Pulling the Trigger: Go-Foil & Getting Started --- What to Know???

[Kookalicious]

Beasho…If you enjoy a challenge and are looking for something new, believe the hype (and the testimonials) and pull the trigger. I’d go with your L41 for starters. I went with my 7-7x27 98l carbon pro and I’m 5-7 150 (and older than Laird). 10 sessions in (no boat) and 1 cracked rib later, it finally clicked. I’m up to about 20 sessions now and I can’t believe how much better I get each time out.

Matter of fact, I’m so stoked on this right now, I haven’t even supped normally since the day it finally clicked for me…. it is that addicting and fun!

~Praise the Laird

[Dwight (DW)]

I know just enough to be dangerous, so he goes.

I was listening to a surf podcast, when the guest on the show said he owned a Gofoil. He loved it. But one day he swapped boards with Kai Lenny and was blown away. Kai's personal foil was way, way, better than his Gofoil. Unfortunately he didn't say Kai's foil was the production Naish

There is photo on Instagram of Robbie Naish windsurfing their SUP foil. 2 ft mast. I think they are releasing a windsurf board for foiling.

Pelican Foils posted on Instagram, a video of theirs being cut in half for QC inspection. It revealed to me a wing that appeared 1 1/2" thick. I was shocked. I'm disappointed they are asking $1760 for it.

I have two buddies who took delivery of the Liftfoil. They are testing them with kites while we wait for the wind to die. At $1300 these looked like better options. Unfortunately one had a warranty issue already. Split wing. These are very thin wings. Shocked they are thin wings.

I'm currently switching from windsurf foiling to kitesurf foiling to be better prepared for SUP foiling. BTW, I like kite foiling better than windsurf. It's higher performance with the kite.

[PonoBill]

Yeah, that crew is like the Maui version of the Avengers.

But folks are making it go. I gotta build one and fly this damn L41 blank I glassed.

It's a 6-4 bottom, you think I need more? Maybe a carbon patch like you did?

Probably. I'm using a plate mount but I wanted to distribute the stress. If I hadn't had my head up my ass it would have been a diamond shape to avoid the stress riser I see every time I look at the square patch, but it should be pretty strong. As I recall I had Kirk do mine in S-glass to begin with. I know most glassers aren't that impressed with the difference, but that's because they don't have a Bozo like me do their testing. My S-glass boards outlast my e-glass boards by a huge margin. Of course there's statistical error there--in general boards I really care about get S-glassed. Then again, the board I use the most is a plain old production Foote Triton, but it gets beat to shit and it's half repairs.

[Bean]

If you are still thinking twin fin boxes, I wonder if break away nut plates would help protect the equipment/rider.  Coral heads, rocks, kelp, sandbars, etc.

https://www.surfcohawaii.com/Breakaway-Plastic-Tabs-and-Screws-p/a-tabs-screws.htm

[surfcowboy]

Yeah I think the twin boxes will be my jam. The foils are so in flux that I think I'm going to experiment a bit. As DW says (and it just makes sense) there should be a wide range of performance in foil sizes and shapes. I think I'm going to try this CNC guy here in town and make a few.

And I saw that pelican and a few others and yes, at least an inch thick seems to be the current low speed deal. I'm really interested in Pono's method of a stiff flat bottom for construction. Maybe a ply bottom with shapable foam over it to make the foil easy to shape? Thick, stiff but not 1 1/2" of ply.

Pono, the diamond is a good call but I also think that the most likely failure would be the rear skin pulling away from the bottom due to the need to push the front down, more than the front breaking downward.

Carbon tape longitudinally might also be an idea to ease the stress fracture points.

[p06781]

Thanks for the pelican foils tip !

I see a very wide 1 to 1.5 thick foil . Got a screen grab for shape and what's inside !

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[cnski]

The Lift foil is a much improved design over the Go-foil. But I am am not sure about their construction. I've heard there have been issues with their kite foils in the past. All the best kite racing foils have a one piece wing/fuselage/stab configuration with the strut connecting into the fuselage. Much cleaner and stiffer. The Pelican foil doesn't look that great design wise also but that's just me. It's a matter of time before someone comes out with a really nice surf foil. I've tried to get my foil builder to make a surf foil but he doesn't surf and isn't very interested at the moment. Too bad cuz he really knows his stuff.

[container]

that pelican foil is a pretty similar section to my latest foil, 40mm polystyrene (+5mm once laminated) in their element at 5kts!
my sup fin box only has 2 layers of 200gm 2x2 twill reinforcing on the bottom aside from the 1 layer of twill and 1 of 200gm glass over the whole thing + a few strips of unis over the top of the box where it comes through the deck. thats on a 13ft board and never had an issue with it
last pic is that latest, turning the tips down instead of up made a world of difference

[surfcowboy]

That's nice work man. Is it all just foam and carbon? Sandwiches are so much stronger than I always think.

[Beasho]

These are some alternates.  2 of my 3 windsurfers.  The ORANGE Stretch already has a tuttle box which makes for an interesting Hybrid set of circumstances.

Can you learn to Foil with light wind on a Windsurfer?  It would seem to be a quick and dirty way to get things done without a boat.

Otherwise the STRETCH is a super sinker and probably not likely to pop on a plane easily.  The red Naish is an old-school Floater.  It was great in super marginal conditions right up to 5.0.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive from  . . . . Robby Naish:

[DavidJohn]

These are some alternates.  2 of my 3 windsurfers.  The ORANGE Stretch already has a tuttle box which makes for an interesting Hybrid set of circumstances.

Can you learn to Foil with light wind on a Windsurfer?  It would seem to be a quick and dirty way to get things done without a boat.

Otherwise the STRETCH is a super sinker and probably not likely to pop on a plane easily.  The red Naish is an old-school Floater.  It was great in super marginal conditions right up to 5.0.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive from  . . . . Robby Naish:

My order is in.. 

[Beasho]

Mine too!

The most expensive FIN ever!  Like a kick to the Jimmy.  The saving grace is that my last two boards I picked up for $100 combined.  The L41 was free and I will use it as the test-bed for this Wing-Ed pocket rocket.

[PonoBill]

Why did you order the Kai, Beasho. What do you weigh?

[Beasho]

Why did you order the Kai, Beasho. What do you weigh?

180.  Maliko too much foil.  My friend Travis (150) and Jeff Clark (200) were both using the Kai foil.  They reported the necessary speeds at 15 and 17 mph behind the Jet Ski.  Report is that while there are competitor foils the Kai foil is the ONLY way to go (for now at least). 

[PonoBill]

Ah, you weigh less than I thought. For some reason I thought you were more in the Clydesdale class