Author Topic: Ace downwind video  (Read 5262 times)

Argosi

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Ace downwind video
« on: October 20, 2016, 08:01:07 PM »
Perfect warm and windy October day for a downwinder. Couldn't pass that up.

https://youtu.be/tmyMsmIVRfU

Off-Shore

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2016, 09:00:38 PM »
Hah. Nice rail ride at the end Argosi! Thanks for sharing

My 2017 Ace arrives in the next two weeks and I am so looking forward to see how it compares to downwinding SIC type boards...

Looks like you have a great run there with good protection to get to the start point. How long is the run?
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Area 10

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2016, 12:17:56 AM »
That video demonstrates the "ace downwinding" experience well. Fast and exciting, but often at the limits of control: rock n roll and hold onto your hats!

You got back on board very well. It's not that easy to get back into an Ace when you've got gear strapped to your front. Bravo.

Kieranrsup

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2016, 03:04:09 AM »
Gotta love the Ace!! Did a great run last weekend with some mates on Bullets. It was at the limit of what I'd take the Ace out in though (20 - 25kn, gusting more).
So much fun getting right back into the tail and surfing across the top of the swells!! :)
I did wish I had an unlimited with a rudder at times though. :)
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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2016, 04:44:52 AM »
Nice DW'ing video. Great recovery at the end.

Thanks for sharing your video.
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Argosi

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2016, 09:23:24 AM »
Hah. Nice rail ride at the end Argosi! Thanks for sharing

My 2017 Ace arrives in the next two weeks and I am so looking forward to see how it compares to downwinding SIC type boards...

Looks like you have a great run there with good protection to get to the start point. How long is the run?

I think you'll enjoy your Ace - eventually! It takes some getting used to. I'm still learning a lot when it comes to downwinding my Ace. Give yourself at least a year to get more comfortable on the Ace in downwind conditions. The board is also good in rough water and chop in general. It seems to get through the messy stuff while maintaining better speed than most boards.

You may want to try a small ventral fin on the Ace. I put one in recently and just keep it on all the time. It helps to maintain your chosen direction when it's not straight downwind. In downwind conditions, I had a hard time cutting diagonally across the wind, but with the ventral fin, it was easy. You can see the fin in my video if you pause it when my board flips over at the end. I'm still trying to figure out how it affects my ability to steer and surf the  Ace though. I'm willing to accept some compromises to gain the ability to cut across the wind more easily.

I love the Ace going downwind, upwind and in chop. However, I never liked the tendency for the nose to get blown downwind. The ventral fin helps a lot with that. The faster you're going, the smaller the ventral fin you'll need.

As for the downwind run, it was about 15km long. First time I did that run.


Argosi

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2016, 09:34:53 AM »
That video demonstrates the "ace downwinding" experience well. Fast and exciting, but often at the limits of control: rock n roll and hold onto your hats!

You got back on board very well. It's not that easy to get back into an Ace when you've got gear strapped to your front. Bravo.

I must admit, I definitely prefer the "Ace downwinding" experience over other boards when the wind is 25mph or less. The Ace just catches more bumps and glides on them longer than other boards. It's harder to surf the Ace once you've caught a big bump though - due to the pin tail. It gets tippy when you're back on the tail. Luckily, for most bumps, you don't have to get too far back on the tail as the board behaves better than most in bumps even when you're standing near the middle. The big nose doesn't pearl easily. Of course, getting back to the tail helps maintain speed on the larger bumps though.

Unfortunately, we don't get too many days with  consistent winds over 30mph so it's hard for me to justify buying a higher wind downwind board. I'd prefer a more surfable board in higher winds. In our local conditions, I love the Ace. Other boards feel kind of "dead" to me.

Argosi

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2016, 09:44:20 AM »
Here's a frame grab from my video showing the ventral fin:

Kieranrsup

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2016, 03:47:37 AM »
Using a ventral fin on an Ace???
I find that very strange. No offence meant of course.
One of the best characteristics of the Ace is its ability to slip and slide in the bumps, not just relying on going straight ahead.
I would hate to lose that loose slippery feel.
One of the last runs I did was with two mates on 17'4" Bullets and one of them commented afterwards how easily I was cutting across the swells, sometimes at almost 90deg to the wind as I was catching smaller bumps running back out to sea, then turning and catching the bigger ones back to the right. (This was a 15 - 20kn NE'er on Sydneys Northern Beaches)
I reckon that's where the Ace is fastest, cutting across rather than straight ahead.
Always interesting hearing other people's take on a board.
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Argosi

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2016, 05:54:26 AM »
Using a ventral fin on an Ace???
I find that very strange. No offence meant of course.
One of the best characteristics of the Ace is its ability to slip and slide in the bumps, not just relying on going straight ahead.
I would hate to lose that loose slippery feel.
One of the last runs I did was with two mates on 17'4" Bullets and one of them commented afterwards how easily I was cutting across the swells, sometimes at almost 90deg to the wind as I was catching smaller bumps running back out to sea, then turning and catching the bigger ones back to the right. (This was a 15 - 20kn NE'er on Sydneys Northern Beaches)
I reckon that's where the Ace is fastest, cutting across rather than straight ahead.
Always interesting hearing other people's take on a board.

That's great input. It shows me that I have a lot more to learn on surfing the Ace across the waves. I've never surfed breaking waves before (other than 2 sessions in the past 10 years) so have really limited surfing skills. I find it's hard to cut across the waves on my Ace when the wind is over 20mph.

We often have to paddle across the wind to get to a good downwind line and that's when the ventral fin is most useful. I also use my Ace in general choppy windy conditions that are not downwind and the ventral fin helps then as well.

So when you're cutting across the waves, I'm assuming you're applying decent rail pressure with either your toes or heels on the inside to initiate the turn? I have to practice that more.

Argosi

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2016, 05:58:38 AM »
Forgot to mention that my ventral fin is very small at 3.75x2"

yugi

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2016, 07:05:02 AM »
I remain baffled. You get a tubby slippy board and then you put a ventral fin on it and get happy? But, but, but, … why?

I’m pretty baffled on the attractiveness of the tubby slippy nature from the start. I admit. I’m even more baffled by the addition of a ventral to stop the sloppiness. I’m in this game for the carve.

Don’t get me wrong. I love slarving. But on my terms. (I’m a wakeboarder too)

Reminds me of early snowboards (and, yes, even some telemark skis) where fins were added to fix a slip. Temporary solution to a problem that lay elsewhere.

I’m an engineer but now I understand what all the kids who studied history were talking about… How things repeat themselves and identifying patterns.

PS All this said I remain impressed by a video of Clement Colmas riding an Ace downwind and really turning it. Proving it can be done. He did well in the french champs recently. A kid to keep an eye on.

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2016, 11:51:22 AM »
It could be that a 23.5 Ace pintail might be a bit narrow to easily surf unless Clement or the like.  But I agree that adding a ventral is odd for DW.  My preference is to have the nose slide down waves when cutting across.  That relieves the tendency to catch and flip like at the end of the vid. 

Moving and getting back is mandatory like Clement demonstrates.  There is no way on our 30 Touring pintail would we ever add a ventral for DW.  It would not allow the nose to slip.  When I want to angle across waves on that pintail - it requires max power to accelerate and surf them at speed.  Never letting the wave behind get control to push the tail and flip the board over.  On that Touring - it is mandatory to get back as the heavy nose easily pearls twists and tosses - if you do not.  Standing off the deck pad weights aft to lift the nose and dig in the tail.  As well the OEM Race 24 works fine since anything bigger has to much hold adding to the catch problem.

So it seems like the 23.5 width is creating the problem.  Any 23.5 pintail is hard to surf.  And adding the ventral would exacerbate that for DW surfing.  My AS23 is very surfable - but it has a much wider tail to balance on.  I could not surf that board if it had a pintail.  Just too tippy at 23 for an old man with crappy balance.  Clement however does have alien balance and skill.  So he makes it look easy.   ;)
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Quickbeam

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2016, 12:09:28 PM »
My AS23 is very surfable - but it has a much wider tail to balance on.  I could not surf that board if it had a pintail.  Just too tippy at 23 for an old man with crappy balance.  Clement however does have alien balance and skill.  So he makes it look easy.   ;)

I don’t care how wide the tail is on your All Star. If you’re riding a 23” board, you don’t have crappy balance!  ;)
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Eagle

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Re: Ace downwind video
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2016, 01:15:50 PM »
QB - Haha!  Trying to move back on even the fat Touring 30 pintail is a big challenge stationary.  I practice that all the time to develop more balance skill for DW surfing.  Cannot imagine practicing moving back on a 23.5 pintail stationary.   :o
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