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The Foil Zone => Foil SUP => Topic started by: jjdub on November 11, 2020, 03:56:17 PM

Title: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: jjdub on November 11, 2020, 03:56:17 PM
Hey Guys,
Trying to get into foiling, prone and sup and looking for a board that will sup and wing well.  The new quatro wing drifter pro looks like it could be a great wing board that sups okay.  Not sure if anyone has any sup experience with this board or type of board - short, fat and quad concave.  I'd be looking to foil smaller surf with the 5'8 @ 115L which is about the volume I normally sup surf.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: winddoctor on November 11, 2020, 10:52:51 PM
Sorry, I haven't had experience with the Quatros but hear good things. You might also look at something like the Sunova Casey Aviator line as an all-rounder. I own the 6.4" Aviator and have learned to foil SUP and wing on it. So, longer than the Quatros for a given volume, but paddle well for SUP and don't feel too much like flying pigs on the wing. I'm hoping to try a Quatro this weekend for comparison..
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: NJkiter on November 12, 2020, 04:04:27 AM
There’s a guy in our surf spot that uses that 5’8” quatro for sup foiling.
It works quite well for him! I think it’s a good choice if you don’t mind struggling with the initial learning curve. He seemed to get the hang of it really quickly though.

I’m on a quatro 5’4” for winging & love it. The 5’8” should be fine.

You should get it in my opinion...but it’s too bad we can’t demo stuff 1st before we buy it.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: jjdub on November 12, 2020, 01:13:58 PM
Hey winddoctor, great suggestion thanks.  I'd love to hear feedback on the wing drifter if you get a chance to check it out.

NJkiter, thanks for the data point.  That's the analysis I'm trying to run through my head.  Slightly bigger board will be easier to learn but how soon until I want something smaller vs, how much struggle to learn on smaller board.

I'd definitely be looking forward to any extra glide I could get but that 6.0 looks quite a bit larger than the 5.8.

Any feedback on the strap placements for sup would be interesting too as they seem offset for winging and maybe not ideal for sup foiling?

Thanks again!
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: jondrums on November 12, 2020, 03:19:39 PM
I love the look of that board, and it seems like at the right volume it will be fine as a SUP.  I think the windsurf board guys really know how to make super light yet durable constructions which is valuable. 

I have to mention that I will never purchase another hollow deck board for SUPfoil.  Taking off on a wave with a hollow deck is really really annoying.  It takes a couple of pumps to get all the water off, and I'd rather be focused on the take-off and drop.  A lot of times I pull off the back of a wave and start to pump back out and water is still sloshing off the deck.  Never again.

Can't speak to how hollow decks do winging or downwinding - maybe its fine because you're up a lot longer so the initial water clearing isn't such a big impact.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: gone_foiling on November 12, 2020, 03:25:36 PM
Wing Drifter owners, what do you guys think of the construction? I saw a Facebook winging group discussion where a few folks were claiming very light and fragile skin. Basically a drop of a screwdriver resulting in punctured board.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: NJkiter on November 12, 2020, 06:27:27 PM
In my humble opinion, you will not outgrow this 5’8” board. It’s really a good size & a good design. For SUP foiling it will be tough in the beginning than if you were on a bigger board. It will be alittle unstable in chop and paddling straight but definitely doable. Once you figure it out you will progress quickly. I personally like a bigger board for sup foiling but that’s me. For winging this board is perfect for learning. marginal conditions & beyond. You can’t beat the fact that you will have 1 board for 2 sports.

I wasn’t happy with the footstrap insert locations on my 5’4”, but its ok and works.

As far as quatro construction, I haven’t noticed any issues so far, Knock wood-(& it has taken a pounding in shore break and I accidentally bounced it once). It sure looks great, I hope it holds up.

I also haven’t noticed any water puddling on the deck of my buddies 5’8” quatro.
I am looking forward to trying the 5’8” out soon.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: Califoilia on November 12, 2020, 09:24:21 PM
I was looking at that board for SUP foiling in the 5.6 before I decided to have my new one shaped locally. The only thing that made me go the direction I did, was the Quatro's bottom after having read all of Dwight's thoughts wrt bottom configurations. But other than that, I thought the board had everything else I was looking for...and the price was right.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: DavidJohn on November 13, 2020, 08:59:24 AM
https://youtu.be/ix14hVv_m9o
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: jjdub on November 13, 2020, 06:21:48 PM
Great info Dave, thanks! I'm definitely seeing how a flatter bottom or even a single like the Armstrong could be a better design than the quad.  I don't know how noticeable these differences would be.  Can't beat the price, that's for sure.

Thanks DJ! Know anyone supping them? I suppose you're flying the s25 hover wing sup?
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: APPST_Paddle on August 16, 2021, 04:19:46 AM
I'm looking at the 5'6" for SUP foil, I may one day wing, but right now I want to get down in size and swing weight from my 6'5" /115L, I tried the S26 95L and it was just a bit too small. I feel like the volume is right on this, along with the width, just wondering how it will SUP. Any reviews?
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: Califoilia on August 16, 2021, 08:32:50 AM
I'm looking at the 5'6" for SUP foil, I may one day wing, but right now I want to get down in size and swing weight from my 6'5" /115L, I tried the S26 95L and it was just a bit too small. I feel like the volume is right on this, along with the width, just wondering how it will SUP. Any reviews?
I've always liked the numbers and look of that board (sans all the concaves on the bottom), and almost bought one of those myself when they first came out, just so I could get it right away.

But ended up going with a Kings custom since I hadn't seen a Quatro in person, and didn't know the weight on them...and with shipping of the Quatro, the Kings I could just go and pick up ended up cheaper anyway. So the couple month wait was well worth it, since the Kings - 5'7x28"x105L - weighed in at 11.25 lbs...it's now what I'm learning to wing on.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: gone_foiling on August 16, 2021, 07:07:41 PM
I have 5.4 wing drifter for winging. Great board, very light 12lbs. I tried supping it and it’s a no at my 175 lbs. 5.6 @105 puts in the realm of possibility but I would also look at new kalamas e3s.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: Hwy1north on August 16, 2021, 08:13:59 PM
Another great board line are the Amundson Johno Sups.  The 5'9" x 28 113 board is probably doable for a 170-190 lbs with good sup skills and would be easy to learn winging on.  I'm 185 and have the 5'6".  Really perfect for winging, but for sup there's no way I could have learned to sup foil on it.  And unless I catch just the right wave, and get flying out the back, paddling is pretty difficult.  Shape wise, the Drifter Pro is flatter rocker and wider tail looking at the profiles, compared to the Johno with a wider nose and narrower tail (more like a Kalama.).  Functionally, the DP has a shorter water line in the wave as you angle your take off when the wave pitches. I find this type of board more difficult to paddle into a wave because it doesn't want to surf and is instead meant to lift before the wave pitches.  This means you have to get on foil or eat it.  Bottom contour discussion alone on foil boards is a bit of a joke imo, but taken as a whole of the board design, a certain concave in the nose or tail release point could be the standout feature.  My summary, without any experience on the Drifter, is it's more of a wing foil board and advanced sup board.  It looks cool, and I'd trust Keith's board design ability way more than my unproven theory!
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: APPST_Paddle on August 17, 2021, 05:20:21 AM
Yeah, I was looking at the Kalama's since he seems to be one of the few sticking with a SUP-dedicated foil board. I'm really between 3 boards (currently on the 6'5" Flying-V, which I really love, just want a smaller overall footprint/swing weight):

5'11" Flying-V @105L. pretty hard to find right now, and is worth spending that much for a 6"/10L drop?

5'8" Quattro Wing Drifter V1.2 @115L, that's a ton of volume, not sure how smooth it would be for paddling, I'd probably do it over the 5'6" to be safe. Any idea on weight?

5'11" F-One Rocket Wing - mainly bc of the 6.2 kg weight, although I bet the 105L JL is right around that.

Any thoughts? I'd wait on Kalama, but I feel like I'm losing sessions I could be progressing on. The 6'5" is great, but I could definitely go down in volume/size.

Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: APPST_Paddle on August 17, 2021, 06:04:03 AM
Another great board line are the Amundson Johno Sups.  The 5'9" x 28 113 board is probably doable for a 170-190 lbs with good sup skills and would be easy to learn winging on.  I'm 185 and have the 5'6".  Really perfect for winging, but for sup there's no way I could have learned to sup foil on it.  And unless I catch just the right wave, and get flying out the back, paddling is pretty difficult.  Shape wise, the Drifter Pro is flatter rocker and wider tail looking at the profiles, compared to the Johno with a wider nose and narrower tail (more like a Kalama.).  Functionally, the DP has a shorter water line in the wave as you angle your take off when the wave pitches. I find this type of board more difficult to paddle into a wave because it doesn't want to surf and is instead meant to lift before the wave pitches.  This means you have to get on foil or eat it.  Bottom contour discussion alone on foil boards is a bit of a joke imo, but taken as a whole of the board design, a certain concave in the nose or tail release point could be the standout feature.  My summary, without any experience on the Drifter, is it's more of a wing foil board and advanced sup board.  It looks cool, and I'd trust Keith's board design ability way more than my unproven theory!

Good point, and honestly, that drawn in tail on the Kalamas is helping to reduce a bit of volume in areas where it's not needed. I'll check the Amundson's out, I wonder if the Kalamas are being built a bit lighter. The only person I know around here that got one (and I'm not sure if it was the 1st or 2nd gen) hated it because of it's weight.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: WingTime on October 26, 2021, 01:20:31 AM
Yeah, I was looking at the Kalama's since he seems to be one of the few sticking with a SUP-dedicated foil board. I'm really between 3 boards (currently on the 6'5" Flying-V, which I really love, just want a smaller overall footprint/swing weight):

5'11" Flying-V @105L. pretty hard to find right now, and is worth spending that much for a 6"/10L drop?

5'8" Quattro Wing Drifter V1.2 @115L, that's a ton of volume, not sure how smooth it would be for paddling, I'd probably do it over the 5'6" to be safe. Any idea on weight?

5'11" F-One Rocket Wing - mainly bc of the 6.2 kg weight, although I bet the 105L JL is right around that.

Any thoughts? I'd wait on Kalama, but I feel like I'm losing sessions I could be progressing on. The 6'5" is great, but I could definitely go down in volume/size.

Yeah, I’m looking to upgrade my sup foil, I’m a 100kg on the JL 6’11, great float (129 liters) and easy to paddle but very slow pumper and lots of swing weight. Was considering the Armstrong 6’4 FG board 132 liters, don’t want a sinker. Super light , and shave off 7 inches of swing weight . Has anyone tried sup foiling one ?. Was also looking at the Kalama E3 ,  but good luck finding one.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: sailwave on November 26, 2021, 09:01:39 AM
Did my maiden SUP foil ride on the 5'8" 115L Wing Drifter. Compared to my 8'5" Starboard SUP it felt like I was standing on a near round platform. Relatively stable but I had to switch paddle sides every two strokes because it just want to pivot in a circle with each stroke. I put the foil square in the middle of the track. Is there a way to paddle or foil placement so you can get a straighter paddle line? If not, then this board is too short for foil SUP it seems to this novice foiler.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: Califoilia on November 26, 2021, 10:01:55 AM
Did my maiden SUP foil ride on the 5'8" 115L Wing Drifter. Compared to my 8'5" Starboard SUP it felt like I was standing on a near round platform. Relatively stable but I had to switch paddle sides every two strokes because it just want to pivot in a circle with each stroke. I put the foil square in the middle of the track. Is there a way to paddle or foil placement so you can get a straighter paddle line? If not, then this board is too short for foil SUP it seems to this novice foiler.
If you're not already, paddle in your surf stance with your feet along the centerline of the board as close as possible. From that stance, put slight pressure on your toes to tip the board slightly to your frontside, that will engage the foil a tad to that side to make it turn in that direction. That slight foil turn towards your paddle stroke side will offset your paddle stroke on that side that wants to push you the other direction, and you'll paddle straight...w/o causing you to ever switch paddle sides.

You can also offset your handle to the blade a bit (I'm goofy-footed)....
(https://i.imgur.com/dfMVLun.jpg?1)
...which will turn the blade on a slight angle towards the board with your hands in your normal position, and give you an automatic "J" stroke to also pull the nose of the board towards your paddle stroke and add to your straight forward direction. I don't ever change paddle sides any longer with these lil techniques.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: sailwave on November 26, 2021, 10:54:17 AM
Saaawweeet! Foil tilt to compensate for paddle pull/rotate!!! Thank you.  BTW, I like to paddle on both sides in both stances, gotta keep the six pack symmetrical :-)  The skateboard paddle helped develop my goofy.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: GL on November 26, 2021, 11:09:07 AM
I haven't tried angling the board to one side but I found that if I stood slightly more forward on the board and pushed the nose down the board track much better. I was using the six foot board which actually measures 5 ft 9. It wasn't too bad once the nose was down. I will try that along with angling the board next time.
Title: Re: Wing Drifter Pro?
Post by: radair on December 10, 2021, 06:22:32 AM
Did my maiden SUP foil ride on the 5'8" 115L Wing Drifter. Compared to my 8'5" Starboard SUP it felt like I was standing on a near round platform. Relatively stable but I had to switch paddle sides every two strokes because it just want to pivot in a circle with each stroke. I put the foil square in the middle of the track. Is there a way to paddle or foil placement so you can get a straighter paddle line? If not, then this board is too short for foil SUP it seems to this novice foiler.
I don’t know what you’re running for a foil system but on my 115 L wing drifter I ran my Armstrong foil all the way forward in the tracks. I did a lot of testing behind a boat as well and found it most balanced with the mast all the way forward. I have since gone to a 75 L wing board and have not used the wing drifter since. It is a really nice board though. A diagonal J stroke in addition to the suggestions above will help keep you paddling straighter.
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