GEAR: CHOOSING YOUR SIRUS!

Here are the keys to appreciate the unconventional dimensions of this front wing made for endless glide!

The unique shape of the Sirus makes you take off, pump and glide like no other foil can. Qualities that unveil an unimaginable potential for dock start, SUP foil or surf foil sessions with record flight times. You can also choose it for winging, for instance under a Cruzader which will make you take off and fly in almost no wind! Its dimensions support staggering performances, particularly in pumping where it will break all your records by a long shot.

We tell you all about the dimensions you need under your board to set your new personal bests!

4 SIZES… FOR ALL

Pumping

For the heart of its program, which is pumping from a dock, or from a flat water standing start with a Cruzader, the choice of size is less dependent on the size of the foiler than the pace one wants to adopt. On a Sirus L, the pumping pace will be higher, which translates into an effort where your cardio is essentially put to work. By contrast on a 3XL, the pace will be much slower and the lift more important, which means you resort more to the muscular strength of your legs than your cardio. This is a simplified view of course, as cardio and muscular strength go hand in hand, but it’s either the one or the other that will dictate your performance when pumping. The pumping pace is therefore the first point to consider in your choice.

On a Sirus, a good pumping technique and great physical condition will be rewarded by considerable flight time. If smashing your personal bests in pumping is your goal, the Sirus is the front wing to go for, and the bigger you choose it, the further you’ll go. The glide of a 3XL is phenomenal, but above all, the more you go up in size, the more leeway you have to rest. On such a foil you have time to analyze all our movements, to correct the faults, to breathe and to project yourselves towards the set objective. Your second criterion of choice can therefore be your ambitions on the water. A Sirus allows you to go very far without having to immediately draw on your reserves. You can stand tall, look to the horizon and dare ambitious goals with serenity.

Your choice of size may also be dictated by your launching point. A standing start with a Cruzader involves zero constraints. The wingspan of the Sirus L allows pumping from most solutions to launch: dock, boat, ladder start,… A Sirus even allows you to launch without any momentum at all but this exercise requires to be extremely precise, so it’s for experts only. For the larger sizes of the Sirus and for a more accessible practice, the perfect spot is a floating dock at water level which allows you to pass the wing under the dock and gain a little momentum before stepping on the board. Only a few steps are enough with the Sirus to reach a speed that lifts you comfortably.

To sum it up, if you’re choosing a Sirus mostly for pumping:

• The Sirus L 116 is a bit more about cardio than its bigger sisters because you will need to maintain a high pace to take full advantage of its lift. However, it benefits from a maneuverability that allows you to better recover from a badly placed stance. In addition, its maneuverability allows you to send beautiful turns on the flat.
• The Sirus XL 136 is a very stable front wing, very versatile, smooth and enduring in pumping. Its very thin tips which do not lock the front wing allow you to make beautiful curves too.
• The Sirus XXL 156 is a super stable wing that allows you to cover long distances effortlessly. Your only challenge when dock starting is a clean launch and you’re all set for a record.
• The Sirus 3XL 186 is a giant wing that is suitable for bigger people and dedicated to easy pumping. More in muscle than in cardio, this imposing FW allows the impossible. You can be over 100 kg and achieve great distances with it. You can weigh 65 kg and fly almost in slow motion without any effort and last, last, last… Provided you have a suitable dock to launch, it is accessible. You just have to start straight and anticipate the turns a little more.

For SUP foiling on flat water

GAME CHANGER alert ! You can take off on flat water within a few paddle strokes. Imagine what becomes possible: it’s mind-boggling 😉 Besides, the combination of fine tips that dive into the curve without blocking the wing and a paddle that allows extended support points, makes for a maneuverable front wing despite very large proportions. This is all the more true with the quality of our dedicated masts which are ultra rigid, so there is no loss of control. In 116 and 136 it is very manageable for these wingspans. With the 156 and 186 you simply have to increase the radius of your turns a little.

Your choice of size meets the same criteria as for a pumping use as mentioned above, with the exception of the launch point since you take off directly from the water. So don’t hesitate to oversize if you want to set new records 😉

• The Sirus L 116 is a demanding wing for your cardio that’s meant for lightweights and good paddlers / pumpers.
• The Sirus XL 136 is a technical wing to take off with but easier than the 116. In flight you go fast and it is pleasant. It is still demanding cardio wise!
• The Sirus XXL 156 is an accessible wing for flat water standing starts. With 2000 cm2 it’s no fake! By paddling hard or on a narrow board, it takes off quite simply. In the air it is a great compromise between speed and pure lift.
• The Sirus 3XL 186 is a giant front wing that will make even the heaviest foilers take off. It can be a bit much for light riders who will sometimes be overwhelmed by its 2400 cm2 and for a limited benefit. For a flat water standing start you are necessarily using a board whose weight will not allow you to go for duration records like a dock start board would. Besides, you consume energy just to get going (conversely to a dock start). Having such a big wing is great for taking off. Yet, a light foiler can take off with less. So do not oversize unnecessarily.

Good to know: you can take off as early with a narrow Cruz and a Sirus 136 as with a Cruz XL and a Sirus 156. The width is a terrible obstacle for taking off as you first need to accelerate on the water. Besides, with a Sirus 136 and more, lateral balance is never an issue for a rider who sets the objective to fly on the flat, as he should be a good paddler to do so.

SUP foiling in waves and downwinders

For downwinders, the Sirus is the go-to front wing in soft conditions. It allows you to make long DWs in conditions where other front wings would struggle to fly. So you really have to use them in conditions that are a bit soft for a downwinder or, conversely, reserve them for “beginners” in DW or to compensate for a lack of physical condition. By limiting the amount of pumping strokes you need to do, the Sirus opens up this practice to way more people. The lift is unstoppable and it flies quietly. The 116 is great for its maneuverability and the 186 for its glide, even if it would be a very marginal choice for a DW. Prefer the 136 which provides the optimal Vmax/lift ratio in lightly windy downwinders. The ultimate choice for an average sized foiler is between these two sizes 116/136, to take advantage of the best handling/gliding compromise.

In the waves, the Sirus L, and to a lesser extent the Sirus XL, offer maneuverability close to our large front wings dedicated to SUP foiling but with a record glide: great for connecting an offshore set wave with fuel left in the tank. You also benefit from a tolerant profile which allows you to get going again after a sketchy wave exit. For a medium sized foiler, the Sirus L will be great in soft waves and the Sirus XL will be great in very small conditions. The wingspan of the Sirus XXL and 3XL becomes quite technical to manage in the waves because:

• On a down-the-line trajectory, one can suffer from an imbalance between the part of the front wing that sits in the powerzone of the wave and that at the bottom of the wave (or even breaching);
• You don’t have much room to maneuver.

We therefore do not recommend the Sirus XXL and 3XL in the waves but if these are part of your quiver for dock starts for example, they will allow you to take off on incredibly small waves, long before they break, or even to take off facing the waves! So it’s only for the smallest days.

As always in foiling, pay attention to the people around you: you represent a real danger and an accident is always possible. Also be careful for yourself as it’s easy to make contact with these giant wings. The risk of injury is omnipresent. Be extra vigilant when negotiating the shorebreak too. Generally speaking, don’t be foolish and keep it safe at all times please.

In surf / prone foiling

Undeniably, the advantage of a Sirus in surf foiling is to connect waves without having to consume all of your energy. In addition, you also benefit from a tolerant profile which allows you to get going again after a sketchy wave exit. On the wave, you obviously have to adopt a less aggressive style than with our pure surf front wings (Curve, Fluid or Veloce). It’s a smooth operator.

The Sirus L allows riders of average size to score very small waves, recover energy while flying and connect super easily. It will also be suitable for light riders for whom the flight time is what matters above all.

The Sirus XL is aimed at bigger riders who want a wing that takes off more easily than a “classic” shape and that you can pump for long with a minimum of effort. On the wave it is ideal for cruising like on a retro longboard. However, it requires a good technical level to master its impressive size.

The Sirus XXL and 3XL are too big for surf foiling. Even if everything is possible, we don’t recommend them for this use.

In wing foiling

The small sizes are fantastic for taking off in no wind. And paired with a Cruzader, you’ll extend your low end by a long shot. In fact there’s no such thing as a low end with the Sirus !!! It’s just amazing how early it flies. And the speed remains top-ranked. For a relaxed freeride session or freefly surfing on long swells, this is the machine to take off and fly without stopping.

The help of the wing means that it is not necessary to oversize a Sirus to take off. A Sirus L will be more than enough for a wing foiler of an average size in light conditions and a Sirus XL for a bigger person. As for the Sirus XXL and 3XL, they allow incredible takeoffs but will be more limiting in your session in terms of maneuverability.

To sum it up for a wing foiling use:

• The Sirus L 116 is an easy, versatile front wing, which will boost the low end while remaining a “small” surface with its 1450 cm2 in very light winds. We go from one curve to another easily, it easily reaches 18/20 knots, it’s great.
• The Sirus XL 136 is the go-to size to erase frustration on light wind days. Waiting forever for a gust of wind to take off is ancient history with this front wing. In 6-8 knots, just a few pumping strokes will get you going.
• The Sirus XXL 156 is a very lifty wing. It opens the 3-6 knots wind range for you. It remains pleasant to surf with the help of the wing. You can freefly in 5 knots of wind, and that’s just crazy.
• The Sirus 3XL 186 is a giant wing for conditions in which the wind is close to imperceptible. It sits at the frontier of what’s possible in super light conditions. A real challenge to the laws of nature.

Good to know: in wing foiling, the first attempts at taking off in less than 8 knots are often a failure. Though you tell people to pump on the foil more than you should with the wing, they still shake their wing like in the old days 😉 Remember you should first swing the board on the water for the foil to get going, then only trigger the flight with the wing. Rest assured, in 10 minutes everyone gets it 😉

Good to know 2: You should consider a wind difference between 6 and 8 knots to be as impactful on your gear choice as one between 30 and 40 knots!!! So don’t take the choice of equipment lightly in super light wind conditions… It has serious consequences. A good choice makes you fly while the bad keeps you stuck to the water. Enjoying light wind conditions demands appropriate gear. Also remember that the average wind measured around the world is about 8 knots. So your options are to travel, to wait or to have the right gear! 😉