Author Topic: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?  (Read 71418 times)

obxDave

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 335
    • View Profile
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #15 on: October 14, 2019, 08:26:47 AM »
With windsurfing we would pinch upwind on a short board as hard as we could until the skeg would cavitate, and we’d “spin out”.  Solution was a bigger racing skeg. Kitefoiling is just a different beast where you can heal over right down to the chine and have the wing provide as much upwind drive as lift.  Don’t feel like l can heal over much wing foiling without losing a lot of board speed and quickly coming right off the foil. So depending on the mast for upwind drive. Lots to learn!
« Last Edit: October 14, 2019, 08:28:28 AM by obxDave »

Admin

  • Administrator
  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 6443
    • View Profile
    • StandUpZone
    • Email
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #16 on: October 14, 2019, 09:13:57 AM »
OBX, you know a lot more about foiling than I do but this is how I picture it.  Wing lower and raked back a bit.  Shoulders and hips aligned with your intended direction.  Angling in with the board.  I am nowhere near that but it is good to have goals.  :)


PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #17 on: October 14, 2019, 10:15:40 AM »
One of the few things I haven't had problems with is going upwind. On a typical session, I spend the last ten or fifteen minutes driving downwind to get back to the takeoff. I think it's the same technique I learned a zillion years ago in windsurfing--sail the sail, steer the board. A little mantra meaning point the board where you want to go and fly the wing to give yourself the best amount of energy you can get at the point of sail.

I see lots of people trying to steer with the wing. That's fine for downwind, but not for anything close to the wind.

If you're saying you can point higher with a kite, then yeah, sure. But not dramatically so IMHO.

The only other issue is switchfoot or not. If you're not switching feet with the wing, then I think you aren't likely to get upwind easily on your "bad" side. I can't get the wing far enough back to make it point well. Probably people with more flexibility (AKA Everybody) or more skill (ditto) might be able to, but I'm constrained to a broad reach at best.
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.

obxDave

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 335
    • View Profile
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #18 on: October 14, 2019, 11:12:47 AM »
OBX, you know a lot more about foiling than I do but this is how I picture it.  Wing lower and raked back a bit.  Shoulders and hips aligned with your intended direction.  Angling in with the board.  I am nowhere near that but it is good to have goals.  :)
Believe me, I don’t know much,  but I agree with you and watching video of people I admire (Patrice Guénolé, Alan Cadiz) this what I observe. I’m just happy to be getting upwind without too much pain early in the process!

Bill, I’m way too new to wing foiling (compared to kite foiling) to know how the upwind riding limits really compare. I just know compared to all the other sailing/kiting activities I’ve done, I never driven upwind as quickly on anything as a kite foil.

supkailua

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 105
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #19 on: October 14, 2019, 11:44:25 AM »
I think mast length might make a difference in going up wind. With a short mast and a huge front wing, if you start to lean the board over I think the front foil wing tips might be too close to the surface, or even break the surface, when using a short mast.

I am no expert but I am very impressed with my upwind ability on the wing. I am using a 90 cm mast and the Infinity 84 wing.

I also get more upwind ability with the Swing 5 harness. I find I can point upwind without the harness, but to really push things up wind I have to lean back and have a lot of power in the back of the wing at all times. With the harness I can have the needed power in the wing without even having to hold the back strap. I would estimate once I hook in I can get another 20 degrees upwind angle.

I did notice when the wind turned really light going upwind was definitely harder. The more power you can harness from the wing the more upwind you can go, so more wind allows better upwind angles.

My guess is as long as you are fully powered with your wing and you have a harness you can achieve similar upwind angles as kite foiling.

Dwight (DW)

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 4780
    • View Profile
    • supSURFmachines
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #20 on: October 14, 2019, 01:16:13 PM »
If you're saying you can point higher with a kite, then yeah, sure. But not dramatically so IMHO.

NOT....

When I use a tall mast and fast wing kiting, I’m in another zip code compared to wingers.  It’s this angle that makes it so. I don’t ride like this often, it’s scary as shit. My nerves are shot after an hour of this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2v0GZqomz0/?igshid=10tsedq7viw7y

obxDave

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 335
    • View Profile
Re: Any words of advice for this newbie SUP wing foiling plan?
« Reply #21 on: October 14, 2019, 02:26:28 PM »
I think mast length might make a difference in going up wind.

My guess is as long as you are fully powered with your wing and you have a harness you can achieve similar upwind angles as kite foiling.

Yeah, definitely want to switch to the 29.5” mast either way. Figure it’s better to work on my pumping and transitions. Grounding on our soft bottom isn’t all that bad. I was fully powered on the first 2 sessions, just not very dialed in with the wing yet.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal