Author Topic: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves  (Read 5789 times)

surfcowboy

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Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« on: August 03, 2020, 08:19:00 AM »
Ok so after my last session I feel like it’s time to change focus so I’ll slow down the other thread til some other new person picks it up to ask more questions. I can catch waves on a foil SUP.

Now, I watched the surfline cam (I’ll try to figure out the best way to post video now) and saw that I’m really not getting any altitude. I’m either tail dragging or flying so low as to just be hopping off the water. So now it’s time to learn to ride higher and go down the line.

My first step (I think, give me feedback) feels like leaving my 45cm (18in) mast and go to my 65cm (26in.) is this a good idea? My thinking is that I’m worried about breaching and so I bail probably before I need to. So my thought is when it feels “way too high” I can rest easy that, first, it’s not. (lol) And second, I have a little leeway to bring it down.


Secondly, I’m pumping on these slow waves a bit and I think I need to learn to stop the pump cleanly and fly. I sense that my movement is too abrupt and that smoother will be better.

I’m also ordering a few more wings so I hope to move down to wings with less lift so I can not worry so much about the extra lift when I get a bit more push and just know that no matter what I can land the foil.

Lastly, I’m trying to get some boat time this month (letting some buddies try my foil/tricking them into joining me.) I figure that will help me feel what the right height looks and feels like.

Post up any ideas or advice you have about sessions 10-20 where I hope to learn to fly a foot to 18” off the water , in control, and go down the line. I’m tired of these 10 second touch and go’s. Time to progress.

jondrums

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2020, 01:32:51 PM »
you don't necessarily need a longer mast.  That comes into play a lot more when trying to make tight turns and cutbacks without breaching the tips of the foil.  For flying down the line your short mast is fine - you just need to make a conscious effort to ride higher.  I am still really working on this, in fact I think I mentioned it to another board member this morning in the water - I'm trying to ride as high as I can more often.  The big benefit with riding higher out of the water is you get a huge reduction in drag.  I think it is two things: 1) less mast in the water = less wetted surface.  2) wing drag depends on the depth below the surface - the higher you are, the less water has to be lifted up and over the wing. 

I think that you'll find in order to ride higher that you need to get better at dynamically shifting your hips forward and aft for pitch control.  If you can't adjust the height above water smoothly/quickly enough, you need to ride lower in the water to avoid breaching on the overcorrections.  So my suggestion is a two-part program: 1) work on your height control via weight shifting fore-aft.  Try to make corrections quickly and ride consistently at the same height.  2) increase that height little by little.

There this little sucking sound that starts to happen when you get too high, but before you're so high you breach.  You can get used to using that for height control too.  I've found it gives you just enough warning and I can drop down a little if I make a quick correction.

surfcowboy

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2020, 08:40:36 PM »
This is gold man. Thx. My ribs feel better already.

bigmtn

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2020, 09:15:54 PM »
Get the longer mast... You'll want it eventually.
Bigger waves, ride higher, go faster, fall harder... Its all good!

surfcowboy

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2020, 09:19:38 PM »
Oh I’ve got it already. I look at it every time I load the car ;)

gone_foiling

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2020, 08:34:56 AM »
I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot by using short mast. Longer mast gives you more room for errors and more time to correct. Don’t be afraid to breach, part of the learning. My humble opinion  8) Good luck!
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Califoilia

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2020, 11:24:23 AM »
I think you’re shooting yourself in the foot by using short mast. Longer mast gives you more room for errors and more time to correct. Don’t be afraid to breach, part of the learning. My humble opinion  8) Good luck!
^^^ I agree with this ^^^ As far as the breaching part...because of the "more room for errors and more time to correct" part, I found that I breached much less with the longer mast than the shorter one. I jumped from 24"+adaptor (about 27" total) to 29.5"+adaptor (about 32.5" total), and wish I had done so sooner. But I, like you didn't believe those telling me that it would be so much easier, and better than the shorter mast I was just comfortable on.

Only negative as someone pointed out earlier is that your wing is a little deeper sitting in the water, and thus sometimes below the swell energy making takeoffs a little bit harder. But once up and running...the difference is well worth the tradeoff of having to work a tad bit harder on takeoffs IMHO also.
Me: 6'1"/185...(2) 5'1" Kings Foil/Wing Boards...7'10 Kings DW Board...9'6" Bob Pearson "Laird Noserider"...14' Lahui Kai "Manta"...8'0" WaveStorm if/when the proning urges still hit.

surfcowboy

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2020, 07:54:49 PM »
Session 11 and I actually turned down the line and rode a bit. I didn’t mean to lol but once I was in it I controlled the foil.

I went out prone just to get a feel for the paddling and the tide was low so I kept the shorter mast on but I just resolved to breach if it happened. Of course as it always is, that didn’t happen. I was able to drop altitude when I felt I was too high and flew just fine. Seems like this is working.

I’ll go to my longer mast for my next session but as long as the conditions are right and small, I’m catching waves and starting to feel what it feels like to turn.

One hilarious thing, kelp and sea grass, hilarious. I haven’t been thrown off the front yet, but I get the brakes put on me at low tide regularly. Yesterday I got one side dragging and it actually put me into a pretty good turn til I fell. I am starting to see how this stuff gets fun.

Got a new wing coming tomorrow and that’ll be fun to see what other wings feel like.

PonoBill

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2020, 08:47:33 PM »
The tiniest piece of grass on a wing can keep you from getting up, in the same way that your leash across the mast will. We have a delicate balance of lift and drag. This stuff almost doesn't work. This afternoon I did a late session because the wind had come up. I had my 1150 front wing (huge) already on, so I just blew up my 6M f-one and went for it. One I get up a little speed I can yank the 1150  into the air. This time no go. I got up more and more speed and nothing. So I stopped, flipped the board over, and dislodged two strands of grass that were no more substantial than dental floss. Back on board, two pumps and I was flying.
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: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2020, 06:47:52 PM »
Updating this. I calculated my time on the foil a couple of weeks ago and realized that I’m getting maybe 60 seconds a week. A couple of ideas other than moving to the beach.

1. Boat time, but I really don’t want to get in a boat with anyone during the pandemic and my wife can’t drive one lol.

2. (And the winner) Wing foil. So I am coming to the dark(er) side. I have a 5m swing on the way and hopefully will up my flight time. I can’t see how this won’t make waves more doable and shorten my learning curve. Even if I never learn to properly gybe and just blow down wind I’ll get foil time. Who knows, I might even like it. (Though I have a general dislike of wind.) I’m willing to try.

For the record, this feels like the most European thing I’ve ever done. If I start wearing long toed white shoes, skinny jeans, and a fanny pack, someone take me out will ya? But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Hopefully and hour of flight time will now be a session rather than a year lol.

Hdip

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2020, 10:19:08 PM »
I didn't see any surf schools on the cam when I checked today. That give me hope that we'll have more room to spread out and I can start foiling your spot again. I'm considering going up tomorrow mid-day if the cam looks good.

surfcowboy

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2020, 10:54:57 PM »
Yeah man, this is the sweet spot of our year. Warm weather and waves and kids in school. After this heat wave everyone will settle into thinking it’s Fall and we can run things. Don’t think I’m quitting surfing, just getting some miles under my belt. I’m also working on prone foiling too. Getting my fitness up and building a secret weapon. 😉

Califoilia

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #12 on: August 18, 2020, 09:07:47 AM »
Who knows, I might even like it. (Though I have a general dislike of wind.) I’m willing to try.
Hahaha!! My problem in a nutshell, and why I've still inflated my (2nd) wing only once, and that was in my backyard just to see what it looked and felt like all blown up...since my first wing never even made it out of the backpack before it was on it's way to someone else.  :-\

So "I'm willing to try" also...just not when there's so much of that damn wind around! ;) :D
Me: 6'1"/185...(2) 5'1" Kings Foil/Wing Boards...7'10 Kings DW Board...9'6" Bob Pearson "Laird Noserider"...14' Lahui Kai "Manta"...8'0" WaveStorm if/when the proning urges still hit.

WHS

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #13 on: August 19, 2020, 12:26:54 PM »

I’m getting maybe 60 seconds a week.


Hey cowboy you could definitely use some boat time, but understand not wanting to get on boat with anyone right now. When or if things get back to normal try to find someone with a wake surf boat. Getting towed is helpful but nothing like riding a wave. Wake surf boats are perfect for foiling.

Area 10

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Re: Learning to foil SUP - Riding waves
« Reply #14 on: August 19, 2020, 12:44:26 PM »
Updating this. I calculated my time on the foil a couple of weeks ago and realized that I’m getting maybe 60 seconds a week. A couple of ideas other than moving to the beach.

1. Boat time, but I really don’t want to get in a boat with anyone during the pandemic and my wife can’t drive one lol.

2. (And the winner) Wing foil. So I am coming to the dark(er) side. I have a 5m swing on the way and hopefully will up my flight time. I can’t see how this won’t make waves more doable and shorten my learning curve. Even if I never learn to properly gybe and just blow down wind I’ll get foil time. Who knows, I might even like it. (Though I have a general dislike of wind.) I’m willing to try.

For the record, this feels like the most European thing I’ve ever done. If I start wearing long toed white shoes, skinny jeans, and a fanny pack, someone take me out will ya? But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Hopefully and hour of flight time will now be a session rather than a year lol.
I am European and I can assure you that neither me nor anyone I know would wear those clothes. And FYI in the UK "fanny" means vagina. It is US citizens who wear vagina packs, not Europeans.

 


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