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Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

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ptraykovski
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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby ptraykovski » Wed Aug 09, 2017 4:39 am

borist wrote:
Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:15 pm
do WLX wings feel noticeably draggier? The other day I tried a big wing foil just to see if it would improve my low end as the wind was not enough for me to get required speed for take off on my Spitfire. The foil did foil up at lower speed but was creating so much drag I could not ride anyway. That made me wonder about XLW wings and whether I'll benefit from them enough to buy them.

The regular sized wings are pretty small compared to most wings and feel very low drag. They take some speed to get flying but once up accelerate quickly, with a slippery low drag feeling. I can get them up to 30 mph pretty easily in flattish water and am a average level foiler. They don't point upwind or hold the speed to windward as well as a race foil, but are meant for turning and playing not blasting upwind on a straight line.

The XLW have a bit more drag, and don't feel quite as slippery, but don't feel nearly as bad for drag as some beginner oriented foils I have tried. I would not call the XLW a draggy foil and I think it is fine for a foil that is made to turn and play .. I haven't used a GPS with them yet, but was probably going in the low 20s when letting it run.

My recommendation would be if you are over 180 lbs and ride in 10-15 knots mostly go for the XLW, if you less 180 or ride in 15-20 more then go for regular. I'm 220 lbs so based on my short ride with the XLW will probably use the XLW mostly, maybe just breaking out the regular when I feel like foiling with a small kite in bigger waves and higher winds.

I'm using the spitfire on an axis ride 48 board which is a nice combo, big enough for touchdown transitions for me but small enough to throw around and feel lively.

I also just got a axis alloy foil which is also very fun and easy to ride in lighter winds so will use that also, but thats another topic

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby borist » Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:11 am

The XLW have a bit more drag, and don't feel quite as slippery, but don't feel nearly as bad for drag as some beginner oriented foils I have tried.
Thanks for the info. This is what I wanted to know. I've been riding Spitfire for several months mostly with Levitaz Exo board. It is a slippery foil indeed. I love it. With XLW wings available now I go back and forth on whether to spend money on them. With shipping they're quite pricey, so I'd like to make an informed decision. I just don't want to end up with a set that feels nothing like original Spitfire, but like another draggy big wing foil.

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Spitfire can be ridden backwards.

Postby gmb13 » Wed Aug 09, 2017 6:42 pm

On a completely different topic. I had a customer rent the Spitfire today, and because I assumed that he knew that it was a Canard Foil, I did not tell him which way to mount it. So of course he mounted it the wrong way around. So all wing and mast profiles pointing backwards.

Funny enough though, he was able to ride it.The only thing he had to say bad about it, was that is was noisy and had a lot of back foot pressure. :-)

What is even more amazing, he said he felt safer and more stable on this setup than his Alpine Access :-) I was almost rolling in the sand laughing.

That really made my day.

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby borist » Wed Aug 09, 2017 6:52 pm

:rollgrin: :rollgrin: :rollgrin: :rollgrin:
I get comments about having my foil (Spitfire) assembled "backwards". I sometimes don't explain canard concept, but answer with a curse on being yet again distracted and assembling it wrong, then I shrug my shoulders and say that it is too late to do anything about it and go out.

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby borist » Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:02 pm

What is even more amazing, he said he felt safer and more stable on this setup than his Alpine Access :-) I was almost rolling in the sand laughing.
I wonder if you can assemble Alpine backwards to make it more stable :wink:

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby bigtone667 » Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:15 am

borist wrote:
Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:11 am
The XLW have a bit more drag, and don't feel quite as slippery, but don't feel nearly as bad for drag as some beginner oriented foils I have tried.
Thanks for the info. This is what I wanted to know. I've been riding Spitfire for several months mostly with Levitaz Exo board. It is a slippery foil indeed. I love it. With XLW wings available now I go back and forth on whether to spend money on them. With shipping they're quite pricey, so I'd like to make an informed decision. I just don't want to end up with a set that feels nothing like original Spitfire, but like another draggy big wing foil.
I tested the XLW wings over the weekend on the choppy flat rubbish at a few of my local spots (not in the waves yet).

All the pitch issues I had with the smaller wings are essentially gone. It just sits really nicely.
Your front foot does not need to be too far forward and the back foot can sit nicely behind the mast mount.

The little beast turns really really nicely (it feels like I have a sturdier platform under foot in comparison to the Carver when turning).

It feels slower, but that was what I was after for wave riding.

It has a much lower take off speed and stall speed compared to the original wings.

I cannot see me ever using the original wings again.

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby LONG » Thu Aug 10, 2017 11:14 am

Do you know how to stop spitfire singing....?

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby Bletti » Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:36 pm

borist wrote:
Wed Aug 09, 2017 6:52 pm
:rollgrin: :rollgrin: :rollgrin: :rollgrin:
I get comments about having my foil (Spitfire) assembled "backwards". I sometimes don't explain canard concept, but answer with a curse on being yet again distracted and assembling it wrong, then I shrug my shoulders and say that it is too late to do anything about it and go out.
I tell people that I only do it so it fits in my van assembled and I'm too lazy to turn it around on the beach

That's hilarious Gunnar! I kinda want to try now

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gmb13
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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby gmb13 » Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:29 pm

Bletti wrote:
Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:36 pm
borist wrote:
Wed Aug 09, 2017 6:52 pm
:rollgrin: :rollgrin: :rollgrin: :rollgrin:
I get comments about having my foil (Spitfire) assembled "backwards". I sometimes don't explain canard concept, but answer with a curse on being yet again distracted and assembling it wrong, then I shrug my shoulders and say that it is too late to do anything about it and go out.
I tell people that I only do it so it fits in my van assembled and I'm too lazy to turn it around on the beach

That's hilarious Gunnar! I kinda want to try now
Me too. It gave me a new Video Idea. Will ride a bunch of foils Backwards and see how they compare :-)

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Re: Zeeko Spitfire Hydrofoil

Postby borist » Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:56 pm

bigtone667 wrote:
Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:15 am
I tested the XLW wings over the weekend on the choppy flat rubbish at a few of my local spots (not in the waves yet).

All the pitch issues I had with the smaller wings are essentially gone. It just sits really nicely.
Your front foot does not need to be too far forward and the back foot can sit nicely behind the mast mount.

The little beast turns really really nicely (it feels like I have a sturdier platform under foot in comparison to the Carver when turning).

It feels slower, but that was what I was after for wave riding.

It has a much lower take off speed and stall speed compared to the original wings.

I cannot see me ever using the original wings again.
I don't have any pitch issues with standard wings other than being very lively, but your impressions are tempting. I ordered a set


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