Messages

1

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Migrating from Armstrong to Axis ART999

« on: March 17, 2022, 04:19:56 PM »

Since it has been a couple months since I swapped and in a nutshell I have no regrets moving to Axis and I am loving the ART series foils. but in the interest of not being a fan-boy of either camp thought I would update with my honest opinion/review/comparison pros and cons of each. 

I ended up going with:
-ALU 19mm 90cm
-Carbon 86cm (because I got offered a used one so thought worth a try)
-Ultrashort black fuse
-400 progressive tail
-ART999
-ART1099
-(hoping to soon get ART899)


Axis Pros
-It just rides far better, and I tested it against the Armstrong 925 as well, the ART999 was both faster and more user friendly that the Army HA foils, the ART wings are incredible.
999 pretty much replaces both my old 1050 and 1550 Armstrong for wind range, it out-glides them both, turns almost as well, will foil in lighter winds than the 1550 (once flying), and have been out in 35+kts and not found it max wind yet. 
1099 is an entirely different beast, I find it a bit dull on flat water, but it is great for gliding through wind holes, once on foil you can pretty much stay up forever, but its happy place is small waves where the glide is endless but it still turns far better than should be possible for this span.
799 (just a few trial runs) was surprisingly easy to ride, although a step up in performance was not hard or scary at all, but think at 105kg I am just a bit heavy for it to be useful to me.
-The price - so much cheaper than Armstrong
-The range of products is huge, and the amount of cheaper used gear on the market is huge - Axis riders do love to change gear alot!

What I love about Armstrong vs Axis
-The build quality and finish just feels better in every way, I broke a tip of my Axis 400, just clipping a fence post carrying my board, and have put a number of small scratches in the foils already, and I don't even know how.  I ran my Armstrong setup onto a rock reef a couple times and barely left a mark.
-Set and forget no messing about with tefgel, no rinsing salt off, no drying things before packing away, no worrying about anything rotting/corroding/seizing.
-The pack includes all covers, all bags, titanium screws - no hidden costs.
-I could do everything on my 1550 without having to swap foils, I never even changed a tail wing and it did everything I wanted it to do as-is. I can feel myself being pulled into the Axis arms race of having to buy different foils for different situations and have a quiver of tail wings etc.

AXIS Carbon vs Alu mast
To my surprise I prefer the Alu mast.  The carbon noticeably both faster, more lively and lighter, but... seems to get speed wobbles when gunning it, and it feels generally less stable.  The Carbon is now for sale.

Armstrong vs Axis mast feel
The scientific wobble test on the beach tells you nothing and it's not all just about stiffness, there is something about the flex patterns in that Armstrong mast that just works. The Armstrong mast feels less stiff on the beach, however in the water somehow feels better than the Axis carbon imho. 
The Axis Alu however feels super direct, super stable and controlled, even gunning feels super safe, not a wobble, although I can feel the extra drag and weight. Hopefully Axis next mast is a light fast carbon mast that feels like their alloy.

As an interesting side note it seems that Armstrong 85cm was 4cm longer than the Axis 86cm when all set up.

All just my opinion and my 2cents, but I love the Axis stuff to ride if they could match Armstrongs business and build we would have the perfect NZ foil company!

2

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Migrating from Armstrong to Axis ART999

« on: January 16, 2022, 05:20:59 PM »

Final question... anyone ever had any problem at all with AXIS carbon mast?

Electric tools are not an issue, I pull apart gear so rarely I can handle doing it by hand.  I have never dissassembled my armstrong kit since new, not once, I check the screws occasionally, and obviously change the front wing from time to time. 

My final decision is to buy the ART999 bottom half and use a used or borrowed ALU mast until I am able to get a carbon (unless anyone tells me a reason not to?).

Thanks folks,

3

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Migrating from Armstrong to Axis ART999

« on: January 15, 2022, 01:00:57 PM »

Thanks for your thoughts everyone, think I am still leaning more and more towards the AXIS ART999  The other option was Armstrong 1550v2, I am writting off the Armstrong HA as not user friendly enough.

Worth mentioning I am in New Zealand, great to live in the centre of the world for foil development, but rubbish to be in the arse end of the world when it comes to overseas foil gear.  The cost of buying and shipping from overseas both Project Cedus and Alchemy make both of them not a viable option.  One of the reasons I considered this is the used marked for Armstrong gear is sooo good, I can make the switch to Axis without it costing anything significant

I think my main worry was durability, I ride Wellington, it's pretty full on wild here, this is not a light wind cruisy spot, and it's almopst entirely Armstrong, black and white stripes everywhere! and I don't know anyone that has ever broken an Armstrong product.  It sounds like the Axis Carbons are pretty strong but just wanted to make sure.

I am ruling out aluminium masts, I personally know two people, who are both much lighter than me who have bent Axis 19mm aluminium masts, one who bent an Axis red fuze, and I have bent an aluminium mast (another brand, on the very first session).  I understand they are stiff and strong etc etc... but don't wanna be holding back all the time for fear of bending a mast, so it's carbon or stick with Armstrong.  Also I actually like the lively poppy feel you get from carbon masts, even if there is a bit of flex.

Appreciate your thoughts on losening it all up by adding different tails, will look into it, the one I tested had the 400 speed tail and the Ultrashort.

Thanks

4

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Migrating from Armstrong to Axis ART999

« on: January 15, 2022, 03:44:56 AM »

I am thinking of doing what I expect is a cardinal sin, and moving from Armstrong to Axis... Intermediate Wingfoiler, big fella at 105kg 6'3, gybing, tacking, wave riding, some jumps, currently riding Armstrong 1550v1 and a 1050, was looking for a performance power-up and have trsted some other Armstrong wings.

Love Armstrong... but then I test rode the Axis ART999 OMG it would just about replace both the 1050 and 1550... Questions...

How strong is the Axis stuff? (especially the carbon mast), I am big, and heavy and I break stuff often.  Armstrong is bulletproof.
I leave my foils set up permenantly, Axis alloy Fuze able to handle that without corrosion?
It felt much less livels and turny than the Armstrong, ant thoughts on that?  can it be improved?

Anyone think Armstrong is likely to come out with more user friendly HA wings?

5

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Footstrap layout opinions

« on: December 14, 2021, 12:56:02 PM »

Thanks for the 2cents.

I never take my foil off my board, and just run one setup, mostly in one spot, which is handy as I just grab and go and never have to worry about adjusting anything, totally happy with all that.   I am pretty comfortable riding goofy too, and often do if I want a quick upwind run but don't want to change my whole stance to goofy all the time, the only thing that's in the way is that pesky offset back strap. 

I tried riding with the back strap on centreline and it feels horrible for control so just wondered if anyone else has the same and how you get around the problem. 

6

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: How many Wingers worldwide?

« on: December 14, 2021, 12:41:02 PM »

New Zealand It seems to be booming compared to any other wind sports, I live in windy Wellington and the wings now are very often outnumbering the windsurfers or kites on any given spot.  Does depend on conditions though, if it's 30+kts and waves the windsurfers all come out of the woodwork, if its blowing and flat the kites appear, but more and more often the wingers are starting to outnumber them both.

I think it is helped by the fact that in the first year or so of winging, the rest of the world spend much of it's time in lockdown, but New Zealand had lots of free time with working from home and not being able to travel overseas, more expendable income as we couldn't travel and have a healthy economy... and had the worlds top foiling athletes and developers in stuck one place for an extended period with Americas Cup.

Maybe New Zealand is not typical, but here I feel that winging is going to overtake windsurfing in numbers quite quickly, and it kiting will not be far behind.

7

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Footstrap layout opinions

« on: December 14, 2021, 12:26:04 AM »

Just wanted to get some opinions, and give some thoughts on footstrap positions. 

I ride natural stance (toe and heelside, without foot switching), gybing both ways, toeside tacks, wave riding and small jumps.  I offset my back footstrap to the toeside as it gives more control riding waves and allows me to stay balanced over the centreline and strapped in 100% of the time, and up until now this has been a gamechanger and feels great compared to having straps on centreline.

Problem is my local spots almost all goofy jumping spots (heading out towards the waves heelside right foot forward), can't jump toeside and my offset back strap means I cant use the back strap riding goofy.

Thinking I could go back to V front straps and move the back strap waaay back but on centre line and just use it for jumping, keep my back foot out for wave riding unstrapped, but would lose that locked in feel.

Picture so you can see where the straps are, all down to personal preference, but just wanted to get peoples 2cents on if you ride with back foot locked in or put it in n out.  Pro's and cons.