Post by: Beasho on October 13, 2017, 11:22:54 AM
People whine about how hard it is, many of them pros. This is because they can’t get up and surf it on day one, or even day #3. But then you see those same Professionals tearing it up on short boards, flying down wind with Kai and they fail to mention that this only takes a few 10’s of hours to start riding.
Give it 10 sessions. The hardest thing to figure out is how to control the pitch.
Here is a recent session with Jeff Clark. I have less than 40 hours on the foil, no jet ski training ~ 2 months experience after 25 sessions. Jeff has been foiling for 6 months.
https://vimeo.com/237951009
PS: Soundtrack is L'eau Naturelle. Just the Northern California wind and the hum of the Go-Foil.
Post by: Beasho on October 13, 2017, 11:23:06 AM
Foiling is easier to learn than: Skiing, Windsurfing, SUP wave surfing, Shortboarding or Kiting. It may be similar to snowboarding’s learning curve.
For context: I have skied since I was 5, learned to windsurf @ 15, didn’t start surfing until I was 30, SUP @ 40.
My board is an 8' 2" L41 SimSup 139 liters. I am riding the KAI Go-Foil. It has worked in everything from 3.5 feet (with > 10 second interval) up to 15 feet. The interval becomes more necessary with small size waves. I have not mastered the big wave take off yet but have become comfortable weight forward, e.g. front foot down, in 8 - 10 foot faces. I have managed successful takeoffs on up to 12 foot faces. But remember I am only 2 months in so . . . . just a beginner.
Post by: tautologies on October 13, 2017, 11:56:59 AM
Are Mavericks a good place to learn tho? Obviously not at the regular mavericks size..but what are some good spots in Nor Cal to learn SUP foiling?
I'm ordering the crossover board.
Post by: Dwight (DW) on October 13, 2017, 12:21:12 PM
My Naish is silent at any speed. My Gong hums just like your GoFoil.
Post by: Beasho on October 13, 2017, 12:24:27 PM
Obviously not at the regular mavericks size..but what are some good spots in Nor Cal to learn SUP foiling?
Beginner spots all come into play. Just like learning to SUP you don't want to be mixing it up with the crowd. The good news is that a wave that is BARELY breaking becomes great on a foil. 6 ft is terrifying for the first few sessions. You will likely want 3 to 5 foot faces. Sit wide of the SUP's. The waves can't be too small, or too slow.
Just like learning to SUP I have become fascinated by the increased wave catch, ride-ability and speed of the foil.
Aka Foiling is to SUP what SUP was to surfing.
Last weekend we had a good south swell. The SUP's were riding close to the peak and as the waves would fade into the bay I noticed how slow the SUP's were moving with the wave, just plodding along in the whitewater. We on the foils would catch the waves in a similar spot as the SUP's but then break way, way down the line riding where no SUP could continue to plane.
You can hear the hum from the Go Foil. It kicks in at ~ 16 mph. That's the low end of fast on a surf craft. Rolling whitewater might be just 8 or 10 mph. Too slow for the foil. You have to learn to traverse the wave to keep the speed up and not stall.
Post by: headmount on October 13, 2017, 12:28:25 PM
I saw a pic of one of our Zoners, DailyBread Surf Photo, laying into a turn, grabbing the rail. Looked damn good doing it. I don't think he's got more than a year under his belt.
Post by: 805StandUp on October 13, 2017, 01:47:47 PM
Post by: JEG on October 13, 2017, 03:52:44 PM
Post by: supthecreek on October 14, 2017, 04:42:21 AM
I can feel the vibe of that place from this video.... scary cool.
Stop this kind of posting or your gonna make me try foiling ;D
Post by: cnski on October 14, 2017, 08:18:32 AM
Post by: tautologies on October 14, 2017, 03:24:39 PM
Foils are much more enjoyable when they don't hum. Quietness is part of the appeal of foiling. George of Delta Foil tests all his foils before he sends them out to make sure they are not noisy. Some foils hum and some don't. He puts in alot of work to make his foils quiet.
The way it was on my old foils (waaaaay back) was that if the foil had a hum it was a dud. So I got a new wing when one of mine had a hum.
Post by: tautologies on October 14, 2017, 03:38:47 PM
I wonder what really makes some hum and others not. I used to think I knew. Rounded edges on the foil = hum, but....
My Naish is silent at any speed. My Gong hums just like your GoFoil.
My old kite foils were considered duds if they hummed. Without knowing exactly the hum should come from vibrations that happened if the wing were imbalanced in some way ie mostly too skimpily constructed. So under force (more speed more stress usually) the wing will try to snap back then come up and then the force would move it back. After a while your feet would get a slightly numb.
Post by: Piros on October 14, 2017, 08:21:07 PM
Re the humming on the GoFoil I had mine tuned (rear wing sanded as per GoFoil recommendations) but I miss it as when you get too high on the foil it screams just before popping out , it was a great alarm bell. My Naish is totally silent but does let out a gurgle when it gets to high. On clean waves you can get up to the 30mph mark and an over foil at that speed it's a big face plant. :o
Post by: Piros on October 15, 2017, 12:50:54 AM
https://vimeo.com/229441147
Post by: southwesterly on October 15, 2017, 12:44:56 PM
Kind of like a human lure sort of thing.
Post by: capobeachboy on October 15, 2017, 03:34:00 PM
Post by: PonoBill on October 15, 2017, 05:41:41 PM
I don't know about you, but I think that hum would be a dinner bell for any big swimming predators in the area.
Kind of like a human lure sort of thing.
Just as likely to scare them away. Not food, might be dangerous.
Post by: southwesterly on October 15, 2017, 07:24:37 PM
Just as likely to scare them away. Not food, might be dangerous.
I would love to see some side by side testing around Año Nuevo island.
Post by: surfcowboy on October 15, 2017, 10:00:41 PM
Post by: SURFFOILS on October 16, 2017, 02:15:56 AM
(Someone had to say it)
Post by: DailyBread Surf Photo on October 17, 2017, 10:25:41 AM
Great point Beasho
I saw a pic of one of our Zoners, DailyBread Surf Photo, laying into a turn, grabbing the rail. Looked damn good doing it. I don't think he's got more than a year under his belt.
This one..
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/3e8af76e2691f8c48446e1e98c0c92f3/tumblr_oxm5p3WofY1r9jd16o3_1280.jpg)
I picked up foiling over the end of the summmer, borrowing a friends when he wasn't using it. Just got my own foil about a month ago.
I prefer surfing it without using a paddle. I've been using a borrowed SUP conversion, my custom from DK is in line for being glassed. 7'6 x 22" x 3.5"
Post by: Beasho on October 17, 2017, 01:16:02 PM
I picked up foiling over the end of the summmer, borrowing a friends when he wasn't using it. Just got my own foil about a month ago.
There you have it just a few months and YOU TOO could be doing rail grabs 8)
PS: Turns on small waves can be AWESOME. Unlike on a Surfboard the foil turns as if on a rail pulls G's and maintains speed, similar to turning on skis truly using your edge vs. just sliding.
Post by: Beasho on October 17, 2017, 01:19:40 PM
I thought I posted this but it's a great overview on the topic.
https://vimeo.com/237143793
Post by: headmount on October 18, 2017, 05:17:42 PM
Great to see your knees bent so well. Doubt if I have that much bend anymore.
Post by: tautologies on October 18, 2017, 05:51:01 PM
Oh man...mine is not far away. Biggest issue now is that I "have" to go to Brasil. So maybe I get a session before I go.
This is like xmas and bday all wrapped into one!!!
Post by: PonoBill on October 19, 2017, 07:38:18 AM
Post by: Beasho on October 19, 2017, 08:43:35 AM
I'm going to start in Maui . . . .
Awesome! Looking forward to the report. Expect a few face plants for the first 3 to 5 sessions.
Then things will start to come together. Go heavy on the front foot, and maybe don't even try to fly the first several waves. The key is learning to subtly attenuate the front foot.
I was speaking with an army helicopter pilot about learning to fly helicopters which requires coordinated footwork. When learning he was wobbling around, wobbling around . . . ."OMG I'm never going to get this." Then all of the sudden "I got it!"
Post by: tautologies on October 19, 2017, 10:18:16 AM
I'm going to start in Maui, but my knee is killing me this morning. A reminder that the rides are short on this merry-go-round. I'll get it juiced before I leave, but I suspect I'm not far away from knee replacement. I don't even like to think about that.
With all my old lingering and persistent injuries I feel like the sooner a full on bionic replacement the better it is.
Post by: headmount on October 19, 2017, 10:38:51 AM
Our Dad was stationed in Pensacola Fl.in 1963, to learn how to fly a helicopter as he was about take command of a helicopter carrier, which would be the one first taking Marines into Vietnam a year later. The idea was to familiarize him with Heli ops. He did take command but he never learned how to fly them. In fact he crashed one and came home a racked up. He was considered a great fixed wing pilot but somehow that footwork thing eluded him.I'm going to start in Maui . . . .
Awesome! Looking forward to the report. Expect a few face plants for the first 3 to 5 sessions.
Then things will start to come together. Go heavy on the front foot, and maybe don't even try to fly the first several waves. The key is learning to subtly attenuate the front foot.
I was speaking with an army helicopter pilot about learning to fly helicopters which requires coordinated footwork. When learning he was wobbling around, wobbling around . . . ."OMG I'm never going to get this." Then all of the sudden "I got it!"
Post by: kamalino808 on October 31, 2017, 06:41:47 PM
Post by: Beasho on October 31, 2017, 09:12:25 PM
Even a monkey can foil!
I am confused.
Even a monkey would keep a hand on the paddle. This must be a counterfeit.
Post by: Cardiff Sweeper on November 01, 2017, 06:25:18 AM
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: Beasho on November 01, 2017, 07:29:18 AM
The challenge is more with the period of the wave than the size. Periodicity is related to the speed of the wave.
Sources suggest a factor of 1.7X Period = Wave Speed. Therefore a 10 Second Period wave energy will move at ~ 17 mph, this does slow down as it hits the bottom aka near the beach.
Using this approximation and the fact that it takes ~ 15 mph to get up and fly. Once you're up you can continue to fly at a lower speed as low as ~ 11 mph (Kai Go Foil @ 180 lbs rider). With longer period swell >> 12 seconds I have been able to get up, fly off a bump and continue even as the wave moves back over deeper water. Compare this to 5 ft @ 8 seconds. I could get up and fly but the wave quickly lost energy down the shoulder and was too slow to continue riding after the initial flight.
From:
http://www.rodndtube.com/surf/info/SwellSpeed.shtml
Post by: kamalino808 on November 01, 2017, 05:40:44 PM
Post by: PonoBill on November 01, 2017, 06:43:54 PM
Post by: tautologies on November 01, 2017, 07:47:48 PM
Monkey see monkey do!
hah. I recognize that wave at pretty much any angle.
Post by: PonoBill on November 02, 2017, 06:03:22 AM
There is a shocking amount of variation in the wave speed formulas on the web. It takes some digging to get answers that make sense. I suspect it's just basic errors by the people posting rather than a lack of understanding of a phenomenon that has been studied for centuries. For example, group wave speed (sets) is half the phase speed of individual waves. I've seen the group speed expressed as S=1.56T which would make the speed of an individual 10-second period wave in a set something like 70mph. I doubt that. Most sources say group speed is half of Cp=1.56T, meaning the 10-second set is going to take twice as long to get from the buoy that reported it to your beach if you use an individual wave speed calculation since the group travels at 17mph.
But I digress.
Post by: Tom on November 02, 2017, 01:22:43 PM
Post by: Beasho on November 02, 2017, 05:28:41 PM
Beasho, deep water waves move quite a bit faster than that. Cp=1.56T . . . . . wave speed calculation since the group travels at 17mph.
But I digress.
Agreed but maybe TMI I'm trying to put it in crayon.
<10 Second Period - Slow
> 13 Second Period - Fast
>17 Second Period - Really Fast
If I had to put a stake in the ground I would use a factor of 1.2 X Period as the wave hits the beach and breaks. 10 Second = 12 mph, 17 second = 20.4 mph as the Wave Faces are breaking in 6 to 30 feet of water.
This comes from 2 years of TRACE Up measuring wave riding speeds from very slow of 8 mph to blistering fast 30 mph. The only way to hit 30+ is with a BIG ARSE wave 18++ feet and going down the line, not just running out in front of the wave which after the initial drop may only result in a 20 mph speed.
Moral of the story: Foiling is easy in waves that move from 12 to 18 mph. As speeds get up to 20 mph things get exciting. Maybe I'm just not good enough.
Post by: surfercook on November 02, 2017, 09:14:09 PM
Post by: PonoBill on November 02, 2017, 09:41:40 PM
This comes from 2 years of TRACE Up measuring wave riding speeds from very slow of 8 mph to blistering fast 30 mph. The only way to hit 30+ is with a BIG ARSE wave 18++ feet and going down the line, not just running out in front of the wave which after the initial drop may only result in a 20 mph speed.
Yeah, but no. What's making you go so fast in big-ass long period wave is the energy available. You aren't going straight, you're cutting across the face. In shallow water with any kind of ledge running up to it (in other words, anywhere but Teahupoʻo) even a very big wave isn't going 20 MPH. Put your trace on, go straight, and see what you get (besides coasting out away from the wave, slowing to a stop and getting worked). In a big wave you can hold a tighter angle across the wave. If the wave was going one mph and you held a 90 degree angle across the face your speed would be infinite--or at least approaching the speed of light. The cosine of 90 is 0, but the hypotenuse calculated is undefined (but very, very big) cosine of 89.9 is 0.0017 so 1mph/cos 89.9 degrees is 588mph.
More usefully, if you can hold a 40 degree angle in a big wave going 20mph you're traveling 26 miles per hour (h=20/cos theta) and if you can hold 50 degrees you're going 31.35 mph. More to it of course, dynamic system, blah, blah, but that's the basics.
Post by: Beasho on November 07, 2017, 10:40:55 AM
Yeah, but no. What's making you go so fast in big-ass long period wave is the energy available. You aren't going straight, you're cutting across the face. . . . .
We are in violent agreement.
Bigger waves move faster, typically because they are created from longer period sources. Longer period goes faster . . . . The bigger waves also have the power to get you 'down the line.'
As most waves approach the shore they start to get pathetically slow. The only way to pick up the pace is to introduce a speed vector at right angles to the wave's progression aka go down the line.
At some point the drag on the board is too great for the attempted angle off straight and you get sucked up and over the falls. Like at Teahupo'o or the recent video of Ian Cairns at Kelly Slater's wave pool.
Post by: Beasho on November 07, 2017, 12:34:49 PM
Foiling is Easy
This guy, Trevor Tunnington, is putting us all to shame. He claims he's only been foiling for 2 weeks. If this is even HALF true, and included some boat time, and you have a shred of ego about being a surfer then you have no excuse not to try for a few sessions.
https://www.facebook.com/trevsup/videos/1334039083388249/
Post by: headmount on November 08, 2017, 11:49:09 PM
Post by: Piros on November 09, 2017, 04:50:11 AM
What's changed is these guys are on the right board with the right foil , no R&D needed with good advice . The hard work has been done , the frothers will launch this.
Post by: PonoBill on November 09, 2017, 08:28:54 AM
Post by: DailyBread Surf Photo on November 09, 2017, 08:49:21 AM
What's changed is these guys are on the right board with the right foil , no R&D needed with good advice . The hard work has been done , the frothers will launch this.
I'm on my 6th different foilboard shape. Stoked I'm able to try different shapes and sizes in such a short amount of time. Helps me understand the benefits and drawbacks of each so I can put together a stable of board shapes for different conditions here on Maui.
Here's a pic from last week, this is on a 7'2" Southpoint popout conversion. Board was too thin and not enough float for me, I'm 6'3 at 205lbs. The paddling was a nightmare as those that foil know...your rides are long which means your paddling back out is just as long.
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/7fddbdd0e01e97cb1c0c8f7d226d39dc/tumblr_inline_oz3sl8c1Nt1r5tjqc_540.jpg)
I'm now on a borrowed 7'8" SUP that's about 25" wide and maybe 3.5" thick with a pointy nose. Surfed it Ka'a for the first time in chest to head hi waves and it's by far been the best foilboard for what I wanna do. It floats, paddles, surfs, etc.. to my liking. I'll post up some pics as soon as i get some.
Post by: tautologies on November 09, 2017, 09:43:57 AM
Here's a pic from last week, this is on a 7'2" Southpoint popout conversion. Board was too thin and not enough float for me, I'm 6'3 at 205lbs. The paddling was a nightmare as those that foil know...your rides are long which means your paddling back out is just as long.
I'm now on a borrowed 7'8" SUP that's about 25" wide and maybe 3.5" thick with a pointy nose. Surfed it Ka'a for the first time in chest to head hi waves and it's by far been the best foilboard for what I wanna do. It floats, paddles, surfs, etc.. to my liking. I'll post up some pics as soon as i get some.
This is great info and follows my hypothesis that using a short wide SUP is better if only for paddling. I can see the appeal of having a super short prone board, but Standing and paddling must be better while going back out.
Post by: DailyBread Surf Photo on November 09, 2017, 10:03:23 AM
Here's a pic from last week, this is on a 7'2" Southpoint popout conversion. Board was too thin and not enough float for me, I'm 6'3 at 205lbs. The paddling was a nightmare as those that foil know...your rides are long which means your paddling back out is just as long.
I'm now on a borrowed 7'8" SUP that's about 25" wide and maybe 3.5" thick with a pointy nose. Surfed it Ka'a for the first time in chest to head hi waves and it's by far been the best foilboard for what I wanna do. It floats, paddles, surfs, etc.. to my liking. I'll post up some pics as soon as i get some.
This is great info and follows my hypothesis that using a short wide SUP is better if only for paddling. I can see the appeal of having a super short prone board, but Standing and paddling must be better while going back out.
Short is good, but wide is not. Those short wide SUPs for foiling may be stable for paddling, but they don't turn well IMO. The wider the board, the sooner the rail will touch the water while turning which significantly slows you down.
I've noticed this issue specifically from riding a 30" wide board down to a 22" wide. On the narrower board I can lay into a turn without having to worry about touching rail, but on the 28"+ wide boards I would have to constantly adjust the height through the turn as you're navigating different transition slope heights on the wave.
Post by: tautologies on November 10, 2017, 10:35:14 AM
Short is good, but wide is not. Those short wide SUPs for foiling may be stable for paddling, but they don't turn well IMO. The wider the board, the sooner the rail will touch the water while turning which significantly slows you down.
I've noticed this issue specifically from riding a 30" wide board down to a 22" wide. On the narrower board I can lay into a turn without having to worry about touching rail, but on the 28"+ wide boards I would have to constantly adjust the height through the turn as you're navigating different transition slope heights on the wave.
I guess you might not need super wide when the foil is on as it will work as a rudder, however it would be a nightmare for me to ride a 25-wide SUP as a regular SUP. The width would easily be negated by a slightly longer t-bar, which I would assume is pretty important anyways since a really wide wing would potentially surface from under the water on a short T-bar?
I am obviously speculating and thinking about how it will all unfold. I'm just so excited about this. :-)
Post by: DailyBread Surf Photo on November 15, 2017, 06:23:45 AM
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/6ad8bf032ca534ad3e9035ab0761b676/tumblr_ozb8ej5nGl1r9jd16o2_540.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/702553358dc0dd5b3d4c33ffd1dc9141/tumblr_ozb8ej5nGl1r9jd16o1_540.jpg)
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/7a7f3806acf905b7fa6911f1c8ddd8c5/tumblr_ozd1dlUg2L1r9jd16o4_1280.jpg)
Post by: supuk on November 15, 2017, 07:38:07 AM
Post by: tautologies on November 15, 2017, 09:13:53 AM
Nice, I thought when you said 22 wide it was still a Sup. I take it’s not now.
Yeah that makes sense. My shoulder is fubared so prone is out of the question for me.
ARRGGHHHHHHHHHH....my Crossover Hover is sitting there waiting...calling my name... I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!
Post by: surfcowboy on November 15, 2017, 06:03:04 PM
Post by: Piros on November 15, 2017, 08:47:26 PM
Nice, I thought when you said 22 wide it was still a Sup. I take it’s not now.
Yeah bit confused is the carbon on the rails to stop paddle strikes or make it stiffer for proning.
Post by: Newps on November 17, 2017, 10:20:39 AM
Post by: devon_sup_surf on November 17, 2017, 03:04:21 PM
Post by: Beasho on November 17, 2017, 04:15:34 PM
Here's the new sled, 7'6 x 22 x 4
Doing the Math on the Volume:
7' 6" = 90 inches X 22 inches X 4 inches = 7,920 inches^3
Multiply by 2.54 cm / inch three times --> 7,920 X 2.54^3 = 129,785 cm^3
A Liter is 1000 cm^3. Therefore if this board were a box it would be 129.8 liters. There is probably some sort of normal factor, off of a box, say 60% putting this board at roughly 80 liters. 80 X 2.205 lbs/liter --> 176 lbs buoyancy.
Does it float?
Post by: DailyBread Surf Photo on November 19, 2017, 06:42:32 AM
Here's the new sled, 7'6 x 22 x 4
Doing the Math on the Volume:
7' 6" = 90 inches X 22 inches X 4 inches = 7,920 inches^3
Multiply by 2.54 cm / inch three times --> 7,920 X 2.54^3 = 129,785 cm^3
A Liter is 1000 cm^3. Therefore if this board were a box it would be 129.8 liters. There is probably some sort of normal factor, off of a box, say 60% putting this board at roughly 80 liters. 80 X 2.205 lbs/liter --> 176 lbs buoyancy.
Does it float?
Yes it floats, i would actually prefer it be thinner. Say 3.5"ish.
I'm 205lbs and could almost SUP paddle it. I bet someone lighter could use it asa SUP>
Post by: Beasho on November 19, 2017, 03:56:07 PM
A few 300 yard long rides:
https://vimeo.com/243566410
Post by: Cardiff Sweeper on February 20, 2018, 07:54:22 PM
Figure I’ll get into the foil thing eventually. I have two or three SUP’s laying around, and one can be converted. 🤙🏻
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180221/5bd1ed662761464a6c6bd49f84af6965.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: Califoilia on February 21, 2018, 09:57:52 AM
Fortunately I logged back in here over the long weekend after a long absence, found your two threads, watched (studied in slo-mo, and frame-by-frame) a bunch of videos, and wow, what a difference a week makes. Yesterday, after resetting my foil to board location (moving it as far forward as the dual tracks would allow), I finally felt like I had some control over the pitch, and thus was actually able to get the dang thing flying down the line...or at least more than just the bucking bronco rides and yard sales as all I could accomplish previously.
If I can be so bold (because I still no nothing) and just add my two cents on what I learned, and seemed to work for myself to maybe make the next person's startup/experience just a little easier....if you're able to adjust the location of your foil, or maybe when thinking about locations when mounting your Tuttle box...don't worry so much about the mast to tail measurements (the numbers are a good starting guide), but rather get the leading edge of the front wing directly under your center of gravity of whatever surf stance is comfortable for you.....
(http://i65.tinypic.com/xlkzde.jpg) (http://i68.tinypic.com/2vknng1.jpg) (http://i66.tinypic.com/r7nfpz.jpg)
....you might even say the leading edge to the middle of the board, but that might be a little too general in nature possibly, and not take into account a rider's specific comfort zone of personal stance/style/location on the board.
It was really the last pic above that made the dim light bulb start to glow, and got me reorganizing my thoughts wrt what seemed to more important, as that guy's rear foot is well in front of the mast, and he's flying it fine...Hmmm.
Because while all of the well-meaning advice on the beach as to where to place my mast, and where to stand in that setup was appreciated, I found that it wasn't until I got myself, and the front wing oriented correctly above, and below the board...did the pitch start to feel much more controllable, and thus the board/foil itself begin to feel flyable.
So the first 3.5 times out the foil was way too far back, and with me trying to stand with my rear foot behind or even on it as directed...put the fulcrum too far back as well, and so as soon as I tried to put any kind of pressure on the tail to get everything up out of the water again as directed by some, the board wanted to transform into a scud missile to launch skyward, and from my position too far behind the fulcrum...it was like I was on a one-person teeter totter, with no way of being able to get the nose down, and off I went.
Moving the mast/wing as far forward as I could go in the setup, allowed me to let the energy of wave lift the foil, and it was my job to just keep everything level. So now instead of trying to push the tail down get the foil to fly (upsetting the attitude of the board, and thus result in a sudden, and uncontrollable upward pitch), I more or less just unweighted the tail, letting the wave to lift the foil, and controlled the nose allowing it to move upward with it....or push it down if it felt like things were getting out of hand too quickly.
Now I don't want to give the impression that in one session with a different setup that I've suddenly got it mastered...far from it. But at least now feel somewhat in control of the board/foil, thus giving me some encouragement that this is going to be possible , and now see what all of the fuss is about with these things. Instead of wandering up, and down the beach looking for someone to "Take this dang thing off my hands...such a deal "I'll make you". ;D
Thanks again Beasho (and all of you other experimenters out there giving it a go) for the words of encouragement....or maybe best said your similar stories of the trials, and tribulations of getting these things that the pros make look so easy, into some sort of fun, and workable experience for the rest of us mere mortals. Yeehaw!!
Post by: surfcowboy on February 21, 2018, 12:55:34 PM
Post by: PonoBill on February 21, 2018, 01:18:30 PM
Step two is let the speed lift the board slightly, and then push it back down, getting used to controlling pitch.
Step three is lifting the board by unweighting the nose a little. When you do this you have to be already pushing the nose back down when it starts to come up. If you delay very long the upward motion will shift your weight back, and even if you stand like a statue after lifting a bit, the upward angle shifts your center of gravity back and you'll be in a scud missile feedback loop. You have to counter the thrust immediately--actually, before it happens is how I think of it. Even foilers catching a big wave do what looks like a pump at the beginning--that's them shoving the nose pack down after lifting.
You might get away with being slow, or even not reacting--it's a very dynamic system. But if the nose of your board is staying up then you're not really flying in a stable position (unless your board is not parallel to the fuselage, which is another issue altogether).
Understand that my perspective comes from being at most 6 days ahead of you, but I also have at least ten part-time instructors critiquing every move--super valuable and the only reason I'm making good progress.