Evening Session - 9/28/2023

The wind is backing off, so I Marlon and I got in a late afternoon prone foiling session!  

I setup my standard gear - No.21/PC 68-72cm mast/P170/Flex Rear Stab

Marlon took out the gear he has been learning on.

We adjusted the mast position forward a quarter inch - seems to have worked since he was up on foil multiple times.  He just needs more practice to get settled in on the foil (instead of the board).  Also those first generation GoFoils need a lot of front foot pressure - he was compensating by placing his hands on the rails... maybe we need to pull the mast back a hair.... more practice tomorrow!!!!

I caught several - but since I've been winging so much lately, my pumping back out game sucked.  I'm so used to just sheeting in to get back out....

Roland was commenting on the Lift 120 that Duke has been using - they lined them up to see the size difference.

The 120 has a shorter chord and is about a hlaf inch shorter on each wing tip than the 140

Not to mention the 140 has a way different profile across the span.

W:100/F:90/S:36

Late Post - Garage Works and Prone Foiling Session

I forgot to post yesterday's stuff.  I got the logos and fill coat on to the 4'8" prone foil board yesterday.

I only had one innegra spot to deal with - so this board has been glassing pretty well so far.  This evening I got the top fill coat on - didn't take pictures.

Yesterday I also spliced on the offcut foam onto the skinny foilboard blank.  Used Gorilla Glue and straps so I've got more meat to work with (for Kalani's board).  Today I measured out the centerline of the board (no stringer on this blank), and placed some length markers.  I'll cut out the 5'2" Quatro Wing Drifter Template and mark out both that board and a 4'10" to 5'0" Jimmy Lewis Flying V.

Yesterday I also put the mast extension on the 29.5" Go Foil mast.  Next time I feel like mixing it up, this will be the go to.

Yesterday I also got in a prone foil session at WPB.  The tide was pretty high so I rode without too much concern.  I brought out the NL160.  I paddled over to Cabins and Two Cots and got some pretty long rides.  I also pumped back out multiple times and got a few 2 for 1s.  My top speed was 18.7 mph.

7

Here on Oahu, there are a lot of people that knock Go Foil.  I'm not one of them - I love the way these foils work.  My only complaint is access to the latest wings seem to be an exclusive with sponsored riders - they'll post on IG and then it'll be months before the rest of us can get the foils.

Evening Session - 6/1/2020

Marlon and I went out this afternoon - TO WHITE PLAINS BEACH.  MWR opened it back up.  The swell was up (I should have brought the GL140) - just overhead on the sets.  The wind was the same as it has been - but at this break, there are less trees along the path of the wind to break up the flow - so the water gets a little choppy.  The tide was hovering around a small high - about 0.6' - I didn't touch bottom so that was good.

So the waves were a little too big for the GL180.  I caught a few good ones out the gate, but the whole middle part of the session I would catch a wave, it would pitch out, I would make the drop, and after a short run I would lose lift and the nose would drop out.  I didn't feel like I was over foiling despite the dynamic takeoffs, nor did I feel like I was foiling through turbulence - but regardless I lost it on 5 straight waves.  Needless to say I was pretty frustrated as just yesterday this gear combo was working perfectly.

I saw Marlon on the middle peak and out further towards Fenceline.  He was picking up some good drops and got a few really long rides to the inside.

So it was good to get back to the amenities of WPB - but honestly I found myself missing the waves and conditions at Pine Trees.  I may skip tomorrow as I'm doing some maintenance on the GL140 - but next time we go, I think it'll be Pine Trees.

Evening Session - 5/31/2020

Marlon and I hit the beach around 5pm - it was still a little crowded, but manageable.  The conditions were pretty much a copy of yesterday.  I changed out the front wing to the GL180 and the tail wing from the flat wing to the wing with turned up tips. 

With the GL180 I was picking up waves on one side of the beach and riding them all the way across to the other side.  Then I'd ride another back to the other side.  I pumped back out to the break several times and had a few 2 for 1s.  With the turned up tips rear I could turn the foil harder and I didn't breach a tip. 

I saw Marlon on several of his takeoffs (all on the peak).  He nearly completed a helicopter takeoff, almost got a cover up, and could have had a floater on another wave.

This was one of the best foiling days I had so far!

Evening Session - 5/30/2020

Marlon was feeling better today so we went out in the evening.  I was mistaken yesterday - the tide was a rising high, but it was 0.5', not 1.0'.  Today it was about the same height - 0.5'.  The wind was up but nothing out of the ordinary for this side of the island (and not really impacting the surf shape either).  The swell was about the same as yesterday, including the lulls and the wait between the sets.  I had the same setup - GL140, P18W, 24.5" + 3" mast, 4'10" prone - but I really should have switched the front wing to the GL180.  I had several waves, but only a few long ones - and even these were not long in GL180 terms.  If we go tomorrow, I'll likely swap the front wing.

Marlon had a bunch, but he was getting similar results to mine - shorter rides.  He went in a few minutes earlier than I did to make sure he wasn't over doing it (he got his wisdom teeth pulled yesterday).  Still a fun day in the water -

Evening Session - 5/29/2020

Marlon came with me this evening, but he didn't surf - he didn't want to over extend himself as he just had his wisdom teeth pulled.  The swell was waist high for the most part, but chest high surf would roll in from time to time.  The tide was a rising high going to 1.6', but while I was out it was at least above 1.0'.  I had a couple of "love" taps from the reef - I didn't notice any damage so no foul.  The wind was up, but it only was an issue when I was trying to go right - got under the board and made for a slower ride.

This was the first day I foiled in a few, so I had to shake a little rust off.  Had some good takeoffs and a few long rides.

The GL140 did not fail me.  Better for the takeoffs that were present, but the GL180 would have made for much longer rides and some wave connections (I did get one with the GL140 today).

Marlon heard from someone on the beach that White Plains is supposed to open on June 1st.  That will help spread the crowd around again.  Funny thing is I might not want to go back (because I really like this place).

Evening Session - 5/24/2020

Marlon and I hit the beach in the evening to grab some of the elevated surf.  The swell was chest high with a few bigger ones every once in a while.  The tide was super full at 1.9'.  It was already deep just off the beach (I could have been using the 29.5" mast with the 3" track adaptor...).  The wind was the driving factor - it was blowing side on shore and it was stiff.  I went right early in the session and I was definitely going slower.  But the wind did die back as the sun got lower on the horizon.

Here are some pictures Marlon asked me to post.  Additionally, I witnessed Marlon on a pretty gnarly wipeout.  It was on a bigger set and his board got airborne and was flying all over the place.  I do not know how he did that, but it was spectacular.

After I figured out that I should go left at takeoff so I didn't fight the wind, then turn back to the right as I got in the wind shadow on the inside, the rides got really good.  I really like the combo I'm foiling now - I switched back to the GL140 and it paid dividends.  At my weight, I'm giving up pumpability (which is what the GL180 offers), but the speed gains, ability to crank turns without fearing breaches, and being able to takeoff on steeper waves or make it through big whitewash pickups totally makes this front wing the best I've ever used.  So don't judge your session on what you see from the beach - I would normally have turned this blown out surf down, but once I was in the water, I ended up getting one of my better sessions this year!

Evening Session - 5/23/2020

Marlon and I headed to Surfboard Factory Outlet to get a board sock for his shortboard.  It's always fun looking at the new boards they have over there.  After that we headed to Pine Trees to get a quick session in.  The tide was peaking at 1.9' (I should have used the 29.5" Mast + 3" track adaptor - but I was lazy and just used the same setup as the past couple of sessions - GL180, P18W, 24.5"+3" adaptor, 4'10" Foil Board).  The swell was at best stomach high.  The wind was onshore and rather stiff - it did chop up the water quite a bit.

It was also crowded.  I paddled further towards White Plains, but still on the Pine Trees side of the barriers - only a few people over there.  I caught a few, pumped back out on a couple and then called it so we could go eat some takeout sushi from our favorite sushi restaurant (that just opened back up for business - still takeout only).

Marlon had put his longboard away and had come back to the beach with his cell phone - he took these pictures from the beach.

I actually tried to pick up speed before shooting out the back of the wave so I could get the foil airborne.  I was nowhere near staying on board and sticking a landing - but you got to start somewhere.

Evening Session - 5/21/2020

The streak goes on - I did a solo evening foil session out at Pine Trees.  The wind had swung more East and it was messing with the texture - it kinda made it harder to ride.  The swell was still hanging in there - shoulder high on the sets - big enough that I had to back out of some takeoffs (knowing that I'd probably get blown off - I had the GL180 on).  And the tide was somewhere above 1.5' (dropping though).

I did bring the GoPro out so I wouldn't have to post more "foil in the back of the minivan" pictures.  I had some really good rides, but managing a camera while riding takes away the riding focus and you kinda lose perspective just trying to get the camera to turn on and in position.

My last ride I was able to get a legit 2 for 1 - without really trying either.  It is mostly wave spacing and luck with positioning along the break.

I think next time I go out I'll bolt on the Ono Foil W228 rear wing to loosen up the tail.

Evening Session - 5/20/2020

We went out again today.  The swell came down a notch again.  The wind and the tide were virtually the same as yesterday.  The crowd was thinned out a little bit compared to the last few days.  Marlon brought his longboard and was riding everything.

I brought out the same setup, but changed the front wing out from the GL140 to the GL180.  It took a few waves to get used to the additional lift.  This is the first run with the GL180 front and the P18W rear with the washer added to the rear bolt.  No attitude issues with the adjusted tail - works just as well as it does with the GL140 riding level.  After the beatings I took on the first few waves - the additional lift was enough to throw me off on takeoff on the bigger set waves - I had to back down and catch the smaller waves or white water.  The next several waves offered predictable takeoffs, long glides, turns that were not as tight as those with the GL140 (but still fun), and pumpability - I was able to pump back out on several waves.  So after riding the GL140 for several sessions and then jumping back to the GL180, the latter is definitely the chest high and lower wing and the GL140 is the waist high and above foil.  The GL180 excels at gliding (without pumping excessively) and pulling off a wave and pumping back out.  The GL140 lets you take advantage of the energy present in bigger waves - you can turn it super hard and takeoff on more critical waves because of the lower lift.  A two wing, one board quiver is pretty enlightening.

Evening Session - 5/19/2020

I ran some errands (gassed up the Odyssey, made the weekly grocery run, brought Marlon to deposit a check, etc) but then figured Marlon and I should go ahead and go surfing.  I brought the 4'10" with the same foil setup (GL140, P18W, 24.5"+3").  Marlon brought his longboard.  The swell seemed to be just a hair smaller than yesterday - but it was still fun sized (head high on the sets).  The tide was dropping from a high of 1.6'.  The wind was up - trades were blowing but it wasn't messing up the shape.  It was really crowded - especially for a Tuesday (looked like a Saturday).

Well - as good as we've been having it lately, today blew it all away.  My first three takeoffs were pretty standard - paddle in, float onto a takeoff and pop up.  The rides were really long and the waves were walled up - super gliding.  After the warm up, I started paddling for the outside waves - steep takeoffs and immediately up on foil - probably some of the best takeoffs I've had.  And I'd be setup for running the long stand up walls.  And I'd keep gliding until a section came up and pull a hard turn - and on a few waves I'd go from one turn straight into another - double cutbacks.  I think there is a correlation to surfing yesterday - taking off on overhead peaks on the Dually Stubby was perfect cross-training.

Marlon had some great waves too - head high takeoffs.  Incredible fun today!

The Anoitment of Marlon's Shortboard

I delayed my surf outing until the midafternoon to be able to foil on the high tide.  Marlon was a little iffy about going, but I told him it would be a good day to try out his shortboard.  And a good day it was - overhead on the set waves, which were really consistent.  There was some wind, but it really didn't mess with the shape much if at all.

I saw Marlon takeoff on several - and Pine Trees was delivering punchy waves.  It looked like really good rides.

I should have brought the Dually Stubby.  It was probably a bit too big to be foiling - there were pitching lips so a few of my less conservative takeoffs ended up in wipes.  On the launches I did make, the rides were super long - and this is where the wind did have an influence - if I rode right I was headed straight into the wind and it slowed me down.  I did get some cranking turns in.  If I go out tomorrow, I'll bring a shortboard.

Evening Session - 5/15/2020

I got home at a decent time yesterday, but Marlon and Noe had already went to Sand Lots again. After taking care of a few errands, I headed out to Pine Trees (and saw the kids driving home).  The tide was medium height - about 0.7'.  For the first hour I was out, there was almost no wind (but the trades started to fill in towards the end).  The swell was a little bit bigger than Thursday - but the crowd was pretty thick.  I had the same setup I've been foiling with for the past several sessions - GL140, P18W with a washer on the rear, 24.5"+3" mast all mounted to the 4'10" board.

I caught less than normal - but they were really long rides.  I really like the swoopiness of the GL140 - it's not "sticky" and doesn't mind changing direction.  I can roll into a hard 180 turn without breaching a wingtip and I can adjust up and down the face while running along a wall.  It's not that I couldn't do that with the other wings, but I don't seem to think about breaching as much with this wing on.  That said, I would have had even longer rides if I had the GL180 (maybe next session - there is some maintenance I want to do on the GL140 anyways).  The washer added to the rear mount really made a difference in using this tail.  There is just enough lift to negate the nose down attitude of the board and it brings everything into balance.  Now that everything is dialed in - it's time to mix it up again!!!

Evening Session - 5/14/2020

Marlon and Noe hit Sand Lots with a friend before I even got home.  I sanded the dragon fruit trellis parts - then loaded up the truck to foil Pine Trees.  There was no wind, the tide was rising BUT the waves were really inconsistent.  When they did come they were chest high - but did I say they were inconsistent???

I caught a couple of handful of good waves - rode them for way longer than I could have on all but the Viking.  I had on the GL140 - but if I knew the waves would be like they were, I might have used the GL180 and gotten longer rides, and even taken off more on the inside.  When the sets did come, I was able to take off on steeper faces.  Despite all the fun, I did feel a little off - I ended up wiping on a couple of rides and clipped the board (lightly) - no dings but just more proof of how sensitive foiling is.  No better way to end the day!

Evening Session - 5/13/2020

Marlon and I hit the beach after I got back from work.  The tide was going up to a high, but it was hovering in the 0.7' to 1' range while we were out.  The wind was blowing onshore - there were some thick clouds above the Waianae mountain range, seems as if they were sucking in the warmer moisture laden air - but the winds were on the light side.  Lastly - the swell was small - mostly thigh high.  Marlon actually did a solo dawn patrol this morning - he said it was more consistent in the morning.  Anyways - there is a south swell showing on the buoys so things will get better.

I brought out the 4'10" board, the 24.5" (+3") mast, and the GL140 front with the P18W for the rear.  This session was testing to see the lower end of the range on this foil.  Realistically, I would have had more gliding if I had the GL180, but I also was able to ride thigh high waves - just needed a boost at takeoff and then to bumps take over.  I had several long rides - picked off on the outside and taken almost all the way back onto shore.  I did have one breach (don't know what happened there).  And I had several aborted takeoffs - bad foot placement was the main culprit.  I don't think I'd keep the GL140 on if it is this small (swap to the GL180 below waist high), but it is good to know it can be used when there is this little energy.

Marlon was catching everything as usual.  Another fun day in the water!

Evening Session - 5/9/2020

Hit it again - pretty much the same conditions as yesterday.  I switched to the GL180 thinking the wave energy was going down - but it stayed the same.  It really was just a matter of picking the right waves.  I had a few that threw white water just as it got to me and the takeoffs were pretty wild.  I'd get to my feet and then would lose balance and eat it.  Some of those I would make and get to open face.  Despite the big takeoff follies, I did get some really long runs, and with the GL180 I found I didn't have to pump as much as the GL140 (duh right).  The Kai stab was still on.  I did notice that the stability I was looking for came with a reduction in flat out speed (which isn't necessarily a bad thing - the P18W stab is just ridiculous fast).  I don't have a definitive way to measure the speed difference, but intuitively I'd say the Kai stab is about 25% slower.  Pumping is also a little harder with the Kai stab versus the P18W.

The other thing that I noticed was the nose down attitude of the board when trimmed up nicely.  When I put the P18W back on I'll throw on the rear washer and see if that makes a difference.  If the surf height stays the same tomorrow, I'll switch to the GL140 to further the comparison.  Marlon was catching everything - nothing new there.  Another fun session!!!

Evening Session - 5/8/2020

Marlon and I went to the beach a little later than normal - I did the grocery run this afternoon so this weekend (Mother's Day) would be clear for other things (for Mother's Day).  The wind was not messing up the waves.  The tide was pretty high at 2.2' - high enough to allow some waves to over run the dune embankment.  Lastly the swell was still up - but not as big as yesterday.  Belly high consistently with a few overhead waves every now and then.

Marlon was catching most everything.  I brought out the 4'10" prone foil board but switched the front wing to a GL140 and the tail out to the Kai. The Kai tail definitely tightened up the turns (or its a darn good placebo) and I felt like I could crank them harder.  It also made going straight easier - definitely more roll stability.

This wing pumps a little less efficiently than the GL180, but it turns way easier.  This may not be my first choice on a smaller wave day, but if it's chest high and bigger, this is a winner.  The best way I can describe it is riding the GL140 is a like riding a shortboard on a good wave - you can carve and turn when you want to and where you want to go.  If the waves continue to get smaller, I'll switch to the GL180 and keep the Kai tail on.  If it stays as big as it was today, I'll probably keep the GL140 on.  We'll see tomorrow afternoon.

Evening Session - 5/6/2020

Marlon and I hit the beach again this afternoon - the front runners of a new swell were supposed to start showing so we gave it a shot.  The tide was nice a "foil" full - +1.9' (didn't hit bottom today).  The wind was a little stronger than yesterday, but still not bad.  Now the surf -

It was waist high on the background energy - but on the sets, well there were definitely head high rollers coming through.  There were some closeout sets also - these were probably the biggest waves I've seen at this break.  The lineup probably does push out further, but I had the foil today so I stayed in the middle.  Every time I looked over, Marlon was up and riding or paddling back out and jumping off the board.  I picked up plenty of rides - some green wave takeoffs, some big white water (but was able to keep on top of the board and foil out to clean face) - almost all super long rides.  Since I've been riding this front and rear wing combo for several sessions now, I did notice that the foil keeps wanting to keep a nose down attitude while running down a wall.  I'm wondering if the P18W needs to be trimmed to get the nose up.  Today I also noticed that I was exerting more back foot pressure than I normally do (usually balanced with a lean to the front).

Tomorrow is supposed to be bigger - going to shift over to the Dually Stubby to give it a proper anointment.

Evening Session - 5/5/2020

Marlon and I hit Pine Trees this afternoon.  I brought the 4'10" with the Go Foil 24.5" (+3" extension), GL180 front and P18W on the rear.  Marlon brought his longboard.

Marlon caught a bunch - he had 3 before I got my first.

I got a bunch of really long rides.  With this tail wing, there is a higher degree of instability on the roll axis so the turns take a little bit more effort to start and staying upright on the straights takes a some conscious thought.

On one of the next surf sessions, I'll bring the Kai tail and do a direct comparison. I think the turns are easier on the Kai, but running the walls is definitely faster and pumping back is easier.  Not really better - just different in a fun way.  This front wing even works with small, unbroken waves - like the Maliko 200 - but it flows through the water way more efficiently.

The first real South Pacific swell is making its way to us.  I think I'm going to be torn between foiling and surfing - the Stubby got its last coat of urethane this afternoon so I'll wax that board up tomorrow.  This weekend should be good for surf.