Evening Session - 12/30/2021

Marlon and I hit WPB this evening.  I wanted to get some paddling in so I brought my TJ Everyday.  I so love foiling, but I also love surfing.  To remind myself of this fact, I have to leave the foils in the garage and break out the surfboards.

Marlon came, but when he saw how small the waves were, he opted to fly the drone instead.  He just got his new Autel Robotics Nano + kit.  His experience on the DJI Mini 2 really shined through this recording session.  

The secondary reason I wanted to hit the beach today is my new sleeveless spring suit.  Lately while winging, I have been getting cold.  I do not like wetsuits with sleeves because they slow your paddling down significantly.  With this sleeveless one I can wear a rash guard under and be fine.

Just in time for the start of winter!

Wing Foiling Session - 12/29/2021

I couldn't end this year on the session from yesterday, so after checking the weather forecast, I decided to bring my stuff and try again.  I still didn't think the winds would be terribly strong, so I brought the same gear as yesterday.  The clouds were a little thinner today - so the wind was more user friendly.

I was out from around 2:30pm to 4pm. Some holes, some schlogging but accompanied by a whole lot of lighter wind riding and learning to raise the foil without a bunch of monkey pumping.

I left my watch at work, so I don't have speed or track info - all I can say is this was a fun session and a fitting end to a solid year of prone and wing foiling!

Wing Foiling Session - 12/28/2021

 The wind had been blowing all day on Tuesday - I did bring my gear and took a break from work around 1:30pm.  I setup the OR A 5.0, the GL210 with the 16.25" rear stabilizer.  I had a two part session.  The first half the wind was decent, but I stayed on the inside because Brantly was there and I wanted to catch her when she went in to get her a bottle of whiskey (for letting me use her wing to chase down my wing when it got off leash a couple of weeks back).  I didn't trust that the wind would stay strong, so I purposely brought the GL210 (one of my bigger foils now).  The second half, I had brought the GoPro out and even went out to Firsts (since it looked like Harris was having a blast out there.  Well - the clouds got thicker and the wind started to flake out.  I rode two really fun waves then started heading back in.  Looking at the pictures I took with the GoPro, you can see the wind was on the lighter side - almost no texture on the water...

All that blue on the track - pure misery trying to limp back to the launch.  Every now and then a gust would blow through and I would get up on foil.  At one point after being frustrated, I noticed the leading edge seemed soft - in fact it was and that was one reason I was having a hard time getting up on foil.

You can see I was out in sub 15mph winds - 

I eventually made it back in - uuugggghhhhhh!!!!!

If I came in after the first half, I could have called this a great way to close off this year of wing foiling.

Dawn Patrol - 12/26/2021

Dawn Patrolled again this morning - chilly for Hawaii...

Waves were breaking a little better - tide was a little lower than yesterday and there was supposed ot be a swell showing up.

I brought the same setup as yesterday - 4'8" prone foil board, 75cm (79cm) Project Cedrus mast with the Kujira 1210 and one of my bottom mount rear stabilizers.

I stayed out for an hour and caught five decent waves today - shaking off some of the rust from not prone foiling for so long.  A couple of the waves were double dips.

I don't believe the top speed on the watch - probably was while I was getting thrown by one of the waves I failed to catch.  I did notice that paddling out, my rig seemed to have a hair more drag on it.  Not sure if it is the fact that the mast I am currently using (because I'm modifying the Takuma aluminum masts) is longer, or if it is because it is thicker.  Going to have to do some more experimenting to find out what the answer is.

Good session!!!

Wing Foiling Session - 12/25/2021

And to top Christmas off, La and the kids came with me to Hickam while I was getting in an afternoon winging session.  Light winds (steady state had <15mph, with gusts touching 20) made for challenging conditions.

I pumped up the OR A 5.0 and bolted on a foil I haven't used in a long time - the Go Foil GL210.  I did schlog still, but this foil gets up quick so when the gusts hit you can get going.

Surprisingly it also has a decent top end.  The speed chart below showed a max speed of 18.3mph.

You can tell the wind was pretty much from the NE.  Transitions were super easy on this big foil.

The conditions were definitely representative of the low end of this equipment.  If I want to go out consistently in less than 15mph, I think the OR A 6.0 will be needed (hmmm).

Again - surprising speed from the GL210.

Fun day at the beach!!!  Merry Christmas to every one!

Dawn Patrol - 12/25/2021

I got to dawn patrol with Marlon Christmas morning.  Waves were knee to thigh high, the tide was high at 1.8' and there was zero wind.  I setup the 75 (+4 for a total 79cm) Project Cedrus mast with the Kujira 1210 on the 4'8" prone foil board.  Marlon brought his trusty blue longboard.

Tim was out - he brought his current setup of choice - HA1125.  Shari was also out with her new board from Glenn Pang.

With the high tide it was hard to pick up waves.

I pretty much ended up with three decent waves.  I felt like my paddling was really bad - and I think that is because I've been winging so much (and hardly paddling - which arguably is not the best thing for an activity that is so demanding).

Fun session on Christmas!!!  Can't ask for much more than that!

Sealing Aluminum Masts

I was at Home Depot with La recently and I saw Loctite had a high density spray foam available.  I immediately thought of this project - sealing the Takuma Masts.

The foam is different than the other yellow stuff I've used in the past.  And it is really sticky.  I'm going to put a cap of epoxy on the filled openings (placing a slight depression on the top layer of foam so I know it is capped with epoxy).

I have been prone foiling with the Project Cedrus 75cm (79cm) mast - I am noticing the thicker profile makes it harder to paddle fast. I'll post more on this on other posts - but I'm thinking a properly sealed Takuma Aluminum is not a bad thing to have around.

Wing Foiling Session - 12/23/2021

The wind came up again today, which was fortuitous because Jeff let me demo the Axis ART 799 and 899.  There were serious whitecaps when I pulled up to the parking lot so I pumped up the Reedin SWX 4.2 again (more practice equals better understanding right?).

The pattern is stronger winds up front (in and around noon) with a decline as the afternoon progresses.  With this, I bolted on the ART 799 first.  

I spent an hour on this foil so I can get a good feel for it.  The issue I noticed with the Reedin SWX not liking wind below 20 mph was exacerbated by having such a small front foil on.  You can see the wind - as strong as it was, still had a lot of ups and downs - which was super evident on my speed chart below.

Lots of blue... means lots of schlogging.

At times I looked and noticed I got blown downwind.  I was not going to paddle back - I had to wait for the gusts, and I learned with the Reedins (both the SW and the X) it is best to point more downwind during a strong blow and get the wing and front foil pressurized quickly.  Then when you are up on foil, start rounding up wind.  Once you are moving, you can point really high and you need a lot less wind to stay up on foil (until you need to turn... then the painful process of getting back on to foil starts over).

It took a while and several startups, but I did wing back to the launch.

At this point, I wanted to switch out the front foil to the ART 899.  The wind had dropped a notch by this point, but if you stuck closer to the runway, the wind was pretty good still.  Harris came out by this point and after I practiced my transitions using this foil, I headed out to join him at Firsts.  I caught a couple of waves, but the last one was overhead and was breaking - awesome present from the Southern Hemisphere considering the time of year.  The 899 surfs really well - rolls over easier than the 999 (as to be expected considering the shorter span and narrower chord).

From my tracks you can see the wind had more east in it today.  Despite these two foils being smaller than the 999, I did not seem to go appreciably faster (20.6 on the 799... go figure - I though I would have hit 25mph with this foil; and 21.8mph on the 889 - I did feel like I could go faster on this one, just need a little more consistent wind).

I'll take a picture with all three ARTs lined up and post that later.  One last note from today's session - I've been experiencing what seemed like episodes where the foil loses traction and I almost wreck.  At first I thought the rear stabilizer was breaching - but I notice it happening when I am towards the channel side of the harbor area - lots of chop and turbulence.  I recall reading about mast ventilation - and now I think that is what is happening as it does not occur on the top of the harbor (towards the taxi way) as there is significantly less chop up there.  Also oddly enough - this has only been happening with the Project Cedrus masts.  It really doesn't even happen if I am just cruising or surfing waves - it only happens if I am pinching hard upwind and am in choppy conditions.  I'm going to have to study this more.

I think this is the last session I'll have with the Reedin SWX 4.2 for a few days at least - the forecast calls for lighter winds for at least the next week.  Lighter winds - not zero winds, so I'll keep the Ocean Rodeo handy!

Wing Foiling Session - 12/22/2021

I hit Hickam Beach at 1:30pm today.  The wind was nice and strong - good for more testing on the Reedin SWX 4.2!

I have been wanting to use the Takuma Kujira 980 again - so with the reborn Project Cedrus 75cm mast, I bolted the smaller Kujira on.

This was roughly the same height as the Go Foil 32.5" mast.

The 980 turns so well - I almost don't have to think about the jibes, and coming out of tacks on foil is pretty easy compared to the ART 999 (not as easy as the mid-aspect Go Foils).  The transitions in the image below are a testament to the ease of turning this foil.

The SWX won't start in winds under 20mph - not at all (at least for me).  But above that, this wing comes alive.  As to be expected, it does behave a lot like the Reedin SW 3.6 that I have - but there is zero flutter coming from the X.  There were times on the outside where I thought I should have been on the 3.6 (check those gusts over 30mph).

The front end of the session I spent up on foil almost continuously.  I was also trying not to have the wing aggravate my tennis elbow and sore shoulder.  I was mostly successful with that goal.

At Firsts I was able to catch several waves.  I tried luffing the wing on a couple, but the wind had some north in it and that made riding unpowered a little harder.  The wing had the same tendency as the SW 3.6 to wander when luffing - I just countered the motion.  Harris said he was trying to luff his wing from the front handle instead of relying on the luffing handle - I might have to try this technique out.

Towards the end of the session the wind did drop below 20 and I was fortunate to be close to shore anyways.  Fun session!

Cutting Out Voids in the New 4'8" Wing Board

Happy Winter Solstice!!!  What better day to knock out some chores and catch up on some long stagnant garage work.

This evening, after Marvin came over and picked up his board - I went ahead and cut out the slots for the handle and the mast track reinforcement blocks.  The shaped blank for this 4'8" Wing Foiling Board has been getting worked on intermittently when I am doing similar work on the boards I've been repairing (seems like a ton lately).

In fact, I should be cutting out the broken mast track boxes on the Narrow Wing Foiling Board so I can repeat this on that board (cracked boxes).  

Marvin's Redecking Project Done

Got this done last night.  Sanded to 400 grit (wetsanded) - it came out really nice!

Working on this board makes me want to shape one like this...

Wing Foiling Session - 12/20/2021

 The wind was filling in so I headed to Hickam after work (or maybe just a hair early) and pumped up the Reedin Super Wing X 4.2m.  Compared to the Ensis V2 4.5m and even the Reedin regular Super Wing 4.2m, this one had some weight to it.

I ran it without a harness line and without the leash extension first to get situated.  The foil choice of the day was initially the PNL185.

The wind was pretty strong - this wing definitely likes steady conditions over 20.  There is zero give on this wing - the Xply harnesses and delivers everything the wind has to offer.  But it only does so when it has enough wind.

I didn't bring my watch so I don't know how fast I went - but it felt really fast.  I headed in and changed out the PNL185 over to the NL160, and I attached the leash extension and harness line.

Since it has been a while since I used the NL160, I made some inside runs and transitions to get reacquainted with it - then I saw Harris headed out to Firsts.

At first I was thinking "breaking in a new wing and heading out to Firsts... especially after losing the Ocean Rodeo the day before seems like throwing caution to the wind.  Call it what you want but I headed out.

Caught a few waves and then felt the afternoon winds starting to drop.  I headed to the inside and shortly after that the wind did die off.

After the session, I noticed the injuries I got from winging before I started using the OR came back quick - tennis elbow on my left elbow and a sore right shoulder.  I'm going to have to pay attention to how I use this wing so I don't get a lasting injury.

Wing Foiling Session - 12/19/2021

 Interesting first day back on foil (it's been several days since we've had wind).  I ran the same setup as the past several sessions - WWFB, Axis ART999/HA420 stab, PC85 mast, and the OR5.0

Wind was pretty good.  I made sure I could tack and jibe on a couple of inside runs - then I headed out to Firsts.  There weren't visible waves, but I figured the wind would be stronger out there.

The wind was stronger, and there were bumps rolling through.  I caught several and saw Brantley headed out to get some waves too.

That's when things got interesting... On one wave, I wiped and the next thing I know is my OR A series 5.0 is tumbling full speed downwind - without me.  I started paddling but knew the wind had gotten a hold of the wing.  Brantley pulled up and yelled "take my wing and go chase yours down - I don't think I can do it for you".  I did just that (you can see all of this on the track chart below).  After two jibes I was on top of my wing and got a hand on it.  I tied it off then took a breather.  I decided to deflate my wing (since it didn't have a boom to deal with), but trying to pack a wing down while out on the water is not the easiest thing to do.

I actually managed to get the board up on foil twice, but knew that I was not going to be able to get back to the starting point.  I figured once Brantley got in range of signaling the lifeguards, they'd launch the skiff and come get me - so I decided to just sit on the board and keep the wing up so the lifeguards could see it.

It was taking a while for the boat to come out, so I started to run through how I was going to land a foilboard and two wings possibly in surf, and in waters I have not landed in before and started to use Barntley's wing to head towards Iroquois Point Beach.  Shortly after, I heard a whistle and looked back - the lifeguards from Hickam were headed towards me with the boat.

What I didn't know was that Brantley had paddled part of the way in, signaled Arvin that I was out to sea with her wing trying to chase my wing down and to go get the lifeguards.  Just then the wind died and they weren't moving either.  Then Harris heard and started to head to shore.  The wind came back up - Arvin landed at the Harbor and told the office, Harris landed at the beach and told the lifeguards there.

The lifeguards weren't sure what to look for - a flipping wing in the wind, someone who had gotten separated from their gear, or worse - but the office radioed the boat and said to look for a guy with two wings on a board - and because I had the wing up in the wind, they were able to spot me. 

Looking at the two bump ups in speed to the right, those were the runs where I was able to get up on foil to see if I could make it back on my own (not - too much stuff to manage).  I stopped the watch tracking once I was up on the boat.

When I got back to the beach, I got resettled, thanked Brantley, and pumped up my wing again.  I headed back out to shake off the unsettledness and ended up getting some good runs in.

I'm starting to get more dry tacks in - and the power of this OR wing is its ability to use apparent wind - if you get moving, it wants to stay moving - and I've been able to make runs with multiple transitions without touching down.

So I dodged a huge bullet today.  I'm going to have to rethink how I rig my equipment and what I carry for safety.  Thank you Universe!!!