Author Topic: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?  (Read 3489 times)

B-Walnut

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SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« on: August 14, 2021, 07:53:55 AM »
I've been kiting for the last 4-5 years pretty heavily, strapless only, and SUP surfing the last 2 years. While I have zero interest in kite foiling, the SUP foiling looks amazing to me. Both in the gorge and out at the coast. That being said... I've never seen a single foiler at the Oregon coast without a kite and last week I saw the first with a wing. Maybe I don't fully understand what kind of swell is needed for SUP foiling, but I've been told by a few foilers that the swell is too weak at the Oregon coast to really get up and moving unless it's pretty decent sized surf (head high). Normally I would assume this is someone who just hasn't put the time in but they are actually a really accomplished SUP foiler who lives in the gorge.

Is anyone SUP foil surfing in Oregon? Is it really a no-go?

If I do jump in, is it realistic to get a board and foil that work for downwind swell riding in the gorge as well as catching waves at the coast?

Thanks!

red_tx

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2021, 08:27:52 AM »
B-Walnut.
I have been foil surfing(SUP) for the last 3 years on the Oregon coast.
Its amazing. Your friend is lying to you or is unaware. :)

I have foiled wave sizes from over head(scary as hell), to ankle height. Most of the time its Chest high and lower where I go.

Yes you can get a DW / Foil SUP board.

For example, my first foil SUP is a starboard 7'4 hypernut. It will do foil SUP. Downwind, and winging.

Bring it dude.
-red

Hwy1north

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2021, 10:27:42 AM »
I've been kiting for the last 4-5 years pretty heavily, strapless only, and SUP surfing the last 2 years. While I have zero interest in kite foiling, the SUP foiling looks amazing to me. Both in the gorge and out at the coast. That being said... I've never seen a single foiler at the Oregon coast without a kite and last week I saw the first with a wing. Maybe I don't fully understand what kind of swell is needed for SUP foiling, but I've been told by a few foilers that the swell is too weak at the Oregon coast to really get up and moving unless it's pretty decent sized surf (head high). Normally I would assume this is someone who just hasn't put the time in but they are actually a really accomplished SUP foiler who lives in the gorge.

Is anyone SUP foil surfing in Oregon? Is it really a no-go?

If I do jump in, is it realistic to get a board and foil that work for downwind swell riding in the gorge as well as catching waves at the coast?

Thanks!

Suggest you:
1.  stop in/call to Big Winds and they'll help you get geared up. 
2.  Post your weight and sup skills for recomendations on gear from forum members.
3.  Stop kiting and start winging.

The spots that you are looking for foil suping; an uncrowded outside wave that walls up without breaking top to bottom, then stays walled up through a deep water gutter and doesn't end in a crushing shore break. Just like sup riding, wind is not your friend unless doing a down winder.

B-Walnut

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2021, 11:02:42 AM »
B-Walnut.
I have been foil surfing(SUP) for the last 3 years on the Oregon coast.
Its amazing. Your friend is lying to you or is unaware. :)

I have foiled wave sizes from over head(scary as hell), to ankle height. Most of the time its Chest high and lower where I go.

Yes you can get a DW / Foil SUP board.

For example, my first foil SUP is a starboard 7'4 hypernut. It will do foil SUP. Downwind, and winging.

Bring it dude.
-red

Still a ways out but any recommended beginner friendly breaks to head to when I get there?

B-Walnut

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2021, 11:06:33 AM »
Suggest you:
1.  stop in/call to Big Winds and they'll help you get geared up. 
2.  Post your weight and sup skills for recomendations on gear from forum members.
3.  Stop kiting and start winging.

The spots that you are looking for foil suping; an uncrowded outside wave that walls up without breaking top to bottom, then stays walled up through a deep water gutter and doesn't end in a crushing shore break. Just like sup riding, wind is not your friend unless doing a down winder.

1. I get all my gear at big winds.
2. 190lbs and riding an 8'2" quatro carve pro right now. I have no concept of how good I am though. I surf Newport or Indian most days. Prefer chest high waves.
3. Can't stop kiting, love it too much. Winging isn't very attractive to me. I could see it as a method for learning to foil but beyond that I don't see myself as buying into the wing craze. Of course, I've never stood up on a foil so maybe I'll feel different after that happens.

Hwy1north

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2021, 02:30:13 PM »
Indian on higher tides looks good.  Don't really know the area so can't comment.... board wise a 6" x 29.5 Kalama up to a 6'6" is what I'd suggest for someone who can handle an 8'2" sup at 190 lbs.  I had no problem going from a 9' 130 liter sup to a 6'6" sup foil of same width and volume.  The foil provides a ton of stability.  The real fun starts when you can ride a 5'6" which you would love for winging too, but learning sup foil and winging on such a small board is futile.  The plus is that should you decide a 6'6" is too big when you become an expert, it's the ideal learning board for winging so it should hold a good resale value for a while.  Foil wise, Takuma Kujira 1260 or similar is the call (detune the trailing edges, foils often come from the factory razor sharp and don't need to be.)  I learned on the older LOL 1600 and it's one of the few high performace foils that is also beginner friendy.  Lots of people love Axis because of the multitude of wing options.  I have ridden a few of their beginner wings that weren't to my liking, but that could be just being so used to one brand. 

I thought I'd not give up kitesurfing too...  I still love to kite in the waves, but the call of the foil is very addictve!  Wear a helmet always, and an impact vest until you're good on takeoffs.

PonoBill

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2021, 04:31:28 PM »
Everyone who sees wing foiling thinks it's lame, until they do it. Then they generally stop doing everything else unless there's no wind, and then they Sup foil. I thought both surf foiling and wing foiling were lame. I can count the number of times I've surfed or done anything but wing or surf foil in the last three years on two hands.

The Oregon coast is actually a lot better than California for foiling. Better wind, longer rides. There are far more point and sandbar breaks than in Cali--at least that's how it seems. There are two factors that limit the number of foilers you'll see:

1. The world's most conservative and appearance-conscious surfers on the planet. Oregon surf is PERFECT for SUP, and 99% of the surfers you see are lolling around in ice-cream-headache water on shortboards and longboards with glassed on fins. Weird. I remember when Gerry-fucking-Lopez got called out for SUP surfing at Seaside. Dipshits.

2. A million places to surf, and no one doing it. Other than the big five spots you can go for fifty miles along the coast and never see a soul in the water. Why? Because every surfer wants to be in the same place, lolling around with their buddies, talking about how good they used to be. Guys like Red-tx know a million great places to surf, and know exactly what conditions work best for where. Anyone who thinks the waves are weak has never done anything but fart around at Indian, Short Sands, or Pacific City. I've been places where I was pretty certain I was gonna die.
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.

B-Walnut

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2021, 09:11:50 PM »
Dropped in to big winds today for a LONG chat about SUP foiling.

Long story short, it was recommended to wait a bit for the new Kalama E3 boards to come out. Apparently there will be a model that is specifically a surf/wing crossover board 110/120 liters in the 5'6" - 5'10" range that they think will be a good fit for me. Matched with either a takuma or gofoil setup because they feel as though the front leg pressure on these foils make it easier to pump and that they give less leg burn.

We discussed wing options as well, and they are far more affordable than I had expected. Seems like the money goes first to the foil, then to the board, last to the wing.

The manager took three years to get to a place where he's doing 15 mile downwinders on the SUP foil and he told me that dedicated folks are able to shave years off the learning curve by using the wing to progress at a high rate before switching over to the paddle. So, it seems like a wing is ideal for learning.

A few local foilers tried to scare me off of learning to foil with the wing. I can see their argument. I am a skilled kiter and it makes sense that a kite foil would be easier to learn on because of that. I simply don't want to spend all the money to buy a kite kit when I am trying to get to the SUP anyways. I'm not afraid of a stiffer learning process unless someone tells me its outrageous and completely unreasonable to learn to foil with the wing.

ninja tuna

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2021, 10:38:23 PM »
My .000002 cents.

How bad do you want to learn?  Cuz here is what is gonna happen.  Foil brain.

Once you get up and riding the first time. You are going to want to keep going.

If you want to get going, cuz it is fun.  Don't wait for the newer Kalamas.  You are going to go through gear as all of us have.

Find something used like red tx's 7'4 hypernut... in that range.

Rent a boat on a lake, only needs to go 10 to 15 mph and learn behind the boat. It seems like you already have board skills so you should pick it up quick.  I could probably have you flying in 10 minutes and zigging in and out of the wake in an hour.

I learned watching the cues from this video and use what I learned from it to teach people behind my boat.


This will give you a lot of quality learning time to get comfortable, get muscle memory, learn where you want your feet on the board both by feel and visually.  Once you try in the ocean, get a foam foot block/hook and mount it where you think your front foot should go.  As you paddle for the wave, move that foot under the hook,block and go for it.  It will be a little different feel because you wont have the rope to hold on to like behind the boat.  But 2-3 good days in like waist high waves, you should be stable and cruising.   Go for the white water after the wave breaks instead of going for drops in the beginning.

From there you will put a wing in your hand and wont have to worry about 2 things at once.  you will have some foil skills to learn and ride with the wing.  Your foiling will also improve because you will be flying on the foil a lot more with the wing.  Your sup foil surfing will improve because of more foil time on the wing.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2021, 03:48:07 AM »
I am a skilled kiter and it makes sense that a kite foil would be easier to learn on because of that.

Actually not!

Kite foils are hyper reactive compared to winging foils. So winging wins.

Learning to handle the wing is not an issue worth even worrying about. Wind sports people can make the skills transfer in 10 minutes.

Go winging.

B-Walnut

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Re: SUP Foil Surfing Oregon?
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2021, 09:57:50 PM »
Got offered a 7'10" Takuma board to learn on today. No charge, just a loaner so I can slap a foil on it and start playing with the wing. This should buy me time until the new Kalama boards come in, so that's exciting.

Getting pretty stoked!

 


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