Evening Foil Drive Session - 8/8/2025

Today was the first showing of this big south swell.  It was big -

I setup No.41 with the same setup as I have been using but swapped out the Enduro 900/HA40 for the Silk 650/HA38

I wanted to get the mast position dialed in using this foil on No.41 - and initially I felt I needed a bigger day to do this.

Turns out that needing to be on the throttle longer to lift a smaller foil starts to position you in a more critical takeoff position.  Something I've gotten away from since I started Foil Drive-ing.

But I kept trying to take waves - and after three waves and three adjustments, I think I have found the sweet spot.

It was nearly double overhead on the big sets breaking outside.  The problem was there was too much water moving all over the place.  There was plenty of wind - enough to have gone winging comfortably - and that put a lot of chop on the surface.

That in turn made catching waves harder.

Picking the right wave was everything today.

An issue made even more challenging by using a different foil for the first time on a shorter board - factors that individually make for longer takeoffs.

Despite the challenges, I did manage to catch a few notable waves.  And the Silk 650 is tremendously nimble.  It just needs a lot of energy to move it through the water.

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I think the perfect conditions for the Silk 650 would be a glassy head to head and a half high day, with a lower tide to get the waves running 

By the data sets, I count 12 waves ridden - with multiple attempts that ended up with the waves leaving me behind, or me pulling out of a bottom dropper. 

I need to spend more time on the Silk 650 to get it past the twitchy stage (me, not the foil).

But tomorrow morning, as this swell peaks, I am going to use the Silk 850/HA40 and No.40 to be able to get up onto a rising wave faster so I have the ability to get onto the section where I want to be (and not where I find myself due to the late takeoff).

W:55/FD:101/PW:19/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 6/14/2025

I originally was going to wing over at Kailua Beach Park, but there was a canoe race and I didn't want to deal with the crowd.

I eventually made it out to Hickam for an afternoon session.

There was wind, but it was tough to zero in on where it was coming from.  Tide is never really an issue here.  And the waves were far and few between.

Knowing the conditions, I setup the same exact gear as yesterday - I figure the Ultra 750 would eat up any excess power from the North Nova Pro 5.0

This is a mean setup!

I did get a late start, so I kept an eye out for the wind faltering.  When I got to the parking lot, Zach and Naomi were packing up, Matt was out on the water and Ken was setting up.

It's been a while since I really put the Ultra 750 through its paces.  I started out running through both tacks and both jibes, and eventually headed out to Firsts.

I nabbed a few waves and checked out Seconds.  I got a couple of decent waves, but it really wasn't breaking.  I headed back in to make some speed runs.

For its size, the Ultra 750 gets up pretty easily, and it stays up as long as the wing has power.  There were a few times when the wing didn't have power and I had to wait for gusts to get back up.

I think the span of this foil limits its top end - 23mph is pretty good, but at 750 square centimeters, you'd think this one would go much faster.

I called it early to avoid having to paddle back (and I'm glad I did - the wind continued to drop).

Fun session!

W:45/FD:84/PW:9/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 6/13/2025

After work winging session.

Norm was already pumping up his wing when I got to the parking lot.

The wind was blowing hard north - it was actually pretty good for Foil Drive-ing...

I pumped up the North Nova Pro 5.0

No.40 with the AFS Ultra HA 750/HA38 - I didn't give myself options, just brought this foil (I was being optimistic).  Knowing the waves would be small and the wind not conducive for parawinging, I still wanted to do something different - I figured using this foil would be challenging.

Norm was on the AFS Enduro 1300 - so he was up on foil more than I was.

When the wind was blowing, this foil was fun - fast, still turns well (not carving like the Silk 850, but still turns).

Doesn't get more north than this.

This session was an exercise in getting up on foil in lighter winds, staying up on foil once up, and finding the lower limits of this foil.

I was able to tack this foil - as long as I had enough speed.

Definitely lighter than I thought it was going to be

Again - fun when there was a gust to get me up on foil.  No surprise that the Ultra 750 has tons of glide.  I'm going to have to use this foil a lot more to see what the upper limits are.

Another thing I noticed is this foil did not take a toll on my right knee.  Probably foil placement...

Once last note, on one jibe going in back to out, I was not able to switch back to regular foot - and I ended up riding switch back out.  I've only done this a handful of times and it feels awkward as heck - but probably something I should continue to do (in addition to getting up on foil from switch).

W:44/FD:84/PW:9/S:4

Evening Foil Drive Session - 6/9/2025

After parawing practice, I set up the Foil Drive.  There were still some good sized waves coming through.  The tide was super high.  Unfortunately the wind was blowing at good speed.

I got to pick this foil up today - so of course I had to go and try it out...

I also used thhe Kaohi Invisi leash.

I used the regular Max battery today - needed to discharge it to storage levels (especially if the wind is coming back).

The water was so choppy that it was difficult to takeoff and ride.  And when I did get up, it was either spot on ride, defiantly pitchy or it wouldn't reach foiling takeoff speed.

I felt like a total kook today.  I went inn and grabbed a wrench so I could push the stabilizer back.  I also moved the foil forward a few notches.  

After the adjustment, the foil did start to deliver the goods.

I'm not even going to count - today was that difficult.

Although on the distance chart, you can start counting.

W:42/FD:84/PW:8/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 4/12/2025

Headed to Hickam to avoid the low tide shenanigans.

Wind was strong but swirly and full of holes.

There were waves at Seconds and occasionally at Firsts.

Zach, Matt, Prayot, Arvin, and others were out enjoying the conditions.

I did some research today.

I started with the AFS Silk 850 and the rebuilt 142 rear stabilizer.  I wanted to see if the slight ridges would make a difference in the resonance.

And after the first session I changed out the lower set to the AFS Ultra HA 750 and HA38 rear stabilizer to see if the balance point I defined last time I had this foil out was still valid, and if the tuning on the HA38 worked (the goal is to run silent).

And the wind was strong when I was setting up - not strong enough for the North Nova Pro 4.2, but plenty for the Mode Pro 4.8

Lots of ups and downs

First session running the Silk 850

The stab felt fine, but it did make some noise.  Next time I mix epoxy, I'll place some to get rid of the slight depressions/ridges where I had to splice on the carbon.

The waves were breaking better at Seconds today. 

Towards the end of the session, I did a few speed runs - this was a surprise.

And this was the second session.

Looks like I could pull a higher angle to the wind with the Ultra (not a surprise).  The other thing I wanted to get a better sense of was how well the Ultra surfs.

The Ultra can surf - but it is not nearly as fluid as the Silk (or even the Enduro).  If you are wondering - it's glide is off the charts.  That would make downwind runs a dream with this foil - but it is good to know it doesn't take ridiculous amounts of wind to get this foil up and that it can surf.

And this is a surprise - same day, nearly the same time and the Silk went faster.

I found out later than Prayot put his stabilizer into his wing strut while jumping.  He had to paddle for the taxiway, climb on and get his board secured, then went back for his wing.  Long walk.

W:28/FD:54/PW:1/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 4/5/2025

Trades finally came back!!!

And the tide was supposed to be low all day - so I hit Hickam.

Lots of people cycling through today -

I brought No.25 so Miles could try it out (he wants to order a custom)

I brought Kalani on -

Jim, Harris, Zach, Naomi, Grant, Matt, Ken, and...

This guy!

Besides the low tide (and saving myself for a long paddle out at WPB), I went to Hickam to get a couple of foils dialed in on No.40

First up was the Enduro 900 - which I have already been using on this board - but mainly with the Foil Drive, so the positioning is way different (has to carry more weight).

Hickam is almost always shifty and gusty - so I wanted to save myself some trouble and I pumped up the North Nova Pro 5.0

This first run, I did my normal warm ups (tacks and jibes both directions) - the foil performed exactly like I thought it would.  On wing, I got to look over at the foil running in the water and while doing some 'S' turns, I could get the tips out without losing any stability.

Then I took it out in the small surf at Firsts.  Surfed just like it did on Foil Drive (but why wouldn't it).

I think I need to move the mast just a notch back to get the foot pressure balanced (it feels a tad bit front foot heavy).

Not the fastest this foil has gone - but with the lack of waves, it was wind alone.

Speaking of wind, here's what was blowing through.

I went in and switched out the foil to the Ultra HA 750/HA38

I had a lot of fun on this foil.

I've used this foil before when the AFS demo was at Kailua, and when Prayot let me use his.

I got the positioning right at the first setting.  This foil is surprisingly easy to get up on foil - granted there was a good amount of wind, but there were lulls also.

This second run, the waves got even smaller - so I didn't spend a lot of time out at Firsts - but I did get a bunch of speed runs in.

I thought I got this foil up to a faster speed - but obviously I didn't.  Where this foil did surprise me the most was at the low end of its range.  I could keep the foil up in the lulls with a little input from pumping.  The reviews of this foil note the tubercles helping with low speed lift.

Between the Ultra HA 750 and the Pure Race 560, the Race went faster - less surface area means less drag and the smaller span likely factors in as well. 

It's good to get on wing again!!!

W:23/FD:53/PW:1/S:4