ronnie wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:04 am
dangavere wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 11:45 pm
Yes, this is the first version. The Echo will be much better and will come with a longer boom string attachment. It will be more stable but the inflatable centre strut will always be more behaved because the middle strut is like a fin and keeps the wings straight and level which is great for wave and downwind riding
but also suffers in many other areas.
We can't have everything with one design... I still prefer the boom myself but I live in the Gorge and really enjoy the
one-handed riding, jumping and upwind abilities which I believe the boom design is the best for.
But it would be possible to have a vertical web joining the centreline of the canopy to the boom - in the same way, that there is a web above the F-one Swing wing or the Boardriding Maui Wing strut to join the center strut to the canopy. I'm guessing that was tried, but there has to be (as you say) a trade-off that they think makes this design offer a big enough advantage when using wind power.
It does seem to me that one advantage of a boom that hasn't been exploited yet is to have a molded SUP blade (as an accessory) that you can carry in a mesh backpack and if something happens that requires you to paddle back, you can plug that onto the boom to make a paddle. I've tried that and it works, but the blade I used wasn't as efficient as a large SUP-design blade would be.
There is also the new Duotone inflatable center-strutted design, which seems to have the web and presumably does what the F-One does. One thing that would be an added advantage for such a design would be the ability to hover above and be towed behind you on the leash.
Yes they have tried many many different configurations. Ken Winner the designer is a smart guy that works and tests as much as anyone on the industry so I can assure you the designs will function well and be up to the typical Duotone Quality that we would expect from the top brand. From some loose market research, I have been told that Duotone sold more wings last year than all other mfg's combined. They have the patent on the boom design and some other aspect of the wings coming out in the future so I believe the Duotone foil wings will be setting the standard in the industry. Let's wait a year and see where we are? The future is looking bright and I have heard countless stories from "doubters" that tried it and found out they love the sport, from kiter's, to windsurfers, to Yoga instructors, to housewives and husbands...
The blade idea I believe is a good one however I must question if it would work on the smaller boards? I don't think it would. I am sure it would be great on boards that are big enough to paddle kneeling like 110+liters. Of course, it all depends on the size of the rider but most riders that get to the experienced level are looking for much smaller boards that will only allow you to paddle while in the prone position.
It may be like the dozens of people who approached me about putting a spare blade on the other end of a sup paddle 9 years ago (when I worked for Werner Paddles) so that you can easily paddle with 2 blades and not have to switch sides. That idea never really got any traction. It does, however, open up an opportunity for someone to develop such a product and sell it 3rd party.