Author Topic: Most important factors for riding swell and waves efficiently on wingfoil?  (Read 2177 times)

liv2surf

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I am trying to improve my swell and wave riding with wing foil (downwind and side-downwind).

If swell is legitimate (at least shoulder high in SF Bay or waist to shoulder high in ocean) I can stay on the swell almost as long as I want (e.g. I don’t fall out the back as quickly), but if swell is smaller I fall off the swell earlier than I’d like.

Trying to decide if I can solve with new equipment or if I need to focus my energies inward :)

What are some of the more important factor for riding swell and waves efficiently (below I list potential factors)?
  • Foil (subcategories: fast, maneuverable, lifty)
  • Rider & Technique (pumping, working the wing finesse, wave knowledge)
  • Mast (length, drag)
  • Wing (subcategories: balanced, drifts, other)
  • Wave (energy, steepness, height, speed, other)
  • Board (short, low volume, etc)
5'6 Quatro Wingdrifter Pro 105L; Cabrinha Mantis 3.1m, 4m, 5m and 6m; Axis 1000 (1150, 1020); Project Cedrus 91 cm carbon mast (68 cm fuse, 440/5000 rear); 9'6" CRUZ Surf foil SUP (152L); Chinook Thrust 92 Paddle -- fixed 78" length; 'prone' longboards on the rack, kites in the garage.

jondrums

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For technique - riding as high as you can makes a big difference.   Reduced drag on the mast - but also keeping the foil near the top of the swell where there is more energy. 

I strongly suspect, but cannot yet prove with physics that riding with the foil near the surface of the water also reduces the drag on the foil itself.  I figure that drag on the foil comes from two things: skin friction and displacement of water around the leading edge.  I think the higher in the water you are, the easier time water has lifting up and over the top of the foil because there is less weight of water above it.

Whatever the cause, you can milk a tiny swell if you get good at riding really high in the water without breaching.

Pasquales

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One concept that helped was remembering just as the foil enters the swell front and starts the decent down, acceleration happens quickly leading to sudden lift.  It's important to add just enough front foot pressure to insure the plane of the foil matches the slope of the wave.  This helps keep the foil just under the water surface and avoid breaching at the critical moment. 

Phils

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As far as technique, keeping the foil close to the surface makes a massive difference, as does your angle of attack.  On small stuff, I find keeping the board horizontal helps.  It doesn't matter as much on bigger waves.  And of course, the line you take on a wave.

Equipment wise, higher aspect will glide better and you want the the foil to be a bit faster than wave speed but not too fast.  Too slow is the worst.  It is a major bummer when you get on something good and then it just passes under you because your foil is too slow.

 


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