Armstrong Foils HS1550V2 Hydrofoil Product Review

We’re excited about the new Armstrong HS1550 v2 Hydrofoil. We’ve been riding the new foil for several weeks and we’ve tried it in several different circumstances.  Overall, our opinion is that the foil rides great and is another great addition to the Armstrong line.

A significant change between the 1550 v1 and the 1550 v2 is the profile and shape of the wing. The wingtip curvature has been reduced and the v2 is a lot longer and thinner than the V1.  This new design increases the speed dramatically.

The 1550 v2 pumps amazingly well.  Even without the A+ system you get a nice ride.  Instead of using the A+, we started by taking the 1550v2 out with the 232 tail on the non A+ system.  While we always defer to Armstrong’s recommendations, the v2 without the A+ system still gave a great ride. That being said, adding the A+ system took the ride to a whole new level. The stiffer back fuse on the A+ system gave some amazing rides. In fact, the 1550v2 is much faster than the v1 and is probably one of the greatest wake foil rides we’ve ever had due to the versatility of speed, pumping, and carving.

The HS1550V2 is a nice, mid-range option between the 1250 and the 1850. The 1550v1 continues to be our go-to recommendation for beginners coming up to speed on foil.  It offers a good ride for all types of riders from beginning, emerging talent to intermediates, but for experienced rider it’s the HS1550V2 all the way.

The v2 really brings it up a notch in terms of speed.  It carves really nicely, is very responsive and you have more glide with higher speeds.  Behind the boat, it’s an easy to work the wing and it lets you switch between waves two, three and four. We took the v2 for a pump across to another boat, pumping a 100 yards onto their eighth or ninth wave with quick pick-up without issue. Armstrong’s 1550v2 also has a really nice stall speed and keeps going for long pump outs.  It’s a very responsive foil that turns nicely.  The mid-aspect means you don’t really lose anything in terms of your carving ability either.

While we got a nice ride without it, using the v2 with the A+ gives a ton of drive and a great sweet spot for pumping without exhausting yourself.  When you’re pumping and you re-platform, the A+ really brings you back up to the top so you can keep pumping. Once you get up to cruising height, it goes forever.

We highly recommend the Armstrong 1150v2 foil.  The people behind the boat will find it gives an awesome experience.  If  you're new to foiling and wondering which foil to buy, the 1550v2 is a great place to start. From beginners to advanced riders, this foil will work for a long time, you’re not going to outgrow it.

The sky's the limit in terms of what the Armstrong 1550v2 can do, we can’t wait to find out what types of things that we can do with this foil. 

Great work Armie!

Pro Tip: Add the flying V200 tail to make this ride looser and add even more pump.