Author Topic: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?  (Read 3308 times)

marvinhecht

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Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« on: December 17, 2020, 07:07:18 PM »
Hi guys,

There may be some "classic" threads on this already, if so please point me in the right direction. I love SUP surfing and I've decided that instead of going from a 10"6 to a 9"1 (or 155L to 130L)  I'd rather just get a foil. I SUP surf on the great lakes and it seems like getting a foil would be ideal for the temperamental, mushy, weak windswell we get, and make more rideable days of the year.  Two friends have bought foils, and the one friend is close enough that he will let me try his in spring. He bought a 3-in-1 Slingshot Shred Sled with Neilpryde foil, and is going to use it mostly to do windsurf foiling and wingfoiling. He is not really into SUP surfing (yet) but he wants to eventually try his foil in the surf after learning using the windsurf foiling (he calls it WWF and he is a fan of Reef Warrior). So my friend bought this 3-in-1 board for the purposes that suit him. He wants to get me into the windsurf foiling to - but to be honest other than learning to get up on a foil my main interest is in SUP surfing a foil, and I really like the idea of a 4-in-1, e.g. the Starboard 4-in-1 Hypernut. Reason: I'd love to take just the board and use it as a SUP surf on big days- because I've never had a small surf SUP before.

Here is the problem though, we had in intense discussion. It seems like 3-in-1 boards are shaped VERY boxy, are very fat and thick, and the rear end has that shape that rises up (like the back bottom of an airplane) - is it called the "channel", and are designed to minimize problems in splashdown, and maximize performance on the foil, since the board is out of the water most of the time. However, once you try and make a board that will also serve as a surf sup, it's gotta look a bit more like a traditional surf sup or shortboard - egg shape or pointier nose (at least slightly), hard thinned rails, and to make the trailer quad fins be were they normally are, you can only have that "channel" in the center portion of the board, like the Hypernut.

So my question is: do 4-in-1 boards have TOO many compromises? Are they jack-of-all-trades and master of none? Or.. not having actually foiled yet on anything, am I splitting hairs and starting an academic discussion about something that really doesn't matter.  A slightly separate question is - are 4-in-1 boards harder or easier to learn than 3-in-1 or 2-in-1 foils?
10"6 x 29" Gerry Lopez Big Darlin Surftech SUP
GL1 and GL2 quads
Hoe Nalu Carbon Paddle (Surfing)
QuickBlade 86 Trifeca Carbon Paddle (Flatwater)

flkiter

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2020, 08:06:22 PM »
My advise, get a sup foil dedicated board and never look back. Depending on your weight will make the decision on liters but anything bigger than 6'6 will start to be too big. Plus skip the Windsurf foiling and just get a wind wing. Multi use boards are big and heavy, half assed at everything.

PonoBill

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2020, 08:21:39 PM »
Yes.
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.

gone_foiling

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2020, 07:54:22 AM »
Flkiter said it well. You will rarely touch regular sup when you learn foil. So dedicated sup foil board is the way to go. We probably have similar conditions on the Gulf of Mexico, lots of weak wind chop and swell. Foil is amazing in those conditions.
Addicted to foiling at the moment.
My shenanigans on insta @gone_foiling

clay

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2020, 10:06:22 AM »
Early on my converted foil sup board was doable, or said another way a dedicated foil sup probably wouldn't have helped much.

After I knew how to foil I did a trip to Maui and foiled a dedicated foil board for 10 days, a little tippy at first but wow the foil came up quick and swing weight was hardly noticeable.   When I came home and foiled my converted sup it felt like a tank that was stuck in molasses, and once i got up the swing weight felt out of control and just awful.  After a couple days I re-acclimated to the converted board, but wow the dedicated foil board I had on order couldn't get made fast enough.

I can't imagine trying to surf my dedicated foil boards, way to short and the volume distribution would be terrible. 
Aloha, I welcome and appreciate all responses of positivity and good feeling.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIE6FWr1SpWvbPJIIiEgog

marvinhecht

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2020, 07:27:55 AM »
Hey all, thanks. So let me focus on foil boards that are 2-in-1 for SUP surfing & wing.

My one hesitation: My buddy bought a 3-in-1 says that getting up on a foil using a windsurf sail is the easiest way to learn to ride the foil. He says a wing is much harder because there is no stable point to hang on to. But I'll rely on what you people here in the 'trenches' say. I do like the fact that I could start learning the wing using a skateboard in a parking lot or on a frozen lake with iceskates.

Is it definately easier to learn with a wing first before attempting SUP surfing on a foil? I would imagine so...

Oh, also my dad has a metal fishing boat with a 15 hp Mercury outboard.. it's way to underpowered for waterskiing but could it pull me on a foil?
« Last Edit: December 19, 2020, 07:29:33 AM by marvinhecht »
10"6 x 29" Gerry Lopez Big Darlin Surftech SUP
GL1 and GL2 quads
Hoe Nalu Carbon Paddle (Surfing)
QuickBlade 86 Trifeca Carbon Paddle (Flatwater)

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2020, 08:09:25 AM »
Windsurf foiling is the easiest form of foiling. If you’re an expert windsurfer.
Winging is second.
Kite foiling is the hardest.

SUP foiling is the most difficult of all.

Beasho

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Re: Do 4-in-1 foil boards have too many compromises?
« Reply #7 on: December 19, 2020, 08:59:11 AM »
Oh, also my dad has a metal fishing boat with a 15 hp Mercury outboard.. it's way to underpowered for waterskiing but could it pull me on a foil?

15 HP way too much power.  I taught my kids with a 12' Aluminum and 5 HP motor.  10 mph is all you need to learn with a big foil.  15 mph would be professional speed on a foil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH827k6G0Cs

 


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