Delta Hydrofoil Review - Interchangeable Front Wing Performance Setup

[tomtom]

there was raving reviews about NP glide which is imo quite bad wing and this is not subjective
... I also think that Delta should be able better Onda... Unfortunately MFC, Armstrong and also Delta are quite rare so hard to meet in Europe. Onda on other hand should be easy to meet. So for these who own these rarer wings is easier to compare with Onda. And i repeat this is not raving about onda. And clearly better wing should not be just subjective.
Better onda in my book should be more stiff - maybe touch less stable in pitch and at least as fast or faster without loosing onda perfect low end. It also should be lighter and less knifey sharp.
Is there something which is like this? Is this even possible?
Also i repeat my proposition about adjustable float of whole setup with water fillable cavity in front wing. I want adjust float according to conditions.

[slowboat]

there was raving reviews about NP glide which is imo quite bad wing and this is not subjective
... I also think that Delta should be able better Onda... Unfortunately MFC, Armstrong and also Delta are quite rare so hard to meet in Europe. Onda on other hand should be easy to meet. So for these who own these rarer wings is easier to compare with Onda. And i repeat this is not raving about onda. And clearly better wing should not be just subjective.
Better onda in my book should be more stiff - maybe touch less stable in pitch and at least as fast or faster without loosing onda perfect low end. It also should be lighter and less knifey sharp.
Is there something which is like this? Is this even possible?
Also i repeat my proposition about adjustable float of whole setup with water fillable cavity in front wing. I want adjust float according to conditions.

I agree that if you compare weight or stiffness for example, that is not a subjective question. But when you talk about a better foil, that is absolutely subjective. Meaning, for example, some people think a super stiff strut is better while others like a little bit of flex. Another example, some people like a wing that rolls very fast, others call that twitchy....again that is subjective as far as which is better. I can go on and on but hopefully I have made my point that if the question is what is a better free ride foil, the ultimate answer comes down to individual preference about certain characteristics and that is subjective.

[jumptheshark]

Some people like a little bit of flex in a strut? Who?

I can understand someone saying " I don't mind a little bit of flex" but preferring it is totally different. I prefer a super rigid strut, but put up with a little flex in order to get the super light weight of full carbon. It's also nice not to worry about galvanic issues, but there I would say, I would easily put up with greasing bolts but don't prefer it!

[thewindego]

Sweet looking foil and board. What id the core foam he uses? Looks like the finish is just as it would come out of the vacuum bag with release and looks good. Sure would save some weight and tons of time hot coating and finishing that way,

[Peter_Frank]

Some people like a little bit of flex in a strut? Who?

I can understand someone saying " I don't mind a little bit of flex" but preferring it is totally different. I prefer a super rigid strut, but put up with a little flex in order to get the super light weight of full carbon. It's also nice not to worry about galvanic issues, but there I would say, I would easily put up with greasing bolts but don't prefer it!

Agree, makes absolutely no sense to PREFER flex in the mast, in any way...

Peter

[tomtom]

There are really people who prefer flex - and when you design mast - you making compromise between longitudinal and torsional flex /in case of composite mast/
This info is coming from peoples who actually making mast and have tried multiple version of same mast.

Every mast have some flex /and not marginal/ and we ordinary customers cannot know if we like mast to flex more or less or where or longitudinal or torsional without trying multiple setups.
As stiff mast as possible is quite safe bet. Armstrong foils are IMO as high tech as it gets and they claim to have designed flex and designed place where it flex.

If you want as stiff as is gets good ALU setup with good interfaces /plate-mast-fuselage/

[slowboat]

Some people like a little bit of flex in a strut? Who?

I can understand someone saying " I don't mind a little bit of flex" but preferring it is totally different. I prefer a super rigid strut, but put up with a little flex in order to get the super light weight of full carbon. It's also nice not to worry about galvanic issues, but there I would say, I would easily put up with greasing bolts but don't prefer it!

Armie Armstrong. His second generation struts are designed to have some flex in the lower, narrower section. I have ridden them and I prefer it to a super rigid mast.

[cnski]

tomtom- Unfortunately I have not ridden the Moses 633. I wish I had. I like trying as many foils as I can. I have seen one and can tell you the Delta is less sharp for sure. I was suprised how sharp the trailing edge was on the 633. I have heard that the Moses strut is not that stiff. A friend who rides the Delta MONO (1500cm2) wing told me the Delta is faster than the 633. But that is second hand info obviously. George and I drag race often and he can't pass me when I'm on the MONO and he is on a smaller wing like the Cozumel. The MONO low end is exceptional. Not sure about it being less pitch stable? This setup definately floats on it's side as you would expect. I weighed my foil in the picture. MONO wing + fuse and stab + 80cm strut and carbon plate + bolts = 7.8 lbs. It sounds like the Delta ticks all the boxes you mentioned. Would be super interesting to hear your review of a Delta foil should you ever get the chance to ride one.

thewindego- The board is made from 2 lb. EPS. 2 carbon layers on the bottom with patches. 2 layers carbon on deck + 1 layer of glass. I decided against a glossy clear coat and like the raw looking matte finish as well. Thanks!!

slowboat- I wasn't too excited about the aluminum strut in the beginning but have warmed up to it. It is definately stiff and marginally heavier than his UHM carbon struts. He can make a carbon strut but that will cost $600 vs $150 for a stiff aluminum strut. So a $1250 foil vs a $1850 foil. But I may order a carbon strut this winter so it's hard to disagree with you! Less maintenance!!

Here are some pics of the Cozumel (900 cm2), MONO (1500cm2) and MONO XL (1880cm2):