Seriously thinking about quitting this sport!

[sharksupper]

The facts:  In the last 5 sessions foiling I broke 3 different foils!  They cost me $4000 total, with the breaking of the warranty replacement (had I had to buy that one) it would be $5400!  I've only been foiling for less than a year!  I don't know if I can afford to keep doing this!

Today, RIP GoFoil IWA and my mast.  The IWA is split in half in the center and my mast is cracked along the fuselage and the center of the mast wing.

You'd think I did something really extreme like went out in 30ft waves or ran if over with my car.  No, I breached on a head high swell and jumped off.  Possibly my calf was tapped by the foil as I fell.  I didn't feel much, and have no marks or sore spots.  When I came up, the damage was done.  It was in deep water and no breaking waves near by.

My track box install is still 100%, and my custom carbon adapter is 100%.

I just don't get it.  Something is really trying to tell me to NOT keep foiling!

So bummed!!!!!   

[kiwi]

Sheesh that sounds like it really sucks.
My friend's dad has gone through two maliko 200's in the exact way, one split at the head then slowly delaminating all the way down the mast, the other started showing stress fractures in the surface coat of the fuz and went downhill from there. He never took it out in more than 2 metres.
Sounds like these gofoils aren't built to stand anything.

[PonoBill]

Mine has taken a real beating and is still fine. I'd certainly get in touch with Alex or Karla, that doesn't sound normal.

[SUPeter]

The simple cause being these wings rely solely upon an exoskeleton for structural support.  Yes they flex and the patent info describes this as a desirable trait.  This may be true.  With flexion comes structural stress and weakening as well as delanination between layers of foam, carbon and glass.  I have made wings with both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton which have almost no flex.  They seem to function OK but I would guess the jury is still out.  All I know is that I can run them into rocks and crap and other than scratches and dings , they don’t break.   This game is so new that in time construction will keep up with the demands placed on the gear.    I predict that over time there will be  a fair amount of used foils on the market being sold by people who are not willing to commit the time it takes to learning or they are just refining their gear.  I’m not so sure you will be getting the deal you expect since these first wings  seem to have a certain life expectancy.

[opie]

Bummer.

It seems like all the carbon fiber foil companies have occasional defective products coming out of the factories.  Hopefully you will get a warranty replacement for this one.  Was your other warranty replacement from Lift or Go Foil?

[surfercook]

Wow! That's a major drag/bummer of a wallet drainer. I have a Kenalu Iwa775 coming. Fingers crossed it's solid. Good luck w getting all your foil fails straightened out.

[PonoBill]

I've been working on a design for both masts and wings that is essentially endoskeletal. The leading and trailing edges of the wing and mast and the wingtips do not need to be structural. They are flow elements. A hollow skeleton for the structural elements can be a lot thicker and a lot more structurally advantaged than elements formed in one piece over a foam core--and still be lighter. The design is actually complete, I just need to get it transformed into molds.

Project #2084

On the plus side, I've got the refrigerator in Fritz framed in. On the minus side the somewhat clumsy shelf and fairly elegant wall curve adaptor I made for the toaster oven have been rendered obsolete by the realization that there is a perfect place to put it over the refrigerator. It even has a pair of exhaust fans left over from the adsorption refrigerator that I can modify to automatically run when they sense heat--say perhaps 100F. So project 2084 is set back microscopically while I rip out work I've completed and do a better version. I love this shit. Sort of.

The other good news is that I've greatly improved my TIG welding of thin aluminum. Yea! I can do something almost as well as a robot. Maybe I should build the prototype from Aluminum.

NO! Every idea isn't a good one.

[Newps]

I am really surprised that yours broke like that.  I thought the Go-Foils could take a beating.  I'm sure they will step up a fix the situation, sounds like a defected unit.  It should easily handle that impact, keep us updated.

[norcom]

Wow! That sucks!!! Having issues with mine too.

I've had my GoFoil out less than 10x. So far, I’ve only kited in light wind with the Iwa and windsurfed once with the Maliko200. I'm around 180lbs so this is for light wind only. Haven't even paddled it yet. No real waves here, not even waist high unless the wind's nuking. Mostly been out in barely knee-high chop-like-waves with 6-12mph winds.

My fuselage has developed small cracks next to the mast. The paint chipped off the front edge of the mast in tiny spots. GoFoil said it's structurally fine and it's the paint and filler that's cracking from flex. I understand but extremely bummed after spending this much money.

I REALLY like this foil in comparison to my other ones. It's just not something you expect after a couple of weeks.

[SUPcheat]

I had a conversation out on the water about this.  The foils would seem to have enormous, disproportionate stresses compared to standard SUP use.

I'm surprised somebody hasn't attempted to computer model the stress elements yet.  Broken equipment might be par for the course until they figure the materials out.  Pros don't care, they get their stuff for free.

That and the risk factors are good reasons to leave things to the pioneers for a while.

[sharksupper]

One month later and $600 poorer I've got a new IWA front wing and mast and can ride the GoFoil again, woohoo!

I don't know what to say about what happened.  Based on the damage it seems like the foil saw some kind of major forces, yet I was riding waist high mush at the time in deep water.  Maybe a fish or submerged object hit it?  or the leash wrapped around a wing tip?  I did feel a firm tug on one of my calves on that fall, but I thought it was the leash tugging.  Anyway, I'm a bit nervous taking the thing out in the water now after breaking the wing and mast/fuselage in half on my third day out.  In the mean time I bought a cheap Naish foil so I could at least stay on the water, boy, once you try the big wings it's very hard to go back to small!  With the Naish the parts are interchangeable/replaceable and relatively cheap, so no worries!  I'm going to get the new XL wing set for the Naish once they come out.  $100 mast replacements are looking really good compared to what I went though to get the GoFoil working again.

Happy to be GoFoiling again!!! 

[surfcowboy]

Glad you're flying again man.

I agree that some research is needed. It all feels pretty seat of the pants. If I make a foil that flies then we know it's all fly by night lol. But really, I'm pretty sure that none of those Chinese guys who are making these things is too worried about it. Cheap replacement parts seems like the way to go for sure unless the companies are going to really warranty stuff.

I will say I'm a bit surprised that GoFoil dinged you that much for a replacement. But I'll bet that's more of them being small than greedy. Margins can't be that good on that much carbon and all the molds.

[PonoBill]

I had a conversation out on the water about this.  The foils would seem to have enormous, disproportionate stresses compared to standard SUP use.

I'm surprised somebody hasn't attempted to computer model the stress elements yet.  Broken equipment might be par for the course until they figure the materials out.  Pros don't care, they get their stuff for free.

That and the risk factors are good reasons to leave things to the pioneers for a while.

It really is a pretty straightforward correction--the fundamental design is flawed and every manufacturer is copying the same flawed design No aircraft manufacturer has built a wing this way since WWI. The mast is just a vertical wing, and it's designed the same silly way--a little more reinforcement if its an aluminum extrusion, but still, not great.

[surfercook]

Excellent you replaced those components...do you have any video of yourself foiling, sharksupper? Not sure I like that user name! Not many sharks around here in NJ where I surf, thankfully!

I just don't get it.  Something is really trying to tell me to NOT keep foiling!

I know the feeling. It's definitely scary. I tried a helmet on today that was in the surf shop that did my foil board conversion. It was WAY too small.

[jondrums]

I hit something large and solid while going near top speed on my IWA.  The foil just completely stopped and threw me off the front with a huge bang.  Whatever I hit was big and swam away.  That kind of freaked me out and I spent the rest of the session irrationally scanning the water ahead of me and making sure I didn't dangle my feet in the water.  It was probably just a seal.