wingsurfing dw board and MA1000

ok so I didn't expect to be on my MA1000. I didn't expect to be so windy. and I was running about 3 hours late and just antsy to get out. so I had a good sesh in ways, I slayed many waves, but man, it was a frustrating session. I'm committing to riding this dw board more, and it's just still a little more awkward that I thought it would be, at least at this point. I will get better at it. I will eventually crush it. I just have to pay my dues. it's not comfortable feeling like a newb again. but here we are.
happy 2024 all!
gear ridden this sesh:
4.5m F-One STRIKE v3
Armie 107L 7'2 downwind board
MA1000 foil
795 mast, around 6 in mast track (moving up farther next time)
60 fuse
180 tail (red and blue shims)
5:4 Mahulu Stormrider hooded wetsuit
8mm Solite boots
1.5mm NP gloves
wind was 25-35mph, waves were 3-5ft windswell

[@aquaman1]

Bud, What you are saying has been my exact same thoughts. Been looking at the DW boards for light sesh winging, but I'm still not sold or ready to drop over $2k on a brand new concept. I can get on foil in light winds with my 70 L board and 1770 foil. However, when it gets ultra light a DW board would be easier. Now the flip side....I was on Maui couple weeks ago. I spoke with several locals and they all loved the DW boards. They are riding smaller DW boards for Wing Foil. I predict a trend to smaller style DW boards for wing. This is the first generation for DW boards and they aren't even designed or marketed for winging. Most dealers have DW boards listed under SUP foil. A guy told me the mast helps stabilize the narrow board, so they aren't as tippy as they look and they are designed to sit deep in the water. Watching your riding style, I think you are still focused on riding the wing, I say that because I tried SUP foil on the ocean and it was very humbling. Not having the wing for the counterbalance was hard to overcome. It's a different game. I'm interested to see if you can get going on a smaller 3m or 3.5m wing. I''m hearing the newer rigid material LE wings are easier to pump up on foil. It seems the concept of the DW board for wingfoil is to use the smallest wing possible then ride waves. Guys were riding 3m wings on their DW board when I was relying on my 5m. The place for these DW boards is to get on a wave with as small a wing as possible. Much less needed on flat water without waves to ride. Love your videos and how you present your unfiltered, un-biased opinions.

[@OCEANBOUND1]

oooof dude. I'm sorry to leave you hanging. I've attempted responded to this 3 times now over the past few days, and the responses are so long I keep accidentally erasing them (just happened again). argh! but I think you are right on. I the sport is evolving quick, and it's hard to justify the $$ on such new technology. I really wanted to learn to paddle up on the flat, so tha's a huge reason I got the setup I have vs something smaller. there are a few brands that are on v2 or more and I trust them. I trust Armie cause I know they've been testing them for a while. check out Omen for smaller wing boards. I haven't tried the smaller wing thing but I def will, I'm still dialing in my setup. I'm done with wings over 6m (even though I still have a 7m) and I want to get better at using the dw board in surf, and ultimately with a smaller wing. if I can use my regular foils with small wings, I'm gonna be so stoked. the big foils I'm not so stoked on. the APF I have is a total beast to turn. maybe that will just get better. but that's more for waves and paddling I hope and I want to get better on smaller foils, like the new HAs Armie is putting out now. aww man I'm so sorry I feel like I'm skimping on this answer now but I promise I've written so much more and I'm a little crestfallen that I've accidentally deleted them, multiple times. lets keep the conversation going. let me know if you end up getting one. thanks for the awesome comment and I wish you an awesome weekend!

[@Watersportsaddiction]

Wow really interesting! Thank for sharing🙌

[@joemomma1608]

You need a FleetRico board!! Wait.... that only works for Richard....lol. Love this guy..... I twin tipped in 60 foot waves with him like 8 years ago in Chatham

[@OCEANBOUND1]

lol if he made a wing board I would 100% ride it cause it’d be awesome! I love charging waves with Rich. He’s the only other foiler I know that will go out with me on some gnar days.

[@larrycollar1322]

Have been eying a downwind board myself. Have hesitated for all the reasons you shared both verbally and via video. Our conditions are usually marginal and a DWB would help if I could ride it without getting bucked off. I am thinking you are the first person I’ve viewed brave enough to admit this new shape is a challenge. Thanks for that.

[@OCEANBOUND1]

aww thanks bud! I'm glad I have it. it's a new challenge. worthy to do in the winter when I usually don't challenge myself. but yeah, parts are fine, parts are awkward. when you combine it with large foils its so awkward. but we practice, put in the time, we get better. this is the way. but it means being a noob again. things will get better! let me know if you pull the trigger! I wish you an awesome weekend bud!

[@Watersportsaddiction]

Great job, already looking great👏

[@OCEANBOUND1]

Woot woot thanks so much 🙏 I wish you an amazing weekend!

[@pheelers1831]

Those sub 12 knot days will shine with this but it looked like you had decent wind this day.

[@OCEANBOUND1]

Oh man def good wind. I was overpowered on the 4.5m. I wanna take it out more in these conditions. I will. Especially this winter. I’m stoked to get better ripping on it.

[@wsurfn]

Thanks for keeping it real

[@OCEANBOUND1]

Dude thanks 🙏 for watching!

[@fleetrico]

When ever you get new gear you are reminded how far you have come … but really new gear always feels frustrating because it doesn’t do what your old gear did …it will take time to find all the new things it excels at that your old gear can’t do …. And that it’s the part that keeps the wetsuit from ever getting dry and the stoke high . Happy New year Bud 🎉!

[@OCEANBOUND1]

woot woot happy new year Rich! I totally agree, you are like a little buddha that slays on a foil. stoked to commit more time on this one. you going out Sunday I take it?

[@fleetrico]

Hope so ! First snow flake session of the year out here … looks like the tide wind and surf might line up for Fleet in the afternoon .

[@jojoquan1664]

Love your videos - I plan on learning to foil this spring. I live close to Nahant - hopefully my 30 years of windsurfing experience will help me learn foiling fast!! Keep the vids coming!!!!

[@OCEANBOUND1]

stoked for you! let me know if you have any questions. the wing journey can be arduous, but very rewarding! I can add you to our local GroupMe group if you want where we discuss winging. I'll be attempting Nahant on Sunday, fingers crossed. see you on the water soon and I wish you an awesome weekend!

[@jojoquan1664]

Yes please add me to your GroupMe group so I can sail with y’all. Thanks!!!!

[@TylerKaraszewski]

The amount of time I'd have to spend with a camera in my mouth is what keeps me from trying to regularly makes my own videos, hah. I'm glad someone else is willing to do it. As far as thinking it'd be easy - none of this is easy. Every foil sport is really, really hard. Don't forget how much you already needed to learn just to get here. It's hard.

[@OCEANBOUND1]

hah! I remember the first week or so I did the mouth mount thing. my jaw was sore for sure, but after that I've never thought about it. you not only get used to it... it builds muscles and even changed the shape of my face a little. it's saved my teeth multiple times during hard landings. I'd rather have it in my mouth than not at this point. about the rest, you are so right. the feeling I had for the first few months winging... oh man I totally remember that. and it's not as intense with the new board or dw in general, it's frustrating cause I know I have a base level of skills. but it's all good. I have a good perspective going into 2024 and I'm stoked to see what happens. thanks bud, I wish you an awesome day!!

[@christomo]

Awesome bro 😅, the board will come into its own on the lighter mellow days I'm sure, your frustration is just one of those things I'm the exact same with my new board going out in choppy swell I keep falling doing the stink bug bit but have to keep at it same as you 😀. And the paddle up thing is solid 😅 . Hope your voice is better now bud . And I look forward to a catch up 😊

[@OCEANBOUND1]

thanks Chris! yeah, the board will come. it's just not as simple as I hoped, but I'll crush it in 2024. I never do the stinkbug... it seems unnecessary and awkward to me, maybe I skipped a step. voice was better the next day. it was such an awkward sesh that I know didn't really show in the video. but here's to progress in 2024. lets slay these new baords! wishing you an awesome new year my friend. talk soon.

[@christomo]

@OCEANBOUND1 yer when I stood on grants 19 inch wide board it was such a struggle to just paddle in a straight line for the first hour think I would like to try a 21 to 22 inch wide . Glad your better have an awesome weekend no wind here or waves so my kids 12yo and 9yo boys and bikes for me .

[@WildGooseAdventures]

Feeling the frustration! A few times out with the downwind board was enough-had me asking why? Maybe taking the easy way out but I love my regular board and such a joy to just ride it. Riding you pain, good on you😅

[@OCEANBOUND1]

ride what you like!! def one of my mottos. that said, feeling uncomfortable isn't a bad thing. it just makes me want to work harder. hope all is well where you are and I wish you an awesome weekend!

[@Stanton_High]

That save at 5:30 was surreal. If only it was always like that haha

[@OCEANBOUND1]

lol the crazy wing flip boomerang back into my hand? what a trip. I'm so glad it was on camera. the wing literally ripped out of my hand from a strong gust. awesome and cray :P

[@robadair]

It's hard to take two or three steps backwards to make one forward. Ultimately it makes us better foilers. I think the thickness of the DW boards is the most difficult thing to get used to.

[@OCEANBOUND1]

Yeah agreed on both. The thickness of the board def throws me off. And I wasn’t so eloquent in my post-sesh conversation (wing brain) but even though I have enough width to maintain my normal stance, my mind is making my stance narrower. I just need to power through that, either forcing my stance wider or relearning on a narrower one. It continues to be an interesting process! But I’m down. It’s fun. I like the challenge. I wish you an awesome week Rob!

[@Watersportsaddiction]

100%

[@norfolkfoiler6466]

I have done 10 sessions on a 92l, 6ft2, 19.5inch DW board (my DD is a 60l FG). I am 93kg. I have had very similar experiences to you at times. I think the DW board has a place when 1) it is really light and you would not be going without it 2) it is really smooth water and you can get going on a smaller foil and smaller wing, and starts are easy and you don’t get blasted off the board by chop. If you can get a small board going on the same wing and foil, then there is zero benefit and plenty of downside of using a DW shape is my take.

[@christoph4333]

I agree

[@OCEANBOUND1]

yeah I agree, there's a time and a place. that said, I wanna push my comfort zone with it, I really think that's gonna make me better. not a ton o progress usually goes on in these parts over the winter, so I'm gonna use that time to be on it as much as I can. except this Sunday new 880 just arrived and the conditions are gnar and I gotta hit it :P

[@norfolkfoiler6466]

Based on my DW board experience, I am going to make a 65l appletree skipper shaped board - slightly longer (5ft) and narrower (21”) and rounded bottom shape - where the idea is that you get good non-planing speed speed through the water with easy release provided you have good pumping technique, and designed to bounce back up when you touch down once riding. So DW inspired concepts but in a much smaller size so you have all the downsides of all that volume. I have the luxury of being able to make boards with cnc cut blanks that is letting me try out all these different shapes without dropping 2k a pop.

[@Wing-Tips]

My most recent frustrating session was 35-40kts in huge chop on a board 25L under my weight. Spent 45 minutes trying to get on the board as every time I got it under me the waves just washed me off it again. Lesson learned, don't use the small board in huge, close period chop.

[@OCEANBOUND1]

oh man I've certainly had those frustrating sinker sessions! I really don't grab it in gnar conditions anymore unless the launch is super easy, even then I know the session can be hit or miss. but at least you learned something, and that's what it's all about. thanks for sharing and I wish you an awesome weekend!!

[@Stanton_High]

No footstraps?

[@Wing-Tips]

@@Stanton_High they make no difference at all in those conditions, I run full straps.

[@jjmc4]

Feeling new at something is just a drag. I thought you looked really smooth on the waves. Go take the skateboard around the block. That's really narrow.😀

[@OCEANBOUND1]

it's a drag but it's a process to building better. but sometimes it sucks, for sure. lol and yeah I've tried riding the other way on my surf skate and that sh!t's damn dangerous! but good call. happy new year bud!

[@christoph4333]

I feel sorry with you for that session... I don´t know if it was this year .. if yes... than: "the sessions will become better .. throughout the year" .. so that is not toooo bad... if it was last year .. “next year becomes better!!”.😊 ... I understand completely the aspect of the straps..even though people say it might be just mental and you get used to it .. I also feel that when i am leaning in, I use the straps (front) - so I am with you on that..I am not sure if for winging in waves and with enough wing the DW board is the best option .. why do you think of going for that? As the name says DW.. so why use it for winging (if your wind is sufficient)?

[@OCEANBOUND1]

thanks bud. and it's all good. there were so many frustrating things in that day and session, but I did learn some things and I have a pretty fresh and positive perspective going into 2024... I'm gonna work at it, I'm gonna get better. as far as the straps go, they make things easier. they make me have solid sessions and I F up less. so when you take them out, skill gaps exposed. for the dw board... if I do want ride it for dw'ing, the best conditions are windy and probably more chaotic, so getting used to it in chaos I feel will only help down the road, even though it's with a wing. I know in winging, whenever I go out in really challenging conditions, the ones where some of my other wing friends use kites instead... it was those conditions that I learned a ton and became a better rider. so I'm gonna try to get out of my comfort zone this winter. the only problem is I wanna rock out hard on the new HA foils so I'm gonna have to use my other board for some sessions. thanks for the comment, as always. truly appreciated. I wish you an awesome day!~