Individual test 2017: AHD Sealion Wings
There was a queue. Just like on Saturdays at the water ski centre. Experienced surf testers in waist-deep water. One foils. Two or three laps, then it's the next one's turn. Because it was damn exciting for everyone. And exhausting. After a few days, the team sport turned into an individual sport, the strokes on the foil became longer and longer, and at some point they were hooked into the harness. Easy foiling still looks different even after hours. The concept of the Sealion is fascinating: the board is based on the idea of windsurfing in the waves in light winds. It is also suitable for stand-up paddling without a foil in moderate waves and the foil option (windsurf and SUP) makes the whole thing a "McSea-lion de luxe menu".
On the water: Compared to some other foils, the AHD Foil produces a lot of lift very early on, so normal planing is not really possible on the board. At 12, 13 km/h, the board already hits the foil. Then the fun (egg) dance begins. Without the straps, it's extremely wobbly at first, but then becomes calmer and calmer with practice. Choppy waves under the board simply disappear. And that with damn small sails. The foil is not designed for speed records, but rather for relaxed cruising. In freeride conditions for 6.5 square metres, a 5.0 on the foil seems almost too big. With the 6.0 we were able to foil in windy conditions when we were actually thinking about the 9.0. Foilsurfing without straps sharpens your feel for the foil; unlike with straps, you only steer with a lot of feeling and not tensely with power. This is the only way to get started with foil SUP - extremely demanding, much more dangerous because you can crash onto the foil in free fall and make yourself extremely unpopular among surfers and SUPers in the waves. We tried it briefly and it wasn't our thing. For spots with hardly breaking waves and few surfers, however, it might be interesting in the long run.
As a "normal" SUP board, however, the Sealion can also do plenty more turns in shoulder-high waves. A good option for SUP wave beginners, also because the board is much more stable in the water when paddling out than a classic 8'6" wave SUP. This also applies to light winds with the sail: eight knots of wind and a 5.0 will save you the paddle. You chug out comfortably, catch a wave and surf in longboard style. At 128 litres and 76 centimetres wide, the board naturally doesn't turn as snappily as a 95-litre wave board, but some wave fun at under ten knots is guaranteed.
surf conclusion:The Sealion Wings covers light wind wave surfing, foil windsurfing and wave SUP. It is a very special product that is particularly worthwhile if you have the dual use of foil windsurfing and wave SUP in mind. Also available in 7'6".
