Dawn Patrol - 7/4/2023

Marlon and I hit WPB for the dawn patrol.  I brought the FD setup and Marlon brought his trusty longboard.

The waves seemed better than yesterday evening, but it was still bumpy and a little smaller (despite the really low tide).

I was on a mission to drain the battery as quickly as possible since Marlon came with me.  I would pretend paddle the board while still pulling the trigger just to lessen the pissed off ness in the water.

I caught a bunch and got some really long rides.  They didn't have quite the pop (steep inside sections to carve hard) like Sunday morning, but it was still a fun session.

On one ride, I did trip up on the foil and ate it hard.  The battery box got blown off and the cable popped out of the guides all the way to the rear.  The top of my left foot got cut too (not sure from what).

Kalani was on his SUP foil board with the FD and Dennis was out on his 5'0"KT Drifter going prone.

If I haven't said it yet, I love using the Foil Drive!!!!

W:62/F:62/S:28

Dawn Patrol - 7/2/2023

Today's dawn patrol was similar to yesterday - but the lines were more distinct, set waves were good once they hit the shallows points, the tide was lower, and the wind held off longer.

I did mix it up a little bit - adding on the HPS 980 and the 400 Progressive Stabilizer.

I thought it the nearly 300 extra square centimeters, this foil would have way more lift than the ART 999 - but it didn't.  It was progressive (in lift) and I had to move it up twice to get it dialed in.  After that I could carve some really hard turns.  My favorite move was getting to the top of a developing section (after using the whole vertical face of the swell) and dropping in while carving back to go the way I came - converting speed into pure torque - it feels incredible!!!

Here's where the mast ended up - pretty much where the Kujira 1210 is placed (not using Foil Drive).

These summer low tide mornings on the weekends are awesome now I have gotten the hang of the Foil Drive - I can head out beyond the longboard crowd and ride swell before it even starts to stand up, carve all the way in and kick out before the longboarders can even catch the wave.  In trying to classify this - I'd describe it as winging without the wing.

W:62/F:60/S:28

Dawn Patrol - 7/1/2023

With the weekend crowd and small waves, Kalani and I brought out the Foil Drives.

The tide was really low - but waiting outside for the set waves made the depth not as much a factor.

ART999/375P on the 80cm Project Cedrus Aluminum mast on the floaty 4'10".

Catching waves was really easy today - taking off was also easier.  Perhaps I'm getting used to the subtle differences between prone foiling and FD prone foiling - or I guess I'm getting used to Foil Driving.

The 375 rear stabilizer was not the call today - lots of pumping to stay on foil when I was on a wave, and pumping out was pretty hard to do (no push off the rear stabilizer).  Going to change it all up tomorrow - HPS980/400P

The Foil Drive definitely saved this session.  I had thought about bringing the Viking - but I'm glad I used the FD.

I forgot to mention that I saw a shark.  It wasn't too big, but it was dark (hammerheads are lighter in color - tigers are dark).

W:62/F:59/S:28

Evening Session - 8/5/2020

Had to work late again - got home and Marlon was loading up his longboard.  I asked him to wait so I could go.  Wind was strong trades with a lot of east in it - choppy water (all I could think about was what size wing would I need to go winging in this).  The tide was really high at 2.3'.  The surprise of the day was the swell - chest to head high on the sets.  I brought the skinny 4'10" with the GL180 thinking it was going to be small and not so choppy.  Note to self - if it is choppy, use the wide 4'10" as it cuts through all the mess better.  It was definitely big enough to have been able to rip on the GL140.

I had to recalibrate again.  I could also feel resistance from the foil - I don't know if this was me recalibrating or if I was picking up on the differences between the Armstrong and the Go Foil.  Hmmm - that would be interesting the study.  I took an early insider and got a quick ride.  Then I paddled for the way outside break - and caught two which I rode all the way back in.  The wave was breaking right, so I had to foil into the wind - again surprisingly to me was how much the wind slowed me down.  My next two waves were wipeouts of epic proportions - knocked the wind out of me.  I caught a few more on the inside, but nothing to gush over.  I really could have used the GL140 today.  Another odd note, I had to put more backfoot pressure on again - per my earlier post, I'm now supposed to move the foil back up a hair to prevent that from happening (I should try that out).  Marlon was clear on the other side - so I didn't see many of his rides.  I'm sure he was catching everything.

Processing the Feedback

This morning I went ahead and wet sanded the GL140 (400-500-1000 because that's what I had).  The surface texture is definitely super smooth now - I could feel a difference from previous usage while I was using this wing yesterday - almost like the wing wasn't slipping through the water.  I'll see how this sanding helped later this afternoon.  It could also be that I was using the Ono Foil W228 which is thicker across the chord than the Go Foil P18W and the P17.5.  That's what I get for mixing dependent variables.  I did bring the P18W with me yesterday, but it was in the van and I didn't want to walk back or leave the wing on the beach. 

I also waxed the front of the 4'10" V2 (I'm going to refer to this board as the skinny 4'10").   So I should be set for a better run on the board today.

Evening Session - 6/5/2020 and the Anointing of #18

Marlon and I headed to the beach before 5pm.  The tide was pretty high at 2.3'.  The swell was waist to chest high.  The wind was up, and coming more easterly so the surface was getting chopped up a little.  I brought out the Go Foil 29.5" mast with the 3" mast track adaptor (why not?  The tide was super high).  I used the repainted GL140 (I'm going to sand the whole thing to 1000 grit - I think I could actually feel the drag from the unsanded yet relatively smooth surface) and the Ono Foil W228 tail wing.

I'll start the anointment of #18 discussion by saying the value of wax is only known when you don't have any on.  I wanted to examine the finish on this board so I didn't wax it yet.  Everything was super hard - from taking off, duck diving and getting positioned - this was operation slip n slide.  I did paddle in after the first two waves - I wasn't getting the lift I thought I could get out of the GL140, and I pushed the mast forward 0.5".  That reset made riding a bit easier - I got a few long rides.  With the W228, I believe the turns were smoother than the P18W.  And it's obvious but I'll say it anyways - riding high with the taller mast made riding less intimidating by being less worried about breaching.  I liked the front foot pad, but it did rub my stomach a little raw - looks like I'll be wearing a rash guard for a bit until the pad breaks in and softens up.

Marlon was on the outside and catching everything.  Nice fun day!

Sanding and Cleaning on Break Day

My muscles were asking for a break day from surfing, so Marlon and I skipped today.  Instead, I setup the new 4'10" with the longer Go Foil mast, the GL140 front wing, and the Ono Foil W228 rear wing.

I had to sand the pedestal mount to fit the gen 1 mast - it didn't take too long and I probably only took 0.5mm off each side (not the top and bottom) from the interior of the pedestal.  I also sanded the repaired GL140 down to 400 on the bottom. 

I also dialed in the W228 rear wing to sit tighter against the Go Foil pedestal.  It was only a little concentrated sanding, but it made a noticeable difference in the seating.  I set a washer in the rear mounting hole (similar to the setup I have on the shorter mast).

When I take it out next (likely tomorrow), I know I'll have to make adjustments.  Besides the #3 screwdriver, I'll bring the 400 grit sandpaper and fair in the top and front.  I'll try and dig up some 800 and 1000 also to get the wing really smooth.

New 4'10" (V2) Outfitted

This morning I epoxied in the vent plug.  I really need to get a 1" hole saw so I don't have to put in more epoxy.  After it set I drilled down the vent hole to open it up to the stringer, then I drilled sideways to make sure the blank was accessible - black boards heat up fast.

You can see the Creatures of Leisure pads on the board - I'm using this board as an opportunity to evaluate a different brand as the backfoot arch on the Dakine Wideload on the 4'10" seems to be breaking down already.  I also wanted to find a front foot pad that doesn't tear up my chest if I'm paddling without a rash guard - more testing.

After the vent was set up, I went ahead and started applying the top deck Marine Grip.  I just used three 2" x 12" strips.  I have the 4'6" beside the new 4'10" for comparison and reference.

I moved on to the bottom deck.  Signed, dimensioned, numbered, and time stamped with a white Posca pen.  I sprayed a clear coat over the writing and then placed the Marine Grip on the bottom.  I opted for 4 of the hexagons and a small 3" stub.  Each of the foilboards I've made are all different - the Marine Grip layout is specific to the board.  Lastly (but not pictured) I dropped in the track bolts.

I'm going to wait another day to bolt on a foil and paddle this one out.  Time is your friend with epoxy.  I'll wax it up the day I take it out, just to give the clear coat more time to harden.  I can't wait to see how this board rides!

Almost Done with #18

I sanded the leash plug cup down this afternoon and I sprayed the clear coat on the bottom deck.  I left it to dry while we went out for dinner.  While we were out, I found a Creatures of Leisure "Eugene" pad (wider) so I'll put a Creatures front foot pad on this board.

When we got back I went ahead and sprayed the top deck with clear coat.  I'll let it dry overnight and finish outfitting the board tomorrow.  I still have to drill a hole for the air vent - going to put this one between the front and back pads since my earlier mess up (epoxy burn voids) are still in this area.  After that epoxy sets, I'll put the dimensions on the bottom deck (4'10" x 20" x 4 3/8"), sign it, spray some clear coat over that, put the deck pads on, string up the the leash line, stick on the Marine Grip patches and lastly put a coat of wax on the nose (to help during takeoffs - remember this board is only 4'10" - every inch is used).  With the completion of this particular board, I can really make comparisons of what properties work best for which conditions.  EPS vs Polyurethane blanks, narrower vs wider, thicker or thinner, more or less equal volume distribution - this is going to be a fun summer!

I anticipate this board being able to catch waves nearly as well as the V1 4'10" - but I am thinking it'll be a tad harder.  This new board is narrower, thicker and lighter - lighter by a wide margin - so it won't have the momentum that the V1 has.  But the flip side is the V2 has way less swing weight so turning should be better, the mass has been driven back so the foil will respond better (better pumping, better control while up on foil), and lastly it should float me better (so despite the lesser momentum during paddling, it'll still paddle easier and I can just outright catch the wave faster).  All theories to be tested soon!!! 

Final Sanding and Leash Plug on the New 4'10"

I hit Home Depot and grabbed the other grits of the sanding net 120-180-220-320 (I got the 60 grit yesterday).  When I got home I got to sanding again.  I got through all the grits.  This may be the best sanding job I've done to date.  These sanding nets are awesome!!!

The logo decals made it through the sanding process without a hitch.  Not sure if it was the sanding nets or the extra caution I might have been taking - regardless it looks pretty good and it still has some thickness on top of them.

After I finished sanding, I went ahead and cut out the hole for the leash plug.  I am installing it into the back end of the board (just like on the 4'6").  I mixed up 1.4 ounces of epoxy and added 3 scoops of milled fibers along with a dab of black pigment.  I used the deep cup leash plug and babysat the epoxy until it started to set.  I removed the tape surround before the set and again it came out really well - no recesses on the perimeter.

Tomorrow I'll grind down the leash cup, sand around that area, wipe down the whole board, spray the clear coat on, cut out the hole for the vent and epoxy it in place.  On Friday after that all work dries/cures, I'll place the deck pads, marine grip and leash line.  This should be ready for the weekend.  This board is about half the weight of the wider 4'10" - but that board is a polyurethane blank.  It's going to be interesting to test this along side the wider board - with pretty close dimensions this will be mainly a material/weight difference test.

Laminating the Bottom Deck of the 4'10" V2

At the start of this Memorial Day Weekend, I got started on the last part of finishing the new 4'10".  First I set the finboxes in and then I got the bottom deck lamination on.  Each 10.75" box took about 2.5 ounces of epoxy.  And after that the bottom lamination took 4x 4.5 ounce cups (but some of that got soaked up into the roller pad and half of the last cupful didn't go on the board - so call it a little over 12 ounces of epoxy.  The lamination was a nose to tail layer of 4.8 ounce carbon fiber and a cover sheet of 6 ounce warp fiberglass.

It went on without drama (as it should).

Tomorrow morning (Sunday) I'll grind down the laps and get the top lamination on - another 4.8 ounce layer of carbon fiber, a layer of 6 ounce across the contact area and a second cover layer to wrap the rails.  If all goes well, I may even try to grind the top deck laps and get one of the fill coats on.  That'll leave the other fill coat for Monday morning, cutting out the vent and leash plug holes, getting those plugs installed and then sanding the board.

And then there is the logo and gloss coat (clear coat acrylic) applications.  Honestly this board will likely be ready to ride by next weekend.

Tweaking the Mast Tracks on the 4'10" V2

This is one of the most critical parts of making these foil boards.  If the tracks aren't aligned, you'll lose some adjustability fore and aft of the mast.  And worst of all, you'll have to look at tracks that are not straight.

It took me two hours to tweak these in 2 mm.  My OCD was firing on overdrive.  But the good news is they are straight (and now I can sleep at ease tonight).

If the surf is still up tomorrow, I'll hit it, but if it comes down I'll try to get these epoxied in place (and possibly get the bottom deck laminated - carbon layer around the boxes, carbon nose to tail, and a 6 ounce warp fiberglass layer nose to tail).  It sucks having OCD (but things are done correctly).

On to the Salvage Job

And with #17 pretty much finished, I turned my attention to the new 4'10" foil board (that I messed up when pouring the epoxy for the track reinforcement - USE MILLED FIBERS not straight epoxy).

I sanded the hardened spray foam down to the deck.  I think it filled the voids... but to make sure I don't get a collapse, I'm going to go heavy on the glassing schedule on the tail underfoot - carbon patches, innegra layer (with the cut scraps from #17), then a full carbon later nose to tail and all topped off with a 6oz layer of fiberglass.

I was able to get the reinforcement blocks leveled also.  Sanded those down also.  Then I laid out the track locations.  I didn't cut the voids out because I need to recalibrate the Futures template.  More stuff to do this week to keep me occupied.  Managing the glassing around the boxes is going to be a little challenging - I'm going to have to think about this one.