Dawn Patrol - 4/21/2024

Nice waves on the dawn patrol this morning.

Same as yesterday, except for the 3-blade prop and the wingscrews.

I actually hit bottom twice while trying to get out - I see filling and sanding in my future...

Other than that, I have a great session.  It was nice and clean and the rides were really long.

Lots of carving to stay in the pocket.  Other times it was running to take advantage of the long walls.

Dennis was there early, but didn't come out until later.  Marvin also showed up.  By then I was halfway through my battery and my session.

25 waves today.  SO MUCH FUN!!!

W:49/FD:26/F:4/S:9

Dawn Patrol - 4/20/2024

Marlon and I hit the dawn patrol this morning.  He brought his longboard and I brought the Foil Drive.  Kaylani also came and she brought her longboard.

I saw them split one wave as I was making my way through the lineup - pretty cool.

I setup the Spitfire 960 and the 375P on No.33 - perfect for today's conditions.  So perfect in fact that I got in 7.28 miles in just under 2 hours.

Kalani, Dennis and Marvin were also out on Foil Drives.  Rick, Regan, the guy with the KT Ginzu prone board, and Dean were also out on the inside.

The waves were really easy to pick up today - what wind there was came from side off so there was nice shape, which made powering on to them simple.

22 waves in just about 2 hours.  Most of them were really long and full-on carving turns trying to stay in the powered part of the wave.

So much fun!!!!

W:49/FD:25/F:4/S:9

Evening Session - 4/16/2024

The crew was buzzing about the afternoon session - reports of good sized waves and light (to no) wind... all I could think about was getting the Foil Drive setup and hitting it!!!

The tide was low (so I had to paddle a ways out to get to deeper water) but that made for some exciting wave shape (steeper faces and some lip thrown).

I setup No.33 with the Spitfire 960/375P.  This unit and mast position is perfect!

I was on the throttle for almost the entire session - keeping position on the outside was challenging as the big sets would force you to go further out (to not get clobbered), while the smaller (head high) sets had you more inside to pick them up.

The wind also picked up mid-session - it was pretty much wingable strength.  But that also drove a side chop, which when mixed with the air-entrained water made for hard riding conditions.

That said - I did manage to snag several fun waves.  Prayot was also on the outside on his regular SUP surfing equipment.

From the graph, I picked up 17 waves in 72 minutes 

And this is the 4th time Marvin was out - and this is the 4th board he had out.

This one was a looker for sure - 17.5" wide at 45 liters.  He said he wasn't jiving with it (borrowed from Paul Cooper).  We'll see if tomorrow has good conditions to go back out - otherwise I'll probably wait for the wind to come back and get some home stuff done.

W:47/FD:24/F:4/S:9

Dawn Patrol - 4/13/2024

Dawn patrolled this morning with the same setup I used yesterday.

From the beach it looked really messy - onshore wind, white water everywhere.

I texted Marvin and he still wanted to go out - and I don't like storing my batteries with a full charge... out I went.

And the funny thing was as bad as it looked from the beach, it was decent on the outside.

The tide was on the low side - so the waves were breaking everywhere.  I just motored to wherever wasn't jumbled and I picked up rides.

The concentrated area is pretty much the same spot where I pick up waves when I wing.  It is pretty cool that I can do this (MAHALO Foil Drive!!!).

Marvin used yet another board today - his 5'4" Quatro.  With the extra volume, he was doing so much better.  Nothing but smiles!!!

Tomorrow is supposed to be stormy... and I am going to Noe's concert - not sure what the session will be tomorrow.  I am going to borrow/test some more Ezzy Flight wings - I may sneak in a short winging session at Hickam....

I am still trying to figure out a way to clean the Gen 2 setup... it doesn't seem right that I just hose it off and put it away - salt is not good long term for any of these materials.

This smaller cooler worked for the Gen 1 FD - I may pull down a slightly bigger cooler that isn't being used and try that.

W:47/FD:23/F:4/S:9

Evening Session - 4/12/2024

Got an afternoon session on the Foil Drive again.  The waves were pretty good and the wind calmed down - the water wasn't absolutely smooth, but it was way better than yesterday.

The tide was a little lower, but still out of foil grounding range.  I did manage to find the pipe with both my feet... no blood drawn. 

Of note, there were two kites and foilboards setup when I pulled up to the parking lot.  I'm guessing they were doing a downwinder and landed here.  AK Durable and Airush equipment.

I brought the Spitfire 960/375P - I think I finally got the drive unit and mast position dialed in!!!

Marvin and I launched around 4 pm and stayed out almost an hour and a half.

The Spitfire was definitely the right foil - handled the energy present way better than the HPS980.  The wave energy was reported by Surfline to be about 35KJ.

I got some ridiculously long rides -

24 rides in one hour and 20 minutes.  That's almost a wave every 3 minutes -

Marvin was getting the hang of it - for a while he was actually up on foil and trying to takeoff that way - and eating it.  I told him he should probably try to standup sooner since he was up on foil already.  He said he didn't know he was up - he was expecting to feel no drag from the pod before he was at the point where he could standup - turns out there wasn't much drag regardless if the pod was submerged or not.

Once he had that feedback, he was popping up faster and catching longer rides.  He acknowledged that a longer board, and even one with more volume in the tail would be better for use with a Foil Drive.

Dawn patrol tomorrow!!!!

W:47/FD:22/F:4/S:9

Dawn Patrol - 3/3/2024

The wind forecast has been so up and down (two or three days out the forecast is for really strong winds - when the next day rolls around, the forecast is downgraded and the nuking winds get pushed further out).  Kalani suggested Foil Drive this morning... don't need to twist my arm.

The winds were on the lighter side and blowing from the N-NNE - so clean at WPB.  The swell was not as big as the past two days, but it was still nice sized.

Marlon and Kaylani both brought shortboards.  Marlon said he caught four really fun waves and he loves the Rasta Keels he got for Christmas - lots of drive and he can generate a lot of speed with them.

I tweaked the Max position and the mast position early this morning (mast a little bit back from yesterday, Max as far forward as it would go and keep the mast where I wanted it).  Other than that I wanted to keep everything else the same so I could get the feeling of the weight distribution and the foils reaction with this setup.  I even avoided the temptation the run the three blade prop.

Really good session this morning!!!  The Max is the BOMB!!!

This session solidified my decision the sell the prone specific foils - I do not see myself doing that aspect of this sport anymore - why would anyone when you have the FD Max?

I got similar battery endurance to yesterday's session, and I didn't bother paddling outside of what was absolutely required (through the shallow area to get out and back in).  So that said, I'm likely to get 1.5 hour sessions out of the Max battery.

Looks like the takeoff spot was concentrated again.  You don't notice this while you are out there.  I got several really long rides -

18 waves in an hour and 15 minutes.  That is a wave every 4.2 minutes - there is no way a conventional prone foiler can get anywhere near that number of waves.  I actually chose not to pump back out a few times because my right quad had lactic acid build up from riding too long.  That tells me there is a little more refining to do to get the weight distribution lined up better (so pumping isn't so taxing).

Thanks to Marlon for taking drone footage this morning!!!

W:23/FD:15/F:4/S:8

Dawn Patrol & the Foil Drive Max - 3/2/2024

The swell that hit yesterday was still pushing through this morning.

There was supposed to be a short window where the wind was down - that meant it was going to be a Foil Drive morning...

But it was not the typical Foil Drive morning - it was the initial run with the Foil Drive Max! 

The unit bolts on and the mast goes on top of it - the position was pretty much where the mast was for the Assist Plus (although the weight is shifted back without the top mounted battery on the deck).

Prep time wise - the second generation unit sets up way faster.  I set it up in the garage this morning and all I did when I got to the parking lot was drop in the battery and installed the nose cone.

The new remote (new firmware) has a trigger lock to improve safety.

I really didn't have any complaints on the out of water actions.

I had a slight concern about the connectivity - the internet chatter has been whether your board will work as an antenna or not.  If the track boxes are carbon, or if you wrap the reinforcement block with carbon, there have been reports of the board not serving properly as an antenna to get the signal to the submerged unit. No.33 did not have the connectivity problem.

In fact, holding the remote to the nose of the board allowed the whole setup to work underwater. 

The most notable difference is the raw power the Max has - way more than the Assist Plus.  Also I did not paddle back out once I kicked off a ride - I just motored.  There was no real drain to the battery if I only pulled the throttle slightly.  The battery consumption was different than the Assist Plus - so 90% on the Max was not the same as 90% on the Plus.  And I rode the battery down to 20% and never felt a voltage sag (which would happen on the Plus around 30%).

The waves were big this morning.  On a few of the waves I caught, I was going too fast on the Spitfire 960.  I was using that foil and the HPS 980 because of the limited power of the Assist Plus.  I may have to downsize the foil...

The other consideration is how the extra thrust works with the board when using the throttle.  Motoring out the board wanted to lift (with a smaller foil this may change).  Catching waves was weird today.  The water was bumpy so that was a factor, and the waves would shoal and run into each other - so a wave that looked like you could catch would flatten out or run away (which was the more curious situation - especially with the Max).

The rear retaining strap holder was pretty much where my front foot wanted to stay.  I may not remove it though - No.33 works really well with the Assist Plus.  I may end up making a hybrid (short and flatter DW board like No.34) for use with the Max.  I'm thinking a 5'6"x19.5" - the extra length will counteract the tendency to "nose up" if you gun it, but also bring the interface (board) back to more familiar surfboard lengths for a more forgiving riding (bigger sweet spots). 

I see this replacing straight prone foiling - and I don't think that is a bad thing, particularly considering this will reduce my need to paddle.  That alone reduces risk of shoulder and back injury.  Also the wave count will always be higher.  And I can get away from crowded line ups (where with a prone foil you'd still have to be in the zone where surfers are in order to pick up waves).

If I sell my prone foils (Uni and Takuma), I can turn the funds around and pick up some more smaller foils (F One Escape 630 and the Spitfire 720)

I don't regret selling the motorcycle to get the Foil Drive Max - it is worth every penny!!!

W:23/FD:14/F:4/S:8

Dawn Patrol - 2/17/2024

Dawn patrolled with the Foil Drive this morning.  It was cold (63F) and the waves were smaller than I thought they would be.

I actually didn't have a lot of time (had to juggle the vehicles today to get everyone where they needed to be - and today is La and my 23rd Anniversary!!!  That meant I got to use the throttle more than not since I wasn't trying to stay out for 3 hours.

I bolted on the Spitfire 960/375P and used No.33

Dennis, Kalani, Andrew, Noel and Eddy were out.  

Despite the short time frame, I got in nearly the same mileage.

The waves on the outside would peak then back down - I could still catch them without much drama, and the Spitfire 960 has enough glide to carry through the flat sections.

Looking at the tracks, it looks like I picked up the waves in the same spot.

Eleven waves in 75 minutes - that's essentially a wave every 7 minutes.

I got in a few doubles, and one really nice triple dip.  The Spitfire turns so nicely - 

I took my last wave and rode through the surfing crowd - and that it was - crowded.  Life has definitely changed with the Foil Drive.

W:13/FD:13/F:4/S:8

Dawn Patrol - 2/10/2024

Nice waves this morning!  A little fuller tide (made for an easier launch and landing - no foil dings).  Super light wind.  The Tasman Sea swell was still pushing through - it actually made getting out a little bit annoying.  I ended up using the throttle and drove the battery down to 92% trying to get to the outside line up.

A few new prone foilers were out this morning - not sure who they were.  If you are reading this - remember - "White Plains Beach sucks - no one in their right mind would foil there..." 

I setup No.33 with the 80cm Project Cedrus Aluminum mast, the Spitfire 980/375P on the Advance Crazy Short fuselage.

Dennis is totally on his Gen 2 Max exclusively now.  Can't blame him - more power, more endurance.

The swell had some size to it - the crest of the swell would be chest high (while I was up on foil) on the set waves.  But they would pop up, then flatten out.  Not sure if that was the tide or the swell.

Because of that, I was really picky with which ones I took - I didn't want to be frivolous trying to catch waves that looked good but wouldn't go anywhere.  And I had to hunt for the takeoff spots - they kept shifting.

14 or 18 waves (depending on which lines you count) in 2 hours - not the crazy sessions I've had recently, but still nice wave count.

On the takeoffs, the Spitfire 960 was the right foil - but after that I kinda wish I had the HPS980 - I could have used the extra glide and projection on the flatter sections today.

For tomorrow's session, I may bolt on the ART999 and see if that works better for the flatter waves.  I'll bring the HPS980 also just in case the size falls off.

W:13/FD:11/F:4/S:7

Wing Foiling Session - 1/27/2024

The wind was forecasted to come up to brisk levels from the SW starting around noon.  It was actually blowing at wingable strength from early in the morning.

I picked up Roland and we headed to Hickam to meet up with Prayot (Kalani was on a plane with his family for a trip to Vegas).

When we got to the beach around noon, Arvin was out and he was coming in to switch out to a larger wing.  I took that que and pumped up the SW2 4.7 (it was still blowing hard - just from the SW and that has different flow patterns - usually stronger on the outside). 

I got in two separate runs.

The first was to try winging with the AFS Silk 850.

I set the mast forward of where I would have had the Spitfire 840 (with the Advance + Crazy Short fuselage).  And I actually didn't have to adjust it.

Getting started was a bit tough - I hadn't winged at Hickam for a while and certainly not during these SW wind runs that we've been having - so figuring out the lines took a little bit initially.

After I got up on foil, the Silk 850 was just like its name - smooth, plenty of lift and rips turns hard.  Looking at the track below, there was a lot of consistency in it as well.

I threw in a heel-toe tack in (one of the first since the SW wind run begun - I've been reluctant to do these because everything looks backwards and I didn't want to have to deal with getting back up in breaking swell).  The tack is the furthest out to the left of the image.

I headed out to Firsts to see what the Silk could do.  Super fun turns in pretty chaotic conditions - and the pattern was pretty tight.

I didn't want to hog that foil so I headed back in and swapped out to the Spitfire 960/375P and the Cedrus Wind mast.

This setup was perfect for the conditions out at First.  With the length in this mast (87.5cm + 4cm) I didn't have to worry about breaching.  And the design criteria held up again - no ventilation.  

Even though it doesn't look like it, there was some consistency in the Firsts runs also.  The wobbles in the tracks are me surfing the non-breaking wind swells.

I caught tons of waves and with the Spitfire 960 I was destroying them!  The Silk, the SK8, the Kujira 980 - the all surf really well and they are great foils in their own right - but the Spitfire is the most visceral surfing foil for winging in waves that I have used to date.  Turning this foil is just too much fun!!!

I have some errands to run tomorrow - but I'll try to get a session in.  Winds should be good again.

W:7/F:13/S:4