Messages

31

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: 2022 New Wings Thread

« on: August 08, 2022, 02:32:39 PM »

I've heard a lot of brands are coming out with new materials this fall. That said, I think brands struggle to move on from bad shapes in the past and rehash them, based on parking lot talk. (i.e. having a baggy canopy and a shape that doesn't like to go upwind, but putting an aluula leading edge on it isn't going to improve things much).

Things I'm looking for in a new wing coming from D-Labs for racing/free-riding:

Low-dihedral
Low-stretch canopy material (not dacron)
Non-stretching LE material and shape (not dacron/ or 10+psi dacron)
Tight canopy (required for getting on foil in the lower half of the wind range of any wing)
Non-stalling at closely sheeted angles
Rigid handles


If anyone has ridden a wing like this let me know! I know there are prototypes out there.

32

The Shape Shack / Re: Looking for a way to mount a foil mast plate 2-4" forward of current mast tracks

« on: August 08, 2022, 12:40:04 PM »

You could just get a 1/4” g10 plate and cut it to size. Drill holes for the bolts in the rear and a slot for the front bolts for the tracks and countersink the front holes so the mast plate can sit flat on it. Then you could thread the g10 to accept the m8 in the front. Thread like metal and then wax the bolt and epoxy the bolts in to make the threads perfect - then remove the bolts. Regular threading g10 isn’t amazing especially thin stuff since the layers like to separate, hence the step at the end.

Haven’t done this.

I HAVE drilled plenty of holes into aluminum base plates to get them to work. You don’t need the full length. I think drilling into carbon would be just fine as well since it’s solid carbon but a bit hairier - maybe use a dremel  instead of a drill bit? I would do this instead of the plate since the plate would be adding zero advantage over this and just add weight and complexity.

I did this in 4’6” boards with footstraps that were maxed out. You have an 8’ board - why are you worried about moving 2-4” ?

33

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: 2022 New Wings Thread

« on: August 01, 2022, 11:36:57 PM »

You can absolutely manhandle duotone boom wings. Mine are bent from handling so hard.

Contact the mfgr.

34

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Benefits of Long >> 1 Meter (39 inch) Mast

« on: July 27, 2022, 09:30:56 AM »

Heeled over screaming upwind requires a big mast to keep your wing tips submerged. I ride a 102, 104. My axis stuff I just keep for prone 86, 96.

Winging in the ocean in California requires a huge mast as the chop is 3+ft every day just about so going upwind over breaking wind chop is extremely difficult without a huge mast and even then very hard.

If I’m trying to glide as much as possible I’ll just ride it high.

I think there are two downsides:

1. Hitting the bottom (not an issue where I go)
2. Turns are more drawn out, but you can do more powerful bigger turns
3. Flex - don’t get a crappy big mast and keep the foil small so the forces stay smaller.

35

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: wing harness

« on: July 18, 2022, 09:52:55 AM »

I have the NSI minimalist one. It’s good. I like that with one squeeze I can take it off and release my board and wing in case of a wave situation. I like the light weight as well.

I don’t like that it hurts my back when loaded up - for some reason when I unhook is when it hurts. It moves around too much so when I fall the harness is rotated 90 degrees. I ride really loaded up quite often for long upwind tacks.

I’m looking at the Ion Rogue harness as an upgrade, but balking at the price, especially when my wing ripped off my garmin in a jibe and I tore my wing - $450 session. :'(

36

Travel, Trips, Destinations / Re: North Carolina

« on: July 15, 2022, 11:05:55 AM »

FYI, my buddy lives in Wrightsville beach. He says the southern tip is the kiting area and folks are out most days so it's probably a good bet the kiters are starting the evolution process to a higher level (winging).   

37

Travel, Trips, Destinations / Re: The Gorge

« on: July 15, 2022, 11:03:02 AM »

Headed there in later August for the first time.

Will I be screwed if my smallest wing is a 3m?

Looks like DW is riding 3 and 2m wings, but I think you like to be on the small side?

38

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: F-One Phantom 1280 for Wind Foiling

« on: July 10, 2022, 10:19:08 PM »

No experience with fone or wind foiling, but every windfoil I see has a super long fuse. There doesn’t seem to be a reason a foil would work or not besides whether you can bolt it to a long enough fuse. Windfoils use small wings so I think a 1280 would be on the larger side but that’s not really a problem.

39

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: List of pitch neutral hand wings

« on: July 04, 2022, 06:56:21 PM »

Duotone unit is pitch positive in your definition. In a tack it will lift you straight off your feet if you treat it like any other wing and work it to get it across without hitting you in the head. Big fan.

40

The Shape Shack / Re: Wing Board Build 4'6" x 23" x 5.25" ~75-80L

« on: July 02, 2022, 10:02:24 PM »

Pretty much every step this guy takes in his series.



 For a first timer it was tons of work. You do the carbon under and the wrap at the same time in a vacuum, then the other side. Then you reshape (and fix the bad spots). Then you carry on with glassing and putting in the inserts as normal. Basically double the glassing and bagging and fiddly shaping work.
I did a flat piece on the bottom and cut the beveled parts separately and bagged that together because I wanted a hard edge on the bevels and I wasn’t sure I could get that by just forcing the bag to do the work (still not sure). Also you can’t use much pressure until you have a layer of carbon or dcell or you may lose your rocker line.

 Then I did the top in one piece making little relief cuts. One tricky thing is making sure there are no voids in the edges and bends. I used microballoons on top of my carbon after it was wet out in a table before placing the dcell on top especially on the rails. I will look for a foaming additive for the epoxy next time and mix that on the side for the whole curved rail bit.

41

The Shape Shack / Re: Wing Board Build 4'6" x 23" x 5.25" ~75-80L

« on: July 02, 2022, 06:14:30 PM »

2.9oz spread tow carbon. Fingers crossed it’s enough.

It’s just phenolic microballoons from fiberglass supply. I ran out of cabosil so I didn’t use any in the whole build.

42

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Foot pressure when foiling.

« on: June 30, 2022, 09:27:57 PM »

I have a tuttle and can only adjust my front footstraps. I have it so it's even leg pressure at slower speeds and I lean back slightly to take off. At my highest speeds possible I've got most/all of my weight on my front foot. I don't think anyone rides back foot heavy most of the time or they would be nose diving on every transition.

Some foils have a wide window of how far your weight needs to move. I think that's what the other person is saying. Some wings you only need to shift your weight forward slightly from your slowest to fastest speeds. Any faster and the foil doesn't need additional front foot pressure. Others, the faster you go, the more forward pressure you need, so the area on your board you need to cover is wider. For instance I have two 10AR planes. One foil is 25% smaller than the other but continuously needs more front foot pressure as speeds increase - far more than the bigger foil. The bigger one with the smaller tail hits an equilibrium where more speed doesn't require any more front foot pressure.

I think this is due to tail design. If you don't need further front foot pressure as speeds pick up, then the tail may be too small and foil is "unstable" at higher speeds. I put that in quotes because I'm not sure that it's true, but I think it's common knowledge. (citing axis guy's blue planet interview and blue planet interview of unifoil).

When I put my straps too far forward (aka back foot pressure), my top end is more comfortable, but I find myself touching down more. Footswitches, slow transitions, ripping turns on waves are all areas you need to lean back potentially (especially ripping turns) and where it may be difficult if you are too far forward. That's why I say nobody rides like that, you can't transition unless you move your feet back. 

For those reasons, aside from slow riding, my rear leg is usually locked and I'm doing variations of leaning on my front foot. If I have to lean way back I'm about to eat shit or i'm doing some quick maneuver. 

The other reason I think is that leaning back is just more awkward while maintaining balance.

43

The Shape Shack / Re: Wing Board Build 4'6" x 23" x 5.25" ~75-80L

« on: June 30, 2022, 02:03:01 PM »

New board built right as the above board filled with 2+ lbs of water from the various pinholes and dings.

I did a full dcell wrap. 3oz spread tow underneath the full board. 5.7oz on top and patches on the deck and of course the bottom. 1” dcell diamond around the box as well.

I think I can say that 1lb eps needs a dcell wrap. The board is way more solid than my first, and lighter. 9.4pbs with the pad on. The volume is slightly higher by accident. Maybe 75L. 4’8” x 22.25”. Stoked. More rocker means less nosediving. Slight concave is nice. 2mm high density EVA pad feels more solid than the 1/4” NSI stuff and half the weight. Pinholes don’t matter with a full wrap!

44

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: The 2022 Duotone Unit

« on: June 22, 2022, 01:58:41 PM »

Though I’d give a review of the unit dlab 4 and 5.5.

I ride a 6m echo and a 4.5 slick.

The most remarkable thing is the stiffness. Incredibly stiff. I recently rode a slick that was under inflated due to a slow leak. Getting the wing in the sweet spot was impossible it would just bend and spill the wind right when I was getting in the power zone. Riding the dlab makes all other wings feel like that. It doesn’t spill the wind in a gust so it’s like riding with an extra .5 or 1m wing. I raced a light day and did well I think due to having the dlab. The low end is awesome since every pump is more effective.

The top end is not much higher I find than my other wings, and I don’t want to bag it out.

The other remarkable thing that I will look for in every wing I buy in the future is draft-forward lift. The thing LIFTS from the front. This makes it great for going up wind. It is a tacking machine. Put the wing over your head and it will lift you into your toes or off the board if you sling it up and around like other wings. All you have to do is move it to the other side, no chance of it coming down and getting in your hair. I rode my slick the other day and I swear I used to be able to tack on it but now it’s a nightmare and it takes a huge amount of work and wrangling to get it around. I had no idea until I got on the dlab.

This is where you put the negative stuff in a review. Price?? I do worry it will bag out and I’ll have a $1,700 stiff trash bag so I have contemplated getting a quiver of regular units or riding my old slick, which is ridiculous I know.

I’d love to get a sail loft to put on dyneema (NOT Dacron) sailcloth on the canopy when this bags out. Haven’t heard of anyone ever doing that and I can’t understand why not.

45

Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP / Re: Wing Board Tail Rocker - Thoughts

« on: June 15, 2022, 01:00:53 PM »

New rocker template on top of my older template so the foils are in the same place. The addition of some tail rocker will make the board ride nose up at slow speed and flat at high speeds (hopefully).

Imagine a stall situation where the old rocker submarined the new rocker should bounce back. It’s funny that many brands are straight in the back half and others have tail rocker. Length helps and these are under 5’ so it’s critical