The weather is shifting from the Kona low pressure dominated pattern to more of a trade wind setup. I had been watching it throughout the day, trying to make a decision to charge the Foil Drive battery or not. The wind would come up - then go dead. I made the call around lunch, with the majority of the day with the wind down.
Marlon and I hit the beach around 4pm - Eli was there looking out and he opted to not wing. Marlon hit it with his Submoon (and he said he had some really fun waves!!!).
I setup the same equipment that I've been Foil Drive-ing with but swapped out the Spitfires from the 840 to the 960. I also switched to the Project Cedrus Aluminum mast - I wanted to compare and contrast between that and the carbon 85.
I only stayed out an hour because I had to get Marlon to the rail station for an event this evening.
As luck would have it, as soon as I jumped in the water, the wind came up - and came up to winging speed. You'd have to stay above Fenceline, but it was 4.7 strength.
Anyways - this session was still great fun. The 960 made takeoff super easy. I'd say the 960 allows me to get up super early, and as long as the waves are under a couple of feet overhead, then it can handle the speed, provide some pump back out and doesn't tend to overfoil.
The 840 is needed between overhead and double overhead waves. The main thing I sacrifice is the ability to takeoff while the wave is non-critical. What I gain is a few more mph in speed, control on steeper faces, and the ability to make harder/faster turns.
The main difference I have been the 80cm aluminum mast and the 85cm carbon is perception - the 85cm feels like I can ride without being concerned about breaching. With the 80cm mast, I just try to remember I've got 2 less inches to work with. I don't overfoil with either, but the perception I have with the 85 just makes me charge harder.
I really like the sessions where a pattern emerges. If I headed left, the wind was at my back and i could glide for really long rides.
When I went right, I focused more on carving. I love taking off, stalling a bit at the top, taking the drop and leaning into the bottom curve of the wave, then running back up to the top and carving back down - SO MUCH FUN!!!
15 rides in an hour!!!! Ridiculous!!!!
Surfline is calling for stronger winds tomorrow - time to anoint No.36!!!
W:58/FD:38/F:4/S:11
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