Topics

1

Foil SUP / SUP Foil Technique

« on: November 23, 2016, 10:54:03 AM »

Trouble staying up on foil, any ideas?

I just started SUP surf foiling here in Kauai and it’s not going all that well yet.   I don’t know if it’s technique, conditions, equipment, or all of the above.  I’d love to hear some suggestions on improving my setup or technique or just some encouragement. 

Me: 50 year old, 250 lb, proficient at SUP surfing.

My gear:  Liquid force low aspect kite foil, liquid force fuselage, slingshot 24” mast, Jimmy Lewis WorldWide 9’3”.  I have two long us-fin boxes installed as a track which allows the foil to be mounted in different positions.  I also have the slingshot flight school masts (15”, 24”, 30”) so i can change those around if need be.   Of note is that the board I am using is the same model as my go to SUP that I super comfortable on in all conditions. 

I’ve had 6 sessions so far, in a variety of conditions.  My progression/observations:
1. Day 1:  figured out the gear setup, used the 15” mast cause I figured wipeout would be easier to handle, had some trouble paddling straight, caught 10 or so waves - the foil lifted twice and tossed me immediately
2. Day 2:  added center fin to board to see if that would help with paddling straight, it did.  caught 5 small waves, the foil never lifted.
3. Day 3:  switched to 24” mast,  I caught a dozen or so waves and was able to get the foil to engage and disengage by working on front and back foot pressure. I did a lot of see-sawing up and down, not really controlled, and the board was never out of the water for more than 2 seconds
4. Day 4:   Marked pad to indicate exactly where mast is when in the middle of the track.  Experimented with foot positioning behind, on, and in front of mast.  It appears that by keeping my center of gravity forward the the foil stays or goes down and by putting it further back makes it engage. Still not able to stay on foil for more than 2 seconds although I am not see-sawing quite as much and not getting tossed every time it engages.
5. Day 5:  Too small, caught some whitewash, board got up and planing but foil never engaged. then caught one freak wave that was just overhead and foil engaged as I made the steep drop.    Scared the crap out of me!  I was trying to go into a normal bottom turn, the board turned on the face to the right but somehow threw me off to the outside of the turn on the left and I got crunched.  Everything tumbled in the washing machine - luckily I didn’t make contact with my gear and I was fine. 
6. Day 6:  Tried the 30” mast, foil engaged twice, but only when I forced it.  I fell on the mast once and bruised my forearm.  I’m now thinking the way to go about this is to let the foil engage on it’s own, which I assume will happen only when I have the correct amount of foot pressure and lots of speed.  The trouble is I don’t know how to consistently generate more speed without getting on bigger waves and, frankly, that scares me. 

So what do you all think I should do next?  Gear adjustment?  Go for it bigger waves? Change technique somehow to get more speed? 

2

Hawaii / Nagel Family Moving to Kauai ! Need a home :-)

« on: May 11, 2014, 08:57:17 AM »

Hello fellow zoners - after years of visiting Kauai and dreaming of living there, my family of paddlers (wife, three kids ages 10,7,7) have found a way to make it work.  We are moving the first week of June !!!!   Kids will go to school in Hanalei in the fall, and I have landed a technology job that allows me to be remote. 

Any and all zoner love would be much appreciated. 

Our current challenge is finding a place to live.  We are open to any and all ideas - condos, hotels, homes,  … seriously, whatever.  We have been using craigslist, vrbo, red week, and have contacted a local agent who doesn't get the idea that we are not on island yet .  Our target is $3000/month but could go higher for a short term deal.

Exciting times for us, but we really need your help - and just think, with the right setup you'll have a grateful family to paddle with!.

 Here's a pic of us in Hanalei a few years back. 

3

Gear Talk / Racing board for 240lbs

« on: January 21, 2011, 01:45:56 PM »

Hi all,

I did my first race last weekend and had a blast.  Nothing beats the comaraderie of the race scene.   I was really stoked on the whole experience.  This is definitely going to open up a whole bunch of time on the water for me. 

So, here's my question.  I did the race on the new Coreban 14, sweet board, If I was 200 or under it would be the perfect board. 

Several folks noted that the back end was a bit too underwater for me. I tried moving forward  but still was getting bogged down.  I demo-ed an Everpaddle 12'6 back to back and was actually faster on that board (I'm thinking the additional volume was what helped).

So, here's my question: what do you big guys think is a good board?  I'll be doing mostly San Francisco bay, some chop, some early morn glass, and the occasional coastal run.  I really don't care about being too competitive, I just want something that works well for my size and a variety of conditions.   

Thanks for your input Zoners!
Doug

4

Gear Talk / Recommendations for BigGuy moving down to wave only board

« on: August 22, 2010, 09:51:19 AM »

Hi all,

I've read a lot of great posts  from some of you heavy weights, given how quickly the designs are changing (and the fact that I am in the market for another board) I figured I'd reach out for your help and advice. 

Me, 240lbs (dry), 40 yr old intermediate surfer, currently on Naish 11'6" Nalu.  Lot's of fun on this board, surfing, windsurfing, fishing, taking the kids out ... the board is a keeper for sure in the do-everything fairly well category. 

Problem is, the board is really holding back my surfing progression.  I live in San Francisco area now and want to make sure I have a great board as the winter season kicks in.  So that said, I'd like a surf dedicated SUP.  There are so many production and custom boards to choose from,  I find it really overwhelming. 

Ideally I'd like to demo lots of shapes, but weekend warrior status makes this tough - I'd like to at least narrow down to a few boards in advance. 

I am intrigued by the short wide and thick category (whopper, hero, mana, Jimmy, Blair, etc), but mostly because it would be different than what I have now.  Also saw a really cool looking L41 shape on their facebook page.

So, heavyweights, what do you suggest?  if you're in NorCal, where to demo? Thanks so much for your help!