Author Topic: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil  (Read 21841 times)

blueplanetsurf

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First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« on: December 19, 2016, 11:45:07 PM »
We recently got some GoFoil Kai foils at Blue Planet and got one of them all set up on a board.  We practiced riding it on Sunday towing behind a jet ski and this morning I was actually able to paddle into a few small waves and foiled a little on the waves.  Don't be fooled, it is definitely a challenging sport but I now feel like I can actually learn it and it seems like a great way to have fun in mediocre surf and hopefully on downwind runs as well.  I'm super amped to learn this!  Here is a video of our tow session:
https://youtu.be/TlcVRQ6IqtE

And some photos of the setup.  Jeff Chang installed the tuttle box for me in a 8'0 x 31" Taro Chip model, which seems to work great.  The box is 20" from the tip of the tail to the back edge of the tuttle box opening.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

808sup

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2016, 08:29:05 AM »
Nice video Robert. It's important to show the crashes too like you did. Those who are thinking of doing this need to know there is a learning curve that will be challenging for a time. Also glad you and Jeff were wearing helmets as that foil doesn't care if it hurts you .
It looks like a medium length mast. Is that the only one that comes with the foil?I'm thinking a longer one would help to recover in better in between chop. I've noticed that I preferred to have my rear foot on top of the mast and closer to the fin cluster. Less teeter toddler effect. Keep us updated on your progress as we are all trying to figure this out.

blueplanetsurf

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2016, 08:39:35 AM »
Thank you.  Yes, I'm showing the crashes and want to emphasize that it is dangerous and certainly not easy to learn this sport.  Foiling is awesome and I'm super excited about learning how to do it.  I don't want to discourage anyone but go into it with caution and don't expect too much on your first few attempts.

Regarding mast length, the GoFoils only come with a 24" mast which seems to work well.  When we first tried foiling we were using a kite foil with a longer mast, over 40" long and found it very difficult to use, especially when you are starting out.  When you first get on a foil, the tendency is to lean back too much, which results in the foil going up out of the water, stalling out followed by a crash from higher up if the mast is longer combined with a greater risk of hitting the foil.  Also, for surfing you want to be able to paddle back out without hitting the bottom, so a longer foil is probably not very practical in the surf, even for more advanced foilers.  I think the Slingshot foil with three different mast length options is a good concept for learning:
http://www.slingshotsports.com/2016-Foiling-Flight-School-mast-package#.WFlgi7GZPwc


This was our first "learning to foil" video in case you missed it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5wcqrZ4BjI
« Last Edit: December 20, 2016, 08:48:42 AM by blueplanetsurf »
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

yugi

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2016, 11:09:11 AM »
nice! I get it. Been there done that (when I was young!).

Tracting for sure is the best way to get early flight time foiling. Here are 4 tips on tracting for those that don’t have an extensive wakeboard/waterski background:

- Get a smooth driver. 
Constant steady speed. Let the rider make the mistakes. Harder than you can ever imagine to find a good driver. Weird but true. 
 
- Hold the handle towards your waist. Usually one hip or the other.   
Think of it this way. If your rams are straight out you are being pulled from your shoulders. So you’ll be top heavy. You want to be pulled ideally from the middle. Just crank your hands down towards your hips to do this. It’s a total core workout and if your stomach muscles aren’t strong enough then go SUP a bit more until they are.

- You’ll learn quickly how to not generate slack in the tow line. 
Meanwhile, if you do get slack, do not pull the line in, raise your arms to take in slack. You’ll see Bob do this at 1:07 and 1:30ish in the first vid.
Sounds weird? Just do it. If you don’t, and try to pull the line in, then you fall backwards. Such is life.

- If you want to let go and keep cruising. 
Turn towards the boat just before letting go. Turning away from the boat increases line pull. You want to have no line pull as you let go (as noted in the vid). Especially foiling.   
Basically generate some slack in the line just before you let go.

I'm not foiling now, I'm saying this from memory. I'm going to sit out the first couple of generations of SUP foils just because I'm an old fart and not in a hurry. But I will foil. I want to ride a boat wake on a lake for miles.

stoneaxe

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2016, 11:38:34 AM »
+1
I was thinking that foiling behind a boat looks a lot like waterskiing with a lot of the same techniques.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Wetstuff

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2016, 12:23:34 PM »
So... how does one do it without a boat ...kite, but is there a training ground other than inertial from surf or ocean swells?      ..not that I'm interested mind you.  (Kee'rist, I don't need another way to hurt myself!)

Jim
Atlantis Mistress .. Blue Planet MultiTasker ..   Atlantis Venom

Eagle

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2016, 12:26:33 PM »
Fast is FUN!   8)
Dominator - Touring Pintail - Bullet V2 - M14 - AS23

Dwight (DW)

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2016, 01:16:51 PM »
I recently learned something by accident, that might change the direction of surfing foil design.

I mounted my windsurf foil to a kiteboard and discovered the combo feels more like surfing, than the kite foils feel like surfing.

Here is what we think the difference is. A kite foil (and the Goil Foil) has the mast right tight behind the wing. This makes the board pivot between your feet during a turn.

The windsurf foil has the mast mounted way behind the wing. This changes the rotation of the turn to feel more like a surfboard carving off the tail. More of a surfing feel.

It's something you wouldn't think would matter because, for both foils, the wing is between your legs, in the same place. But the windsurf foil, with its mast right at the tail, changes the turning feel.

One disclaimer, mine has a raked mast. This test hasn't been done yet on a straight mast, like LP or F4.




« Last Edit: December 20, 2016, 01:18:26 PM by DW »

blueplanetsurf

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2016, 05:15:46 PM »
I recently learned something by accident, that might change the direction of surfing foil design.

I mounted my windsurf foil to a kiteboard and discovered the combo feels more like surfing, than the kite foils feel like surfing.

Here is what we think the difference is. A kite foil (and the Goil Foil) has the mast right tight behind the wing. This makes the board pivot between your feet during a turn.

The windsurf foil has the mast mounted way behind the wing. This changes the rotation of the turn to feel more like a surfboard carving off the tail. More of a surfing feel.

It's something you wouldn't think would matter because, for both foils, the wing is between your legs, in the same place. But the windsurf foil, with its mast right at the tail, changes the turning feel.

One disclaimer, mine has a raked mast. This test hasn't been done yet on a straight mast, like LP or F4.
That's interesting DW, it makes sense that the distance between the mast and the foil would change how the board turns. 
I thought the mast on the windsurf foils is raked forward and/or the foil is more forward so the foil can be positioned under the rider when it's mounted in the regular center tuttle box on the tail or a windsurf board.
I thought that if you mount a windsurf foil in a more forward position like on a kite foil board, the foil wing of a windsurf foil would be further forward.  You say the foil is in the same place between your legs, how does that work?
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

Dwight (DW)

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2016, 05:53:28 PM »
Robert, I just built a kiteboard with Tuttle box in the rear, like a windsurfer.





Here it is being tested by the best foiler in this area.

southwesterly

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2016, 07:15:41 PM »
I just saw a pic of this foil designed for stand ups.

It's a little different than the Go-Foil.

blueplanetsurf

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2016, 07:54:07 PM »
Robert, I just built a kiteboard with Tuttle box in the rear, like a windsurfer.


Here it is being tested by the best foiler in this area.
Cool, that looks like a good shape that could work as a SUP foil board as well if it's scaled up.
So you are saying that having the mast further back underneath the back foot makes it feel more like surfing?  That makes sense to me.
 
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

supuk

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2016, 03:39:51 PM »
does the gofoil float rob?

blueplanetsurf

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2016, 09:51:05 PM »
I have not tested it but I'm sure it would sink, it's pretty hefty.
Robert Stehlik
Blue Planet Surf Shop, Honolulu
Hawaii's SUP HQ
http://www.blueplanetsurf.com

PonoBill

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Re: First impressions of GoFoil Kai Foil
« Reply #14 on: December 23, 2016, 08:32:33 AM »
When I surfed yesterday at Cardiff there was a guy out with a GoFoil on a very small board. He was obviously experienced with foils and was catching quite a few of the mediocre waves and making them work. His takeoff looked surprisingly easy. Even well before the foil lifts the board completely from the water, it obviously reduces the skin friction on the board. That's an element that really hadn't hit home until then. It explains how heavier surfers like Sam Pae and Chuck Patterson can get these boards up in small waves. Lift increases as the square of speed, so accelerating to even a slightly higher speed than light riders will make the foil work. Of course, the heavy guys need to maintain speed, and probably can't gain as much with pumping, but it's an interesting phenomenon that somehow slid right past me.

I might not be seeing this correctly, but it looks like boards with GoFoils lie on their sides when they aren't being held by the surfer. You can see that in the tutorial video here, at 3:14. http://gofoil.com/tutorial-videos/  This implies that the GoFoil floats. But I may be misinterpreting pictures and observations.  Pretty funny to watch Alex's wife Karla screaming and foiling. I haven't seen to Alex in probably twenty years, but we know Karla pretty well, she's our real estate agent for Ponohouse.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2016, 08:49:55 AM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


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