Author Topic: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!  (Read 11899 times)

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2022, 09:49:03 AM »
After lots of paddling/experimenting and additional reading/asking around and considering what you guys have said in this forum + winging my Fanatic 6'3" and feeling what kind power is needed to get my current setup out of the water I have come to the conclusion that I need to get a different board. This is of course what HDIP PAFOIL and others are saying. Thank you gents for the nudge in the right direction. Of course finances and good old stubbornness play their parts. I have very much enjoyed the time spent paddling my Fanatic setup as it was not only good training in general but great cross training for winging and for a base for what I am seeking to do which is to foil these micro bumps we have locally quite consistently. That being said I am looking to purchase a board that will be dedicated to SUPFOIL and I want to ping you guys on the right purchase.

Option 1. Harpoon. Most expensive route (custom shaped) but damn that board looks amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpg7SMx5jfY

Option 2. Sunova Aviator Elite

https://sunovasurfboards.com/en/legends/casey/aviator-downwind-elite

I am leaning towards this for a few reasons, one the price. But two - Casey/Sunova- has developed this board, I believe, with this discipline in mind. Really he lists this board as not a stable board but the easiest possible paddle up board in flattish conditions. They list this as: Elite; you need to have good balance for these boards. Generally it should be your second or third downwind SUP foilboard, not your first. If you like to throw yourself in the deep end and suffer a little this could be for you too.

Ill put myself in the category of -  throw yourself in the deep end and suffer a little, lol.

My question to you guys is the literage as the shape is bang on. Knowing what I know now the more the better really. The 106l I have needs a good deal of energy to even start to plain. The 7'6" is 137 litres which I think is perfect. Had to ping you guys though. What do you think?





SUS4Life

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2022, 10:46:18 AM »
I would demo both if possible.  im about 180lb and find my kalama E3(5'10x22.5 100L) pretty stable but I have 10 yrs of sup surfing experience. I think you want a board volume that your feet just at water level or 1/2" high when you standing on it.  I found board to be more unstable when it have too much volume and your center of gravity increase.  But too low of volume you will have to dig yourself out when catching a wave and also trying not to sink the nose at the same time.
You probably will catch more of the mirco bumps with the bigger board and have a lot more fun compare to Sunova unless they make a slight higher volume one.

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2022, 11:53:18 AM »
@SUS4Life yes.. this makes sense to me. You're on a 100l board at 81kgs.. Im 95kgs on a 106l board and looking to go to a 137..maaaybe the 7'3 would be the best cross over (at 128litres) but that ratio makes sense to me. My 106l is basically a good trainer for SUPFOIL but a beginner/light wind WING FOIL board which is right where I am at the moment. I think I would take buoyancy (instability) over a smaller board because of the light conditions I am trying to get up in.

PonoBill

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2022, 09:34:03 PM »
I'm not even trying to paddle up in anything resembling flatwater. I'm a heavy (220#), clumsy geezer. I need either waves or a wing to foil. but I see all the folks around me who are doing it, both in Hood River and in Maui. It's a big deal in both places. And all of them are on Kalama boards. As in 100 percent. They might start off with something else, but when they start to see some success and start to improve, they get onto a Kalama board as quickly as they can. Most start there.

As I say, that doesn't reflect any kind of experience, but most of the people pioneering this stuff are here and Hood River. Jeremy Riggs, Dave Kalama, Austin Kalama, and most of the other folks working on changing the way SUP and prone foiling is done are longtime friends. At the very best, most of the other boards I see are copies of Kalama boards with the board shapers' own ideas tossed in. That's great, and if Dave wasn't developing this stuff every day I'd say he's likely to be overshadowed, but right now he's running fairly strong, far ahead of the pack. You can ask him to design and build you a board that suits you exactly based on what he knows--which is one hell of a lot. If I were doing what you're attempting, I wouldn't consider anything else.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2022, 09:42:33 PM 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.

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2022, 09:43:18 AM »
Thanks PonoBill, that resonates. I think I've watched that Jeremy Riggs video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTCu1hG-ioc) about 1,000 times. Im still trying to get my mind wrapped around the idea that either the speed is needed to get up on foil or the technique. Probably both. Jeremy's 72Kg to board ratio is about .68. (72kg/105l) mine would be .73 (95kg/130l) so Im sitting deeper in the water. That why I suppose I was leaning towards a board that had length and volume. That 6'5 X 27 from kalama sounds killer though. Food for thought PonoBill thank you!

PonoBill

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2022, 10:29:59 AM »
Dave is on Facebook, you could message him and ask what he'd recommend for you. As everyone knows who has spent any time with him, he's a very approachable guy and a straight talker.
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.

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2022, 01:36:57 PM »
Awesome thank you! I will take you up on that as I would love the input.

Cheers!

pafoil

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #22 on: December 09, 2022, 06:17:29 PM »
@SUS4Life yes.. this makes sense to me. You're on a 100l board at 81kgs.. Im 95kgs on a 106l board and looking to go to a 137..maaaybe the 7'3 would be the best cross over (at 128litres) but that ratio makes sense to me. My 106l is basically a good trainer for SUPFOIL but a beginner/light wind WING FOIL board which is right where I am at the moment. I think I would take buoyancy (instability) over a smaller board because of the light conditions I am trying to get up in.

Thanks for the credit. I have a lot of people now asking about getting into the wave earlier and longer skinnier boards; which I highly recommend and use for downwind bay runs.
But then these guys see me using my 5,0 Kalama in the waves they freak out. Just to be clear, for small waves (1m), it is always more fun to use a smaller, more agile board. Getting into waves early is fun but requires paddling and consumes a lot of energy.  Getting into a wave at the right moment requires almost no energy.
Anyway, follow your path, and good luck.

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #23 on: January 12, 2023, 01:05:52 PM »
Hi All,

After careful consideration (and saving up) I have pulled the trigger on a custom carbon deck. DIMS - 8 X 21 X 6 @ 131L

I looked hard at the Sunova Aviator Elite and the Kalama offering. In the end the idea of supporting my local shaper (who is a beauty) and being able to have a full carbon deck sealed the deal. I will follow up with pics and a review when I can. Im OBV stoked to see what I can do once I get my hand on her. The pursuit continues..

 8)

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2023, 05:00:07 PM »
Fellow frothers...

I took receipt of my DW Carbon sled last night. Had to share in the pre-stoke as Ive yet to have her in the water yet. That comes this weekend. Jay from Inouye Customs in Deep Cove killed this build. Im stoked beyond measure and cant wait to ramp on her. Ill post after I get some water time. Im in no rush really.. just stoked bloody stoked. Since commissioning this build Ive seen many been able to get up on flatwater using simular DIM'd boards. Ill have to earn my flights.. Im stoked boys.

PonoBill

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2023, 08:39:50 PM »
Very pretty, and it's a great idea to get something more robust to start with. The Kalama custom boards use carbon patches top and bottom, a little uni carbon on the rail, and the rest is light glass. I don't know what the schedule is, but from pressing my fingers on them I'd say not more than two layers of 6oz. The only thing holding me back from getting one for light wind winging (and maybe someday if I have a bunch of liposuction done, I might be able to SUP downwind one) is that I'd destroy it in a week. I'm heavy and clumsy. Not a good combo.
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.

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #26 on: March 06, 2023, 09:53:00 PM »
Very pretty, and it's a great idea to get something more robust to start with. The Kalama custom boards use carbon patches top and bottom, a little uni carbon on the rail, and the rest is light glass. I don't know what the schedule is, but from pressing my fingers on them I'd say not more than two layers of 6oz. The only thing holding me back from getting one for light wind winging (and maybe someday if I have a bunch of liposuction done, I might be able to SUP downwind one) is that I'd destroy it in a week. I'm heavy and clumsy. Not a good combo.

thank you Pono!

Sharpening the angle of attack on the catch is my new mission. Lower, quieter and more snap. Im still struggling to visualize the foil turning over WITH the power stroke, still not in the right body position, Im making progress though. What is stuck in my head at the moment is the Jeremy Riggs idea of your paddle being quicker at the end of the stroke than the beginning. I have limited paddle experience so perhaps its common place but this simple idea changed the way I am thinking about my paddle stroke. Powering in more of a half oval motion. My shoulders and back loved this very much,.

Here she is in the water.. better than I could have hoped for. Im all set for 6 months speed/paddle training @ 3 times a week. 2 hour per sessions. I figure by Sept Ill have the paddle power to get up to foil. We shall see! :P

https://youtu.be/kZqrmTUS8-I?t=22

Badger

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #27 on: March 07, 2023, 04:20:23 AM »
I'm curious. How did you determine where to put the foil in the tracks? Did you wing foil it first?

-
« Last Edit: March 07, 2023, 04:24:41 AM by Badger »
Kalama E3 6'1 x 23" 105L
Axis HPS 980 / PNG 1300
Sunova Flow  8'10 X 31"  119L
Me - 6'0" - 165lbs - 66yo

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #28 on: March 07, 2023, 05:50:09 AM »
I'm curious. How did you determine where to put the foil in the tracks? Did you wing foil it first?

-

Hey Badger, no I havent yet, but I will when the winds up. Im just experimenting at the moment but def forward of center. This session was about an 2inches back from the front. Im going try a pinch more forward on the weekend.

FOIL STOKE

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Re: My SUP FOIL Journey Begins!
« Reply #29 on: March 14, 2023, 02:03:18 PM »
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxVmjPGjovf8AKtdaw33Zo7E77UDK9haCl

I think my back foot pressure and timing can be improved. Its great conditioning but my gut tells me to focus on the timing and efficiency.

Baby steps baby.. the stoke is growing!!

Any pointers from the frothers crew would be amazing. Not many paddle foilers out my way..

Im off to study the Riggs videos in particular the Casey catch up with Jeremy Riggs DW series #13 on youtube.  8)

 


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