What foil rig for me? - general topic for all requests

[surfcowboy]

Just wanted to start this to prevent all the foil threads from turning into, "Hey, what foil should I buy?"

Nothing personal aimed at anyone, but this way it'll all be in one place. So big, small, short, tall, fat, skinny, post up here and the guys who know can help you out.

Maybe also if you have a rig you like, post up your size, age, and ability for reference. Send folks here if they show up on your thread too if you can. It'll make for better reading and reference over time.

[PonoBill]

I'll paste this here then and add a little to it.

The only foil I have experience with other than the homemade stuff I've done is the GoFoil. There's lots of companies building them and some look very promising. But here's what I know so far:

Currently, GoFoil is the only manufacturer I know of offering multiple wing sets that suit varied conditions. The big benefit is that you won't wind up with a foil that just flat doesn't work for your weight and the conditions you have today, and you can probably accommodate the future. The cost difference to buy a three wing set vs. a single foil is about $300-500. It's a little hard to say because pretty much no one has them in stock. Hi Tech in Maui got a bunch in when I bought mine and it was a feeding frenzy.

For guys under 200 pounds a GoFoil three wing set with a Kai, Iwa, and M200 is practically a prescription. Over 200 it's Iwa, Maliko 200, Maliko 280 and you won't use the 280 until you either do downwind or get really fat.

Other makers will get there soon with offerings that work as well or better, but right now, that's it.

Choosing a Board is tougher and easier. The board doesn't matter, and it matters a whole bunch. You'll want something that gives you some stability at first, not because you really need it, but because your head will say you do. An eight foot SUP to surf is out of the question for me, but my current board is 8'5" X 33" and it's too big. The next foil board I get will probably be a 7' plus a little bit and shaped like a bar of soap. I suspect it will also be too big eventually. It takes time for the strange movement of a foil board to be comfortable, but when you get there, you discover that they are substantially more stable than a surfboard, albeit in a different way.

Once they're in the air you'd be better off on a lunch tray.

The shapes are evolving. Pumping the foil is a big deal, not so you can pump out and catch another wave like Kai does (goddam freak), but because it's useful all the time. The wave starts to peter but it's still good over there--pump. You want to downwind--pump. You're in a wave but you're too far from the shoulder--pump. The board design determines pump-ability. It also determines how well you survive a crash because you let the board get too high and broached the wing. My Jimmy Lewis is incredible at bailing me out of bad situations.

Kalama boards are rapidly becoming the standard for anyone who got past the wobbly stage. Dave is out every day, riding and testing. Likewise Mark Raaphorst. I don't know if Jimmy foils, but if not he gets away with not doing it himself because Marlon rips. He does some wild and innovative customs, but his production boards are super popular, and they work well, especially the smaller sizes.