Messages

421

Foil SUP / Re: Any opportunities to try foiling in New England

« on: June 04, 2018, 02:50:00 PM »

I live up in the Great White North, Hampden. Maine.  Been making SUP foils for a little over a year now and am finally getting both the use and construction dialed in.  I surf quite often in southern Maine (Popham. Long Sands, Higgins)  If you are up for a ride, you are more than welcome to try my foils.  It is best to practice behind a boat initially and I often pull my foils behind a skiff with a 4 hp outboard motor.  Come on up-  it's a lot of fun!

422

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: June 04, 2018, 09:55:18 AM »

My new short mast is 21 inches but I have probably 5 feet of water depth to play with.  Most of my difficulty was the amount of turbulence encountered the deeper I went.  My 33 inch mast was far too long.  As far as the set up I'm on, you can see it by going to the "Diy sup foil" page on this forum, pages 44-47, I think!  Pics of it there

423

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: June 03, 2018, 04:47:06 PM »

Definitely yes on the paddle!  My thick wing is in the vacuum bag right now.  it is over 1.5 inches thick and my hope is that this will allow me enough lift at the lower speed of the river and also slow me down enough to not out run the wave.  All of my past foils have been too fast on this wave.   If its too slow I can just pump.  I am very excited to try this new wing.  If this one does not work Ill just have to make a 2 inch thick wing.  The rope just allows me continuous surf time since this wave is tide dependent and the clock is running.  I'm trying to get as much surf time as I can before it disappears.

424

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: June 03, 2018, 12:32:07 PM »

Nice ride!  Yeah! Its really hard!  So much has to be perfect. Water speed, turbulence, wing size...
I managed to get down to the standing wave yesterday, wave was almost non-existent due to small tide and bad winds but was able to get the foil gliding nonetheless.  Really would have been nice to have my thick wing since my wing was outrunning the wave.  Its easy to get them to go faster(pumping) but slowing them down is near impossible.  Gotta do that by adding wing thickness.  Thick wing is only days from being ready and then the tide phase should be good for some better rides. I really struggle with this video thing but managed to get one downloaded to You Tube.  Now if only I could get it to show up here.  I know- Go back and read the directions someone so kindly sent to me.



River Wave Foiling on You Tube

425

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: May 31, 2018, 05:40:36 PM »

Whoa!  I'm going to have to read that half a dozen times before it all sinks in.  Thank you very much for explaining the method of getting videos onto this site. 

426

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: May 31, 2018, 08:53:41 AM »

As far as paddling onto the wave.  That is my goal but the turbulence at the eddy line is problematic, not to mention I must paddle offside just to cross it.  At this point, I just wanted to know if long rides were possible on the wave itself.  Almost done making my thick wing.  A slower wing will definitely help, coupled with the short mast, I think some very long rides will be possible.  Thanks for the video, really cool!  I think a thicker wing would help you also.  Looks like the water speed it a might too slow for that wing.  BTW, do I need to set my gopro on a lesser image quality to be able to post it on this forum?  Not really sure how I am going  to do this.

427

Foil SUP / Re: Any opportunities to try foiling in New England

« on: May 27, 2018, 06:20:16 PM »

Not sure how you are with composite construction, but making your own foil is not out of the question.  I've made my own foils for the past year and am currently on number 4.  Different foils for different waves and types of waves,  Ocean, river, wake, whatever you prefer.  Go to the Diy sup foil section in these forums. I'm up here in Maine and would share all info regarding wing shapes, sizes wing profiles and techniques.  Cheapest way would be to purchase mast and fuselage and create your own wings.   I can make front wings for 30-50 dollars.  rear wings 20 dollars.  Yes they take time but the satisfaction more than makes up for it. 

428

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: May 27, 2018, 05:46:50 PM »

Finally! success!  Foiling with the new short mast helped considerably.  I used a rope to lower next to the face of the large wave and, with great trepidation, foiled over to the wave face.  Yes the turbulence was very noticeable but nowhere near the violence of my earlier attempts with the long mast,  I never did let go of the rope but would allow it to go slack for longer and longer segments of time.  The rope and associated leverage allowed me to maneuver quickly around boils to avoid the harsher bumps.   Absolutely the most fun I have ever had foiling at this site, a standing wave created by the incoming tide.  My biggest mistake was not having a go pro handy.  I will be going again so maybe footage will follow.  Any hints on settings so that the video can be downloaded  to this site?  Again, any time a rope is used in moving water, we must always have plans A, B and C.  A quick release leash which I wear on my arm.  Being dragged head first is way safer than feet first.  A knife at the ready.  I really wish I could find some sort of rope release with an adjustable release at a certain pull poundage.  While dragging underwater a great deal of force is applied to the rope.  Don't ask me how I know.
A buddy nearby just to enact plan C.  I don't always have the buddy.  I once had a wake up call at this very place and the thought did cross my mind-  "So this is how it's going to end".

I cant tell you how excited I am about this recent success.  I was truly beginning to think foiling river waves was asking a bit too much!  While the bumps(boils)  can be vicious, most of them can be sucked up with your legs.   

429

Foil SUP / Re: River Foil Surf

« on: May 18, 2018, 05:43:35 PM »

Wow!  Just found this thread.  I think we are all learning the same thing.  Foil surfing river waves is f---ing hard.  I have been trying for a year now and progress is slow to nill.  Probably for the same reason that video of Kai Lenny never materialized of him foil surfing some river wave out west.  Rides are typically so short lived that still pictures are far more impressive than the truth. The Truth!  Any time water flows over boulders and ledges, boils are formed.  Boils are wads of water moving in directions entirely different than the general flow of the river.  Foils being very sensitive to Angle Of Attack, can not easily handle these abrupt changes in flow direction and either toss you or choss you.  I have since moved my ski tow line a little upstream of the wave and to the side.  I then use the oncoming water to lift the foil for hours at a time and occasionally swing over to the wave and for a few moments when the line goes slack, I am actually foiling the wave, only to cut back after a few seconds to start tow foiling again.  Great fun!  Great practice!  Great way to test new foil shapes and designs.  Just be very, very, very careful when mixing moving water with any type of tow line.  One miscalculation and the inability to detach from a leash or line could be your last surf.

430

Foil SUP / Re: Foil board on the roof rack at 65mph Results?

« on: May 18, 2018, 05:21:50 PM »

For what it's worth, I drive around with my foil on the roof of the car all the time.  At first, I admit, I was a bit nervous about the foil creating some sort of resonance thing and ultimately exploding.  To make sure this wasn't going to happen I tied a cord to the fuselage and held the other end in my hand, while driving,  to inform me of a possible meltdown.  Nothing happened.  No flutter, no resonance, no nothing!  55, 65. 75mph!  Nothing.  Let's face it.  They are designed to fly through a medium 815 times more dense than air.  I think we are OK.

431

Foil SUP / Re: Diy sup foil

« on: May 18, 2018, 04:37:22 PM »

Forgot to ask you, Container.  Could you please tell me more about the foil with the Leading Edge Protuberances.  Is it a prototype  and how did it work?  Looks really cool.  Could be just the ticket for decreasing speed(increased drag) and inhibiting stall.

432

Foil SUP / Re: Diy sup foil

« on: May 17, 2018, 05:29:44 PM »

Great video!  Nice bit of pumping!  Looks very efficient.  I had to put 2 extra layers of 45 degree 3K carbon on the mast.  Very stiff but had a little too much twist.  All is good now and needed to cover the fairing from mast to insert portions anyway.  Looking forward to getting the short mast on the local river wave and also think it will make ocean wave foiling a fair bit easier.

433

Foil SUP / Re: Diy sup foil

« on: May 13, 2018, 01:16:22 PM »

41 inch wing span! Crazy wide.  Do you notice increased torque against your feet from side to side.  I just might have to try a wing with increased span.  The Maliko ,I believe, is 32 inches and I thought that was really wide.  my first wing was 28 inches.  My new wings are 25 inches wide.  I have found that most of my foils for SUP end up being too fast and I'm now looking for ways to slow them down.  a speed that more closely matches the speed of the wave would be easier to keep in the correct position on the wave. More likely it is probably due to my lack of ability.  Its all fun anyway. 

434

Foil SUP / Re: Diy sup foil

« on: May 10, 2018, 04:39:23 PM »

Hi Container,  Just wondering what your mast dimensions are.  Thanks!

435

Foil SUP / Re: Diy sup foil

« on: May 10, 2018, 04:23:33 PM »

Here is a pic of the end I will be embedding into filler to fit tuttle box.  Not very symmetrical atr this point since it will be inside of board.  Just to give you an idea of skin thickness.