FEEDBACK: PULSE DP UPE ARAMID

The impression of really doing slalom sailing as he used to do on windsurfing gear is David’s conclusion after his test of the Pulse DP UPE Aramid.

Wing foiler: Patrice Guénolé, Boss & Shaper GONG, with the Pulse DP UPE Aramid.

The conditions of the test

“I was lucky enough to test the Pulse DP UPE Aramid which I got from the hands of its designers. One of the perks of working on the same floor at the GONG Space Center… I tested this new Pulse in side-off conditions which meant that the wind was quite inconsistent when close to the shore. My guess is that the wind oscillated between 5 and 15 knots when I was downwind of the buildings and got more steady and stronger offshore, I would say in the 15 to 20 knots range. Rather complicated conditions but on the bright side it allowed me to test the wing in a very wide wind range.

I had a Cruzader FSP Pro 6’0 under my feet. It was my first time using it in conditions above 10-15 knots. I had a set-up made of an HM85 mast, a Veloce M front wing and a Veloce stab. I had the Pulse DP UPE Aramid in 5.5m2 and my bathroom scale tells me I’m 85kg.”

First impressions

“This wing is really something once inflated… The second skin on the intrado makes it look like a cambered windsurf sail and the sensations on the water will not deny this impression. I was locked in the harness like in the good old days. The body of water was quite calm and getting on the narrow Cruzader was not an issue. Regarding the take off, things didn’t go as usual though. My usual technique for taking off by energetically pumping up and down and bouncing the board on the water did not work out too well… The wind was about 10 knots at that time. So I decided to let myself glide on the water on a broad reach to take off in a more relaxed way. Within a couple of meters I was on the foil (this Cruzader is truly magical). It feels like the Pulse DP UPE Aramid gets going a bit like windsurf gear. A subtle glide works better than a vigorous pumping technique. At the end of the day, I got only stuck in the 5 knot lulls. So despite a slightly different technique, I took off without any problem. And it was just my first session with it.”

Constant acceleration

“In flight I went straight to the straps and leaned back in the harness. It instantly reminded me of slalom sensations in windsurfing because you’re “sitting” in the harness with the Pulse DP whereas the harness only relieves the arms with a classic wing. Especially because it accelerates hard from the get go, making you naturally lean back in the harness. On the water, several colleagues are having a session with classic wings, which allows me to measure the difference in performance. When seeing me they put themselves in race mode… Game on… It’s close between us on the starts but as soon as we settle on a course the Pulse DP gains meter after meter over them despite all their efforts… The crazy part is that I was under the impression of always having power to spare. The wing just keeps accelerating and pulling forward. It’s quite astonishing. The only challenge is not to make mistakes. But it turns out it is also very stable and despite the 20 knots blowing offshore it steers itself with total control, always hooked with the harness.”

The maneuvers

“Much like the take off, I would say that the maneuvers need to be more precise. At first I had difficulty maintaining an air flow that effectively carried the wing during maneuvers. Things were already much better at the end of the session. The whole experience was quite interesting, my movements in the maneuvers got more precise and as the session went on I could engage in the curves with confidence. So don’t panic if you’re a little confused at first. In the team’s opinion, the adaptation goes fairly quickly.”

New references

“The Pulse DP wing is all about performance. I didn’t have a GPS watch but the speed compared to the other foilers in the spot, including a windfoil, said enough. Upwind sailing is also spectacular. I must insist on the Cruzader. This board is a catalyst that boosts sensations of speed with the Pulse DP UPE Aramid. It’s the board you want for full tilt speed runs because you can sail with a lot of angle and allow yourself to touch the chop without taking a huge hit. Not to mention the lightning takeoff that it allows. In my eyes the combination of this type of board and the performance of this wing puts slalom wing foiling where it was for many people in windsurfing. Adrenaline, speed and healthy competition on the spots, we find all these elements.”

The Pulse DP UPE Aramid is available to order until October 31, 2023.