Author Topic: Foiling is EASY  (Read 17974 times)

Cardiff Sweeper

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1395
    • View Profile
Re: Foiling is EASY
« Reply #60 on: February 20, 2018, 07:54:22 PM »
I’ve got about 30 seconds experience with one. Carbon fiber...ooohhh, I like it already.

Figure I’ll get into the foil thing eventually. I have two or three SUP’s laying around, and one can be converted. 🤙🏻





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Califoilia

  • Axis Demo Rep
  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1510
  • San Clemente
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Foiling is EASY
« Reply #61 on: February 21, 2018, 09:57:52 AM »
Beasho, thanks so much for this and the other foil learners thread, and what a freakin' coincidence that I saw it when did; just about as I was about to put my foil stuff on Craigslist after 3.5 sessions of frustrations that made no sense to me...in that it can't be this difficult, I can SUS pretty decently, so why am I not getting this thing...WTF!?  :-[

Fortunately I logged back in here over the long weekend after a long absence, found your two threads, watched (studied in slo-mo, and frame-by-frame) a bunch of videos, and wow, what a difference a week makes. Yesterday, after resetting my foil to board location (moving it as far forward as the dual tracks would allow), I finally felt like I had some control over the pitch, and thus was actually able to get the dang thing flying down the line...or at least more than just the bucking bronco rides and yard sales as all I could accomplish previously.

If I can be so bold (because I still no nothing) and just add my two cents on what I learned, and seemed to work for myself to maybe make the next person's startup/experience just a little easier....if you're able to adjust the location of your foil, or maybe when thinking about locations when mounting your Tuttle box...don't worry so much about the mast to tail measurements (the numbers are a good starting guide), but rather get the leading edge of the front wing directly under your center of gravity of whatever surf stance is comfortable for you.....



....you might even say the leading edge to the middle of the board, but that might be a little too general in nature possibly, and not take into account a rider's specific comfort zone of personal stance/style/location on the board.

It was really the last pic above that made the dim light bulb start to glow, and got me reorganizing my thoughts wrt what seemed to more important, as that guy's rear foot is well in front of the mast, and he's flying it fine...Hmmm.

Because while all of the well-meaning advice on the beach as to where to place my mast, and where to stand in that setup was appreciated, I found that it wasn't until I got myself, and the front wing oriented correctly above, and below the board...did the pitch start to feel much more controllable, and thus the board/foil itself begin to feel flyable.

So the first 3.5 times out the foil was way too far back, and with me trying to stand with my rear foot behind or even on it as directed...put the fulcrum too far back as well, and so as soon as I tried to put any kind of pressure on the tail to get everything up out of the water again as directed by some, the board wanted to transform into a scud missile to launch skyward, and from my position too far behind the fulcrum...it was like I was on a one-person teeter totter, with no way of being able to get the nose down, and off I went.

Moving the mast/wing as far forward as I could go in the setup, allowed me to let the energy of wave lift the foil, and it was my job to just keep everything level. So now instead of trying to push the tail down get the foil to fly (upsetting the attitude of the board, and thus result in a sudden, and uncontrollable upward pitch), I more or less just unweighted the tail, letting the wave to lift the foil, and controlled the nose allowing it to move upward with it....or push it down if it felt like things were getting out of hand too quickly.

Now I don't want to give the impression that in one session with a different setup that I've suddenly got it mastered...far from it. But at least now feel somewhat in control of the board/foil, thus giving me some encouragement that this is going to be possible , and now see what all of the fuss is about with these things. Instead of wandering up, and down the beach looking for someone to "Take this dang thing off my hands...such a deal "I'll make you".  ;D

Thanks again Beasho (and all of you other experimenters out there giving it a go) for the words of encouragement....or maybe best said your similar stories of the trials, and tribulations of getting these things that the pros make look so easy, into some sort of fun, and workable experience for the rest of us mere mortals. Yeehaw!!

Me: 6'1"/185...(2) 5'1" Kings Foil/Wing Boards...7'10 Kings DW Board...9'6" Bob Pearson "Laird Noserider"...14' Lahui Kai "Manta"...8'0" WaveStorm if/when the proning urges still hit.

surfcowboy

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4929
    • View Profile
Re: Foiling is EASY
« Reply #62 on: February 21, 2018, 12:55:34 PM »
Sano, this is gold advice. Thx. I also agree on that Hankins all who post their beginning threads. We are building a manual here of how to do this.

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Foiling is EASY
« Reply #63 on: February 21, 2018, 01:18:30 PM »
Compared to the folks that were first in to this sport, we've got it pretty easy. The foils are better, the boards are better, and there's plenty of advice on what you need to do. Most everyone tells me don't get too worried about the back foot, make sure you have enough weight on the front foot. Be happy with just catching the wave and not flying at first, because the position to make the board surf and lift a little is the same as the stable position. The board won't really surf if you're too far off--the foil will have too much AOA and will drag out of the wave.

Step two is let the speed lift the board slightly, and then push it back down, getting used to controlling pitch.

Step three is lifting the board by unweighting the nose a little. When you do this you have to be already pushing the nose back down when it starts to come up. If you delay very long the upward motion will shift your weight back, and even if you stand like a statue after lifting a bit, the upward angle shifts your center of gravity back and you'll be in a scud missile feedback loop. You have to counter the thrust immediately--actually, before it happens is how I think of it. Even foilers catching a big wave do what looks like a pump at the beginning--that's them shoving the nose pack down after lifting.

You might get away with being slow, or even not reacting--it's a very dynamic system. But if the nose of your board is staying up then you're not really flying in a stable position (unless your board is not parallel to the fuselage, which is another issue altogether).

Understand that my perspective comes from being at most 6 days ahead of you, but I also have at least ten part-time instructors critiquing every move--super valuable and the only reason I'm making good progress.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2018, 01:22:19 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal