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Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

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hongchew
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Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby hongchew » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:33 pm

I'm just curious as there's little news on this. Overall zeeko seems to have been relegated to oblivion by the Onda33-like low speed foils. Anyone has anything to share?

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby jumptheshark » Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:03 pm

The blaster is somewhere around 800 square cm? Maybe just under. Pretty sure its a touch bigger than their carver wing at 720. It

I contacted them and was told they are going to come out with a larger lower aspect wing in the near future, but no word yet. It does feel like they are just that little big behind the trend curve to really capitalize. Sad, as they were one of the first to really get things figured and put together a user friendly package. They were the first alloy foil in production and it was one of the best, especially when compared to what the major kite brands were putting out! Their R&D is on point, but they may be a bit ahead of their time or just a bit stubborn in forging their own path of development. The spitfire concept has yet to be really embraced by the kite foiling market, where the bigger traditional lower aspect surf wings are taking off.

Zeeko are showing a lot of faith in their spitfire concept. It's their only offering in the surf/SUP market.

The blaster does seem to be a half step that could easily get lost in the evolutionary race. I would imagine they will try to recoup some their investment on that platform with a bigger lower aspect wing for that foil and phase out the original alloy set up (the two have a different wing mount). Hard to say, but I'm still really interested in watching where they go and how they do in the market as Nicholas is a bright talent in the foiling pool.

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby cloudsfan » Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:00 pm

I do think anyone after a big font wing kind of foil should really consider a Spitfire, especially in its xlw iteration. A nimble and dynamic ride, feeling very smooth, excellent for jumping, or for progressing in foiling manoeuvres : I can only rave about it. I started playing in waves on a g&w with a Carver wing and wanted a more radical turn, a sturdier platform, a different feel and it far exceeded my expectations. Big front wings can be a little boring after the Spitfire and its quick and well balanced turning.
The only thing to keep in mind is that it can take some time to really click in, especially if like me you have to first set up the foil in the right place under another board than a Zeeko.
But after that while, it's pure fun and nothing else comes close for fun in wavy conditions. And once you've got the xlw dialled in, then comes graduation time on the standard set of wings, that require a little more speed through the turns and in chop, but whose agility, responsiveness, is second to no other design that I tried. And even with my big 15m race foil kite, it remains quite enjoyable, and is not unstable even going at good speed (29kts is my current max but it feels it can still go faster).
Back to the subject, where I live I very often see other Zeeko foils, but it's true that to this day I've never come across a Blaster yet.

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby slowboat » Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:15 pm

cloudsfan wrote:
Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:00 pm
I do think anyone after a big font wing kind of foil should really consider a Spitfire, especially in its xlw iteration. A nimble and dynamic ride, feeling very smooth, excellent for jumping, or for progressing in foiling manoeuvres : I can only rave about it. I started playing in waves on a g&w with a Carver wing and wanted a more radical turn, a sturdier platform, a different feel and it far exceeded my expectations. Big front wings can be a little boring after the Spitfire and its quick and well balanced turning.
The only thing to keep in mind is that it can take some time to really click in, especially if like me you have to first set up the foil in the right place under another board than a Zeeko.
But after that while, it's pure fun and nothing else comes close for fun in wavy conditions. And once you've got the xlw dialled in, then comes graduation time on the standard set of wings, that require a little more speed through the turns and in chop, but whose agility, responsiveness, is second to no other design that I tried. And even with my big 15m race foil kite, it remains quite enjoyable, and is not unstable even going at good speed (29kts is my current max but it feels it can still go faster).
Back to the subject, where I live I very often see other Zeeko foils, but it's true that to this day I've never come across a Blaster yet.
Curious which large wing(s) you have tried and can compare to XLW in terms of lift and whether you need more or less kite. Also do you know if AVS makes a real world difference? Thanks

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby cloudsfan » Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:06 pm

Well 3 of them : a Ketos wave xl (nice but slow, with a pocket board), a Slingshot very wide one, whose name I don't remember (good for staying on the wave face but not for 'working' the wave if you see what I mean and not playful, but that may be partly due to the high volume Slingshot board, Alien air I think it was) and lastly a nice carbon custom one from a rider with an alpine alu foil (big lift but slow, too stable for someone used to a zeeko carver with the 2.5cm fin)
I'm always curious to try all options and a good friend of mine, much into foil wave riding, is very fond of his 1200cm2 custom carbon wing and board with a Ketos standard mast, so I'll try that one as well asap ! And I d like to test the Onda 633 but haven't seen one yet.

Sorry but no info about the effect of the AVS, my xlw are the black ones, not the latest white AVS version.

The xlw has imo a lift at least equal or superior to the Carver and Ketos wave xl, but a little less than the Slingshot I tried. The main difference being there the riding speed and responsiveness, in a different ball game. With the xlw you can definitely ride underpowered and still go real slow if you need to without coming off the foil, but that is clearly not the case with the standard wings. (where front for pressure is then a little tricky to get right, in combination with riding speed).

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby hongchew » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:16 am

So no one has tried the blaster wing? It's depressing to not hear any reviews on it.

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:36 pm

For starters the Blaster is an entry level foil aimed at those who want to get into foiling on a budget so maybe not the same people that post here.
The XXLW Spitfire is a true contender in the big wing high lift arena and with a comparable lift to a 1500cm2 conventional foil but with maybe only 530mm of wing width a smoother lift, forgiving ventilation experience plus no kicking back wing with shin.
Also it can be turned with some front foot pressure in the conventional style but also carved with back foot pressure style both more nimble than geriatric foils.

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby hongchew » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:51 am

3InletsWindsports wrote:
Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:36 pm
For starters the Blaster is an entry level foil aimed at those who want to get into foiling on a budget so maybe not the same people that post here.
The XXLW Spitfire is a true contender in the big wing high lift arena and with a comparable lift to a 1500cm2 conventional foil but with maybe only 530mm of wing width a smoother lift, forgiving ventilation experience plus no kicking back wing with shin.
Also it can be turned with some front foot pressure in the conventional style but also carved with back foot pressure style both more nimble than geriatric foils.
Given how popular onda633 and other "easy" foils are with the forumers here, your premise is wrong

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby 3InletsWindsports » Tue Dec 18, 2018 9:04 am

hongchew wrote:
Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:51 am
3InletsWindsports wrote:
Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:36 pm
For starters the Blaster is an entry level foil aimed at those who want to get into foiling on a budget so maybe not the same people that post here.
The XXLW Spitfire is a true contender in the big wing high lift arena and with a comparable lift to a 1500cm2 conventional foil but with maybe only 530mm of wing width a smoother lift, forgiving ventilation experience plus no kicking back wing with shin.
Also it can be turned with some front foot pressure in the conventional style but also carved with back foot pressure style both more nimble than geriatric foils.
Given how popular onda633 and other "easy" foils are with the forumers here, your premise is wrong
Basing something’s popularity or lack of it on what is placed on a forum may well lead to the wrong conclusion.

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Re: Is zeeko blaster foil a flop?

Postby kostantin » Tue Dec 18, 2018 9:55 am

hongchew wrote:
Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:51 am
3InletsWindsports wrote:
Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:36 pm
For starters the Blaster is an entry level foil aimed at those who want to get into foiling on a budget so maybe not the same people that post here.
The XXLW Spitfire is a true contender in the big wing high lift arena and with a comparable lift to a 1500cm2 conventional foil but with maybe only 530mm of wing width a smoother lift, forgiving ventilation experience plus no kicking back wing with shin.
Also it can be turned with some front foot pressure in the conventional style but also carved with back foot pressure style both more nimble than geriatric foils.
Given how popular onda633 and other "easy" foils are with the forumers here, your premise is wrong
Greetings,

I see some advantages in a canard comparing a "classic" foil. I has to do with the lever, on a canard you can take almost the full in consideration, Middle mast, to middle front wing, everything is lever, clean and straight.

First of all turning the puppy is on a canard easier then on a classic style. The bigger the wings, the more area you have to press in the new direction.
Staling of the wing (s) is much more difficult on a canard then on a classic. On a canard the front wing stalls first and then the back wing, if at all.

From the profile layout the front wing has a high lift airfoil, the back is a semi symetrical.

And customer popularity, come on, this is no argument, or should not be. And forum popularity is even worse. We should be more open to arguments and technical ideas or any development would stop right away.

tks

Kosta


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