Forums > Wing Foiling General

Armstrong NEW Ha

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Created by wingedsurfer 9 months ago, 2 Dec 2023
eppo
WA, 9503 posts
14 Jan 2024 9:16AM
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ArthurAlston said..
This is one of the best non-sponsored videos of the 880 I've come across. His findings match mine after using the 880 for a couple of weeks. Essentially, the 880 is akin to the 1125 and sizing down two sizes is recommended. Worth watching.

?si=ydBIdlfWKSAEbvdM



interesting viewing from a winging only point of view. I'm not sure i agree with all his conclusions. For instance the 880 being the same at the 1125 in terms of lift. Not really more like our imaginary 1025 old Ha. In terms of not being able to surf as well than with the 925 - i'd say initially i thought that but after 5 sessions and dialing it in - the 880 is far better in the surf and DW than the 925. Far more predictable carve - hold and release. There was always a point on the 925 where you carve hard and the usual weird behaviour of the old Ha would kick in. Hence you had to pull back. The 880 allows you to go a lot harder and also at times rides slower and still come out of a turn smoothly without wobble and pitch issues.

also need to add that the 880 to me shines with the dart on the back - amplify s its advantages - whilst at the same time would amplify the weird stuff on the 925. So he didn't really test it with the right tail.

I do agree however that the 780 is probably a better daily driver if all you are going to do is wing at say the 75kg mark. Even a 680 in more hectic wave conditions.

It's a hard one for us in the 75-85kg weight range who wing and prone / Sup. But really the more you use it the more you adjust. DW ing i've done i was glad i was on the 880/dart and not the 925. Infact conditions that suite a 925 (small fast running higher wind bumps) recon a 755 DWP still be a better choice than the 925.

To me if you are keen to do both wing and prone surf then i'd want an 880 - unless you are in powerful waves say like in margs at this weight range mentioned. For the average rider mind you - sky rama is on the 680 a lot of times but most of us are not Sky nor never will be.

KB7
NSW, 108 posts
14 Jan 2024 5:13PM
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Here are my thoughts on the HA980 which I've been riding for 3 weeks.

I demoed a HA 880 back to back with my MA1000 and realised that all the things being said about it are true but there was too much overlap with my MA1000 and 925 so I decided to go for the 980 as a light wind foil but it has proven to be much more versatile than that.

I'm 85Kg and usually ride my Armie 7 2 DW board in 8-15 knots with the MA1475 then switch to my 60L board and the MA1000 or 925 once solid 15knots.

In 8-12knots the 980 comes up almost as easy as the 1475 but feels so much better, much less resistance it glides and pumps better and turns with a nice flow and powerful feel on any bumps and waves up to shoulder high. It feels fast but my my Garmin says no faster than the MA.
I've switched tails multiple times 205,195,220,140 and other than the 202 (I stopped several time to check for weed but there was none)
they all seem to work. I can't see myself using the MA1475 much anymore nor would I recommend anyone my weigh and lower getting any new HA bigger than the 980.

I've also used the 980 with my 60L board in winds up to 30knots and summer (gutless Eastcoast) waves. It gets up so easy on foil even underpowered with the slightest gust. The glide is addictive I'm constantly going onto the flagging handle way out the back on any bump it's certainly improved my pumping game without any worry about the sudden HA dropout.
The glide makes it hard to come off foil in tacks and gybes and getting through white water is easy. One downside is it doesn't like hard radius changes when you have committed to the turn, this is something the MAs do so well. The only time I wished I was on the MA1000 was a solid chest to head high day. Those days and bigger I will stick with the MA at least until I can try a 780 or 680.

I think Armstrong and Armie himself (read my earlier post in this tread) have undersold the new HA for winging.

MidAtlanticFoil
718 posts
14 Jan 2024 9:42PM
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bhc said..




MidAtlanticFoil said..
The 680 is out for delivery, just in time for some friendly racing tomorrow in solid wind. Last weekend I was out with the same guys on my 725 with similar wind, so it will be interesting to see how it compares while pushing speed. Or I may grab the 525 and smoke these fools






I think it is slower than the 725 based on my very limited experience on a demo day but much easier and friendlier. That may be an advantage with gusts and lulls.

Would love to hear your feedback before deciding what to order next... 680 or 580 or an MA800 for 30kn+ days when the bay gets really choppy and challenging.





Well I certainly got to test the 680 yesterday in 30-40 knot conditions! The guys were racing and I initially grabbed my 2.6M and 525/140red with 40L sinker, but the water was chaos and gusty conditions led to a very frustrating 50/50 gybe make rate so I switched to the 680, 50 fuse with 935 mast btw. Night and day difference, went to 100% gybe make rate and was able to join a few friendly races.

The race course was a simple beam reach for 2-300 yards, back on a broad reach, then back on a beam followed by a deeper broad reach to a finish line. The water conditions in those winds were very challenging with around a mile or two of fetch, plus river currents, setting up waist high cross chop tightly packed. I hit the strongest gusts of my winging life I think at the outside mark, barely able to hold onto my 2.6, holding it basically flat while still flying upwind. I didn't crash or fall once on the races, so that's saying something. Photo of the water conditions at bottom of post.


Now the 680, compared to the 725. The 680 takes off and engages, allowing pumping right away - none of the front leg balancing act of the 725 for those first few seconds. The races last week were similar, except the wind was 18-20knts, so not apples to apples. Reviewing stats on the speeds, the 680 edged out the 725 by less than a knt. The speed max was 17.7 knts, which isn't that fast, but the broad reaches were in my crossed up surf stance, navigating up and overs, straight into a blinding sun reflection, making the water look like molten lava.

Two days ago I ran the 680 with the DW board in more tame conditions and it was really really fun. I ventured further and felt so comfortable. Turns were fluid and intuitive and stall speed was great while bump riding.

I found a great race setup under a bridge. Here's a crop of the track below with a photo from another day for reference (see end of post). I'd never fully gone to the other side of the river at that spot.



I'd say it feels like a 'V1 Ha825'? It doesn't really have that 3rd gear feeling that the HA v1s has, were they kinda let loose, as there's always a bit of 'traction', which makes turn initiation really responsive and dynamic and more confidence inspiring. Ramble over.








MidAtlanticFoil
718 posts
15 Jan 2024 9:14AM
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Tried the 880 with 50 fuse for the first time, 795 mast, dart with blue shim, on the DW board. While it definitely loosened up the 880 even more, it seemed to take a way a bit of the glide. I ended up towing into good little wind chop runners and laying it on rail and repeat. It was harder to gain speed coming out of turns and stay with the bumps for some reason.

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
15 Jan 2024 9:42AM
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MidAtlanticFoil said..
Tried the 880 with 50 fuse for the first time, 795 mast, dart with blue shim, on the DW board. While it definitely loosened up the 880 even more, it seemed to take a way a bit of the glide. I ended up towing into good little wind chop runners and laying it on rail and repeat. It was harder to gain speed coming out of turns and stay with the bumps for some reason.


you tried it with the dart tail? best of both worlds. more speed and glide and turns so much better.

MidAtlanticFoil
718 posts
16 Jan 2024 3:16AM
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eppo said..

MidAtlanticFoil said..
Tried the 880 with 50 fuse for the first time, 795 mast, dart with blue shim, on the DW board. While it definitely loosened up the 880 even more, it seemed to take a way a bit of the glide. I ended up towing into good little wind chop runners and laying it on rail and repeat. It was harder to gain speed coming out of turns and stay with the bumps for some reason.



you tried it with the dart tail? best of both worlds. more speed and glide and turns so much better.


Yeah I was rocking the dart as I mentioned. I wanted to try the 50 fuse to give tightest diameter turns given the bumps generated by the 3 mile fetch, which were stacked tightly. Worked well. Can't imagine how twitchy it would be without the DW board smoothing things out lol.

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
16 Jan 2024 6:08AM
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MidAtlanticFoil said..

eppo said..


MidAtlanticFoil said..
Tried the 880 with 50 fuse for the first time, 795 mast, dart with blue shim, on the DW board. While it definitely loosened up the 880 even more, it seemed to take a way a bit of the glide. I ended up towing into good little wind chop runners and laying it on rail and repeat. It was harder to gain speed coming out of turns and stay with the bumps for some reason.




you tried it with the dart tail? best of both worlds. more speed and glide and turns so much better.



Yeah I was rocking the dart as I mentioned. I wanted to try the 50 fuse to give tightest diameter turns given the bumps generated by the 3 mile fetch, which were stacked tightly. Worked well. Can't imagine how twitchy it would be without the DW board smoothing things out lol.


oh my bad. I was using it to downwind in 25 knots on a normal body weight wing board and i wouldn't call it twitchy. It was lively and needed your attention on the big fast bumps but i quickly adjusted. But the benefits far out weigh this liveliness. Hard to describe but hopefully you know what i mean. Still pitch and yaw stable but it wanted to turn quickly and hence generated far more speed and glide.

MidAtlanticFoil
718 posts
16 Jan 2024 9:09PM
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eppo said..

MidAtlanticFoil said..


eppo said..



MidAtlanticFoil said..
Tried the 880 with 50 fuse for the first time, 795 mast, dart with blue shim, on the DW board. While it definitely loosened up the 880 even more, it seemed to take a way a bit of the glide. I ended up towing into good little wind chop runners and laying it on rail and repeat. It was harder to gain speed coming out of turns and stay with the bumps for some reason.





you tried it with the dart tail? best of both worlds. more speed and glide and turns so much better.




Yeah I was rocking the dart as I mentioned. I wanted to try the 50 fuse to give tightest diameter turns given the bumps generated by the 3 mile fetch, which were stacked tightly. Worked well. Can't imagine how twitchy it would be without the DW board smoothing things out lol.



oh my bad. I was using it to downwind in 25 knots on a normal body weight wing board and i wouldn't call it twitchy. It was lively and needed your attention on the big fast bumps but i quickly adjusted. But the benefits far out weigh this liveliness. Hard to describe but hopefully you know what i mean. Still pitch and yaw stable but it wanted to turn quickly and hence generated far more speed and glide.


You tried the dart with 50 fuse? I much prefer it with the 60 fuse for most situations.

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
17 Jan 2024 5:28AM
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MidAtlanticFoil said..

eppo said..


MidAtlanticFoil said..



eppo said..




MidAtlanticFoil said..
Tried the 880 with 50 fuse for the first time, 795 mast, dart with blue shim, on the DW board. While it definitely loosened up the 880 even more, it seemed to take a way a bit of the glide. I ended up towing into good little wind chop runners and laying it on rail and repeat. It was harder to gain speed coming out of turns and stay with the bumps for some reason.






you tried it with the dart tail? best of both worlds. more speed and glide and turns so much better.





Yeah I was rocking the dart as I mentioned. I wanted to try the 50 fuse to give tightest diameter turns given the bumps generated by the 3 mile fetch, which were stacked tightly. Worked well. Can't imagine how twitchy it would be without the DW board smoothing things out lol.




oh my bad. I was using it to downwind in 25 knots on a normal body weight wing board and i wouldn't call it twitchy. It was lively and needed your attention on the big fast bumps but i quickly adjusted. But the benefits far out weigh this liveliness. Hard to describe but hopefully you know what i mean. Still pitch and yaw stable but it wanted to turn quickly and hence generated far more speed and glide.



You tried the dart with 50 fuse? I much prefer it with the 60 fuse for most situations.


No i haven't. To be honest been a while since i used the 50 and that was only for prone. Even my son antman is mainly using the 60 now for everything except proning he gets out the 50. Could imagine pitch twitch with the dart would be amplified somewhat.

HISurf
5 posts
21 Jan 2024 12:07PM
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MidAtlanticFoil said..

kiwiupover said..


eppo said..
Armstrong were lacking an easy to use foil for prone/ Sup surfing for pump and link and also winging for really heavy riders.




Recommendations for me? No demos in my area so doing this all online :-) Using the MA1225 and 1750 winging... at 100kegs fully loaded, i need to use my MA1750 to get decent glide on .5-1m soft waves. But it's really unpleasant if the wind is over 15mph and there's any chop in the water, plus it turns pretty slowly. On the MA1225, it's great blasting through chop up to 25mph windy days, but I find it REALLY difficult to get any glide on waves with the MA1225 (with 205 tail) if it's less than 1m and doesn't have some decent power in the wave. Plus the MA1225 bucks quite a lot in the chop when it's over 25mph winds and powered up. The MA1225 handles speed dropping down waves and breaching great, but i just can't seem to get any reliable glide to be able to flag out.
1) Thinking of adding a smaller foil for the 20-35mph windy days, and also want some decent glide for any waves. HA880?
2) For 15-25 mph days with any wave action, HA 1080?
Cheers!



I think the 880/1080 combo would be a good call for you. Also consider getting a 180 stab to try with your MAs. It should get you an extra 1..2.. count before needing to power up, especially if adding blue or red shim.


Try the 202 with 1225.. Pulling crazy G forces and white water floaters..

CH3MTR4IL5
WA, 767 posts
25 Jan 2024 1:26PM
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Maybe its just me but the HA880 is not exciting me too much. Once it gets speed on it feels too locked in, compared with the 925. There were a few times I couldn't really turn at high speed down a face where with the 925 i can kind of cut back and kill the speed. It is nice on runners and pumping and can put together some long rides, but definitely doesn't replace the 925 in windier conditions and larger swell (for me).

Conditions haven't been amazing and lots of weed, but i can't see it replacing the 925 for me. Maybe i can ditch the 1125 for this but its not rocking my world. Maybe the 780 or 680.

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
25 Jan 2024 10:43PM
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CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Maybe its just me but the HA880 is not exciting me too much. Once it gets speed on it feels too locked in, compared with the 925. There were a few times I couldn't really turn at high speed down a face where with the 925 i can kind of cut back and kill the speed. It is nice on runners and pumping and can put together some long rides, but definitely doesn't replace the 925 in windier conditions and larger swell (for me).

Conditions haven't been amazing and lots of weed, but i can't see it replacing the 925 for me. Maybe i can ditch the 1125 for this but it'snot rocking my world. Maybe the 780 or 680.


Yeh the 880 is no 925 replacement. Pushed it today in 25 knots and some decent swell using a 3.0m xpss- so winging downwind visiting waves then unleashing downwind. It was a bloody handful in the waves - felt more like a 1225 and at times a 1125 lol.

was def thinking a 780 or even a 680 would have been the right size. then again in those conditions i'd be on a 725 or 800ma to be honest.

But once we unleashed DW it was downright unreal !!!

So it just depends hey. But for sure the 780 is far closer to the 925 really.

jmss7
WA, 2 posts
26 Jan 2024 7:51AM
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eppo said..

CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Maybe its just me but the HA880 is not exciting me too much. Once it gets speed on it feels too locked in, compared with the 925. There were a few times I couldn't really turn at high speed down a face where with the 925 i can kind of cut back and kill the speed. It is nice on runners and pumping and can put together some long rides, but definitely doesn't replace the 925 in windier conditions and larger swell (for me).

Conditions haven't been amazing and lots of weed, but i can't see it replacing the 925 for me. Maybe i can ditch the 1125 for this but it'snot rocking my world. Maybe the 780 or 680.



Yeh the 880 is no 925 replacement. Pushed it today in 25 knots and some decent swell using a 3.0m xpss- so winging downwind visiting waves then unleashing downwind. It was a bloody handful in the waves - felt more like a 1225 and at times a 1125 lol.

was def thinking a 780 or even a 680 would have been the right size. then again in those conditions i'd be on a 725 or 800ma to be honest.

But once we unleashed DW it was downright unreal !!!

So it just depends hey. But for sure the 780 is far closer to the 925 really.


I've been using my new 780 with 180 tail & one red shim for winging over the past week & love it! (yesterday's wind in Perth was a bit too nuts for fun) However I find that even with the mast virtually all the way back at 1.5 on my 60 L FG board, my front foot ends up almost off the front of the deck grip when I'm toe side. Has anyone noticed this? Any suggestions?

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
26 Jan 2024 11:39AM
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jmss7 said..

eppo said..


CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Maybe its just me but the HA880 is not exciting me too much. Once it gets speed on it feels too locked in, compared with the 925. There were a few times I couldn't really turn at high speed down a face where with the 925 i can kind of cut back and kill the speed. It is nice on runners and pumping and can put together some long rides, but definitely doesn't replace the 925 in windier conditions and larger swell (for me).

Conditions haven't been amazing and lots of weed, but i can't see it replacing the 925 for me. Maybe i can ditch the 1125 for this but it'snot rocking my world. Maybe the 780 or 680.




Yeh the 880 is no 925 replacement. Pushed it today in 25 knots and some decent swell using a 3.0m xpss- so winging downwind visiting waves then unleashing downwind. It was a bloody handful in the waves - felt more like a 1225 and at times a 1125 lol.

was def thinking a 780 or even a 680 would have been the right size. then again in those conditions i'd be on a 725 or 800ma to be honest.

But once we unleashed DW it was downright unreal !!!

So it just depends hey. But for sure the 780 is far closer to the 925 really.



I've been using my new 780 with 180 tail & one red shim for winging over the past week & love it! (yesterday's wind in Perth was a bit too nuts for fun) However I find that even with the mast virtually all the way back at 1.5 on my 60 L FG board, my front foot ends up almost off the front of the deck grip when I'm toe side. Has anyone noticed this? Any suggestions?


No i have noticed this and two of us might be on the 880 yesterday using the dart and blue shim and one on the 60l FG. maybe chuck a dart on there - i find it works way better. I like the 180 but it does have a lot of lift - and i find it a bit sluggish. i also find it can vibrate when carving hard the dart is far better at this and for more glide and you have way more speed.

CH3MTR4IL5
WA, 767 posts
26 Jan 2024 11:52AM
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I ran the 725 with the dart yesterday, it was magic! I finished up on the water around 5pm and it was craaanking.

Teignouse
3 posts
26 Jan 2024 11:00PM
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Hi Guys! i tried the hA680 with DART 140 then Speed 180 as the wind was up and down : this HA 680 is sooo good. I was used to HA725. The 680 is very easy to take off, still fast, easier to jibe/ tack /360, very good low end, pumps well .
i weight 50 kg, this is the one from 12/13 knots. i also tried the HA 780 with DART 140 , light wind 10/12 knots (with a DW board) . This 780 is more confortable with a better low end for sure, but I prefer the 680 which is faster and fits me better.
The 680 ( with 180 speed) is not that harder to take off than the HA 780 ( with the Dart).
i can't wait to try the HA580 out Asap ! If someone has already tried this one out, I ll be glad to read a feedback !

Oahuwaterwalker
225 posts
29 Jan 2024 7:16AM
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Teignouse said..
Hi Guys! i tried the hA680 with DART 140 then Speed 180 as the wind was up and down : this HA 680 is sooo good. I was used to HA725. The 680 is very easy to take off, still fast, easier to jibe/ tack /360, very good low end, pumps well .
i weight 50 kg, this is the one from 12/13 knots. i also tried the HA 780 with DART 140 , light wind 10/12 knots (with a DW board) . This 780 is more confortable with a better low end for sure, but I prefer the 680 which is faster and fits me better.
The 680 ( with 180 speed) is not that harder to take off than the HA 780 ( with the Dart).
i can't wait to try the HA580 out Asap ! If someone has already tried this one out, I ll be glad to read a feedback !


This is helpful and gives some validation to what I thought might be the case between the 680 and 780. I was planning to get the 780 and 580, but the more I read about how much more lift people were experiencing, the more I started to wonder if I would want the 780. With the previous HA range, my go to quiver was the 725 and 525. This worked well for the most part, but I always wished the 525 was just a little more stable. I felt like I had to give maximum attention when riding it.

Based on what I'm reading, I'm going with the 680/580 combo. If the 680 has slightly more lift than the 725, I think this duo will be great fun. 680 for lighter days and smaller surf and 580 when the wind and waves are on.

Anyone know when the 580's are supposed to hit the shops?

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
30 Jan 2024 6:20AM
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i had my first DW (winging) on the 680 with 180 tail after using the 880 10 or so times with the 140 and the day before the 180 (as it was lighter). Yeh it's a ripper little wing and as you'd expect much faster, turning etc etc.

But it rode identical to the 880 just smaller with less glide, pump and stall speed lower as you predict. Still decent lift, easy to get up and going and very stable rolling side to side when carving. No silly spikes of power, just all very sensible and controlled.

Was a little above my pay grade linking swells and digging it up and not of holes when i fell off the back of swell lines into no man's no swell. Normally with the 880 you can almost come to a stand still and just pump it at will to another swell line behind - no matter how far that takes.

You needed to really turn hard and with speed from top to bottom to generate enough glide to link some swell lines. So as i said above my pay grade but i did start dialling it in half way through.

So i can see why the decent DW paddlers can even use the 680 when conditions are right.

Just got to keep higher on the mast when pumping and keep your carving and speed up.

But yeh it packs a punch for a little foil at 81kg so if you are used to the 725 i can see the one smaller than the 680 would work.

Windoc
391 posts
30 Jan 2024 7:20AM
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Any 90kg riders on the HA680 for towing/wing yet? Is it preferable to the HA725?

ArthurAlston
NSW, 190 posts
30 Jan 2024 10:55AM
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Windoc said..
Any 90kg riders on the HA680 for towing/wing yet? Is it preferable to the HA725?


I'm 85 kg. I have only had a couple of wing sessions on the 680. If anythign Eppo is under-selling how good it is. I've used both the 180 and 140 stabs with the 680.

Compared to the 880, the 680 is much more lively and feels subjectively quicker. It pumps faster and allows you to catch up with fast-moving swell. The stall speed is ridiculously low for a foil this small (not much different to the 880). Riding the 680 puts a massive smile on my face, whereas I always found the 880 a bit disappointing (compared to the hype).

I'm not a massive fan of the 880 for my local winging conditions. It feels sluggish and you easily feel over-foiled when it gets windy and energy in the water. The 680 is the foil that I have been waiting for.

Going forward, I will use the 880 only in 10-14 knots give or take and as soon as we hit 15 knots or so, I will use the 680.

CH3MTR4IL5
WA, 767 posts
30 Jan 2024 8:01AM
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Second part of the question though- is it preferable to the 725? That does all those things for me so curious what the 680 brings compared with the 725.

my experience on the 880 pretty much identical to yours

ArthurAlston
NSW, 190 posts
30 Jan 2024 12:53PM
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CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Second part of the question though- is it preferable to the 725? That does all those things for me so curious what the 680 brings compared with the 725.

my experience on the 880 pretty much identical to yours


I can only speculate since I never used the 725, but used the 925 before moving across to an MA1000 when it was released.

I'd say that there are some obvious aspects of the new range that needs to be considered as a part of your question, in particular the low stall speed abd improved breaching capabilities.

In your case, if you don't need those attributes, then the move to the 680 doesn't make sense.

In my case, after my disappointment with the 880, I was so excited by the 680 experience, that I would like to try the 580 and maybe ditch the 880. I don't prone, but can see how the 880 would be superb for proning (as it was intended to be).

I guess another part of this discussion that needs to be acknowledged, is the fact that we are trying our best to retrofit these new HAs into a use case for which they were not primarily intended. Since winging is so much more common than proning, we do it anyway.

My personal view is that the smaller HAs (580 and 680, maybe 780) will be enjoyed by either experienced proners or experienced wingers and the larger HAs (880 and above), by low wind/less experienced wingers or small bump proners. And of course, the DW crew who want the low stall speed and their experience or local conditions will determine the size that works best.

I knew I was taking a chance when I pre-ordered the 880 without trying it. It's not the first time that I get burnt by being an early adopter. In retrospect I should have pre-ordered the 780 for wingin. Hey ho.

eppo
WA, 9503 posts
30 Jan 2024 11:53AM
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ArthurAlston said..

CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Second part of the question though- is it preferable to the 725? That does all those things for me so curious what the 680 brings compared with the 725.

my experience on the 880 pretty much identical to yours



I can only speculate since I never used the 725, but used the 925 before moving across to an MA1000 when it was released.

I'd say that there are some obvious aspects of the new range that needs to be considered as a part of your question, in particular the low stall speed abd improved breaching capabilities.

In your case, if you don't need those attributes, then the move to the 680 doesn't make sense.

In my case, after my disappointment with the 880, I was so excited by the 680 experience, that I would like to try the 580 and maybe ditch the 880. I don't prone, but can see how the 880 would be superb for proning (as it was intended to be).

I guess another part of this discussion that needs to be acknowledged, is the fact that we are trying our best to retrofit these new HAs into a use case for which they were not primarily intended. Since winging is so much more common than proning, we do it anyway.

My personal view is that the smaller HAs (580 and 680, maybe 780) will be enjoyed by either experienced proners or experienced wingers and the larger HAs (880 and above), by low wind/less experienced wingers or small bump proners. And of course, the DW crew who want the low stall speed and their experience or local conditions will determine the size that works best.

I knew I was taking a chance when I pre-ordered the 880 without trying it. It's not the first time that I get burnt by being an early adopter. In retrospect I should have pre-ordered the 780 for wingin. Hey ho.


Yeh that's a fair summary i can mostly agree with. Will add the 880 would be okay to wing for heavier crew and for those with pulsating irregular wind. Or at the very least change your tails to match conditions.

bolocom
NSW, 188 posts
1 Feb 2024 7:31AM
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eppo said..

ArthurAlston said..


CH3MTR4IL5 said..
Second part of the question though- is it preferable to the 725? That does all those things for me so curious what the 680 brings compared with the 725.

my experience on the 880 pretty much identical to yours




I can only speculate since I never used the 725, but used the 925 before moving across to an MA1000 when it was released.

I'd say that there are some obvious aspects of the new range that needs to be considered as a part of your question, in particular the low stall speed abd improved breaching capabilities.

In your case, if you don't need those attributes, then the move to the 680 doesn't make sense.

In my case, after my disappointment with the 880, I was so excited by the 680 experience, that I would like to try the 580 and maybe ditch the 880. I don't prone, but can see how the 880 would be superb for proning (as it was intended to be).

I guess another part of this discussion that needs to be acknowledged, is the fact that we are trying our best to retrofit these new HAs into a use case for which they were not primarily intended. Since winging is so much more common than proning, we do it anyway.

My personal view is that the smaller HAs (580 and 680, maybe 780) will be enjoyed by either experienced proners or experienced wingers and the larger HAs (880 and above), by low wind/less experienced wingers or small bump proners. And of course, the DW crew who want the low stall speed and their experience or local conditions will determine the size that works best.

I knew I was taking a chance when I pre-ordered the 880 without trying it. It's not the first time that I get burnt by being an early adopter. In retrospect I should have pre-ordered the 780 for wingin. Hey ho.



Yeh that's a fair summary i can mostly agree with. Will add the 880 would be okay to wing for heavier crew and for those with pulsating irregular wind. Or at the very least change your tails to match conditions.


Placed the order for the 580 and 780.my current foils are the 925 and 725. For now planning to keep both. Shearing with my son, so we should be covered. Not sure how often I will use the 580 at 88kg, but we will see.

ArthurAlston
NSW, 190 posts
1 Feb 2024 8:05AM
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bolocom said..

Placed the order for the 580 and 780.my current foils are the 925 and 725. For now planning to keep both. Shearing with my son, so we should be covered. Not sure how often I will use the 580 at 88kg, but we will see.


If I extrapolate my experience with the 680 to you and the 580, I predict that you will use the 580 from 18 knots and up (i.e., when you're on your new board). I also predict that you will ditch the 725 and 925 (for winging). Time will tell.

You will be on the 580 and your son on the 780. Or maybe vice versa ;)

ArthurAlston
NSW, 190 posts
1 Feb 2024 8:09AM
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eppo said..

Yeh that's a fair summary i can mostly agree with. Will add the 880 would be okay to wing for heavier crew and for those with pulsating irregular wind. Or at the very least change your tails to match conditions.


Yup - it's all on a continuous curve with folks using what works best for them based on their skils, conditions and use case.

Regarding stabs, I have set up two rigs: 580/140/935/60 and 680/180/795/60. I need to find the transition point when I switch, so far around 15 knots.

bolocom
NSW, 188 posts
1 Feb 2024 12:30PM
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ArthurAlston said..


eppo said..

Yeh that's a fair summary i can mostly agree with. Will add the 880 would be okay to wing for heavier crew and for those with pulsating irregular wind. Or at the very least change your tails to match conditions.




Yup - it's all on a continuous curve with folks using what works best for them based on their skils, conditions and use case.

Regarding stabs, I have set up two rigs: 580/140/935/60 and 680/180/795/60. I need to find the transition point when I switch, so far around 15 knots.



I only use 50 fuse, 935 mast and chopped 195 to +/- 130. Will try the 580 with the 60 fuse.

Camarillo
367 posts
1 Feb 2024 2:12PM
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I tried the 880 2days ago in about 18 knots with a North 3.5 Mode Pro, easy liftoff, very good glide and pump and carves very good and in control.
Yesterday I used it again in much stronger wind 25 knots gusting over 30 knots with an Armstrong XPS 3.0
The 880 was clearly too big for the conditions, it was ok after I changed to an XPS 2.6 and moved the 880 1.5 cm back in the tracks but not the magic of the day before...
I hope I can try the 780 or 680 today , I have to decide what my quiver will be , 680 and 880 or 680 and 780...
I am 85 kg 187 lbs and mostly wing in very choppy waters.

I used the 60 fuse and the 180 speed tail both days

boardsurfr
WA, 2321 posts
1 Feb 2024 11:32PM
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ArthurAlston said..
...after my disappointment with the 880...



Select to expand quote
Camarillo said..
...The 880 was clearly too big for the conditions...

It's good to see some more differentiated feedback about winging with the new HAs to come out, not just hype. My wife just tried the 880, and the feedback was mixed - good carve and great glide and pumping, but otherwise felt like a much bigger foil (more like her 1550 than her 1250). A bit more positive than a short test of the MA1000 (in admittedly sub-optimal conditions) that left her unimpressed, but not quite what she expected after reading so many great things about it. She is on the lighter side, but the smaller new foils don't seem to be available in Florida yet (or get snatched up immediately).

Windoc
391 posts
2 Feb 2024 12:26AM
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boardsurfr said..


It's good to see some more differentiated feedback about winging with the new HAs to come out, not just hype. My wife just tried the 880, and the feedback was mixed - good carve and great glide and pumping, but otherwise felt like a much bigger foil (more like her 1550 than her 1250). A bit more positive than a short test of the MA1000 (in admittedly sub-optimal conditions) that left her unimpressed, but not quite what she expected after reading so many great things about it. She is on the lighter side, but the smaller new foils don't seem to be available in Florida yet (or get snatched up immediately).


Lighter rider, sub optimal conditions, MA1000; makes sense she'd be unimpressed! That foil likes powered riding and an aggressive rider to really wake up and perform. I'll put that foil up against most other brands' similar sized foils made for winging - I'm keeping my mine despite loving the new HA.



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"Armstrong NEW Ha" started by wingedsurfer