Infinity T-Bird Wing Board Review
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The T-Bird is Infinity's option for the more intermediate-advanced Wing Foilers. We've had the 68L model on demo for near 6 months now and have had a chance to use it in a great variety of conditions across the UK and Ireland. It arrived in stock at the time we were looking for a lower volume to drop to.
Sizes
There are 3 sizes available in the T-Bird range: 4'8x22x49L, 4'10x24x68L and 5x25x78L - three sizes that seem to have become settled as the currently ideal advanced wing board sizes. Way more nimble on waves without the difficulty of a full low volume sinker. At 75kg and 80kg body weights and not wanting to drop anymore than 15L we chose the middle option in the range. Our local spots are predominantly beach break areas, where the white water can prove difficult to break out through. With super low volume boards this can be near enough impossible - so having some literage is very advantageous.
Dropping volume on wing boards increases their manouevrabitliy by reducing the sheer weight of the board you're throwing about underneath your feet, making them in our opinion more fun on the wave face if thats where you're intending on pushing your riding. This loss in weight will also help pump ability, as well as making it easier to break through the white water
Riding
Two of the stand out features of this board are the nose and the stepped tail, both extremely noticeable while riding. The 'scooped' nose helps massively on touch downs, by skipping across the water and popping you straight back up. The 'pointedness' of the nose then manages to deflect water away as you hit it and cutting straight through.
The step tail is designed to remove volume from the back of the board while maintaining a solid platform to mount the foil. This lack of volume definitely took some time to get used to while waterstarting as body positioning needs to be more forward than a board with a more equal volume spread. Once up and riding however, this step allows for great carving as theres less mass to catch when you're on a rail.
The closed cell EVA deck pads on the Infinity boards are extremely comfortable, grippy and of high quality. Although sometimes overlooked on a board, this can have a big impact on how a board feels while riding. They manage to keep it comfortable underfoot while also being minimal and lightweight - two things which often don't go hand in hand. Great big spongey deck pads can make a foil board feel unresponsive as your finer body movements simply get lost in the foam and don't transfer into the board and foil.
A slightly recessed top deck along with the deck pad makes the board feel even thinner than it already is - helping even more with responsiveness and aiding stability.
Features
The T-Bird comes with a handle on both the bottom and the top - which although maybe a little overkill in our eyes, keeps everyone happy. The high end PVC and carbon construction along with the minimal size overall keeps the weight down anyway, so having two handle boxes built into the board only seems like a positive.
We ride strapless almost entirely while winging, but the T-Bird does come with a tonne of options for using straps - both V straps or surf stance offset for the front, as well as offset straight or angled on the rear.
Overall - we have loved this board. Its great when the wind and the waves step up to the next level and you want something you can really see and feel progression on. The next step is a sinker board - and they come with a multitude of disadvantages. For us, this size for our body weight is the ideal board for intermediate/advanced wave riders who ride in beach break scenarios or for any budding freestylers who want to maintain their ability to board start in lighter conditions but want a board they can throw around in the air.
For less experienced riders who like the T-Bird's style but want more volume, take a look at Infinity's Tombstone board. With 90L, 99L, 116L and 136L options this model covers beginner and intermediates alike while also in-keeping a few of the key features that we liked from the T-Bird. Those 2 bigger sizes will also crossover really nicely for a SUP Foil board also!