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

Parawing Session - 5/2/2026

Another day of good wind signs everywhere - but really fluky winds at WP.

I went in the afternoon and the tide was nice and high.  Surprise was the swell - some mackers coming through on the sets!!!

Same stuff as yesterday - but switched back to the Triple Seven PT Hybrid 5.7

Kalani was out with the Triple Seven PT Skin 7.3

Prayot was out with the Ozone Power Pack 4.3

And to further make it difficult, Prayot was also demo-ing the F4 Orca 800

I did not get skunked, but I also spent a lot of time drifting around.

I was barely making jibes - so I didn't even bother with tacking today.

After a rough start, the wind and I found a happy medium and I had some good runs.

There were a few waves in particular that were pretty awesome.

The wind wasn't this strong... this is Hickam's anemometer.  But this was the general pattern.

Which is pretty much reflected on the graph below.

I thought the wind was going to stick around longer.  Time to charge up the FD battery again.

PF:6/W:2/PW:37/FD:33/S:14

Parawing Session - 5/1/2026

Looks like two female monk seals pupped at WPB.

Giving them space is key.

Decent wind - more easterly and less gusty (when I went out)

High tide and fun sized swell.

Same stuff as yesterday.

Stu was already out when I parked.  Roland was setting up.  And Norm launched pretty late.

I had some epic rides!

Marlon was flying the drone - I hope he got the ride where I doused and got to ride a good sized wave carving up and down for quite some distance.

Marlon was really out to film Roland (and Stu).

I got in a bunch more tacks today - pretty much flowing with the incoming waves (SO MUCH FUN).

The BRM Maliko 5.1 felt really good today - less rough than yesterday (I'm not sure why - but glad for it).

This peak speed came from the wave ride (so awesome)!

I recently sold the Flysurfer POW 4.0

The POW was really good at "drifting" - following along depowered while riding a wave into the wind.  The Maliko fights me if I douse after transitioning onto the wave.  I'll have to jump back to the 777 Hybrid to see what that does again.

Lighter, but still doable winds over the weekend.

PF:6/W:2/PW:36/FD:33/S:14

Parawing Session - 4/30/2026

Good conditions today!  Whitecaps were scattered across the field when I pulled up (but classic WP - as soon as I got in the water, the wind lulled), and decent sized waves.

Nice high tide again as well.

Big stuff again - but notched down the parawing to the BRM Maliko 5.1

Once I picked up a gust and got up on foil, I was able to stay up (unless during a jibe I got a bridle line tangled up in the Dakine harness hook).

I got in multiple tacks with the Maliko - felt really good!

Roland and Kalani both launched at WP.  I could see another wing down at PVs - that was Norm.

The Maliko was perfectly powered except when riding a wave - there was a lot of north in the wind and it made it hard to depower the parawing.

This run of wind and surf should last for several more days!!!

PF:6/W:2/PW:35/FD:33/S:14

Parawing Session - 4/29/2026

Better than yesterday - better (high) tide, more wind (still full of holes), and bigger (oxymoron) surf.

Prayot is in this picture somewhere along the horizon waiting for a strong gust.

Big stuff day (probably could have used No.42 also).

I actually had a decent session.  I was able to stay up on foil until I had to turn and the wind would lull out.

Transitions were good - jibes, down loop jibes and heelside tacks - no drama (until I started getting tired - then everything went to shit). 

And towards the end I drifted into the dead zone and had to wait a long time before getting back up on foil and getting back to the launch point.

Some pretty good lulls in there...

Hopefully the wind fills in stronger over the next few days.

Roland came out way late.  Wind was almost gone by the time he got out.

Fun session!

PF:6/W:2/PW:34/FD:33/S:14