San Diego conditions

[Windsurfer_temp]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and wanted some opinions on wing foiling in and around San Diego county.

I successfully got to the planing windsurfing stage a few years ago but quit out of frustration with lack of wind.  I had a Formula board and big 9.5 sail but had too many non-planing days (8-14mph wind) in Mission Bay and Lake Perris to keep me excited.

Am I going to have a better experience if I get into wing foiling?  I'm worried that I might be fooling myself into ignoring the realities of  low wind and kelp yet again.

Edit:  Forgot to mention, I'm 220lbs and sold all my old equipment

[Dwight (DW)]

Stick a foil on that Formula board. You'll beat everyone in low end.

[Dwight (DW)]

When I was in Miami last month winging, I watched a formula board with foil rig up and head out while everyone else had zero chance of foiling. It was jaw dropping to see this guy get on foil in 5 knots. He was gone to the horizon in no time. The guy had the latest and greatest all new kit of PWA legal class windfoiling gear.

[Wingingtanuki]

That was probably Tim.  He is very early to fly and fast as well, but I don't know about 5knots...maybe with gusts in the nines?

I think it's a law of diminishing returns on the low end - getting an extra knot on the low end will cost you in terms of weight/size of gear and getting overpowered real quick on the high end. 

I think the amazing thing about guys like him are how far up on the wind range they can push that huge gear. I tried big Formula gear a long time ago and lasted a couple of weeks with it.  My lower back and my back leg was screaming at me and if the wind came up I couldn't wait to with to free ride gear.

Wing-foiling is the only comfortable step down in wind speed that I find has a positive return.  Whereas I could plane in 12knots steady on an 8m sail, I can now wing-foil at 10 knots steady on a 5m wing. And it's lighter and less hard on my joints.

Having said that, I have zero interest in riding a 7m wing in 9 knots: any tiny drop in wind will have you bobbing around like an apple in a carnival full of toothless geriatrics.

Hey - Dwight - we probably ran across each other in Virginia Key.

[Wingingtanuki]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and wanted some opinions on wing foiling in and around San Diego county.

I successfully got to the planing windsurfing stage a few years ago but quit out of frustration with lack of wind.  I had a Formula board and big 9.5 sail but had too many non-planing days (8-14mph wind) in Mission Bay and Lake Perris to keep me excited.

Am I going to have a better experience if I get into wing foiling?  I'm worried that I might be fooling myself into ignoring the realities of  low wind and kelp yet again.

Edit:  Forgot to mention, I'm 220lbs and sold all my old equipment

Whoops, forgot to reply to the OP.

I spent a couple of weeks in SD last year and it seemed the windy days were few and far between, so I get it.

Best guidance I can give from my own experience is that my windsurf sail to wing size is roughly: (WS Sail X 0.62 = WF Wing size) Assuming a big foil, of course. I use an HS1850 for light wind, but weigh 155#.

So, if you were planing on a 9.5 WS sail, you can prolly get away with a 6m wing at the same wind speed.  If you go to a 7m wing it may be like riding a Formula board with an 11m, but lighter gear and less pain.

Your mileage may vary - this is just my experience and assumes you're at the level where you can pump onto foil.

[PonoBill]

I spent 4 months in San Diego this winter, chasing wind about every day. As you likely know, there are a few wind foilers in Mission bay, and they seem to get a decent day when the wind is marginal for wing foiling. I was mostly using a 6M wing, occasionally 7M, rarely 5m or less. If I lived there I'd wing foil and surf foil. I discovered that Tourmaline gets pretty good wind, and I had a couple of good days on the spit at Coronado. I don't think I'd switch to wind foiling, though it looks like they have a few advantages. The big disadvantage is that they seem very specific about what sail for what wind. With a wing, you can dump power fairly easily and consistently, so if you're grossly overpowered in a gust, it's no big deal.

I might be wrong, I didn't try windfoiling.

[Windsurfer_temp]

Thanks for the replies so far everyone.  I've no desire to windfoil on a windsurf setup, so it's the allure/challenge of learning wingfoiling (and possibly some foil surfing) that I'm on the fence about.  I don't miss falling on my sail and punching holes with my harness hook!  Oh and crunching the front/sides of my boards with the mast after getting catapulted!  Ah the memories.... 😂

So far I'm thinking a big 120 liter/6' board, 7m wing and biggest foil is what would be needed to get my 225lbs naked weight, so more like 250 wet weight, actually planing/flying.  Seems like the money outlay is very similar to windsurfing even though there's less pieces to buy, about $3-4K unless I can find something suitable 2nd hand.

[SurfKiteSUP]

Tomorrow there is supposed to be some wind in SD.   They over-called today's forecast as usual but it was enough - mostly kite foilers.  If there is wind, there should be wingfoilers out at the Mission Bay Resort (but we all still call it the "Hilton") side of Fiesta Island.  I would stop by around Noon when the wind picks up and chat with those guys.

[PonoBill]

based on my single day (today) with a new 6M f-one strike I'd say grab one of these (about $1050) and whatever used foil gear you can to start. The new 6.0 Strike makes my 7/0 Echo seem anemic. A board about 120 and a big foil wing, like maybe a GoFoil with a 280. That will get you going and might be all you ever need.

[SurfKiteSUP]

This popped up on my FB feed this a.m.   This was the Hilton yesterday - it was barely 11kts.  I see a 4,5,6,7M wings in use.  I don't wing but I was kite-foiling.

[PonoBill]

Yeah, that looks like San Diego wind. I confess I had a pretty good time considering how crappy the wind was and how COVID restrictions changed everything.

[Pasquales]

San Diego can be a fickle place for wind, especially if you have a 9 to 5 job.  Often there's only a 2 to 3 hour window, with best wind mid day. 

I weigh 200 lbs, and started with a 6.4 m Slingwing, Armstrong 2400, and 120 L  F-One Rocket about 11 mos ago.  This setup was good for learning in average local conditions (wind speeds of 12 mph).  When the wind drops below this, I find it more difficult to stay on foil.

During the past 11 mos, my technique has evolved to where the main foil getting used is an 1850 and also considering a 5 m hand wing.   

As a person  with zero experience in wind sports, I personally wouldn't get a 7 m wing . 
1) I don't think it buys much more potential relative to a 6 m, 2) you will outgrow it soon enough with more time on water and 3) when the wind spikes close to 20 mph even a 6 m can be a handful.     

[surfcowboy]

Yeah I'd agree with the take on the 7m. Get a 6 and pick your days til you are better. Newer 6's pull like a 7 anyway.

When I'm in SD I surf before work and take a lunch break and wing.

[PonoBill]

San Diego can be a fickle place for wind, especially if you have a 9 to 5 job.  Often there's only a 2 to 3 hour window, with best wind mid day. 

I weigh 200 lbs, and started with a 6.4 m Slingwing, Armstrong 2400, and 120 L  F-One Rocket about 11 mos ago.  This setup was good for learning in average local conditions (wind speeds of 12 mph).  When the wind drops below this, I find it more difficult to stay on foil.

During the past 11 mos, my technique has evolved to where the main foil getting used is an 1850 and also considering a 5 m hand wing.   

As a person  with zero experience in wind sports, I personally wouldn't get a 7 m wing . 
1) I don't think it buys much more potential relative to a 6 m, 2) you will outgrow it soon enough with more time on water and 3) when the wind spikes close to 20 mph even a 6 m can be a handful.     

Hey, Pasquales it was fun meeting you and winging with you this winter. If you get a chance, try the new f-one Strike 6m. It's the wing I wish I'd had while I was there. Pulls like a 7M, maneuvers like a 5.0. Same width as the F-one 5.0 in fact.