Garage Works - 12/27/2025

Everyone was away from the house for a bit today.  With an open garage, I figured I should get some work done on No.43

First up - I got the template cut out of the blank.  I went with the 5'0" with the pulled in tail.

After that I used the planer to get some of the bulk removed, then switched to the rough surform.

La got home - but I wasn't at a stopping point.  She parked on the apron and took this picture.

Here's where I did stop.  I carved out the top deck where I will be standing - to get closer to the mast and to be able to exert more control over the foil (leverage)

And I tried to take off more bulk from the nose and rails.  As a prone foiling board, less volume will make this work better.  But I'm leaving more foam in the area around to foil block for strength.

I'll route all the way through the blank where the block is going to be placed - and I'll add more divynicell on the top deck above the track block.  This is so I'll be sure the block won't ever shift or collapse.

I'll also place foot strap inserts on the top deck - just regular foot positioning.  Watching Roland jump his FD has got me thinking....

When I have the opportunity to shape again, I'll use the sanding screen to get the shape fine tuned.

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 12/27/2025

Unsettled conditions on the dawn patrol this morning.  Nice higher tide so launching and landing were easy - but there was a significant chop on the surface that made it hard to blindly trust your foil.

And the clouds got thicker - which obfuscated the horizon.  With no horizon for reference, a choppy surface become even more confusing to your inner ear (balance is thrown off).

Standard Foil Drive-ing package -

The waves had sections where they would stand up nice and tall - but they were short lived and would mush out.  So adapting meant focusing on the takeoff and a few turns after it was time to kick out.

About a 1/3 of the way through the session, I was riding and felt like I hit something.  I initially thought I hit a turtle.  But looking around I saw a black thing floating just below the surface.  It was the trench cover plate - just all mangled and split in two different directions.

I saved the plate for forensic analysis.

The rest of the session there was a noticeable increase in the battery consumption rate.

23 rides in an hour and a half. 

If the wind stays light and variable, I may try to surf on the low tide...

W:59/FD:143/PW:75/S:20/PF:4

Wing Foiling Session - 12/26/2025

Got home from running errands and the wind was blowing.  It is forecasted to get light for quite sometime (a week) so I figured it would be best to get a session in before it moves on.

The tide was low so I already had reservations about going to WP - Norm said he was going to PV - so that's where I headed.

In sticking with the mixing it up theme, I decided to wing instead of parawing.

No.39 with the Evolution Cedrus Surf mast, AFS Enduro 900/Mako Carve 130 rear stabilizer

It has been quite some time since I winged.  After I lost the North Mode Pro 4.8 here at PV and decided to commit to learning to parawing, I think I have only winged to dial in a board or new foils.  So this is the first time I voluntarily winged.

I forgot how much I can lean into a wing and pull myself up to foil/turn harder if pulling against the wing/tack easier than using a parawing.

The wind kicked up some swell that could be ridden on the outside.

With the wind as strong as it was, I was able to launch pretty close to the beach (and got up and moving before reaching the shallow spots).  And even at the end of the session as the wind was dropping, I headed in, made it across the shallows, saw more wind coming, tacked and repeated the run.

The North Nova Pro 5.0 is such a dependable piece of equipment -

The rear stabilizer did not give the same amount of instantaneous upwind pull as the HA40, and there seemed to be more pitch instability when riding swell - which is odd because using this foil and stab while Foil Drive-ing I don't get those same sensations.

You could see the wind dropping off around 4:15 so I figured why ruin a great session by paddling in.  I rode to just about where I launched and called it a session.

I forgot how much fun winging could be!

W:59/FD:142/PW:75/S:20/PF:4

Prone Foil Dawn Patrol - 12/26/2025

Nice conditions this morning.  Waist high waves combined with the high tide, made for good prone foiling conditions -

And I took out the AFS UHM 75cm mast (ultra skinny one) and the AFS Enduro 1100 - first time for both of these on a prone foil strike mission.

I did not have a lot of time this morning - Noe asked if I could take her to the gym on base.  That was the other reason I decided to prone foil this morning instead of bringing out the Foil Drive.

I caught three waves where I stood up and got some down the line time, some fun carves, and on the last one a pump out the back of the wave that took me in.

The tracks on No.24 are quite short and set back pretty far.  When I built this board, the foils that were used for prone foiling were on the high side of 1300.  For prone at my weight I am bolting on foils around 1100 sq cm and it is pushing the front limit of the tracks (which is why I am building No.34)

But I still got the Enduro 1100 close to where it should be (it could use about a half inch to slightly more forward space).

This looks so different than a Foil Drive session -

It is good to mix things up to keep the mainstays fresh.

W:58/FD:142/PW:75/S:20/PF:4

Parawing Session - 12/24/2025

Hit WP to PW.  Roland was setting up to wing when I got there.

There was wind, but a couple of notches lower than yesterday.

I set up the big stuff

The wind line was pretty far offshore - not sure why.  I had to paddle out a considerable distance to get to where I could put the parawing up.

When I was in the wind line, I had plenty of power, but the wind field was pretty narrow and it stayed pretty far from shore.  I felt like I was a lot further out than I normally stayed.

The wind had a lot of east in it and it was pushing swell nicely.  After jibing outside, the swell would stand up and I got some really long rides.

Today is Noe's birthday so I knew I couldn't go this afternoon - and she went for a hike with friends so this really was the best time to go.  This wind event had a wide spacing between the steady state wind and the gusts.

But the speed graph almost looks like the inverse of yesterday's session.  I was definitely up on foil more today than yesterday.

Tomorrow is Christmas - so it'll likely be tomorrow afternoon before I go to the beach.  There is still some wind forecasted - but we'll see what materializes.

W:58/FD:142/PW:75/S:20/PF:3

Parawing Session - 12/23/2025

Today was the day the wind was supposed to crank up to near nuking levels.  The trees at my house were blowing, and I finished helping clean up around the house - so of I went to the beach.

It was windy, but the wind line was pretty far out.

Smaller stuff - AFS Enduro 1100/HA40 and the Flysurfer POW 4.0

I've been wanting to use the foil - easier to use than the E900 and faster than the E1300.  But in the past, I've had issues with this foil.

This was almost two separate sessions for me -

All was fine at the onset.  I even got up on the E1100 pretty easily.  The wind and the waves were lined up so I could drift the parawing and ride the swell.  I could have doused the PW, but having it up and not pulling on you actually comes in handy.

Then I rode a wave too far to the left and I got in the swirly wind zone.  The next hour was spent trying to get into a wind line that would power up the POW 4.0

That really didn't happen - the wind had dropped and I was in a lull.  If I had brought the POW 5.0 I could have swapped out the PWs and kept on going.  But instead I drifted down and when I got to the last cabin, I packed up the PW and paddled back up to Fenceline.

I was able to get back up and the rides were really good - so good I stayed out and had a crap ton more rides.

You can see the dip in the wind.

I could have used the E1300 and I probably could have gotten up with that front foil also (during the lull).

I'll likely push the foil up a notch - next time I get to use it... the wind is going to stick around, but not at today's strength.  Probably have two more sessions before the wind disappears again.

W:58/FD:142/PW:74/S:20/PF:3

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 12/21/2025

Much cleaner this morning -

And I used to cover plate

Dennis, Shari, Eddie, Kalani and I were on FDs.  Lots of taking turns peeling off and riding set waves.

The waves were shorter today - more of the pop up and fade of yesterday.  Still got some really fun carves in.

19 rides.  Less than yesterday despite the better conditions.

The trades felt like they wanted to open up and run - but not today.  Still nice and sunny!  Might be parawinging in the upcoming future -

W:58/FD:142/PW:73/S:20/PF:3

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 12/20/2025

Was messy this morning.  With the high tide, there was considerable backwash.  And the waves were popping up and disappearing - so shorter rides.  And the southerly winds kicked up early with the rain squalls moving through (still).

But - there were rides to be had and navigating through the obstacles yielded some good fun turns!

I setup No.41 with the AFS Enduro 80cm UHM mast/Enduro 900/Make Carve 130 - but got lazy and did not tape on the trench cover plate.  I figured it was small and I wouldn't need it.

That was the opposite... when catching waves, I felt really slow.  Tomorrow if I go FD, I'll use the cover.

Andrew, Dean and Regan were out on SUP foils.  Dennis, Kalani, Roland and a guy using a Gen1 FDAP were all out.  I hardly saw anyone on a surfboard catching waves (it was that small). 

29 rides - though I know several of these were really short (the wave disappeared).

The trade winds are forecasted to come back mid morning tomorrow...

W:58/FD:141/PW:73/S:20/PF:3

Garage Works - 12/19/2025

It was raining hard this afternoon - so I opted to work on No.43

I rummaged through the templates I had, trying to find something that would be an awesome prone foiling board, a great Foil Drive board, and maybe a parawing board.

This 5'2" would be a good high wind parawing board, a great Foil Drive board, and a good prone foiling board. 

And this template - a 5'0", volume forward board would make a great prone foiling board, a great Foil Drive board and a board that could be parawinged in heavy winds.

I'm going to sleep on the decision (but I already feel like the 5'0" is what I'm going to build).

In either case, I would like to build this one with footstraps (regular foot stance only) so I can jump this one while using the Foil Drive.  I also want to install a shallow trench (recessing the track box)

I'll cut out the chosen template tomorrow...

Garage Works - 12/18/2025

Marlon was on his way to the beach when La and I were getting back from errands.  I went to check the surf and I saw him catch a wave, and saw a monk seal chilling.

The waves did look rideable - but I opted to rest up another day - 

And I figured my time would be better spent forwarding No.43

I started by getting rid of the excess glue

Here is the blank with the top layer taken off by the planer.

Then I trimmed the excess foam from the side of the blank.  And then I marked the centerline.

Now I need to make a decision on what template will best evoke massive shred attacks...

This board will also likely have foot straps (so I can be like Roland and bust the section for air time).

I could also do a slightly larger asymmetric...

Decisions, decisions, decisions....