Author Topic: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?  (Read 43583 times)

Evan Lloyd

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Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« on: September 11, 2019, 04:51:40 PM »
I've been wanting to add a few inches to my ... um... mast.  I also want to try some of the different positions that you can get with a plate system.  Last week I had a nice chat with the owner of Foil Mount and I decided to try the 3.0 Carbon mount on my Kalama.  I figured the worst-case scenario would be I have to rip the thing off and install a track system.  Either way, we're talking major surgery.  Long story short, my beautiful wife filmed me installing the adapter so you can see how easy it is.  I have no idea if this will work, and I'm not suggesting anyone buy one.  I'm just a customer like you but with some video editing skills.  LOL.  I'm heading to the coast on Saturday to try it out.  I'll film that as well.  Let me know if you find these videos helpful.  I have fun making them.
foils
Part 1:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF3bDqV8LYs
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBjUaIXQkl4
Part 3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z25clxxTmFQ

Evan
« Last Edit: September 11, 2019, 04:56:40 PM by Evan Lloyd »

PonoBill

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2019, 05:21:58 PM »
I've seen a lot of delamination with these things Evan. Some work for a while, but other than right around the tuttle box there is nothing but fiberglass and EPS under that mount. They work fine on sailboards with their PVC sandwich construction or Kite boards that are seriously stout--it would be great on my twintip, which is basically a skateboard deck with fins--but a SUP foilboard doesn't have the structural integrity those boards have, and if they did, they'd weigh 50 pounds or cost four grand instead of two.

Even just sinking some good 10-inch Chinook fin boxes into a glass/EPS board is a problem. You generally want to make a cassette out of PVC to hold the tracks, glue the cassette into a routed hole and then put carbon over the top. Even that can rip out or delam since it's really only tied to one surface and is glued into EPS that you can crumble with your fingers. Since you already have the Tuttle and it's tied to both the top and bottom of the board in a PVC cassette you can use individual cassettes that you can tie into the Tuttle cassette and then carbon over the whole thing. That's what I did to Mr. Fugly and it's held up against some major league stress and knocks.

Keep a close eye on this thing, looking for signs of delamination along the edges of the adapter--it generally shows up as a little white discoloration. If that happens, all is not lost. You can cut the adapter off and make a cassette that replaces all the area delammed by the adapter. Tie it into the existing tuttle cassette with Gorilla glue, add your tracks and Bob's yer uncle. There are, of course, longer masts available for Tuttle boards if you choose that route and just repair your Kalama board and forget about the tracks.

Little Fugly is Tuttle-only, so I'm using the Axis 1020 (great wing for my weight) with 90cm, 70CM, and 65CM masts and their Tuttle adapter instead of the plate. You can buy a 90 CM mast and cut it to whatever length you choose, or ask Axis to supply a specific length. I find the 70CM is ideal for wingfoiling, where I was routinely overfoiling and faceplanting with a 29.5 Gofoil mast. All you need to do is tap the holes for the fuselage or adapter. The Axis Tuttle adapter is lovely.

Or you can wait a little while, I'm certain Alex is coming out with longer GoFoil masts. He knows very well that he needs to.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2019, 05:37:37 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.

JEG

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2019, 05:53:48 PM »
that's a nice board to be mod.

surfcowboy

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2019, 08:17:25 PM »
Everyone stand by for my commentary video titled, “A guy on the internet stuck this on his board, and then this happened!!!!!”

I hope it doesn’t happen. But like Pono I can’t imagine Dave made that skin to take that force. You’ll need 800k views to pay for the board. You’re monetized already, right?. (Sorry, I had to since I work in the biz and you went all “you tuber” on the subject line lol.)

Beasho

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2019, 06:33:38 AM »
I'm with Pono and company on this one.

I have never met a 2 Track system I didn't break (in under 5 sessions).

Truth be told the Blue Planet TUTTLE box is the only Box I haven't broken in 350 sessions.  I have gone through dual tracks and many, many TUTTLE re-installs at this point.

As someone said:  "Take some foam beer cooler laminate and jump on it."  It is going to fail.  That is what we are doing with our foils.

Blue Planet (Strongbox), Jimmy Lewis and DW's are the only boards I would consider at this point with 2 tracks.  Maybe some more good brands in Hawaii where they have gone through many, many cycles of testing. 

Evan Lloyd

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2019, 08:17:56 AM »
Cowboy: You’re getting jaded bro. Might be time to leave Hollywood. I doubt my video title is the kind of click bait that gets teenage girls to buy lip gloss.  But what do I know?  Don’t forget to stomp that like button and if you like what you see, hit subscribe.  ;D

 Beasho:  You’re surfing big ass waves up there in HMB. Most of the boys at San-O are rocking track systems. So they can’t be all bad can they?

surfcowboy

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2019, 06:03:32 PM »
Hahaha... indeed. I’m so hypersensitive to that stuff. My wife and I laugh that you know you’ve been here too long when you won’t drive 15 minutes to see a concert unless you’ve got the right kind of backstage pass. Not just a pass mind you, but the right level lol. But the good side is you actually get over it all and appreciate the real stuff way more. A day on the water is never taken for granted.

Thanks for calling me out and getting the joke. And keep us posted. Not kidding when I say I want to be wrong about this.

Ericfoil on Insta also installed one on a custom this week. I think for really thin boards they could be a good idea if the construction was right.

toejammer2

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2019, 01:10:01 PM »
Hello Evan,
Any videos of you winging in Arizona?
I’ve got a buddy in Mesa I used to surf with. I’d love to prove to him it can be done there.
Cheers

Piros

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2019, 10:45:51 PM »
Hey Evan I have fitted 6 of those with my oldest being almost 2 years old . I have put them through hell and back , but I did have 2 fail and it wasn't the mount fault. First one was a Sup I made myself with a single layer of 6 oz on the bottom and it delamed first session , second one was another custom and the paint let go . I actually lost that foil but found it a year later. See pic below the stick on mount is still attached.

Re your Kalama I also had one of those and the glass job is first rate .  They are super strong so I can't see an issue there , just stay away from lightweight customs and as Bill said production boards are best. 
« Last Edit: September 16, 2019, 11:06:31 PM by Piros »
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WindJunkie

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2019, 11:45:01 AM »
Ridden two production Jimmy Lewis boards with track mounts.  I foil about 4 times a week and never had an issue with the tracks.  Jimmy's production boards are solid.  Had one picked by an insane gust and thrown into a coconut tree with only minor damage to the tail. 

Myself, I wouldn't trust that sticker.  In hawaii, it would probably get tumbled in the white wash and get torn off.

supfoo

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2019, 05:57:57 PM »
Maybe not ruined but screwed up pretty bad.

river

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Re: Did I just ruin my $2000 custom Kalama?
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2019, 02:22:11 PM »
Hard to just group all boards with mast tracks into one "they suck and all break" category.  Plenty of us in the Gorge riding hard (including jumping with Foil Wings!) in rough conditions with tracks all day long, and no problems. In a world of mix and match foils and boards, the tracks sure make a lot more sense when it comes to getting the right setup because moving the mount even a centimeter forward or back can make a huge difference in performance and sometimes be the diff between a setup working or Not.
Wing, Foil & SUP Instruction,Aerial Cinema.
#dreamitsupit rider looking for the magic carpet feeling...

 


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