Author Topic: 7M Airush/Starboard wing  (Read 9913 times)

PonoBill

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7M Airush/Starboard wing
« on: December 21, 2020, 10:14:01 AM »
I posted most of this as a response in the F-one thread, but it seems to make more sense as a standalone review. If you're an Airush fan you probably want to stop right here.

I bought a Starboard/Airush 7M recently, and it's heavy and hard to manage. I speak marketing bullshit fluently, and when I see "sturdy" I translate it to "fucking heavy". Which it is. It's also the least forgiving wing I've tried for touching a wingtip down. With my 6M Swing I can manhandle the wing in the first few seconds of a touchdown and recover the wing. With the Airush, even the tiniest momentary touch is unrecoverable--at least by me. The center strut is the longest I've seen and the strongly recommended maximum pressure is 4 pounds which makes the leading edge reasonably stiff and the strut floppy.

It's the biggest leading-edge I've seen.

I broke my own rule of "as soon as you see a long row of handles and two diagonal straps, walk away". I shouldn't have. If the manufacturer can't figure out where to put the straps then I'm not likely to figure out which to grab. The diagonal straps are far forward, while the wing balances way back, so both they and the first two handles seem useless, as is the first of the rear handles. the harness lines on the 7M look to be at least 3 feet apart. If you use a rope harness, which I tried at first, it will probably whack you in the face with every pump, as mine did. I put my fake boom on but the handle position and interference made it useless except for the harness.

The leash is the Swing style, which I like, but it comes with a pointless swivel (is anyone having problems with twisting with a rope leash??) and attaches with a larks-head knot. The leash was attached as delivered, and when I pumped up the wing for the first time I attached the leash cuff to my board to keep the wing from flying away. As soon as the wing was drawing air the leash popped loose at the lark's head and the wing flew away (I grabbed it just in time after the first cartwheel), though I had done a pull test to make sure it was secure when I started. IMHO this is a remarkably stupid way to attach a safety leash. the swivel was hard to remove because there's a neoprene guard that flips down over it, sewn into the loop which shortens the loop to the point the cuff can't pass through. I had to cut away the guard to remove all that crap and convert the leash to being securely fastened.

The windows are nice but require a lot of care to avoid creasing. That makes the bag about 3-4 feet long. PITA. For some reason, the bag is actually two bags--an inner one and a heavy outer one. I assume they have some purpose in mind for this but I have no clue what it is. The dimensions of both bags are the same.

If there were a 7M F-one I'd ditch this thing, but here in SoCal a 7M is necessary and F-one doesn't make one. I don't know that anyone else makes a better one yet.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2020, 10:38:32 AM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

clay

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2020, 01:20:30 PM »
Thanks, saved me $500 (resale hit).

I've been burned three times at various resale penalties and reluctant to try more 7m wings.

Next on my "I hope some other sucker tests this wing" list is Takoon 7m, I hear they are light but look ridiculously wide...
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Dontsink

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2020, 03:14:55 PM »
Well,horses for courses.
I have the 6m and 4m Airush, and i like them both a lot.Never tried a 7m.

The review by McKiteboarding is spot on IMHO, and they also liked it quite a bit, power,weight and handling.

Although they did not test the 7m.Maybe the design just does not click at that size.

I am 75kg/175cm and the 6m feels super compact, never have wingtip catch issues.

Bummer that it did not work out for you, i think anything bigger than 6m is going to be problematic unless you are quite tall.
The Gong proto i saw in pics might be an option, it looked almost rectangular with lots of area for the span.But Gong tend to build on the heavy side.





PonoBill

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2020, 04:50:55 PM »
I’m 6’2.  I don’t have huge expectations for a 7m wing. I’ve used it three times and I’m getting a little better at managing it, but it’s not getting any lighter. My 6m Fone is really remarkably useful in a wide band of wind speed and I like it. So far I can’t claim to like this and if f-one did a 7m I’d drop this like a bad habit.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Fishman

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2020, 06:27:26 PM »
Thanks, saved me $500 (resale hit).

I've been burned three times at various resale penalties and reluctant to try more 7m wings.

Next on my "I hope some other sucker tests this wing" list is Takoon 7m, I hear they are light but look ridiculously wide...

I've been very happy with the Takoon wings. Where I live I use the 7m most of all. Definitely easier to use than  my Gong, kind of similar to the fone I had but the extra handles. I couldn't tell you if it's better, but I like the Takoon handles more and have no regrets switching over. Really it doesn't feel any wider than the f one when using it and IIRC they were close to the same width just angled differently.  Touching the wing tips doesn't seem like a a problem like with the Gong. don't really think you can go wrong with them.
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paddlur

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2020, 07:27:50 PM »
Funny Bill horses for courses exactly,for me at 5’9” 225lbs I just really like the my 7m SB especially its low end and hi end too,and for me the dreaded wingtip drag I really gotta try hard to drag a tip just rode it this afternoon in fact and remarked to a friend how impressive SB designed this behemoth to not drag tips on there first go around V1 best 7m I’ve tried,albeit bit heavy but highly manageable for me but pretty durable I’ve rode the piss out of that wing from 14mph to 30 and still going strong.I have a new ensis 6m which I like too but only complaint on it is I tend to hit my wing tips more quite a bit on pump off,but kinda getting its or my personal adjustment to lesson this but really amazed how little I catch a tip on my 7m SB,lately riding my ensis quite a bit but pumped up the old SB 7m today just had a blast on it reminded me how much I like that wing,what wind velocity you riding in if it’s too light any big wing gonna tip drag.No way I’m selling my 7m SB anytime soon good backup to my Ensis 6m,The old too each his own,one mans rubbish another mans treasure,you just can’t beat the low end of the SB 7m diesel for us big guys, a old pict back in July flying the diesel behemoth
« Last Edit: December 21, 2020, 07:33:20 PM by paddlur »
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peterp

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2020, 09:03:10 PM »
I've ridden all the Starboard Airush Freewings from 6m down to the 2m and think they are great allround wings, especially in the smaller sizes. The 5m Freewing was deemed best allround wing recently in the Supboardmag's test of 13 wings.

These early days the big wings will be cumbersome and at some point we might find that manufacturers will stop producing anything over 6/7m as better foils and rider-technique compensate for the horse-power. Who remembers the 16-18m kites?

Wrt the leash, the swivel is very useful if you are learning to tack and tend to only do them one way (which is what typically happens). Granted, if you only need to jibe, it's superflous, but it's hardly in the way?

The larks head connection is surely the simplest way way to connect a leash and if it was so terrible, I don't know how it has survived 20+ years on the kites???

I hear you on the handles and general size of the thing - have you seen a v1 Duotone 7m?

Dontsink

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2020, 11:05:59 PM »
Using larks head on something that has no constant tension and is getting manhandled so much on falls etc is not the best idea IMHO.
I never used it, i removed the part with neoprene  and passed the swivel through its little loop around the depower handle, leash attaches to swivel.
This way you keep the swivel and it cannot undo itself.

obxDave

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2020, 01:23:49 AM »
One of our local riders has a quiver of Airush wings and he seems happy with them, though I’m pretty sure his largest size is a 6m.

Every time I read a thread like this I keep thinking that winging is waaaay more funner at 167# than it would have been at my old “don’t want to go there again” 197#. For kiteboarding/kitefoiling the extra 30# didn’t extract much of a penalty since you could painlessly go up in kite size and also create a ton of power from working the kite. Seems like we don’t have the same luxury with winging. At 6’ my 6m Echo is as big as I’d ever want to go, and I actually don’t use it that much at all.

Lose weight and gain a shit load of winging performance without the added expense of finding that elusive solve-everything wing for lighter winds! :o
« Last Edit: December 22, 2020, 01:41:17 AM by obxDave »

Dwight (DW)

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2020, 03:42:08 AM »

The larks head connection is surely the simplest way way to connect a leash and if it was so terrible, I don't know how it has survived 20+ years on the kites???


Sorry, I’m calling you out for that statement.

They work kiting, ONLY because the high loads LOCK the larks head. The leash has NO load to lock it in.

In fact, if you have kited for 20 years, you would know larks heads do release on brand NEW kites sometimes. That’s why some bridles have larks head locking plastic sleeves, like Cabrinha for example.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2020, 03:43:59 AM by Dwight (DW) »

sflinux

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2020, 02:14:24 PM »
I've been very happy with the Takoon wings. Where I live I use the 7m most of all.
Takoon tested highly here:
https://takoon.com/blogs/news/windsurf-magazine%20
The 7M Takoon has the best published lowest wind range 7-18k.
Starboard Freewing Air 7M = 8-20k
Gong Superpower 9M 8-15k
F-one 6M 8-20k
Slingwing 6.4M 8.7-17.4k
Anyone tested the low end of the 6M BoardridingMaui?
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PonoBill

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2020, 07:03:23 PM »

The larks head connection is surely the simplest way way to connect a leash and if it was so terrible, I don't know how it has survived 20+ years on the kites???


Sorry, I’m calling you out for that statement.

They work kiting, ONLY because the high loads LOCK the larks head. The leash has NO load to lock it in.

In fact, if you have kited for 20 years, you would know larks heads do release on brand NEW kites sometimes. That’s why some bridles have larks head locking plastic sleeves, like Cabrinha for example.

Well, that's exactly what I was going to say, but +1. Lark's heads work in tension (sort of) but not in any application where tension gets relaxed--in fact, that's why they exist--so you can have a secure connection under tension that's quick and easy to undo once it's relaxed. Stupid for leashes.

I never rely on the "they've been doing that for xx years argument for anything." People do all kinds of dumb shit for long periods of time. Momentum is a crappy designer.

Paddlur, I note you didn't use the harness attachments. Do you use the diagonal handles at all? Which handles do you generally use? I've mostly settled on number 2 for the front and second to last for the back. I tried to find something the diagonal handles work for but so far nada.

I'll keep using the thing, but it's not because it's good, it's because it's what I've got.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2020, 07:13:43 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

paddlur

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2020, 08:53:21 PM »

The larks head connection is surely the simplest way way to connect a leash and if it was so terrible, I don't know how it has survived 20+ years on the kites???


Sorry, I’m calling you out for that statement.

They work kiting, ONLY because the high loads LOCK the larks head. The leash has NO load to lock it in.

In fact, if you have kited for 20 years, you would know larks heads do release on brand NEW kites sometimes. That’s why some bridles have larks head locking plastic sleeves, like Cabrinha for example.

Well, that's exactly what I was going to say, but +1. Lark's heads work in tension (sort of) but not in any application where tension gets relaxed--in fact, that's why they exist--so you can have a secure connection under tension that's quick and easy to undo once it's relaxed. Stupid for leashes.

I never rely on the "they've been doing that for xx years argument for anything." People do all kinds of dumb shit for long periods of time. Momentum is a crappy designer.

Paddlur, I note you didn't use the harness attachments. Do you use the diagonal handles at all? Which handles do you generally use? I've mostly settled on number 2 for the front and second to last for the back. I tried to find something the diagonal handles work for but so far nada.

I'll keep using the thing, but it's not because it's good, it's because it's what I've got.
Yep #2 front and 2nd from last trailing power hand and some times a combo of #2 to last handle/ finger splitter on lighter air pump ups,and yes on the diagonal handles do not really use them much at all but have on occasion saved a miss grab with them but generally could take em or leave em.You might be surprised on a decent day and make a new friend with this 7m wing as I’ve tried many bigger wings and not one I’ve tried comes close to low end power of it,and minimal dreaded wingtip drag that bigger wings can have.You know I had the the 6m F1 and just was not a fit for me at all really did not like rear handle location so sold it,just goes to show how different wings fit different riders winging it’s much more a personal individual ergonomic fit as opposed to kiting I find,2 big pluses for me with 7m SB wing as big as that sucker is pretty darn hard to catch a wing tip with it and that diesel low end can’t be beat so far for me.My Ensis 6m comes close though really like it too but for some strange reason on lighter days seem to catch a tip more easily than my 7m SB yeah go figure.Just got a 5.2 Ensis for Xmas present to myself looking forward to trying it out soon.say give a chance you might be surprised down the line
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peterp

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2020, 09:12:54 PM »

The larks head connection is surely the simplest way way to connect a leash and if it was so terrible, I don't know how it has survived 20+ years on the kites???


Sorry, I’m calling you out for that statement.

They work kiting, ONLY because the high loads LOCK the larks head. The leash has NO load to lock it in.

In fact, if you have kited for 20 years, you would know larks heads do release on brand NEW kites sometimes. That’s why some bridles have larks head locking plastic sleeves, like Cabrinha for example.
Clearly I must be doing something wrong  - never had one come undone, kiting or winging (since 1999), my bad.

pafoil

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Re: 7M Airush/Starboard wing
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2020, 09:16:14 PM »
I have been using the 7m echo for 6 months now, and I'm very happy with it. It seems to go every time you pump it (8knt and a bi under it's difficult to say). Some of my friends are in 6m airush and they definitely have a lot less low end.
My only complaint about the echo is the weight of the bar, stability, and the fact the boom deforms if you use it in high winds. Mine is bent because I like to use it in 20knt plus, why? better jumps.

I'm using and gl240 in low winds, 6' tall/165 pounds.

 


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