Dawn Patrol - 12/31/2023

Dawn patrol saw slightly bigger waves today.  Nice way to complete 2023. 

Marlon came with and brought his longboard.  I brought the same setup as yesterday.

Dennis was out and had switched up some equipment - magic hub, Spitfire 960 - and with the FD Max he was taking off on nothing waves.  Kalani was motorless on the KT Dragonfly again.  Dean, Andrew, Rick, Scott and others were also out.

The waves tended to pop up (where I would catch them) then fizzle out.  Had to pump a bunch to get to the wave standing up to the inside.  I saved a bunch of battery power by pumping back out.

Despite the high tide influenced waves, I got a bunch of doubles and a few triples.

Got 30 waves in 2 hours - 

It has been another year of solid wave rides and tons of winging - I feel so lucky to be able to spend as much time in the ocean as I do!!!  Looking forward to doing it all again and getting even better in 2024!!!

W:126/F:111/S:60

Dawn Patrol - 12/30/2023

Dawn patrolled today - really small waves again.  You could tell there was a little bit more energy coming through - but the tide was super high so it was getting drowned out.

Everybody was just staring out contemplating if they should go out or not.

I had the Foil Drive so I went out.  Small wave foil (HPS980/400P).

The waves were actually just big enough to get plenty of turns out of a running wall.  Surfline had the energy at 14 kJ.

Most of the usual suspects were out - Dennis (on the new FD V2 Max), Kalani (SUP foiling on his Dragonfly), Dean (out with his new ART Pro 1401), Andrew, Noel (regular SUP), Scott, and others.

Most of my waves were doubles.  Carving turns on most rides (super fun).

The conservative count on the number of waves caught - 28.  That was in 2 hours.  Ridiculous wave count!!!!

Waves should be bigger tomorrow (still a full high tide on the dawn patrol though).

W:126/F:110/S:60

Evening Session - 12/28/2023

I took a nap when I got home from work.  When I woke up, Marlon and I headed to the beach.

The surf was even smaller than yesterday... Surfline had today at 4kJ.

I brought the Viking again and caught my share.  The Viking is definitely a session saver.

Marlon brought Jackie and used his new Velzy fin (he likes it).

Derek, Eddy and Norm were out on wings.  But by the time I got out there the wind was already flukey.

Norm said he had 40 minutes of good wind.  Derek was coming in as I was going out - he said earlier was fun.

W:126/F:109/S:60

Garage Works (not in the garage) - 12/28/2023

I pulled out the set of Large Minx Diffusers that I had in the garage.  Of all the applications, I am thinking the Foil Drive prone is the most appropriate for these.

Measure, measure, measure, measure....

I used regular 5 minute epoxy - so in case these suck, it won't be too much trouble to remove them.

Here they are installed.

I figure they can't chop me up any worse than the propeller or the foil.

So minus a few more stickers, No.33 is all setup!

This board is probably 10 liters less than No.18, but it does feel faster going through the water (so much so that the last session I knew I had the board over water while motoring out to the line up).

Camouflaged diffusers. 

With the surf coming back up (albiet marginally) over the weekend, I'll be testing this over the next few days.

Garage Works - 12/27/2023

I saw a clip on Instagram - and immediately started planning out No.34

I'm going to sit on this for a day or so.  I want this one to be more versatile than No.30 - more accessible wing foiling and more efficient prone Foil Driving (this one will be planned for a FD Assist Max) and even regular prone foiling.

The width of this current outline is just over 19.5" at 6'4" length.  I'm wondering if a 6'0" length with 20" waist will be better for what I want this board to do...

Evening Session - 12/27/2023

The surf was really small today.

I decided to bring out the Viking -

This board can catch and ride anything - including tiny stuff.

Surfline was calling the surf 3 kJ - but I had some really fun rides!  Sticking to the pocket, riding the tail of this board and feeling like I was riding a much smaller board.  If I had been surfing one of the shorter boards I've been using this season, I don't think I would have been able to get in - didn't even cross my mind with the Viking.

Tomorrow the waves are supposed to be twice as big!

W:126/F:109/S:59

Dawn Patrol - 12/24/2023

Dawn patrol this morning held fun sized waves, really light winds and a dropping tide. 

I was just glad there were still waves breaking on the south shore.

Setup No.33 with the HPS980/400P.  Also used the small hub prop (figuring that I could use the additional top end from smaller diameter prop to catch the smaller waves). 

Andrew. Kamaka, another guy I didn't know, and Scott were out.  I only saw Scott and Andrew catching.  Kalani was out, but he was practicing using his SUP to foil (DW).

Today was Noe's Birthday so I needed to get in and get out - I did not really hold back on the battery/throttle.

Plenty of double dips (and maybe a triple - they all blur into one another).

From the speed chart, it looks like I had 19 waves in just over an hour.  Seriously - 

And that was with the legacy version of the Foil Drive Assist Plus.  I can't imagine what this would look like with the new FD Max...

From the forecasts, it looks like the action will be up north for the next several days.  Might get some wind and waves down here next Saturday (before the year is out).  With tomorrow being Christmas, it is a good time to take a break.

W:126/F:109/S:58

Wing Foiling Session - 12/23/2023

So that last winging session wasn't the last of the year - the forecast was calling for good strong winds this morning at Kailua.  Marlon and Kaylani came along to check the sunrise and take pictures.

It's always good when the forecast ends up being what you are observing.  Yup - strong wind!

No.32 with the F One SK8 950/Carve 200, and the Reedin SW2 4.7m wing

Despite some initial issues (couldn't get up on foil for several minutes at the start - drifted down a bit before picking up a gust) - this was a good session.

The waves were sizable and even breaking - but if you followed the wind to pick off the waves from further east, it got really choppy and bumpy quick.

Spent a lot of the session up on foil.  When I did go down it seemed related to the venting fence position.

20.1mph - not too shabby.  About 2/3s the way through the session a pretty significant squall moved through - it felt really good to be powered up on a smaller wing.

I picked up plenty of long rides, but the waves weren't pushing all the way through (needs just a little more size or a lower tide).  Marlon got several videos today (and he got them to me so I could use clips from them in this post).

The F One SK8 has a more relaxed feel to it.  It turns incredibly - but the Axis Spitfires turn harder and with more intensity.  

So more on the ventilation fence.  After moving this to higher up the mast, I did have more control today.  I think I only had 3 vents, and I recovered from one of them.  The other two were in some really choppy conditions.

I'm pointing to the original location.  I've already removed the fence and will likely place it another 0.5" higher.

Super fun at Kailua!

W:126/F:108/S:58

Evening Session - 12/22/2023 and the Anointment of No.33

Another day of up and down winds - but I opted to take a different route today.

After all the preparation, No.33 finally got wet today!

I set it up with the Axis Spitfire 960/375P, and used the Magic Hub prop.

This board is several pounds lighter than No.18 and also several liters less volume - two big factors in how a board rides.  I had issues catching my first couple of waves, but once I was up and riding, the board felt great!  I got lucky with the mast positioning with the Spitfire 960 - so balance was spot on.  Another sensation was I really didn't feel the battery weight - the board/foil just wanted to go.  Turning felt just as good as ever.

I'm going to really like this board! 

Some really long right walls today!  Probably too long for my own good.  At the end of a few of them, I would start to motor back out and I'd "gently" touch bottom.  I did get a small scratch, but only one.  I'm guessing the other groundings were on soft rocks (covered with seaweed).

By the end of the session, I was nabbing doubles.  17 waves in under an hour - even with lower volume, this board can catch waves!  Surfline had these waves at 25kJ - I was on the boundary of using the HPS980/400P set up and the Spitfire 960/375P.  The extra glide on the HPS would have made for earlier takeoffs and longer rides... but the Spitfire is so much more maneuverable.

On this board I placed the handle on the top deck.  I wanted to be able to use the handle and in the other hand carry the foil with both arms extended - to impart the least amount of strain on my arms and back.  The handle was even placed perfectly!

So the non-siuperlatives.  I should relocate the cable guide closest to the battery box (to ease the tension on the cable).  I may "need" to pickup the 3 bladed prop - to get a balance between the torque of the Majic Hub, the top-end speed of the normal hub, and also benefit from the reduction of the voltage sag.

I'd say this build was 100% successful.  No.33 is the lightest board I've built.  It rides awesome!  The handle works like I was hoping it would.  I couldn't have asked for a better anointment!

Now it's time to sticker it up!

W:125/F:108/S:58

Garage Works - 12/21/2023

These are two 85 cm Project Cedrus Classic Carbon masts.  The one on the left has been my workhorse for hundreds of sessions now.  And it has been through a lot.  The one on the right is a new to me one that was being sold because the owner has settled on a single foil brand (I got this less than half off the original price and it is in like new condition).

They both have the anti-ventilation fence on them.  And they are at about the same position.

But they don't behave the same.

The old mast hasn't flinched on me since I put the fence on.

The new mast still ventilates.

I just took the orange fence off.  I'm going to get some suitable double sided waterproof tape and I'll relocate it.  Thats the hard part - where exactly to put it.

I have noticed the tracking actually starts when the mast is lower in the water column.  This is totally counterintuitive to me.  I'm guessing that repositioning this fence to a higher position will stop what is currently going on.  It'd be one thing if it was happening when I was high up on the mast - but that has not happened once.

More to follow on this science experiment.