Matt Nuzzo rides and reviews the new Armstrong XPS Lightwind Wings with REAL Wing Coach Brendan Guthrie. Get your XPS Lightwind Wing here today: www.realwaters...
@REALmattnuzzo thanks for the review! I got 7m based on your recommendations (82kg). Love it! Agree with everything you say about the wing. Real session saver on our lakes (I combine it with armstrong DW and axis art pro 1401 foil). And it really holds its shape then wind picks up and everyone is on 5.0-5.5m. I was really afraid to be overpowered on such a monster easily yet it works. It is magic :) and gives a confidence boost: should wind pick up you still can manage it in much stronger wind than expected. Love the wing! :) makes me wonder if 8m would push the low end evel lower :) Great to see Armstrong delivering such a great wing at such a reasonable price. My only issue is that the leading edge bladder seem to be twisting inside over time (I am not 100% sure what is going on). That twist seems to be causing some wrinkles while I am pumping it up and when in the end of the session I open the valve to let the air out the opening for the air is actually blocked by bladder plastic (I am not 100% sure if this is twisted bladder is so twisted that it blocks the air intake or is it simply some "extra" plastic near the valve inside the bladder which somehow does that). Shaking the leading edge before pumping the air in like Armie does on videos doesn't seem to help. I even unzipped the leading edge, untwisted the bladder by hand (I "think" I felt it was slightly twisted. but really slightly), but a couple of sessions later the air intake got blocked again. Maybe some issue with the leading edge, maybe some issue with the way I fold it, I wish Armstrong published an "official" fold guide for XPS lightwind (I do it like Armstrong does on their videos for XPS: roll from both sides then fold, although since this is 7m I have to fold 3 times and twist the powerbutton like @REALWatersports does on their "short" tips video). Maybe it is hard not to twist with such a long and large diameter leading edge. Maybe issue is somewhere else entirely. This is the only wing I see this issue with.
@REALmattnuzzo thanks for the timely and detailed review. I buy Armie stuff only after seeing your reviews. I am anxiously waiting for you take on the new ML board and whether they can replace the DW ones. Please post that one too and thanks again for everything.
Thanks. That Midlength is the real deal. Super fun board. It took a couple of takes to get the edit right and it should be out next week. I have been riding the ML 55L as my go to board for the last month. I just started riding the 40L Wing FG again and I love the Wing FG for the compact feel and design. The ML will work a bit better for light wind than the 40L FG but not close to the DW107 that I have. Short story is that the ML really improves your take off from the water. They do act like small DW boards but you will not get the maximum light wind performance from the ML like you will on the DW. Also the new Armstrong Downwind board has been optimized for light wind winging and stability. It is more stable and comes off the water better than previous versions. We see a lot of people gravitating to the Midlength that one board that will cross over really well for winging and prone foiling. I have been using my 55L with the Foil Drive and it is a sick shape for the FD.
These videos are invaluable! I stupidly was at a shop and asked a few questions and was recommend an Armstrong 4.5M. It’s worked on the north shore of O’ahu on really windy days when all the kites are out But now I’m trying in Kailua when the wind is 10-15 knots. It says gusts of 20 but that 4.5 is just not helping. My board and foil are solid for a beginner. I don’t want to spend the money, but either a 6.1 XPS or a 7M light wind seems like a good idea.
Ha ha. Yeah if you want something for 10-15 then get the 7m. That wing has a ton of range and is still really performance oriented. You can ride the 7m up to 20 and then go to the 4.5m.
I’m 185 pounds and currently ride a 120HA foil for prone surfing. I’ve never wing foiled but want to get into it. I live in San Diego. It would be awesome to get a setup that I could ride in the bay as well as catch some swell if the conditions were right. My wife is 135- 140 and complete novice when it comes to fooling but she surfs. Any recommendations on a set up for each of us? The only thing I know about the foil world is my set up. I just called lift and they told me what to get. Later on, I downsized my foil and that’s it.
Cool. Give us a shout at the shop and we can dial you in. San Diego has great wind but it is light so you will need some pretty specific light air stuff like these wings and some down wind boards or really efficient boards. Also will need some bigger foils than you have.
Matt, are you using the longer batten in light air to keep shape or leaving it out as is done with the smaller xps wings for added power in light wind.
The Power Batten stays in as well as the small trailing edge battens. The Power Batten is essential for keeping the draft of the wing locked in and stable. It is what allows the wing tips to be cut so short. F-one is cutting their wing tips short on eat CWC Strike by using small struts to stabilize the wing tip. Armstrong has developed the Power Batten to do the same thing with out having the strut. Both are great concepts and work really well for reducing the wing tip span on big wings.
@@REALmattnuzzo thanks but think I mis stated my question. I was referring only to the longer trailing edge batten that comes to the tip of the power batten. I know on the regular XPS wings the longer trailing batten can be removed to give more power and wondering if doing the same gives a bit more low end grunt on the lightwind or if it's better to have the longer trail edge batten installed to give more shape in that area. Saw your video on how to fold the wing and the longer batten was in place.
I weigh 90kg and currently riding a XPS 5.3m. Seem to be having a constant wind of around 12 knots and the 5.3m isn’t getting me up on foil. Would you recommend a 6.1m XPS or the 8m light wind? I am still a novice.
@@funkymonk8952 Both are great and will get you going in really light air. The XPS will be lighter feeling and more nimble and the Loft Pro will have a little less efficient with more low end grunt.
The XPS LW is lighter weight and it has a lighter feeling than the Loft pro while riding. XPS handles being over powered a bit better too. The Loft has a more rigid leading edge due to the UPE and more wing tip. The Loft also has a deeper draft. The Loft is currently the go to light wind wind for our lessons. Our coaches are really enjoying the cut off wing tips on the new XPS LW and easy to handle feel. Both are very good light wind wings but we haven't tested them back to back in the same conditions so can't tell what gets going in lighter air.
@@REALmattnuzzo I am interested in one of these two wings as well and would really like a comparison. Is there someone at REAL who has ridden both and I could talk to?
Seem 15 mph, 13 knots gust on the outside, but they were talking starting conditions like 8 -10 mph so it's like 7-9 knots Almost all American speak in mph. They know about knots but since mph is 85% of knots they dont boughter. We know force is speed squared, so, yes, it make a quite a difference between 20 mph and 20 knots.
The wind we were riding is was 5-10mph. The wind meter a mile out was reading SE10-15mph. We never made past the Slick Island where it was 10+ mph. I mean look at the water, it’s glassy.😊
