Shim tuning: one stabilizer, different incidence, different disciplines

When talking about foil performance, stabilizer angle tuning is one of the most important (and often misunderstood) adjustments, capable of completely changing the feeling on the water.

Shims are precision tools used to adjust the stabilizer angle, allowing you to adapt your setup to:

• the discipline

• the front wing size

• your riding style

• your body weight

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Same stabilizer, different disciplines

Let's dive in into the details. Looking at the tables below, you can clearly see how the same stabilizer requires different angle settings depending on the discipline and front wing.

Angle vs Shim

With the Sabfoil system:

• Adding a negative SAB shim increases the stabilizer angle

• Adding a positive SAB shim decreases the stabilizer angle

For this reason, in the tables below we always describe setups in terms of:

• Increased stabilizer angle → more support and pitch stability

• Decreased stabilizer angle → less drag, more freedom and speed

Shim values are provided only as a practical reference to reach the desired angle.

In Wing and Downwind foiling, incidence is adjusted to balance:

• early lift

• pitch stability

• glide efficiency

In Surf Foil, tuning priorities change compared to Wing or Downwind.
The goal is not early lift, but:

• speed control on the wave

• fluid turning

• a natural, surf-oriented feel