ended up 6 long city blocks down the beach. Walk of shame time! I deflated the wing and stuffed it underneath the belly of my rashie and walked up the beach with my foil over my shoulder at an angle, aiding the support of my board with my other hand. No problem. I was hounded by at least 5 people along the way who joined me in my walk, peppering me with questions about this new sport. Old crusty windsurfer, young newbie foiler who wanted to pump flatwater, and kiteboarders.

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kobo said..
Hey Graham, what tail did you use and have you had a crack a dock starting on it yet ?I remember you could on the 1550 ,I wonder how it goes pumping on flat water too.

Kobo! I had the 232 tail running. I haven't dock started it yet and only had it on my prone setup for around 4 waves in 'larger' surf and to be honest I didn't figure out the pumping. Maybe I didn't have the mast placement or foot placement right, but I didn't find the sweet spot that session. It felt like it needed a quicker cadence or maybe my quicker cadence was messing me up.

Rewind a few weeks back to when I ran it on my wing board prone and nailed a 3-1 first go. I'm curious if my lighter weight was helped by the heavier and larger swing weight of the 74ltrs.
I'll report back.

I also have not been able to pump the 1850 consistently well. Sometimes it pumps great and other times, I can't find the technique. It must be more technique dependent than other wings.

I'm using the 300 tail. The small tail was a bit squirrelly for me winging. The local shop owner prefers a chopped 300 for best pumping.

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emmafoils said..

JOSHSB said..
...........
I find the 1850 doesn't need the porpoise motion like the 1550. The pump is more of a 2 footed jump with a bit more pressure on the back foot to keep it high on the mast. I find moving my front foot closer to my back helps too.
.........

Yes. I felt this yesterday. More back foot pumping pressure and keeping it high makes a big difference. I am using 232 and +0. May have to spring for a +1 shim if others think it makes a big difference.

JOSHSB, what length fuse are you using?

Emmafoils I'm on the 60cm fuse.
If your waves are really small and not that powerful the 0 shim will get the job done. When it's a little more powerful the +1 really helps with the take off and keeping speed. Any drag I felt before just disappears.
To me the 1850 handles speed just as well as the 1550 and is just as fast which surprised me. Maybe because its thinner..?
You can just use a small washer on your back screw to flatten the stab out a bit.

Cool, do you think it will give the 1550 more range and be able to be used in bigger waves than before ?

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kobo said..
Cool, do you think it will give the 1550 more range and be able to be used in bigger waves than before ?

If you want more range the 50 fuse allows you to take off on bigger waves but you get less glide.

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hilly said..

kobo said..
Cool, do you think it will give the 1550 more range and be able to be used in bigger waves than before ?

If you want more range the 50 fuse allows you to take off on bigger waves but you get less glide.

Hey, Hilly I'm chasing the "holy grail" a bit,the 1550 already has an amazing range for its size , and using the small tail and +1 shim extended it even further, occasionally I get bucked off on a steep takeoff or overhead wave ,but generally I use it 90% of the time.I remember changing from the 0 to +1 shim and thinking wow that really made bigger takeoffs easier and was wondering if the "+2" has taken it a step further ,and by toppleover description of having to put the mast further forward now I would say it probably has extended an already huge range so yeehaa.
Good point about the 50 fuse would do even more for sure , but it's a lot more expensive than a washer , and I'm really happy with the way it responds now ,don't think I could handle it any looser atm.

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kobo said..Hey, Hilly I'm chasing the "holy grail" a bit,the 1550 already has an amazing range for its size ,

When the swell is bigger I just go to the 1200 which is faster and more manoeuvrable, definitely my favourite wing Easier to change a front wing too

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kobo said..
True Hilly, but good to know that you can go to +2 , should be useful for all wings including the 1200, I wonder what happens if you go too far in the + direction?

Unstable... Slidy.. Especially in Yaw!

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kobo said..

toppleover said..

kobo said..
True Hilly, but good to know that you can go to +2 , should be useful for all wings including the 1200, I wonder what happens if you go too far in the + direction?

Unstable... Slidy.. Especially in Yaw!

Hey Toppleover, can you show me a close up pic of the tail with your +2 washer please.

I didn't like the look with the washer so replaced it with 2 - 1mm plastic shims.
Gap at the back is about 3mm.

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toppleover said..

I didn't like the look with the washer so replaced it with 2 - 1mm plastic shims.
Gap at the back is about 3mm.

Is that combined with your 0 or +1 toppleover?

Sweet cheers for the info Toppleover.
Note to self. Don't hit steel ladders when dock starting. My poor 1850 took a beating!

Yeah the ladder didn't budge at all! I must of hit the corner of the flat bar... twice somehow ??
I won't be dock starting there for a while until I get better!
I've nailed the reef a few times too and they hold up pretty well. This one is going to take a bit more then a light sand to fix!