Evening Session - 7/31/2024

For today's evening session, Foil Drive was the call.  Marvin also was Foil Drive-ing, and Prayot was prone foiling.

I setup No.37 with the Spitfire 960/Skinny 365 - thinking the surf would be small...

Funny thing was it was pretty good!  Chest to head high on the sets.  The tide was pretty high so there was not much worry about hitting bottom.

The only damper was the wind - which was gusting into the big wing range.

I caught plenty of really good waves - either making solid speed runs on chunky walls, or carving top to bottom turns on shifting swell lines - SO MUCH FUN!!!

The walls were mainly on the right, and the carving fests were on the left.

I did miss a few waves - not moving fast enough to get out in front - so I'll call today's ride count 17 waves.

Marvin ended up having a slight rub with a chest beating DLNR guy.  I didn't even see them since I was way outside and pretty far away from the pack.  Even when I did ride a wave a long distance, I would try and kick out and pump back out.

W:94/FD:53/F:4/S:14

Evening Session - 7/29/2024

Small surf this evening.  I came out late - Duke was standing on the beach.

He said he hit a tiger with his foil - he was kinda freaked out (I know I was when I hit that big hammerhead outside Firsts).

I said I was only going out to catch a few - 

But it was really hard to ride any of the handful of waves I caught because I accidently brought the Hammah Fish (I thought I grabbed the Boogie Fish).

I did get up a few times, so I guess I'm counting this session - 

If I had a longboard, I think things would have been different.

W:94/FD:52/F:4/S:14

Wing Foiling Session - 7/28/2024

Hit Kailua Beach Park on the dawn patrol.

Wind was pretty much dead on the drive over, but once on Kaleheo Drive, the coconut palms were moving.  When I parked, the lot was only about half full and no one was on the grass getting ready... hmmmm -

I wanted to continue testing the recoated Project Cedrus Classic mast I refinished.  I figured I'd be better off using the foil I would most likely use with this mast - so on went the Axis Spitfire 840/325P.

I pumped up the North Mode Pro 5.5 because I didn't trust the wind to stay strong (I had contemplated putting up the 4.8 - I'm glad I didn't).

Thw wind was a little fluky - starting was tough and a few times I went down because of a sudden directional shift (like a big slap).  Occasionally a good set would come through, but the swell was mostly small wind driven bumps.

From the track, the winds were ENE.  You can see the different lines I took on the bigger waves.

This is the Bellows Field meter - but Kailua pretty much had this wind as well. 

This was the second day I used the repaired 85cm mast and again I had no venting issues.  I think the refinishing made this a better performing mast!!!

W:94/FD:52/F:4/S:13

Wing Foiling Session - 7/27/2024

The forecasts were calling for strong winds.  How consistent would be anyone's guess.

I wanted to do some testing so I opted to go to Hickam.

I wanted to do a contrast and comparison between the Triton X-1 and the X-1 Pro

The Pro has a wider span, thinner profile and a narrower chord - all indicators of a faster foil with more glide.

Here's the list of what I was testing

I started with the Spitfire because that's the foil I had out yesterday, but instead of putting it on the 90cm aluminum mast, I had it on the Cedrus carbon 85cm mast that I recently fixed (flaking clear coat replaced).

None of the setups I used today were exactly easy to use - but the crazy, shifty wind definitely added to the challenge.

Axis Spitfire 840 run - the carbon mast felt pretty good.  I didn't ventilate if that says anything.

I actually tacked more today than I jibed (while using the Spitfire).

With the gusts blowing through, it was kinda hard not to haul ass -

Triton X-1 Pro run

Here I wanted to get the foil situated so I could ride the foil.  I ended up adjusting the placement at least four times.  This is the furthest forward foil I've used - it's two fingers ahead of the F One SK8 750

No tacks here - all jibes.  I eventually started to get the hang of this foil.  It is totally progressive - I had to put backfoot pressure to get the foil to lift.  Placement is everything with this foil - it is really pitch sensitive if you don't have it set up correctly.

And lastly the Axis ART Pro 1001.  For this I went back to the 85cm carbon mast.

I got what I expected.  Funny how this foil seemed harder to engage than the AFS UHM Ultra 750

I did get in more tacks with this foil.  But La was waiting for me by this time so I kept this run short.

Definitely a roller coaster ride today!

W:93/FD:52/F:4/S:13

Wing Foiling Session - 7/26/2024

Afternoon session at WPB.  The wind was strong - whitecaps everywhere!!!

There was some surf as well - belly to chest high (but it did start to get drowned out by the rising tide).

I brought out No.36, the Project Cedrus 90 cm aluminum mast, the Spitfire 840/325P, and the Reedin SW2 4.2

Zach was already out.

The conditions were perfect for the gear I setup!!!

Trades from the ENE -

The Spitfire surfs so well!  People complain about the pitch instability - but I think it lends to its ability to respond to the swell and turn hard.  The swell direction and the wind didn't line up to the point where I could throw hard tacks - I did get some in, but not like NE trades days. 

It was the gusts that pushed the 4.2 - but as long as I was up on foil, the light winds didn't hinder the rides.

The long down time was a big lull - but other than that the wind was enough.

Until the end of my session - when it dropped off.

That's when Roland, Prayot and Duke showed up.

I had to go pick up Marlon so I didn't stay.  They said a Tiger was seen outside (glad I left).

I'm glad Roland was finally able to get back out!

W:92/FD:52/F:4/S:13

Garage Works - 7/25/2024

I was going to go winging after work, but while at the beach, I wasn't feeling it.  I figured I'd be better served knocking out some honey-dos and getting Matt's board finished up.

I took off the peel ply from yesterday and sanded down the high spots.

Then I got the carbon overlays prepared.

The top deck came out pretty good.  Next up was the bottom deck and the laps onto the top deck.

And this is the finished product (I didn't take pictures of the wrap in peel ply).  With the afternoon summer heat, the epoxy has been hardening in shorter time frames.

And here is the fill coat.

I asked Matt if he still wanted the tail painted blue.  I kinda like the raw carbon look -

Garage Works - 7/24/2024

And - I did get some work done on Matt's repair order.

I used the grinder and got the excess epoxy off.  Then I used the sander to get it just below finish grade.

Then I cut out some carbon and got it epoxied on.

For this part I used peel-ply.

Tomorrow I'll sand the excess epoxy off the bottom, cut out the patch (with laps) for the bottom deck, and get it laminated.

I should be able to have this done by Friday.

Wing Foiling Session - 7/24/2024

Today was my 500th winging session (by days gone, not the number of times I've gone out in a single day - so that number should be greater)

We had some car juggling to do this afternoon between me, La and the kids - coming/going from work.  So that meant I could get in an afternoon winging session at Hickam before going to pick up La and Marlon.

The wind was up and down when I arrived.  I had seen Jim out, but he had come in by the time I was getting my equipment together.  He had been out on his 5.0 - and said a 4.0 was doable.

I wanted to use the flatwater session to try and get recent documentation that I broke the 25mph barrier.  With that I bolted on the Eagle 690.  I kept the DW190 rear stabilizer on because part of today's run was to get the mast position dialed in - and I didn't want to have to wrestle with a stab that wasn't continuously contributing. 

And I pumped up the North Mode Pro 5.5 - figuring that this wing can eat gusts and keep me powered (as long as I didn't come off foil).

In a nutshell - today was good fun trying to go as fast as I could.

And low and behold - I broke the 25mph barrier!!!

Quite a bit of east in the wind today.  I did want to see if the Eagle 690 could ride swell - so I did go out to Firsts.  The wind out there was really swirly and full of holes - and that's why you see me headed back after a short run outside.

I didn't zoom in to the track, but if you could see the points at the transitions - that's because I was throwing tacks all over the place.

If I had a bigger front foil I could have easily used the Mode Pro 4.8.  And if the wind didn't have the holes it did, I would have used the Ezzy Flight 4.0 (maybe tomorrow). 

You can see I was off foil for multiple stints - those were the points where the wind lightened up.  Despite that, I got above 25mph!!

Now I'm going to have to go faster than 26mph!!!

W:91/FD:52/F:4/S:13

Garage Works - 7/23/2024

Marlon and I hit the garage today to get some work done.

Here's Marlon getting the fill coat on the bottom deck.

I finally sprayed the mast that I stripped of clear coat.  I may have to spray it again to get the interfaces between the polymer and carbon to fill in.

And I sprayed the bottom of No.37 again.

And I grinded the tail of this board repair for Matt.  I gorilla glued the loose foam and then went ahead and added the epoxy fill.  I'll sand this tomorrow and add a carbon patch.  I want to try and get this done so I can get it back to him (I am looking to get another board started...)

And as a note - I setup the AFS adapter on the Project Cedrus mast.  Nice fit!