Topics

1

Foil SUP / Foiled San-O recently - where can I get a waterproof lawnmower?

« on: June 15, 2022, 03:21:47 PM »

The sea grass is crazy out there.  I was struggling with the grass grabbing my foil on anything less than a 4 foot tide.  Yikes!!!

2

Foil SUP / Is there a good place to foil on the north shore of Oahu?

« on: December 22, 2020, 07:31:53 PM »

I’m flying to Oahu tomorrow and staying at the Aulani Disney resort thingy. Is there any spots up there to foil?  I got Honolulu dialed, but never spent time on the north shore.

Feel free to PM.

Thank you.

3

Foil SUP / Efoil Vibe

« on: November 23, 2020, 03:16:57 PM »

I'm old enough to remember the backlash that SUP, and more recently foiling, has had in the surf community.  What's the vibe in CA or HI?  The whole point is to get away from crowds, but are people getting barked at on the beach.  I'll never forget the constant heckling we would get at 41st street in Santa Cruz just trying to get down the stairs with an SUP and paddle.  "Where you going with that thing - kook?"  Fond memories. 

Just curious as I have an eFoil on the way and I want to be super careful and respectful of the community.  Especially with an AZ license plate lol. 

4

Foil SUP / Heading to San O this weekend. Anything I should know?

« on: August 12, 2020, 11:54:01 AM »

I haven't been there since right before they closed the beaches back in March/April.  Is it business as usual down there or is there something I need to know about parking, social distancing, etc?

5

Foil SUP / Covid 19: Now what?

« on: April 01, 2020, 04:40:50 PM »

You know its bad when an Arizona boy is complaining that he can't surf.  I almost drove out to SoCal on Friday, but after talking to some friends, I decided that was a bad idea.  So with everyone essentially locked down, how are you filling the time?  I got a new wing for wing foiling but I lack the essential ingredient of "wind."  Hopefully that will change this month as it warms up.  Other than that I've been mountain bike riding and skateboarding.  If you have any creative ideas, I'm all ears. 

Stay safe
Evan

6

Foil SUP / Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?

« on: September 11, 2019, 04:51:40 PM »

I've been wanting to add a few inches to my ... um... mast.  I also want to try some of the different positions that you can get with a plate system.  Last week I had a nice chat with the owner of Foil Mount and I decided to try the 3.0 Carbon mount on my Kalama.  I figured the worst-case scenario would be I have to rip the thing off and install a track system.  Either way, we're talking major surgery.  Long story short, my beautiful wife filmed me installing the adapter so you can see how easy it is.  I have no idea if this will work, and I'm not suggesting anyone buy one.  I'm just a customer like you but with some video editing skills.  LOL.  I'm heading to the coast on Saturday to try it out.  I'll film that as well.  Let me know if you find these videos helpful.  I have fun making them.
foils
Part 1: 
Part 2:
Part 3: 

Evan

7

Foil SUP / Help planning a trip

« on: August 26, 2019, 02:09:23 PM »

My buddy and I go on a surf trip every year.  For the past couple years we've gone to Tamarindo Costa Rica.  This year we want to try someplace new where the foiling is good.  I would like to get some recommendations.  It can be anywhere in the world, but we're looking for good foiling spots.  Some ideas we are tossing around are Maui (we've both been) or Fiji (neither of us has been).  I look forward to your input.

Evan

8

Foil SUP / Lets talk about foils

« on: May 20, 2019, 04:07:31 PM »

I'm almost a year into this experience and I'm more and more curious about trying a new foil.  I currently have a Go Foil IWA and M200.  They are both working well, but without having tried another brand, I can't really claim that they are better than anything else out there.  My question is for you folks that have tried different foils, are you seeing a big difference from one to another or are the differences more subtle?  Going from the IWA to the M200 I notice a difference in turning and the ability to pump, but its not a substantial difference.  Both wings will get the job done.  Is there a wing out there that made you say - "Damn! This wing is special?"

I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Evan

9

Foil SUP / Video: Foil surfing in Hawaii for the first time

« on: May 04, 2019, 10:28:57 PM »

Here is a video of my recent trip to Hawaii.  I had the pleasure of surfing with many of you here on the Zone including Rob, Sam, and Daniel from Blue Planet and Pono Bill from Maui.  You all made the trip super fun and I'm so glad I had a chance to share some waves with you.  Living in AZ and riding with these guys was kind of surreal and very special. 

Enjoy

10

Foil SUP / Heading to Hawaii for the first time. Need advice

« on: February 26, 2019, 09:31:22 PM »

I have a meeting in Honalulu on the 14th of March. I’m going to fly with my Kalama and I’m looking for advice on where to foil. I’m not sure if I should I stay on Oahu or fly to Maui. I’d like to drop in and say hi to the boys at Blue Planet. I owe them a beer for teaching me so much. I’m not asking you to name spots, just looking for the best bang for the buck island wise.

Thanks
Evan

11

Foil SUP / Flight of the Phoenix

« on: December 28, 2018, 07:06:26 AM »

There is a great scene in the movie Flight of the Phoenix where the plane goes over a cliff on takeoff, dives down, and just before crashing pulls up and flies into the sunset. I had a similar experience last night.

I caught a wave that jacked up at the last second. The drop was steeper than I anticipated. As I came down the face I realized I was way too high in the air. I knew I was going to breach and I was just preparing myself for the inevitable crash. Just when I thought all was lost, my nose dipped down, and then leveled out. The foil accelerated with a burst of speed and shot me to the shoulder. I was shocked but ever so happy to be above water. The wave turned out to be a fun one and I rode it nearly to the beach.

The flight of the Phoenix baby.

12

Foil SUP / Merry Christmas Foil friends

« on: December 25, 2018, 09:12:19 AM »

I learned so much from all of you this year. Foiling has reignited my love of the ocean. We are heading to San-O tomorrow for a few days of fun. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

13

Foil SUP / Does foil surfing ruin your balance

« on: December 18, 2018, 02:30:26 PM »

A hefty swell has passed through CA the past few days.  I was in Del Mar and found myself paddling out over 8-10' faces.  I was on my 9-6 x 30. This board has been my go-to for big-ish waves for years.  The thing is, I have not surfed a SUP since April, as I have been fully committed to learning how to foil.  I found that my balance was all messed up.  I could hardly stand on a board that historically was one of my most stable.  I got a little more comfortable as the session progressed but I felt like a kook. I was falling off the board frequently while simply paddling around.  I thought I had pretty awesome balance in the past.  I generally Surf a 7-4 and 8-6 SUP, so going up to 9-6 was supposed to be easy.  I'm thinking the foil has reprogrammed my brain and now my muscle memory is all off.  Have any of you experienced this?

14

Foil SUP / Taking off the foot straps

« on: November 14, 2018, 08:50:03 AM »

Living in AZ, I have a lot of time in between sessions to contemplate my rides and think about ways I can improve. My past 2-3 sessions were frustrating. I was missing a lot of waves and falling a lot while paddling into waves. I determined that the foot straps were the main cause of the falls. With my feet in the straps, my board is very unstable and really wants to yaw to the right (I’m goofy).  I was using a draw stroke to correct, but the draw doesn’t have the same power as a normal stroke.  Additionally, I was breaching regularly on steeper takeoffs because I couldn’t shift my front foot forward enough to keep the board down. The front strap is as far forward as possible, but sometimes I need it a little more towards the nose.

Just moments before my last trip to San-O I pulled my Kalama out of the car, removed the straps, and installed a stomp pad under the front foot. I threw the straps in my bag just in case I needed them and then made the long drive to CA.  I could not of predicted what happened next. 

My first session was like an awakening. I was paddling with power, making late take-offs and making micro adjustments as I flew. The experience was so freeing as I could fly based on feel and was no longer locked into a pre-set foot position.

I surfed five sessions during the weekend. Each session I got more and more confident. Although the waves were pretty below average, I was having some of the best rides of my short foiling career. I was turning with power and surfing based on feel and instinct. I was reminded of Clay’s video on turning an SUP. In his video he talks about shifting the feet as needed to turn with precision. Sometimes you need more input and sometimes you need less. Some times you need your feet over here and other times you need them over there. ( but don’t stray too far from center) For the first time I felt in control, which seems counterintuitive since the straps are there to give you more control.

Your experience may vary based on your equipment and where you surf. I know in bigger waves the straps can be very useful in staying connected at high speeds. I’m not giving up on straps, as I’ve been suing them since day one. However, for now I’m going to continue to foil based on feel. I think that by taking a step backwards my surfing has improved greatly. It was really that profound.

I hope you all are having as much fun as I am. I know most people I see out on the water are really enjong themselves. Foiling has really allowed me to fall back in love with the ocean and I’m greatful to be able to do it as often as I do.

See you out there.
Evan

15

Foil SUP / Video: A closer look at a custom Kalama SUP

« on: October 13, 2018, 03:18:50 PM »

Here is a short video giving you a look at the custom foil SUP Dave Kalama shaped for me this summer. I'm still getting used to the board, but I'm having so much fun flying it.  Mine is 6-1 X 29.5 X .  Let me know if you have any questions about the board. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpMXjtb8OmQ&feature=youtu.be