Parawing Session - 8/20/2025

Decent wind this afternoon.  Super high tide.  Energetic waves.

Decided to parawing today.

No.34 with the 85cm AFS UHM mast, AFS Enduro 1300 and HA43 rear stabilizer.

The wind strength was good when it was good, but when it was down I had to sit and wait.  I took out the Maliko 5.1 to maximize the up on foil time.

This setup is so good!!!

It was a full house today.  Roland and eventually Prayot were out on wing.  Zach was on his windsurfing rig.  Koa was out prone.  And Robby was out on Foil Drive.   

I think this is my record for distance traveled on parawing.

And I was able to hold my line - I didn't have to paddle back once.

I am leaning towards the reason being the Maliko v1 parawings.  But it might be the wind speed - and if I take the Ka'a out its probably actually not strong enough for me to pull back up wind.

I'm going to pay closer attention to this.

When Greg Drexler discusses the V2 parawing range, he says the difference in the Kanaha and the Ka'a are pretty small.  Both being able to haul upwind and both being able to collapse down to very small packages.

I also focused on jibing while still hooked in.  Almost all of those attempts were successful (but I ate it a few times).

But perhaps the most significant thing today was my first tack!!!

Heelside and on to an incoming wave (is there any other way???).  I'm going to emphasize practicing this. 

I could hold the 5.1 down today - but there were several periods where I could have been using a smaller parawing (but then I'd have more issue getting up on foil - damned if you do, damned if you don't)

This on foil time chart is looking more and more like my winging sessions -

Super fun session today!!!

W:56/FD:104/PW:25/S:6

Parawing Session - 8/19/2025

Nice high tide today - with some doable wind.  There were waves and they were at the not intimidating level.

I setup the same board-foil combo.  This time I brought the Maliko 5.1

Norm brought his FD setup and his Pocket Rocket 5.0 - the first to try this combo at WP.

Once I got up, I had a great time!

It did take a bit longer than I would have preferred to get up onto foil.  There seemed to be slightly more wind and it was more consistent.  I was able to complete all my jibes without too much drama.  I really didn't try exceptionally hard, but I think if it did I could have held my line.

Had three periods where the wind lulled out below my foiling threshold.  But those periods are good for practicing takeoffs.

These readings from the Kalaeloa Airport wind meter are consistently off by 5mph.

A little more than half the session on foil with the PW!

If the wind is up again tomorrow, I think I may bring the FD setup and also the Ka'a 3.6

W:56/FD:103/PW:24/S:6

Parawing Session - 8/18/2025

Norm and I did a WP-PV run this afternoon.  While I was dropping off the board/foil at WP, I saw this guy chilling at the beach.  When we launched (I go to PV to pick up Norm and whoever else wants to go, and we leave Norm's truck at PV for the recovery) - there was as second seal also chillaxing.

The wind was whitecapping when I dropped off the board.  When I launched, it was one of those days where the wind line looked like it kept drifting further offshore.

When you wing/parawing in shitty-shifty winds, you got no choice but to learn how to make lemonade.

This was the view at the start -

Norm was trying out the Enduro 1100 on FD.

I setup the same gear I've been primarily running for PW.

I want to downsize the foil set - but whenever I do I regret it.  I need to just accept that the Enduro 1300 is fine.

And this is the PW I should have taken out - Maliko 5.1.  Instead I used the Ka'a 4.8 - not wanting to have to wrestle a PW.  But I was being optimistic with the wind strength.

And this is what the finish looks like.

While I was out, the wind was getting worse and worse.  I knew I brought the wrong PW almost immediately.

I did get up early - and I actually went a considerable distance, but when I tried to jibe the PW didn't have the wind to stay up and thus started the long drift across the Campgrounds area.  The wind across this stretch is usually weak - you either plow straight through to get across, or you drift and try not to get hammered by rogue sets. 

After CG, the wind does fill back in and I was able to get up twice.  The first post CG run was long with multiple jibes and lots of waves ridden.

I had one wave that had plenty of push so I retracted the PW and just surfed the wave.  And I even redeployed the PW successfully!!!!

Definitely made the session worth it!

I was perfectly powered at this point.  But I still think I should stop over-estimating the wind strength and go bigger.

Norm gelled with the Enduro 1100 right away.  He looked like he was going faster, turning harder and still running with plenty of glide.  He said he likes it!

W:56/FD:103/PW:23/S:6

Wing Foiling/Parawing Session - 8/3/2025

After yesterday, I kind awanted to do a mellow session - but also get some new gear situated.

Hickam had good wind and there were fun (not thrilling) waves at Firsts and Seconds.

I pumped up the North Nova Pro 4.2 - rigged the boom and set the camera mount.  I did the first session on wing -

For the board-foil, I used the AFS Enduro 900/HA40 on the UHM 85cm mast mounted on No.34

- and I ended up using the same set up on the second session with the BRM Maliko 4.0

Both the Nova Pro and the Maliko worked super nice!  I am really happy with my equipment now.

I was also water testing the new Wingman Chest Harness that I got.

I did a bunch of transitions on the inside harbor to get a feel for the harness and wing (I think this is the first real session I've had on the 4.2???).

I passed Prayot on his way in - he was going to switch to the Pocket Rocket 4.3 - I told him I'd switch out shortly after testing out some stuff.

I caught some waves out at Firsts and then did some speed runs (typical Hickam pattern).

Good stuffs!!!

Solid session!!!

Then I took the parawing out.

The wind dropped off a notch - I kinda wished I had taken the Ka'a 4.8 out.

But when the gusts came through, the Maliko 4.0 was plenty to get the Enduro 900 up on foil.  I'm glad I tested this aspect out - now I know I can get this combo up!

Up three times, with several jibes - and I didn't have to paddle back.

I'll call this a successful session!

I would like to still test out the Enduro 1100 and the Silk 1050 to see where the gains/losses are with those foils compared to the Enduro 900 and 1300.

W:55/FD:97/PW:19/S:4

Fill Coat on Kalani's Board and Fixing the Armstrong 85cm Mast for Tim

The wind was forecasted to be really good 5.0 strength today.  While I was at work, flags were flapping, trees were swaying and I was getting pretty excited.  I got off work at 3:30pm and headed to Hickam Beach.  When I got there, Harris and Arvin were stuck on the water surface.  Jim was buzzing around on his 6.0 wing.  It did not look fun, so I opted to head home to keep working on the garage projects.

First up was sanding down the fill job on the Armstrong 85cm mast.  I'm selling this to Tim for cheap - but I filled the A+ holes and the crack at the back end of the mast.

Looks like new!!!

Next up was adding a second fill coat to Kalani's wing foiling board.  A necessary evil when using innegra - but the extra work is worth the benefits.  This is the first board I'm using the "Grim Reaper - Wing and Foil" logo on.

I'll get the bottom deck coated tomorrow, then sand again later this week.  After that, I'll have to install the vent plug and leash.  I'm also planning an asymmetric deck pad layout.  If the wind wasn't supposed to come up, I'd probably be done with this board before the weekend... now it'll likely be next weekend.

Wing Foiling Session - 11/28/2021

First session with the 85cm Project Cedrus mast.  With the plate and the adapter, it is closer to 89cm - really good for committed wing foiling.  I bolted on the Axis ART 999 on the Ultrashort fuselage and added the 400 progressive rear stabilizer.  No question on what wing (OR Glide A 5.0).

Wind was there, but it made you work for it.  What made it worse was the bolt connection for the Axis adapter is a little different - one bolt goes through the adapter into the mast, another goes through the fuselage and the adapter into the mast, and the last one just goes through the fuselage into the adapter.  The first and last bolts fit really nicely.  The second one did not want to tighten all the way - seemed just a little too long.  I got it super close and everything seemed good to go so I hit the water.

Also tried out the GoPro 9 I got over the weekend (on really good sale for Black Friday).  I had gotten a kite strut mount a while back and the OR Glide had a spot on the rear of the boom that looked suitable.  Truth is it was too close to me and didn't quite get a wide enough field of view.

Surprisingly the ART 999 got up pretty quickly.  It felt really sensitive though - which I originally attributed to the form factor (super narrow chord, super thin chamber, really long span), but after the session and examining the bolts had loosened, it became apparent I need to address the bolt number 2.

Not really that much wind, so this front foil is really promising.

More experimentation coming up!!!

Wing Foiling Session - 10/17/2021

I had to be back at the house for some visitors - so I got in a mid-day winging session.  I wanted to test Prayot's Kujira 1210 some more and under different conditions.  The wind was blowing hard when I got to the parking lot.  I decided to pump up the 4.5 - but some clouds settled in over head and the flow got choked off a bit. 

You can see the slow start and also a significant lull represented as blue lines in the chart below.

Once the sun came back out, the wind filled in again and I was up and riding.  I pulled hard upwind to the stronger wind field (eastern side of the this area) so if the wind died back again, I would at least be schlogging into Fenceline and not into the cabins area.

With the 4.5, I need 20mph to get up on foil - that dip in the wind just after 11am is the large black patch on my speed graph below.

The peak speeds were when I was on a wave.  The forecasts called for 1-2' faces - but as I was riding in, there were some chest high sets that formed some really long walls.  The Kujira 1210 picked up the energy really well and I could carve as hard as I did with the Armstrong HS1550v1.  I did have the opportunity to luff the wing a few times and got to carve up some walls with good concave sections in them.  One of these was a perfectly timed jibe and straight drop in to a standup wave.

It's looking like the form factor is limiting this front foil to below 19mph (relative to my watch).  I do like the sustained glide this foil has - I can take my time through the jibes.  If my right knee weren't hurting right now, I'd try pumping more - but for now I've been letting the wing do most of the work.

Fun day!!!!

Wing Foiling Session - 10/15/2021

There was some decent wind as I was getting off work yesterday - so I hit Hickam to test out Prayot's Takuma Kujira 1210.  The wind was 20+, but I did not expect it to be that good and I left the 4.5 at home.  I went ahead and pumped up the 5.2.

I also used the new 15" rear stabilizer that I finished on Thursday evening.

My knee is still a bit sore, so I have been refraining from aggressive board pumping.  With this being the first time I had the 1210 out, I figured I should see what it could do on the low end.  This front foil is good, but it did not have the same "liveliness" that the 980 does.  It does have more glide and I can carve it through transitions, but because of the wider span, I had to draw out the turns a little wider. 

The 1210 rides waves fine.  I was able to hang in the pocket - but the NL160 is still the best at this (with a close second going to the Kujira 980).

The wind was up and down - gusts past 30 and lulls down below 15.  I was glad to have the 5.2.

If you look at the predominant speed on the chart below, I'd say the cruising speed on this foil is about 16mph.  On some speed runs towards the end of the session, I was able to push it to just under 20mph (19.6).  That is on par with other front foils of this size (~1400 cm2).  I'll use it a few more times before I have to send it forward to Prayot.  I will also try and prone foil this - I've been told that is where this shines.  3 for 1s are the normal and the glide is effortless...

I just ordered an Axis ART999 - if that overlaps the Kujira 1210, I may pass on the 1210... I really like getting to test a bunch of different foils (now that I am liberated from being an Armstrong loyalist).