What to doooo? (Beginner equipment question)
96-98kg, 188cm, 56years, never did any boards sports.
I have 5m Strike V3 in good condition.
I did 4 sessions SUP winging (on a huge and HEAVY Starboard Rio Rhino, in quite gusty and choppy conditions). Can taxi upwind, but jibes (especially the following foot switches) are still a problem (maybe if it was less choppy...).
I feel like I am getting ready for the foil. Renting locally is a problem (too expensive, only on Neusiedler See, which now has record low levels and foiling is basically impossible - perhaps next spring).
Local conditions: lakes in central Europe (Neusiedler See, Danube in Samorin/Hamuliakovo...). No real waves, but can be quite choppy. Wind unreliable, often weak, stronger conditions when fronts cross (mostly spring/fall).
Goals:
comfortable cruising/freeriding in local spots
travel to warmer locations that have solid wind, and eventually surfing gentle waves or even downwinding
Desired equipment:
- want something suitable for low wind, to enable more wingfoiling days
- also, have had enough taxiing in chop, would like to get above it
- hence, midlength-type board, and at least 6.5m wing
- ideally, looking at Takoon Glide ML 125l hardboard for local (or reachable by car, like Lago Garda/Sardinia) foiling
- and eventually Takoon Air Glide ML 120l for air travel to warmer locations (have cheap direct flights to Hurghada, but renting there gets expensive fast...)
Problems:
- Glide ML 125l might be too difficult/unstable for me at this moment, and perhaps it is too much of a duplicate (and significant extra cost) once I have Air Glide ML, which I want for travel
- Air Glide ML at its maximal size of 120l is surely too unstable for me at this moment
I have been looking at Gong Hipe Like in the 150l size as an alternative for learning: The price, shape and size is right, but I feel I will outgrow it too quickly (unlike the (Air) Glide ML). Also, given that it is inflatable, perhaps it would not be that much better stability-wise than the Glidel ML 125l. Furthermore, I think Takoon's X-Glide V2 at 1700 is a foil that will be useful for me longer that Gong X-Over XXL, and I am not sure I want to deal with the problems of combining Takoon's foils with Gong board.
Basically, the question is whether I should get
the complete Takoon Glide ML package (at significant (>2.5k) cost, as I want/need at least 6.5m wing, i.e. V4Pro, as V3 and V4 max out at 6m and the cheaper V3 is anyway sold out in larger sizes)
the complete Gong Like package XXL (that would be obsolete - both board and foil - rather soon, and the wind is 6m, not more), but saves some decent money compared to Takoon
just cobble some board/foil cheaply and postpone the significant expenses to the next year.
go to Egypt/Vietnam/Mauricius vacation (don't want to keep falling into icy water), take lessons and rent, and buy more advanced stuff next year. Hmm, not a cheap option, but it has its (also non-wingfoiling) benefits ...