Gong Cruzader Hipe Review Update: Sabfoil Leviathan - Light Wind Weapon: Essential for Heavy Riders
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- In this video I go over the Gong Hipe paired with the Leviathan 1150 and 1550 and 6M F1 Strike. I’m 6’-5”, 230 lbs. The 1550, Gong and 6M will get me on foil in about 8 mph wind and I can comfortably ride to about 14 mph wind. Once the wind exceeds 14mph, I swap out the 1550 for the 1150. That keeps me comfortably riding at 14mph. I have the Sabfoil 899 as the next size down. By then I’ll probably be switching to my 125l Fanatic Sky Wing board.
Key Moments:
0:00 - You may no longer need an 8M wing
0:55 - Plugging the Gong/Leviathan combo - 230lbs Foiling like I'm 160 lbs
1:23 - Overview of the gear used
2:02 - The Sabfoil Leviathan 1550 and 1150 front foils - seamless transition
3:28 - Say goodbye to the 8M Strike
4:11 - Can you do it on the Fanatic Sky Air..
4:22 - At the beach
4:34 - 6M and 1150 on Gong, but not Fanatic
4:45 - Sabfoil Kraken quick change comparison
5:15 - Final thoughts - One wing (6M), One Board (Gong 7'11" Cruzader), two front foils (Leviathan 1150 and 1550) - Hudba
I really appreciate the board comparison in the same session to confirm what a difference it makes. Fwiw, I got used to the 8m and actually got my first tacks on it.
Wow, tacking an 8m kudos!
Hi Greg, I always follow your videos, and I totally agree about the 8m CWC. It’s quite light, but difficult to manage when it’s upside down on the water and and do not provide a really big advantage compared to my Ensis Score 6.2m.
I also bought a Naish Hover 140L when I read you have trouble with the 125 L and it’s not better, the bottom sink when I stand on it, may be is good in the sea, but not in lake (salted water carry more).
Now I ordered the Crusader 7’11 like you and a big front wing Curve 5XL (165 cm). It’s my last chance to foil in light wind… I will receive them next week.
About composite Cruzader, now they offer 15% discount and produce a new 8’2…. Of course it’s better than inflatable, BUT it’s difficult to put in the car over 6’6…, you need to buy an additional board bag, rail savers and it’s easy to damage. So for big sizes inflatable bring more advantages.
Wish you good wind.
Agreed....my 7'11' just.... fit's into a stationwagon. I also highly recommend it. I experienced the same story as Greg did. Coming from a 115l Starboard Wing board..with CWC 8.0
Woohoo sell the 8 and the Sky Wing, and tha Cruzader more than pays for itself. I am sizing down my whole quiver based on my Cruzader, it changes everything!
Update video - Review of the Summer with the Hype and video of foiling in 6 mph winds at 230 lbs czcams.com/video/Sz0Gvt2y3oY/video.html
OK, I in a similar situation. I live close to a lake but we only have so few real good windy days. Now it's already 3 weeks with wind under 7kts ! :-( . I still am a beginner , just started to try going into the jibe. Oh, ... I'm 62, 82Kg, using a Fanatic Sky 125lit board, the Gong Veloce xxl and Curve XXL-H with a Fone 7m or Cabrinha 6m. I like to get out more and so looking for 2 setup, one for extra light wind and one for all else. No chance to try the Ging Cruzader here. I had the opportunity to borrow once a Fanatic downwinder 120 lit. for 5min. I found it easier then expected but still quite tippy a d that board is 25' wide ! I see that the Cruzader 7,2 XL is longer but also more narrow than that Fanatic downwinder. So ... first question ... how is it on getting on the board, standing and staying upright ? Second ... is there someone who tried the experience the difference between the Cruzader (ridged) and the same dimension Cruzader hype (inflatable) ? And your impressions. They are now on sale (because new boards are gone come out) but there's still a big price difference between ridged and inflatable.
I found that getting used to the narrow board wasn’t so difficult. I have the 7‘11“ version. It has quite a bit of flotation, 140 L. I don’t try to go out if there isn’t at least some wind, enough, wind to keep the wing out of the water when I’m kneeling on the board. That wind speed is right around 5 miles an hour. When I get up on the board immediately grab the leading edge of the wing when it’s on the water and use it to help support my weight while I get into position. Once I’m in position, kneeling on the board, I bring up the wing quickly and float it over my head and bring it down and in, but above the water. At that point I get stability from the mast as I generate forward motion. I cruise around in this position until a bit of wind hits. Then I stand up real quick and start working on getting the board up on foil, bear off, slow pump, then faster pumping of wing and foil. I have an 8 m but don’t use it anymore because it’s too easy for the trailing edge of the wing to drop into the water. it won’t allow me to just cruise around at a slow speed. My 6 m is light enough that it will float and not fall in the water. This will help keep me going forward while waiting for Wind. The other big thing I have is a pumping style front foil. I am not familiar with the foils you are talking about, but the pumping foil I am using is perfect for this light wind condition. I am quite a bit lighter than you, so I think you could get by with your 6 m easily, and probably a 5 m. I went for the inflatable one because the price was so low. I wasn’t ready to invest a lot of money in some thing if it wasn’t going to work. The other bonus is that it’s easy to transport and I can take it on airplane trips. that is a really big bonus. I hope this answers the majority of your questions best of luck foiling in your light winds.
How much of an adjustment did you have going from a traditional board to a DW board? I've heard they are really tippy. Have you had the chance to try a composite DW board?
It is a bit tippier, so you need to have some wind to give you stability. When I get on, I use the leading edge of the wing like the third leg of a tripod to provide balance. I don't try to stand until there is enough wind to float the wing. Prior to that I do a slow taxy. I haven't ridden a composite version. At a little over $800, The inflatable is about 1/3 the cost of a composite.
Thanks for the review. How much more difficult is it to jibe this board compared to your other one?
I think it will be okay with a smaller foil than I’ve been riding. I’ve only been out on the leviathan 1550 and 1150 in light wind. they aren’t as loose as I think my 899 will be. I suspect it will be as easy to turn as a smaller board… we’ll need someone else to chime in on that. I’m not likely to get winds strong enough to try the smaller foil for a while.
Great info! I would like to see how you get up and going on the board. I just got a Naish Matador and tested it out today. Going to be a while befor I get a board but this info will held my choice.
I'm looking forward to getting back on the water. My schedule and the wind haven't lined up. The next trick is finding someone to take some video
Greg, great info! Do you think Cruz 7'6" would get you up equally well? it is only 14 L less but 1 1/16" narrower which may be better for forward motion.. Never seen this board in real life but seeing your results want to buy it with Sirus136 or 156 or Curve H 125 for light wind and pump foiling. I am 218lbs and 6'0". I have Fluid XLH 112cm for higher wind. Thanks for advice ;-)
I went with the 7-Eleven because I wanted more stability. Check out this video. I made today getting up with an 8 m and 1550 Leviathan foil. You’ll see how it is and what it looks like to pump it up on the foil it’s blowing about 10 miles an hour and this video. czcams.com/video/Mk5ZuvXbU9I/video.htmlsi=41pPmjI5Ovq4dauJ
What made you decide the SAB foil was a better choice than the Gong Sirus front foils, which also seem to have good lift and aspect ratio? Also, where did you order from? Directly from Gong?
The big gong foils weren’t available last summer. I would definitely consider them. Ask around. I’m really happy with the quality of the board. They ship directly from the manufacturing plant in France. You buy directly from them. It was easy and fast. It shipped from France via DHL in less than a week.
@@gregstrickland9667 That is a good turnaround time. Thanks!
What is the overall size of the backpack for the Gong Cruzader 7'11"?
It’s maybe 40” x 40”
It’s under 112 linear inches… can take on airplane as regular luggage… must be under 50lbs
I wouldn’t wear it like a backpack… it’s way too awkward…. But the roller wheels work great.
I’m 100 kg and I bought a DW board because of all the hype and now I’m selling it. It just isn’t that much fun once you’re up and it sucks getting them going in choppy conditions with light wind. Instead, get a flat bottomed short board (Slingshot Wingcraft V2 or the latest expensive Duotone boards), a Strike CWC 7m, and a big HA foil like the Axis 1300 or 1310 or the huge Sabb foil. The 7m wing is light and easy to gybe. I can pump and glide on the big foils. And I can get up in very little wind no matter how choppy.
It’s definitely a niche board, tailored for light conditions. I agree that it sucks in choppy water if you don’t have wind. I also agree with you that a hard board is great, but for me I need a steady 15 to go to my 125l flat bottom Fanatic Sky Wing. We don’t get a lot of days with 15+ mph, so this setup opens up the sub-15 mph days.
Interesting feedback. I was looking into getting a DW style board but we often have chop even in low winds. Can you elaborate more on why the DW board sucks compared to a normal board in those conditions? I find getting up to speed in chop is the biggest challenge, as the chop slows down the board, and the DW shape should definitely help with pickup up speed as it is a more efficient shape (?)
@@strekke1986 the DW boards are very unstable. So if there is not a lot of wind to balance against while you're in the chop, the chop will knock you over. When there is not a lot of wind, I needed a big wing just to help me balance while slogging ... which kind of kills the point of having a DW board. All this can be overcome by putting a lot of time in on the board and buying the right sized DW board to begin with. I'm 100 kg and ride a 105L short board so I thought I would be fine on a 110L DW board. That was a huge mistake. I should have bought a 125-135L DW board because they are so unstable. Then maybe over the next year I could have developed the technique and balance to handle a board closer to my weight. I've softened my stance agains DW boards lately because a few people I respect swear by them. They are experienced watermen/women who are lightweight and have good balance. I would just suggest sizing up and going in with the correct expectations and you may eventually strike gold after putting some time in. Again in flat water, they're great. Choppy conditions are challenging but I guess some people are overcoming those challenges.
Where do you ride?
This review was at OO Denny Park on Lake Washington, near Seattle.
Why are these Gong boards so much less expensive than the competition? Presumably they are all made in China, so how are these 1/2 the price of some other known quality boards? I worry that it speaks to the quality of materials or construction. ???
I had my doubts too. I’m not exactly sure where they are made but they ship out of their facility in France. So far, I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the board, it’s the best 800 bucks I’ve invested so far. My fanatic Board cost about twice that and I don’t think the quality is really any better. Actually I think the mass base on the gong board is a lot beefier. That’s my experience so far. You could check around with others, but I think a lot of people are pretty happy with the gong stuff, especially the boards.
@@gregstrickland9667 that's what I see too, just that old "if it sounds too good".... ;)
The Fanatic was one of the ones I was considering. Im also 230lbs, so all relevant to me. And LIGHT wind on our inland lakes. No issues with the overseas delivery I take it?
@@mikeb1039 it took a out 5 or 6 days to ship from France to Seattle, WA. It shipped via DHL.
Here’s a video of it in action. I’m on an 1150 Sabfoil (1580sqcm) and a 6M F1 Strike. czcams.com/video/MHDcuqOu0zI/video.htmlsi=f4lMzUWCvQaJ4Br8
@@gregstrickland9667 Just took the bait. :)
Can't wait for summer.