Forums > Stand Up Paddle Foiling

"The G Zone "

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Created by Pasquales > 9 months ago, 1 Oct 2020
Pasquales
201 posts
1 Oct 2020 4:15AM
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Saw this advertisement from the company that makes the mast extenders. It is by no means a complete list of available boards on the market. My board is in the "too long" quadrant.

"Looking for a wing board? 85kg or over? Getting sucked into the "small zone"? Having tried many boards in many sizes, the team at FOILSLEEVE have put together a simple chart showing some of the shorter wing boards on the market that pack more volume.So what is the Goldilocks Zone? We think the g-zone is boards under 5'6" with over 100ltrs volume. Why 5'6"? Well, short wing boards are the bomb: try one, and you will see the difference. You need low swing weight for winging, and this means a short board. We think anything over 5 1/2 ft is getting too long. You may disagree, and that's cool ;-)And why 100ltrs? Well, if you are 85kg or more, you will need 100ltrs to comfortably float for a knee start. Especially in rough water or choppy seas. Under 100ltrs can work, absolutely... but it depends what you want, and how much you want to work. At 85kg or more, as someone who gets out on the water a couple of times per week, we think you will have more fun with a little more volume. There are scores of boards available in the 85-95ltrs range - they are deliberately not on this chart. But here are some good options if you want your board to be goldilocks: just right: "

bluewave
43 posts
1 Oct 2020 8:07AM
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I just got this... it's a Jimmy Lewis custom 5'7" ... 95L 27.25 wide... it's still GZone as far as I'm concerned... come a long way, a few months ago, I could hardly get on the foil... what a ride, now I'm fully frothed lol





jondrums
154 posts
2 Oct 2020 6:44AM
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I'm in full agreement with this for SUPfoil too. I'm 93kg and I think my goldilocks is 110L and right around 5'6" +/-
When I ride my old board that is 6'6" it feels crazy long and it is obvious in all phases - takeoff, simple flying, carving turns and snap turns

hilly
TAS, 7195 posts
2 Oct 2020 1:33PM
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Will test the theory, I have a 5 6 @ 110l for 105kg on order

Thatspec
327 posts
2 Oct 2020 12:01PM
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The G-zone isn't taking into account the box location difference between a sup foil board and a wing foil board. A 5' wing board may have exactly the same amount of length in front of the mast as a 5'8" sup foil board.

JB
NSW, 2232 posts
Site Sponsor
4 Oct 2020 6:39AM
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At 90kg, personally I do not 100% agree. Yes there's advantages to going short, but IMHO there's a hell of a lot more for keeping some length, especially if you don't have good winds and or wish to wing far offshore and do long journey's.

I love the 110 Hover of which they have put in the "too long" category. I go fast, it jumps easily, DW's, I can glug out of non foiling bays, I go way offshore on it.

Trying to recover or start riding, in the ocean, with swells in light winds on anything under 5'10" is a real challenge. 5'6" is super short for any generously sized +85kg rider. If you're only riding lakes and flat water, then different story.

Weight tax is exponential, so be cautious, 1 kg isn't just as simple as 1ltr or 1".

Ride safe,

JB

hilly
TAS, 7195 posts
4 Oct 2020 9:02AM
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JB said..
At 90kg, personally I do not 100% agree. Yes there's advantages to going short, but IMHO there's a hell of a lot more for keeping some length, especially if you don't have good winds and or wish to wing far offshore and do long journey's.

I love the 110 Hover of which they have put in the "too long" category. I go fast, it jumps easily, DW's, I can glug out of non foiling bays, I go way offshore on it.

Trying to recover or start riding, in the ocean, with swells in light winds on anything under 5'10" is a real challenge. 5'6" is super short for any generously sized +85kg rider. If you're only riding lakes and flat water, then different story.

Weight tax is exponential, so be cautious, 1 kg isn't just as simple as 1ltr or 1".

Ride safe,

JB


That was my view until everyone here went smaller and smaller and rave about it. Their riding improved a lot. They are down to well below their body weight sub five footers. If the wind dies they are in trouble. Technique to get moving involves leaning on the wing for stability and to push up. I will find out.

kobo
NSW, 1064 posts
4 Oct 2020 8:26PM
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We seem to rarely get days on the east coast where the wind blows consistently enough to keep you on foil the whole time. It seems to cycle on and off or there are lulls in which you drop off the foil .I wouldn't like to be offshore here on a board too small to float on,it would be really annoying .I wondered if the WA winds are more consistent , I know they are generally stronger, so maybe it easier to go down in board size , a bit like Maui where it blows it's chops off consistently.

frenchfoiler
498 posts
4 Oct 2020 5:55PM
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Not talking about width is a msitake. A super wide board is too sticky even with a double concave.

stanley71
WA, 223 posts
4 Oct 2020 6:46PM
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Pasquales said..


Saw this advertisement from the company that makes the mast extenders. It is by no means a complete list of available boards on the market. My board is in the "too long" quadrant.

"Looking for a wing board? 85kg or over? Getting sucked into the "small zone"? Having tried many boards in many sizes, the team at FOILSLEEVE have put together a simple chart showing some of the shorter wing boards on the market that pack more volume.So what is the Goldilocks Zone? We think the g-zone is boards under 5'6" with over 100ltrs volume. Why 5'6"? Well, short wing boards are the bomb: try one, and you will see the difference. You need low swing weight for winging, and this means a short board. We think anything over 5 1/2 ft is getting too long. You may disagree, and that's cool ;-)And why 100ltrs? Well, if you are 85kg or more, you will need 100ltrs to comfortably float for a knee start. Especially in rough water or choppy seas. Under 100ltrs can work, absolutely... but it depends what you want, and how much you want to work. At 85kg or more, as someone who gets out on the water a couple of times per week, we think you will have more fun with a little more volume. There are scores of boards available in the 85-95ltrs range - they are deliberately not on this chart. But here are some good options if you want your board to be goldilocks: just right: "



Also note the SMIK wing board range (also SUPable depending on rider weight and skill) .. mine 5'3" 91L .. a total game changer vs. my 6'4" Fanatic Sky SUP .. that was good to learn on but this rocket is so much easier to control pitch and also pump onto the foil with a 4.0 in 14/15knts. Do note I only weight 64kgs (20 session+ beginner)

emmafoils
307 posts
4 Oct 2020 8:30PM
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frenchfoiler said..
Not talking about width is a msitake. A super wide board is too sticky even with a double concave.


Agree. Too much width to keep length short is a big mistake, especially if you are not using long masts. The chart above has boards that are too wide in their Gzone.

kobo
NSW, 1064 posts
5 Oct 2020 7:34AM
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frenchfoiler said..
Not talking about width is a msitake. A super wide board is too sticky even with a double concave.


How wide is too wide ?

Windgenuity
NSW, 610 posts
Site Sponsor
13 Oct 2020 12:32PM
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hilly said..

JB said..
At 90kg, personally I do not 100% agree. Yes there's advantages to going short, but IMHO there's a hell of a lot more for keeping some length, especially if you don't have good winds and or wish to wing far offshore and do long journey's.

I love the 110 Hover of which they have put in the "too long" category. I go fast, it jumps easily, DW's, I can glug out of non foiling bays, I go way offshore on it.

Trying to recover or start riding, in the ocean, with swells in light winds on anything under 5'10" is a real challenge. 5'6" is super short for any generously sized +85kg rider. If you're only riding lakes and flat water, then different story.

Weight tax is exponential, so be cautious, 1 kg isn't just as simple as 1ltr or 1".

Ride safe,

JB



That was my view until everyone here went smaller and smaller and rave about it. Their riding improved a lot. They are down to well below their body weight sub five footers. If the wind dies they are in trouble. Technique to get moving involves leaning on the wing for stability and to push up. I will find out.


As someone with a reasonable amount of skills, I find length a rather large part of the equation, mainly if you wish to continue moving forwards whilst off the foil. If you are happy to just sit and wait for the next gust (assuming one is coming), then definitely, go tiny. I enjoy riding my 5'4" Prone at 45ltrs (literally half my weight), but I am sitting down and waiting for gusts in the lulls if I come off foil. It is actually not that hard to get up in less wind than you'd think, but when it's not enough, it is not enough and you go nowhere at the cost of a lot of energy.
Even riding 5'7" @95ltrs is super difficult offshore in un-foilable winds at 6'2" and 90kgs. Again, horses for courses. If you're happy to wait out the lulls and work for it, then going small offers up some advantages for sure. I feel tuning my 5'10" properly and using all 110ltrs in the lulls the best option for me.

Ride safe,

JB

kobo
NSW, 1064 posts
13 Oct 2020 2:20PM
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I agree JB , I'm only new to the offshore DW and only done a few, and I've waited for NE days that are 16 - 25 kns which is Quiet windy for here ,and there are still lulls in this which I drop off foil and have to wait to get going again. Wouldn't want to be on something too small that doesn't float me at 1k or so out to sea by myself.

surfcowboy
164 posts
13 Oct 2020 3:25PM
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I will note that this chart doesn't cover under 100l so technically they've left everything under that out of their G-zone.

As was said, you can't do this for all weights. At 63kg I can shlog on my knees on a much smaller board than is on here.

Maybe we could or should make a distinction between "floating" you vs "able to stand and shlog though a lull." I am floated by boards I can't stand on. I've not got enough time on water off shore yet myself but I'm guessing JB you are talking about being able to be supported standing so you can limp home in bad wind as opposed to prone paddling?

hilly
TAS, 7195 posts
13 Oct 2020 11:00PM
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surfcowboy said..
I will note that this chart doesn't cover under 100l so technically they've left everything under that out of their G-zone.

As was said, you can't do this for all weights. At 63kg I can shlog on my knees on a much smaller board than is on here.

Maybe we could or should make a distinction between "floating" you vs "able to stand and shlog though a lull." I am floated by boards I can't stand on. I've not got enough time on water off shore yet myself but I'm guessing JB you are talking about being able to be supported standing so you can limp home in bad wind as opposed to prone paddling?



It is for 85kg plus. take 20l off for midgets

Windgenuity
NSW, 610 posts
Site Sponsor
14 Oct 2020 10:27AM
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surfcowboy said..
I will note that this chart doesn't cover under 100l so technically they've left everything under that out of their G-zone.

As was said, you can't do this for all weights. At 63kg I can shlog on my knees on a much smaller board than is on here.

Maybe we could or should make a distinction between "floating" you vs "able to stand and shlog though a lull." I am floated by boards I can't stand on. I've not got enough time on water off shore yet myself but I'm guessing JB you are talking about being able to be supported standing so you can limp home in bad wind as opposed to prone paddling?


Weight is exponential and every extra KG hammers you as you go up. But it is the reverse going down, as you get smaller the affects move fast to begin with then slow up a bit as you end up around 30-40ltrs @4-4.5' for <70kg riders.

surfcowboy
164 posts
14 Oct 2020 10:55AM
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Thx man, I hadn't considered that it wasn't linear. That does explain some of my experiences.

I've been riding an 1,100cm2 front wing in knee high waves, so yeah, it's all relative. Maybe I should try an umbrella in higher wind?



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""The G Zone "" started by Pasquales