I just got a good deal on a slingshot h2 / h4. While this isn't necessarily my first choice, the price was right, and I hope it will be a step up from my Takuma v100 clone.
If anyone is using these, I'd be really interested to hear any feedback you might have. As an example, I am curious why the mackite foil comparison says that the H4 is for good waves and the H2 is for small waves .... I'd think the opposite with the larger surface area wing for small waves. Comments?
www.mackiteboarding.com/news/lets-chat-choosing-a-surf-hydrofoil/
Few of us ride the Slingshot Surf Foil w/H2 (Gamma) Wing
I think the Mac Kites review was from a very early days and they were thinking that pure surface area is the only thing that affects foil lift.
So many factors affect how much lift a foil has. Such as Surface Area, Chord, Span, Aspect Ratio and of course the shape of the wing itself.
The H2 goes pretty sick! Fast acceleration. Turns like crazy. Pumps fast
Thanks for the videos ... H2 looks super fun! Unfortunately my "too good to be true" deal was just that ... it's not an H2, it's a hoverglide kite wing. Doh. But the H4 / Batwing looks interesting. I still think/hope it's a step up from the Ch-akuma, we'll see. I am going to watch for h2 wings for sale too, or the new generation
The H4 is a good wing more lower aspect and a bit more forgiving than the H2 & the Hoverglide is a great tow in wing as well.
Back in December I floated the SS H2 Vs h4 question. Mr Piros chimed in and said get the h4. As he seemed to have ridden the most options, I just went with that. I have ridden no other foil (which somewhat writes off my input) but I've found it fine on the sup and, mire recently, prone. Maybe the commodore/falcon of foils.....but I really don't need a BMW.....
Best advice out there I think is 'just get into it'!
I haven't had a chance to test H4 in the surf yet, but tried once behind the boat and twice kiting. A surprising ride. It has a lot lower lift than I'd expect for such a big wing. It is also surprisingly turney. Pretty much bang-on with what's listed in the specs on that slingshot wing comparison chart on another thread. Seems so strange that the much smaller H2 is rated as having more lift (as well as higher range), plus more stable. But the H4 is rated 10/10 on turning....that's pretty clearly its strength.
Call me cynical, but I suspect they designed this to be a big low wind small wave wing and light wind kiting, then found the extreme gull wing shape didn't perform as expected. But also found that it had some unexpected benefits that make it quite fun in a different way. So far it seems like it'll be better for kiting.
I am not going to be selling my takuma until I've properly tested this h4! I have a friend with H2, will demo that. But I am also going to watch for good price on one of the infinity wings ... I really like Slingshot's interchangeable parts and the wings prices are not crazy high compared to other brands.
Good intel. Have not tried my h4 kiting...just sup and a bit of prone with it. After using the foil to catch waves I don't know how motivated i amato try it kiting...it looks a little bit 'yawn' with a kite? But, saying that, the visual aspect of surf foiling is not overly alluring to the uninitiated....it was all about the feel of it....so perhaps foiling with the kite is no different....
Select to expand quotestevet73 said..
Good intel. Have not tried my h4 kiting...just sup and a bit of prone with it. After using the foil to catch waves I don't know how motivated i amato try it kiting...it looks a little bit 'yawn' with a kite? But, saying that, the visual aspect of surf foiling is not overly alluring to the uninitiated....it was all about the feel of it....so perhaps foiling with the kite is no different....
Strongly recommend you give it a go! Zipping around "mowing the lawn" is fun. But riding wind swells downwind is SUPER fun. It feels a bit like snowboarding in powder, half weightless carving. The trend in kite foiling is to use big surf/sup wings, so that you can drift a small kite (little to no pull) and ride the waves not the kite.
The H4 is a little uncertain for me for SUP riding, as it's instability feels a little iffy -- though if I decide to ride it, I suspect I'll get used to it. The big plus for it is how lively it is -- seems to want to always be turning. In comparison, my takuma feels like it's on a rail or track, it turns too, but not nearly as actively. So, I think the H4 will be an excellent low wind kite foil ... and even if I don't use it for SUP, I'll be keeping it for kiting. Stoked!
FYI The H4 (SpaceSkate) Wing now comes standard with our Hover Glide FKite Foil Packages.
This was due to the amount of feedback we got for how fun the wing was for kitesurfing.
that makes sense ... was super fun under the kite for sure. I would describe it as pivoting, either wants to go one way or other, not straight so much (and why it got the 10/10 turning and 3/10 stability, or something like that). The one try on the wake boat, it felt quite unsteady under the sup ... probably would get used to it though, once learned its tricks.
I demo'ed the H2 today behind the boat ... now that is a nice smooth stable wing. Buddy has loaned it to me for a bit, quite stoked to try it in the surf.
PS 7nation: If you work for slingshot, a suggestion to pass along: with such a wide array of foil wings, SS should start printing or stamping the name or model # on them. I've now come across 3 different people in the past 2 weeks who didn't know which wings they have. I hope they knew when they bought them, but I suspect not! Makes for problems on resale ... 
Good call 'juan'. I have an old Tomo vanguard 5'6 retrofitted with a track box which might turn out perfect gor the h4 with kite. Ironically, I learned to sup foil with the h4 so may have helped extend my skills (a bit) without knowing if it is indeed a bit trickier-but more responsive....
H4: I suspect you're right! Of all the wings I've demo'd in past couple weeks, that one definitely had more challenge ... at least more challenging to just stand there and ride.
I picked up a vanguard 5.6 too. Intention was to put tracks on it for a multi purpose board ... surf, kite, and surf foil. Haven't got around to it yet, but maybe will get on it.
juandesooka: Yes ! All 2019 wings have the Model and Width printed on them now.
ALso fyi. The H4 (Space Skate) is a self centering wing. Like if you start a carve it likes to return to the flat position. So that's why it's really snappy / carvy but harder to pump since it doesn't have a flat bottom like the 2 wings pictured below.
I've found the h4 easy to pump on my sup....but not back out the back or anything....just to get through dead zones to the next section. It actually seemed easier to pump on the sup than on the 5"6 vanguard.....
that's helpful info, thanks 7nation.
I used my chakuma on sup last night in gutless surf, found it hard to get onto the foil unless wave was thigh high-ish. Seemed to need a little more speed / power to get going (recognizing of course that I am still a noob, so lack of technique comes into it). I suspect the H4 will be similar.
I am looking forward to trying the H2, less surface area for lift, but a lot more glide ... the feedback online seems to be that people find it works better for pumping. The SS comparison chart shows it better at both low end and high end compared to H4. I also have a Stringy XL experimental wing to try out ... more or less his kite wing 50% larger, dead flat g10. So if you say flat helps with pumping, it'll be interesting to see how this compares.
The Infinity wings look awesome, but are at this point still a faraway dream. ;-)
