Quick answer: if you're chasing the lightest possible wind, the Appletree Midlength V2 is your board — it gets you up and onto the foil with far less power. If you mostly ride in steadier, more consistent wind, the AppleSlice V4 is the better all-rounder. Appletree have done a full side-by-side themselves, which is well worth a read — see their Midlength V2 vs AppleSlice V4 breakdown — and here's our take as your Irish Appletree dealer.
The quick verdict
It comes down to your wind. The long, narrow Midlength V2 slips through the water with so little drag that it builds speed — and therefore foil lift — in next to no wind. The AppleSlice V4, with its more conventional wing-board shape, comes into its own once the wind is steady and consistent, where it's stable, easy and brilliant fun. Low end? Midlength. Steady-wind all-rounder? AppleSlice.
Appletree Midlength V2 — the light-wind efficiency tool
The Midlength V2 is a specialised efficiency tool. It's built for intermediate to advanced riders who want to spend less time struggling to get up and more time on the foil — especially in lighter wind. Who it suits:
- Parawing riders: if you've got the "stash and fly" workflow down, this board gives you the instant acceleration to bridge the gap between sitting and flying.
- Light-wind wingers: the narrow hull cuts drag so much that you can fly with a much smaller wing than you'd expect.
- Downwind riders: although it was engineered for peak parawing performance, the longer, narrower shape is a specialist at generating board speed with minimal power — which has made it a top pick for downwind foiling too, especially in the bigger sizes.
Appletree AppleSlice V4 — the steady-wind all-rounder
The AppleSlice V4 is the one to reach for when the wind is up and consistent. It's a more familiar wing-board shape that's stable, predictable and easy to ride, which makes it the better everyday choice for most riders in normal to stronger conditions. If your local wind is reliable rather than marginal, this is the board that'll feel effortless. For the full shape-by-shape comparison, Appletree's own write-up is excellent.
New: Appletree's Coat 25 construction
Both boards now benefit from Appletree's newest piece of clever engineering: Coat 25. After two years of development with specialist composite suppliers, Appletree have replaced the traditional epoxy hot-coat with a new proprietary finish that's noticeably lighter while being far more scratch-resistant and structurally durable — so your board stays lighter, tougher and rides better for longer. Because they own their factory in Portugal, they were able to test countless iterations to get it right. There's a full Tech Talk video and write-up on their site: Introducing Coat 25.
Get yours through us
We're Appletree's dealer here on the west coast, so whichever way you lean we can sort you — and help you pick the right size for your weight, wind and foil. Have a browse of our Appletree board collection, or get in touch and we'll talk it through. Not sure which suits your local spot? That's exactly what we're here for.
Call into the shop in Barna village or message us — we ride these boards in the same Galway wind you do.
