Armstrong vs LF

[grtlakes]

I finally upgraded my foilfish to an Armstrong hs1050. I was having a great time on the lf. Upwind, downwind toeside and long runs . Well, back to the basics with the new beast. I can’t ride the board on the water and barely am able to go 100m.

Couple questions....

Is muscle memory so ingrained its common to have such trouble transitioning to a new wing?

I am using a galaxy board and have tried various mast track positions. How sensitive is the positioning? Does 1cm make a huge difference.

As an aside the Armstrong is top notch gear. And after falling all afternoon I’m very appreciative of the nonsharp edges.

I know I need more time on the foil. Just venting.

[slowboat]

Depending on your overall foiling experience, it can take a bit of time to get used to a new foil. Also, your track position could be off. If you want more specific input, you should describe exactly what you are having trouble with and which LF foil you have used.

[robinhoodis]

I loved my LF impulse foil and upgraded to Armstrong. I had trouble adjusting, but I went to a tc70 fuselage from the tc60 and it really made the Armstrong feel more like the LF. Fuselage makes a big difference in the ride and the LF fuse was quite long.

[tmcfarla]

I finally upgraded my foilfish to an Armstrong hs1050. I was having a great time on the lf. Upwind, downwind toeside and long runs . Well, back to the basics with the new beast. I can’t ride the board on the water and barely am able to go 100m.

Couple questions....

Is muscle memory so ingrained its common to have such trouble transitioning to a new wing?

I am using a galaxy board and have tried various mast track positions. How sensitive is the positioning? Does 1cm make a huge difference.

As an aside the Armstrong is top notch gear. And after falling all afternoon I’m very appreciative of the nonsharp edges.

I know I need more time on the foil. Just venting.

I haven’t used that foil (incidentally am thinking of buying that exact foil), but describe how you are falling. Mast placement impacts pitch only, so if that is the problem, you’d expect the foil to buck or have trouble with too much or too little lift. Roll and yah stability are unrelated to mast placement though.

if you are riding with foot straps, one cm shouldn’t make a huge different. If riding strapless, one cm is nothing. If you can ride strapless, that is the best way to lock in on mast placement. Different foils can require different placement relative to foot straps, but it sounds like you’ve tried moving it around.

[Kitehume]

Start with mast all the way back. And work it forward a half inch at time. Until you can ride comfortably and not get a sore back leg.
What rear stab wing are you using? 232 or 300.
I have both rear stabs wings but prefer the 300 for its stability. And extra drag. The Armstrong hs1050 is very efficient through the water.
My first foil was the foilfish. Then went to thruster then impulse. All liquid force foils.
And now have Armstrong hs1050. And find it superb. Great low end and reasonable top end speed.
Kind of sits in between the thruster and impulse.
This is where I have the mast located. Just in front of rear foot.

[Alysum]

The real question should be Armstrong vs Axis !

[jumptheshark]

A few years back there really were not that many foils around here. I was just learning and had spent all my time on my zeeko alloy foil. Was getting past the tense leg phase and into the carving gybe phase, but they were all pretty sketch. I could however, get up and ride promptly no matter the chop and go wherever I wanted reliably.

Myself and another foiler who had maybe a season head start on me swapped boards for a laugh and it was TERRIBLE.

My board was a wood skim, no straps, really wide, zero volume with the aforementioned heavy freeride foil. His was a strapped long narrow floaty race board with a carbon race foil on the bottom.

We eventually both got it sorted. Him a good 5 min before me, but it was an awful moment, realizing that everything I thought I'd figured out was set up specific!

Just the stance on the race set up was so foreign to my experience.

Anyway. A few years on now and I can comfortably step onto other foils and get my balance point figured during the first water start.

What really amazes me is how different other set ups can feel, and I mean big picture different. Swapped out again this summer and though I could ride the other set up easy enough, I just didn't want to! The foil was semi race moses and the board the T38, and it felt like a yacht compared to my set up. Couldn't really feel the swell much at all compared to my bigger lower aspect wings on lighter all round set up.

Foil set ups are as different as can be, and like other aspects of the sport it can take a while to really figure out what your after.

I feel like I'm there, only took 7 years on a surfboard, 8 on a tt before that and a good 20 years of faffing around on a windsurfer to get there!

[purdyd]

The hs1050 with I assume the hs232 stabilizer rides very flat with low drag.

You do not get a lot of help from the stabilizer and the wing has lots of lift but doesn’t like to be ridden at high angles of attack.

As a result you get a great glide and low drag at the cost of being more tricky in pitch.

You can use the cf300 stabilizer or the -2 shim to make it more forgiving.

But it loses some of the magic. You will adjust over time, as you are correct, there is a lot of muscle memory to reprogram. And it will make you more versatile if you ride different foils.

Good luck!