Foil Epidemic Maui

[DailyBread Surf Photo]

Yesterday witnessed the most amount of foilers yet.  We counted 40 heads in the water, most were on foil. 

[Rider]

“In this present crisis, foiling is not the solution to our problem, foiling is the problem”.  RR

[PonoBill]

Yup, that was a lot of foilers. I noticed two things though. 1. Kanaha looked like someone had kicked an anthill. Even from Ka'a point I could see people swarming every wave.
2. Foilers spread out. It's not as wide a break as Kanaha, but the surfer density was much less. I had one moment when a foiler with less than total control was headed more or less towards me, but even he passed fifty feet away. And the only total Kooks I saw were Boyum and me.

[Tom]

Last Oct when I was SUPing at middles in Hanalei bay I was out numbered about 3 to 1 by foilers one day. Once I got use to them, it wasn't much of a problem. Almost all were beginners and they'd either crash and burn on takeoff or make the drop. If they made their first turn, they were good for the ride. I stayed out of their way when they were catching their waves, but could easily share waves with them, they'd pass me up and just keep going out in front of me and they wouldn't crush the wave like a surfer would. You just learn to stay clear of the Pono Bill types.

[surfcowboy]

Tom, I'd wondered about that wave for foiling. How big was it? That spot gets pretty sizable.

[Beasho]

That picture is terrifying.  If I have to I will stop posting to motivate 

On a foil I am more than willing to 'share' a wave meaning that I will take off wide and fly way, way down the line.  Then cut back before I lose the wave.  Ultimately there is no impact at all on the surfers and by the time I cut all the way back the SUP'r has fallen off the wave and I can ride the lump another 100 yards. 

[PonoBill]

Not really terrifying at all, kind of reassuring if you were there. Ka'a point is kind of a foiling mecca. It's rarely used for any kind of surfing--just kiting when the wind is from the right direction. It's the inside of an area called the Boneyard. The outside is reasonably good for SUP but lightly used--because BONEYARD. Ride that tasty wave just a little too far and you can find youself in five inches of water with big mackers dropping on you. Rarely surfed prone. The lagoon is wide and flat--ideal for foiling and not much else. Basically surfing reform and reform of the reform. As I said above, with 40+ foilers, taking any wave they were in position for, it was uncrowded and not threatening--at least not to me and I'm generally nervous around foilers. I think you can fit a hell of a lot of foilers in the right place without anyone really getting in anyone's way.  A whole bunch of people riding shitty waves that no one else wants, probably looking like they were on top of each other because of the telephoto lens.