TomW wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:04 pm
I was out for a short session on the 590/330 wing yesterday here at Cabarete bay. The conditions were difficult, Super gusty 14-22 knots, I was overpowered on my smallest kite, a 7 north mono and sheeting out mostly. Very, very choppy with 2,8 m swell come over the reef creating more confusion in the water. I was on my new board too. So need more time to adjust.
I noticed the foil pops right up quickly and smoothly, it starts really easy, it also could go pretty slow when I got control of the kite and pointed upwind. Much more roll stability, so much so I have some problems at first, expecting it to follow me in the roll angle change and it did not.
Frankly, I was in survival mode and back to beginner level and made only one gybe. It was so rough and further out head high waves, got washed around when I inadvertently got onto the reef break.
I rode some swell down wind and it was real smooth and easy.
I did have some breaches and hard to keep foil in the water following and overtaking the swells, I think the 550 would have been a better choice.
Also even tho I widened my foot hook stance on my new board by 70mm, I could have had my front foot another 50+ mm more forward, I'll have to add 2 inserts or go strapless later this season.
Hoping for lighter conditions!! I wasn't expecting 20-25 knots of wind! Everyone was saying it will be 14-16 knots.....
Very interesting, as I was out today in very similar winds, mega gusty with confused waves and wild water movements which felt very odd and unsettling as the depth of water reduced near the sandbanks, I was using the same wing and stabiliser combination the 590/330, and a 7 MTR bandit.
I found it very difficult to stop the wing from breaching, it just wanted to very quickly pop out even though my foot pressure was correct, the lift from the swell made the wing pop up so fast that I had to go so slowly it was awful, so back to the beach and a change of front wing, the 548, and instantly I could relax, the foil rose more evenly instead of instantly, my speed across the water shot up, and I could carve round on the waves with ease, lesson learned, the 590 wing is not best suited to gusty powered up winds in fast moving water swell, whereas the 548 certainly is.
If my fingers had not frozen up I would have tried the 550 wing.
Looks like we found the same result, it is telling that you found the 590 wing behaved well when pointed downwind with following swell,which of course reduces the lift from the wing.