Parawing Session 2 - 5/10/2026

As I was leaving Kailua, I checked the wind report and it said Hickam was blowing 17mph from the east.

I made a beeline there wanted to test the Cabrinha Prestige setup.

There was good texture on the water!!!

That is until Arvin and I went out - then it dropped off considerably.

The balancing trick worked perfectly for this foil on No.34

Despite the wind dropping, I felt that conditions would improve so I schlogged up towards the last buoy.  Then I had to paddle up to towards the last buoy.

Finally a gust came through and BAM - the Cab lifted without much drama (maybe even less drama  than the AFS Enduro 1300...)

Between the BRM S3 5.3 (second session) and the Cabrinha Prestige 905/160/Apex 78 mast - there was some special sauce coming from somewhere.

And even though the wind was absolute shit, I did manage to get up multiple times.

Now I'm really going to have to buy this foil...

PF:8/W:2/PW:39/FD:36/S:16

Parawing Session - 5/10/2026

Took the BRM S3 5.3m parawing out for its inaugural run this morning over at Kailua.

The wind was good first thing.

No whitecaps, but steady texture on the surface.  This is the first day the tradewinds were supposed to be making a comeback.

Despite having the Cabrinha Prestige 905/160 setup, I really wanted to test the BRM S3 5.3 - so I bolted on the AFS Enduro 1100/Make Carve Pro Medium/80 cm UHM mast.

The S3 is really well behaved.  Felt a lot like the 777 Hybrids in stability.  But it is super light in comparison so it stays in the air in less wind (which is foreshadowing...)

I was able to get up in relatively light wind.

The S3 jibes a lot like the Flysurfer POW.  Plus this is a big parawing so when there is wind again, I'll try to bank it during turns (more like how the Hybrids turn).

I got lots of runs in, and regular jibes both ways with little drama.  I got in a down loop jibe on the inside.  I didn't attempt any tacks - because....

The wind started dropping.

I rode some of the larger swell that was coming in and the S3 drifts really well (about the same as the POW).

On the red track furthest to the left (above), the wind had gotten so light that I went ahead and retracted the S3.  Super easy as was the redeploy.  

Then the wind died...

And I drifted trying to pick up a gust to get back up on foil.

When I was out in front of Castles I decided to go ahead and paddle back up to the launch.

I eventually shlogged back in (at least I didn't do the walk of shame). 

When the wind was up - so was I

I think I'm going to sell the Triple Seven PT Hybrids....

PF:8/W:2/PW:38/FD:36/S:16

Afternoon Surf Session - 5/9/2026

Late post.

Stu's girlfriend Brie was having a graduation party at WP.  I went and enjoyed some conversation, and then hit the surf!

The swell size and direction made for some epic closeouts.

But if you waited, there were some good rides to be had.

Inspired by the J Splee board demo last week, I brought the Boogie Fish out to ride.

This wasn't absolute easy paddling - but it was not bad.  It'd be better if I dropped 10 pounds, but that's a different topic.

The first wave I caught was open going right.  I had three full blast turns on the board - the bottom contour on this board lets you way over extend your turns - super fun!!!

Unfortunately the first wave was the best.  I caught 6 more but I didn't have the same open face to carve up.

Surfing small boards forces you to change your mindset - just focus what is in front of you and don't worry how long the wave is going to be.  It's good to mix surfing and prone foiling into the rotation - these disciplines are very good at helping one stay in shape - more so than winging, parawinging and Foil Drive.

PF:8/W:2/PW:37/FD:36/S:16

Comparing Foils

This is the AFS Enduro 900 on the standard fuselage with a Mako Carve 130 rear stabilizer.

This is the foil I use the most for Foil Drive-ing.

This is Cabrinha Prestige 905 with the 160 rear stabilizer.

This is the foil I have been testing/demo-ing.

I can't believe that I can prone foil this...

It also works great on Foil Drive, but once the waves get bigger than chest, I think there are better foils to use that handle the additional energy present (AFS Silk 850 and 650, and the Cab crew says the Whippit 850)

These foils are similar but you can see the obvious differences.

And even profile wise - similar but different.

The big litmus test for whether this foil will be added to the hangar is under parawing power.  If I can get up on foil in the same conditions where I normally use the AFS Enduro 1100, I have to sell a bunch of stuff and pick this up.

Having a smaller foil to ride waves - with a parawing deployed or retracted would be awesome.  But it needs to be able to get up quickly.

We shall see very soon... 

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 5/9/2026

Beautiful conditions this morning!  Not totally glassy, but the wind had enough North in it to keep the surface clean and groomed.

The tide was low, but the swell was really good!

Well overhead on the sets!!!

Prayot was using the Cab Prestige - so I bolted on the foil that I have used as the standard to measure all other front foils by while Foil Drive-ing - the AFS Enduro 900

I kept No.40 in the rotation to get a comparison to yesterday.

But I did swap out the blue props for the black props.

Long paddle out this morning to get to deeper water.

Less discombobulation on the inside (compared to yesterday)

The swell on the outside was behaving perfectly!

I caught one monster wave - taking off late and immediately got lined up on the pit!!!  Well overhead, throwing lip and I got to ride just ahead of the chaos.  Stu bore witness to the spectacle!!!!

Lots of big carves using the whole face.

With the black props I was not taking off too early (ahead of the wave picking me up).  So that tells me I should use the blue props on smaller days, and the black ones when the energy is there.

I only had a short window this morning - I was going to grab the Cab Prestige back from Prayot (in preps for the wind that should arrive tomorrow - and testing that foil for parawinging).  And I needed to get home to run some errands.

Eleven rides - most were really long... I really love being able to ride this spot consistently!!!!

The Can Prestige is shaping up to be a great Jack of All Trades, where the Enduro and Silk are specialists.

Tomorrow on parawing will be the test -

PF:8/W:2/PW:37/FD:36/S:15

Foil Drive Session - 5/8/2026

Got out for a quick Foil Drive session this afternoon - had to get back home so I could help La pack for a trip, and then off to the airport.

The waves were more consistent today - almost even too stacked (especially on the inside).  Outside there was action!!!

Paddling out - low tide made for a longer time with the foil directed upwards.

First time getting the Cabrinha Prestige 905/160 out on Foil Drive -

Got some really long rides today - 

The Prestige 905 probably wasn't the correct foil to use in these conditions - I think the Cabrinha Whippit 850 would have been - but this is a test of the Prestige and it's range.

Head to overhead waves.  With the blue props I was actually up on foil before I could pop up.  If I popped up earlier, I would not have been able to catch the wave (this is a style issue specific to me and how I use the Foil Drive).

I know the Silk can carve harder than the Prestige (but the Prestige and the Enduro seem similar turning wise).

And the Prestige felt easier to keep on foil without having to work for it.  I got long gliding runs without having to pump at all.

I think the Enduro 900 is faster???  The chart below says I got this setup to 20.1mph - I'll have to look back and see how fast I usually go on the Enduro 900.

15 rides in less than an hour!!!

Stu had his Foil Cedrus Integrated Aluminum mast out.  He definitely likes it!

Definitely looks like a slippery hydrodynamic piece of gear!!!

PF:8/W:2/PW:37/FD:35/S:15

Prone Session 2 with the Cabrinha Prestige 905/160

I took the same setup from yesterday for another prone session.

Similar conditions to yesterday - but slightly bigger waves on the sets.

And the swell direction shifted and on the bigger waves the lineup would kinda close out.

I caught seven waves today.

One was a steeper drop.  Got in a bottom turn on that one, rode further along and hit a white water section (and down I went).

On one longer ride, after carving around and back and forth, I shot out the back, pumped out towards the outside and got to turn back on the next wave - Double Dipping!!!!

The other rides were longer with lots of turns.

On the earlier waves, I think I could feel some flex in the mast when cranking the turns.

I like this foil a lot.  I ordered the Cab adapter from Foil Cedrus - if the foil performs just as well using the Evolution Cedrus Surf mast, I'll be selling some stuff to fund purchasing this (foil and stab, not the mast).

Or I can keep saving and get a Hydrocraft Systems Helix....

Anyways - tomorrow I'm gonna try the Prestige on Foil Drive.

PF:8/W:2/PW:37/FD:34/S:15

Prone Foiling the Cabrinha Prestige 905

No wind today.  In fact with the thick cloud cover, it was really glassy.

Nice high tide and the swell was belly high on the sets.

Marlon was at the beach taking pictures.

Eli was out with his tow boogie.  Robby had come in from FD, and Roland was still out buzzing around.

Prayot had texted and said he wouldn't have the time to test drive the Cabrinha Prestige 905/160 set until this Sunday.  So I should pick it up and put it through the ringer.

At first pass, his notes on it were it felt solid all around - the mast didn't flex like the F4 mast.

The Union connection looked to be really streamlined.

And the foils looked really efficient.

All the YouTube videos showed this to be a very maneuverable foil that had plenty of lift for its size.

I figured I start at the hardest point to test drive the foil - prone.

I caught two waves to start, but botched those getting my feet to remember how to prone foil.

But I caught three waves after that and they were absolutely perfect -

This foil turns like the Enduro 900, has the lift of the Enduro 1100, and is super forgiving.

For a small bit of time - it made me "want" to prone foil.

And I've never prone foiled a set smaller than the Silk 1050 - at 905, the Prestige was insanely good!

This immediately made the Unifoil Progression 170, the F One Momentum 800, the F One Eagle 690 all hanging in my garage subject to a liquidation sale to fund a Prestige...

PF:7/W:2/PW:37/FD:34/S:15

Rest Day and Unboxing the BRM S3 5.3

I felt like taking a nap this afternoon - with the wind mostly down and the surf just at fun levels, I figured it would be a good day to rest.

I was also waiting for the FedEx delivery person to deliver the BRM S3 5.3

Once it arrived, I headed to the beach to unbox and test fly it.

Roland was just finishing setting up.  Looked like it was good conditions for Foil Driveing

But I was more excited about unboxing this -

Nice shopping bag (made with the excess fabric from the parawings).  This time it is black.

I ordered a S3 specific harness line along with the parawing.

I paid attention to how the parawing was folded, so if I have to get it back in this bag I should be able to.

Folded in half, then five times

This general carrying bag seems similar to the Paia bag

This is how it came out of the small bag

Unfurled

This parawing is super light.  Stays up in the lightest of breeze - even more so than the Maliko 5.1

It did not want to drop to the rear of the wind window

It had a ton of depower range from the bar - the wind was not strong enough to test this out fully

It retracted really easily - probably the easiest (except for the Ka'a).

It really seems like the lines should not really even have the opportunity to tangle - but only time on the water will tell that story.

For now the wind is not forecasted to get back up to parawingable strength until Monday.... curse of the new parawing.

Foil Drive Session and J Splee Test Drive - 5/3/2026

Woke up and got the AFS UHM 80cm mast setup with the Zip Pod.

I headed out - but realized I forgot my battery.

Then I saw a text from Prayot that the surf was pumping - so I doubled back and grabbed the AFS Silk 850

Surf was good size and breaking on the outside.

It's hard to see but there were three monk seals swimming by the orange buoy.

It was a pretty low tide...

Had to paddle pretty far out to avoid grounding this foil.

The AFS Silk 850 is such an amazing foil -

I had the blue props on, but trying the catch the swell outside meant running up to a faster speed (which the black props do better).

I didn't miss any waves - but this is one area where I know by trial and error that I should swap out props.

The waves I caught outside awesome - overhead, pitching lip and standing up super tall.

Using the Silk 850 to maneuver around the breaking sections and to carve up and down a running wall - nothing else like it!!!

Eleven rides, and then I called it because I wanted to get to the Hapa Surf Shop/J Splee Surfboards demo day.

I ended up trying three surfboards - Quinn's 6'0" Tanto Twin (this is a phenomenal board - felt way better than the Great White Twin, but maybe on par with the Reveo Max).

Then I tried the Blue Beam (it realistically was too small for me, but the on the waves I caught, this board was super fun).

And I should have tried the Aurora... but went for the Double Chin - which definitely was too small for me.  But again, on the waves I did catch, it turns and keeps wanting to turn/pivot - where the Hammah fish wants to roll and carve more (which lately is more my style).

Super fun talking board design with JC!!!

Totally drained and stoked!!!!

PF:6/W:2/PW:37/FD:34/S:15