FEEDBACK: VELOCE XXL !!!

The liveliness of our forum and the quality of its content is simply unique. We thank once again all the members of the GONG community who take the time to share their experiences as Hecub does below for the Veloce XXL.

 

 

“I have the Veloce XXL and this morning I was doing 95kg on the scale.

In dock start

I usually play with the Rise XXL, Curve XXL or Curve XL-T.

I tested the Veloce with a running start from a low pontoon. Facing an obstacle, you have to make the first turn just after the start. I don’t think I would have made a successful start from a high pontoon. The Veloce is more difficult to launch and requires a little different pumping.

As much as I can run fast enough to start almost at the comfort speed of the Curve XL-T, this is not the case with the Veloce. I have to start pumping very flexed and with very small strokes to accumulate enough speed and try to consume less energy.

Once launched, it is really fast, pumping costs me a lot of legs. The turns must be approached more gently and some adjustments to be made on the flight height side. I have more touchdowns and they are more difficult to recover than in XL-T. I also have top exits even in a straight line, which I have never had before in pure pumping.

In the end, it is not “profitable” for me at the moment in dock start in the sense that I miss more starts and that I tire a lot to launch it. It goes fast and I still manage to make a U-turn with 200m. It’s clearly much better than what I expected when I ordered. It allows for a great training: top!

2 sessions with the Veloce and I felt a progression when I resumed the XL-T.

In surfing

Tested only once for the moment in relatively powerful hip-size waves (for foiling) and which offered some openings for easy exits. Usually I am almost exclusively in Curve XL-T, I was on the Matata 5’8 61L.

“I expected a much more difficult wing”

Reading the feedbacks I expected a much more difficult wing: I enjoyed myself in the first session. You have to pay attention to it to keep it flat in the phases where the speed is lacking. Apart from that I had no real difficulty. Just adjustments to be made and on the contrary once started I am more confident in pumping.

“I need to do a better wave selection”

I need a slightly bigger wave at the take off to be comfortable with the Veloce. I also need to do a better wave selection: my margins of maneuver to exit are reduced compared to the Curve. It is especially more complicated to relaunch if I go out hard with little speed. At the end of the session, I was still starting to be able to get out by pumping in front of the wave and making a tight turn to cut through the foam of the wave that has just broken: part of the margin will come back once the marks are taken…

“I have a more frank, more reliable support”

The pumping is more physical for the legs. Not sure that I will last so long in flight. On the other hand it goes much faster and once started I have a more frank, more reliable support. I am confident to choose any wave to reconnect, even the ones that are all the way outside. At worst I would have my thighs on fire but I will get there before it breaks and the passage of foams or waves in the meantime is assured. I have less touchdowns or lack of height to pass obstacles than with the Curve. The fact of not having to spend as much energy as for dock starts makes pumping while surfing easier compared to dock start.

“The feeling of speed is really good”

I was a little worried about the turns but I had no problems at all. I didn’t have any of the stalls that I had in dock start. The feeling of speed is really good: it’s coooool! I still had 2-3 exits from the top while surfing waves: clearly once launched it lifts more than the XL-T and I am surprised.

I ordered this Veloce to try to gain distance for reconnections. Not sure that this objective has already been reached. I will have to improve a little in pumping before that is the case. It will still be the front wing that I will take out as soon as the waves are of a comfortable size and that it opens a little, to progress and especially to benefit from its speed.

On the other hand, for the moment I will continue to take the XL-T when it is very small, when one wonders if the foil will pass without touching or when I cannot count on a clean exit and it must always pass through the foam to come out. “

Gear of the sesh

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