Author Topic: A hazard to all around him  (Read 6004 times)

PonoBill

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A hazard to all around him
« on: February 17, 2018, 03:17:09 PM »
Today was either my ninth or tenth foil session. Something like that. Yesterday I was popping the foil up with a quick weight shift and then wrestling it back flat, getting some long rides with weenie slow turns across the wave face. Look Ma, I'm flyin'.

Today Ka'a was flat and messy. I tried to look at pier one but the gate was locked, so I went to the harbor. The only energy was a clean wave next to the jetty wall, but it looked good for learning. Dave K and another guy whose name I forget were going out, and there was one prone surfer who turned out to be a prone foiler. Uncrowded, small, and glassy--perfect for a faker like me.

I paddled out, turned into a wave and got it. popped up on the foil like I knew what I was doing. Turned left across the face and rode as far as the wave would take me without pumping (which I still haven't managed). Touched down without falling, turned and paddled back out. I got this.

So, of course, the next ten waves I got I couldn't get the foil to fly. I even tried some weak little pumps, but no joy. I said to Dave "I think I need a 280". He said "you need to move your back foot a little further back. Not a lot, a little is a lot."

I tried it on the next wave. I guess I didn't hear the last part of that advice, my board popped up onto the foil and kept coming up. I shifted hard forward and wrestled the board flat, but in the process, I turned hard right across the wave. Dave was to the right of me, between me and the wall, with not much room to maneuver. He had an "OH SHIT! Incoming!" look on his face. I managed to turn down the wave with a turn that was 88 percent terror, 12 percent precise control. Dave wheelied out of the wave.

I rode it out, turned and paddled back out. Dave was laughing--good sign. I said, "So it might be a faux pas for a clueless newb to run down a pioneer of the sport".

"A BIG faux pas" he agreed.

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.

surfcowboy

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2018, 07:31:26 PM »
Pono, totally his fault. He gave you the advice. ;)

stoneaxe

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2018, 05:34:42 PM »
 ;D
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

PonoBill

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2018, 06:51:34 PM »
I had to turn hard to avoid some other newbs today. Not so egregious this time, it was near the end of a very long run and they were flopping into the water in a manner that took up about a tennis court worth of space. I was very pleased to have made the turn, brought the board down a little at the end without hitting the water, popped back up but maintained control, and then prematurely celebrated and did a total yard sale.
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.

808sup

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2018, 07:02:11 PM »
Killing someone of fame isn't how most would want to become famous. Unless your last name is oswald. ;)

jrandy

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2018, 05:36:37 AM »
Bill, does your success at 'conventional' foiling mean that the Geezerfoil project is no longer needed?
http://pushheretosavealife.com/
Be safe, have fun. -J

surfcowboy

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2018, 08:20:41 AM »
I still have hopes for a flatwater geezer foil.

PonoBill

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2018, 10:29:49 AM »
The geezer foil is back on the list. I found the error in my calculations. I fucked up the unit conversions. Conventional foiling has made me even more enthusiastic about foiling in general--it's incredibly exhilarating and addictive. I've realized how small the foils could be and I see how to reduce the drag substantially. I think it will probably need steering and might be best done as a powered board--though perhaps just intermittently to get up on the foils, but I think it could be great for downwind, which is marginal for large humans with existing foils--unless your name is Kalama.
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.

Beasho

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2018, 10:46:30 AM »
Today was either my ninth or tenth foil session. . . . .  I managed to turn down the wave with a turn that was 88 percent terror, 12 percent precise control. Dave wheelied out of the wave.
I rode it out, turned and paddled back out. Dave was laughing--good sign.
10 Sessions great to hear.  Dave has to be impressed that you are out there and learning, or are there 'a lot of guys like you trying to foil?'

Turning quickly is a very tall order.  The other weird thing is how the foil appears to get lift when turning.  Maybe its the foot movement or something else but a sharp turn tends to produce lift picking the nose up.

No pumping yet?  Keep working this. 

I also suspect you are on the Maliko 200.  I started with my 2 pack on the Maliko 200 and was quickly addicted but then switched to the IWA.  I'm starting to think the IWA catches waves as well as the 200 (for some bizarre reason) but the IWA has much better control once flying. 

Yesterday I was trying to attempt downwinding in 18 to 25 mph winds on the 200.  The wind swell was not that big maybe 6 feet. 

NO WAY, NO HOW, NO DICE.
I pulled inside to where the waves were starting to kick and caught a couple but I couldn't catch the whitecaps on the outside to get started.  I was trying to take off half way to Mavericks from the rocks.  The advantage is the Mavericks fetch the deep water channels bigger stuff and I was hoping the combination of reef and wind would toss me into the trough and get me going.  I'll have to try again.

PonoBill

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2018, 03:04:27 PM »
You need a pretty good roller to get going with a wind swell--even the really good folks have challenges doing it. The Southside seems to be better for downwind foil than Maliko is, but that might change with stronger trades and smaller north swell.

I have indeed progressed: From a generally stationary hazard to navigation to a general hazard to anyone nearby. I'm getting some long, fast runs with moderate to little control. Nearly ran Randy Royce down today. I got up on a steep, shoulder high wave and was immediately bounced around a bit. I think I could have got things back under control but I found myself in a sharply banked turn with Randy in the crosshairs. Randy is very skilled and could avoid me no matter how poorly I managed things, but I thought pulling the board out of the bank and heading straight for him might be rude, so I leaned deeper into the bank and smacked into the face of the wave. Yard sale! Randy said he could hear all the air coming out of my lungs as I bounced off the water. These buggahs go fast.

I have learned that being high off the water is more stable than being low. I had no idea, and it doesn't make much sense to me, but at two feet high my foil seems locked in and stable while at one foot it's twitchy. I'd like to understand why that is. Mast drag?
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.

PonoBill

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2018, 04:04:01 PM »
The head cold which is screwing with my marginal balance had an unpleasant side effect today. I got up on a nice wave, flying high, turned my head to the left and had a moment of vertigo, which resulted in an uncontrolled crash instead of my usual elegant bailout. I fell across my board and bruised my upper thighs. It hurt for a moment but I kept going without any further problem. But once I stopped foiling it started seizing up, and now I can barely walk. I hobbled into Lowe's for some stainless steel screws and probably looked like I was 95. Note to self, if you want someone to help you in Lowe's, just hobble a little and look pained.
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.

surfcowboy

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2018, 07:00:42 PM »
This thread is a daily visit for me now. Keep it going man. I'm gonna finish mine and have to surf it so I'm enjoying your time in the dunk tank. You'll get to enjoy mine soon enough.

I hadn't thought about how vertigo could go from a minor inconvenience to a yard sale by adding a foil. Also the higher is more stable thing is wild but as we're all seeing, the rules have all been thrown out.

Zooport

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2018, 07:09:46 PM »
Higher is more stable? 
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PonoBill

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2018, 09:45:55 PM »
Yes. I don't know why, but yes. I asked Alex why that was today, and he said less mass drag, more wind effect, and everything works quicker. I can see how that might be so for pitch, but I don't understand how that works for roll, But it does, it's obvious.
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.

blackeye

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Re: A hazard to all around him
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2018, 03:11:39 PM »
I thinks its lateral lift off the mast. All the facts fit.

Also, its not how high you are but how much of the mast is in the water. The twitch is presumably unpredictable or maybe oscillating.

It must come from:
1) Mast twisting back and forth.
2) Your newbieness - you know, that tense, shaky, jerkiness that we all get doing something new. The mast's AoA is probably all over the place as you yaw that board around. With all much due respect.
3) Water turbulence.
4) All of the above.

I also think this explains Beasho's phenomena of increased lift in a turn. The mast, while banked, is adding lift vectors pointing up.

Just guessing.

__________

I spent about an hour on this post's predecessor, which was lost due to my logon timing out. I came back with my thoughts in order and got to the point. Much better. I should do that all the time, eh?

 


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