Think I used it about 7 or 8 times.
Yes, when I used it 3 times in a row, I too secured that feeling of "ah, it can feel stable" and rocked about 19 knots on it.
But using it more rarely, every time it hits you with its instability.
Never tried the Curve M, unfortunately (just the M-t).
But I would never, ever compare the T1 to a Curve M-t or a Fluid M or a Veloce M. Perhaps the only combo very (very...) loosely reminding it could be the Veloce M+Fast 40. But even that would be a gross oversimplification.
On footswitches, the T1 reacts different from common foils.
Common foils tend to immediately lift up the board nose, so the body movement tends to compensate for that, and calls for control of the front of the board first and foremost.
The T1 does not. It wants a super quick "jump", and it wants the
back foot to be in control immediately, with the foot giving added – not essential - control.
Once I understood it, my footswitches became much easier.
Plus the T1 allows you to recover from touch downs greatly, which is impressive.
Agree on body movements to be dialled down (and on a general very closed feet stance).
Point is, when carving hard doing it with legs near each other is not very easy, for instance.
Again: to me these foils, they're such different beasts that I do not find ways to compare them really.
Perhaps my body talents are much lesser than yours, which may make my controlling of the T1 not as easy as is it for you.
I mean, just overcoming the waves on the GONG requires a nice push on the back and waiting for the front to pop up. On the T1, change of height happens
instantly, so much so that I always have to be careful not to overdo it.
The T1 is unstable on all 3 axes at once all the time.
The GONG (whatever combination – not speaking of the S/Xs ones) always feels incredibly stable.
But again: so interesting to see such different perceptions on the same foil!
If you like the Curve M (and I think you have a weight which is more manageable than mine), why don't you go for the S-T Curve? They made it to be a "standard" Curve with lots of agility, but less elitist than the Veloce XS/S and Fluid S.
That would give you a nice bump in performance, less drag, and more fun while not losing your preferred behaviour of the foil.
Or the Fluid M-s
Be it what it may, I can't wait to set foot on the T1 though
Need to source a M-s soon before I get the bad idea of selling my normal setup
Flyboy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 3:51 am
Azoele, I've got to wonder how much time you've spent on the T1? I have probably spent around 350 - 400 hours on the Curve M, so I'm totally dialled in on it. I've only spent around 30 minutes on the Fluid M-T (in too light wind). Just had my 3rd session on the T1 - about 4.5 hours total.
I'm not finding the T1 particularly hard to ride. As I said before: it's actually the easiest foil to water start I've tried yet. Yes, it's a bit more pitchy and roll/yaw sensitive when you're riding, but I'm now starting to feel pretty relaxed on it. The wing itself is large and thick, so it provides plenty of lift & support. It's just a question of dialling back your body movements a bit as you find the balance point. I AM finding foot switches very difficult - I have the mast about 6 centimetres further forward than with the Curve M and seem to either step off the front of the board, or bury the nose. When I step back quickly to try & avoid this I crash the foil, because there's no support for the back foot.
It's not easy alternating between 3 different foils, especially when windy days are not frequent. I would say that the T1 more resembles the Curve M in performance in jibing and riding the swell. It's very drag-free, but at the same time it doesn't feel particularly fast. It could be that the T1 and the Fluid would make for the most interesting contrast of styles ... but I would be reluctant to give up the Curve M that I'm so comfortable with.