Evening Session - 9/7/2025

And to wash off the Garage Works (foam dust), I went back for a surf session this evening.

Surf was STACKED!!!  Overhead on the set waves and the consistency was really good.

I opted to take the J Splee Surfboards Hammah Fish.

I caught three incredible waves - head to just overhead waves that had tremendous push and didn't closeout!

Today is probably one of the best riding days I've had a in a long time!

If the swell holds into tomorrow, I may use the Firewire Revo Max -

W:56/FD:113/PW:31/S:8

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 6/8/2025

Phenomenal conditions this morning!!!

At 200kJ energy in the swell, there were waves breaking well over DOH!

The tide was really low - so there was that to contend with going out and coming in.  And there was the slightest breeze... but putting everything together - this was pretty darn close to perfection!

The Silk 650 I ordered through Jeff is on island, but he is off island on vacation.  That foil would have been perfect...

But I used the old reliable Silk 850/HA40 combo and it did not disappoint.

Duke was out on DW SUP foil, and Prayot came out a little later on the same.  He later told me he was fighting to stay in control on the big takeoffs.  He was using the Silk 1050.

There was one wave I caught on the outside, made the drop and saw it was a big one - Prayot paddled in further down the wave and we ended up crossing halfway - I went left and he went right.

I had several others that were just as big - 

I saw several surfers catching epic rides - but they had to wait maybe three times as long as I did (and the sets were plentiful).  You just had to be at the right place at the righth time if you were paddling in (on FD I don't have that limitation).

These were some seriously long rides - and you can see from the track that I was carving up the faces, not just making straight runs (thank you AFS Silk 850/HA40).

13 ridiculously great rides -

I was out already for well over an hour when Dennis and Marvin showed up.

I caught a really good one and had made my way through the surfer lineup - so I figured I'd take what I got and call it good for today - SO AWESOME TODAY!!!

W:42/FD:83/PW:8/S:4

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 4/26/2025

Really good conditions this morning - except the low tide.  Weekend crew out - Andrew, Mark, Kalani, Dennis, Roland, Noel, Marvin and others.

Similar size to yesterday afternoon minus the choppy drama.

Same setup as yesterday evening - I want to get this foil position dialed in.

HO battery - and I was gentle with the throttle so nearly 3 hours of runtime.

When the sets came, the waves were well overhead.  I think I need to switch out to a different rear stabilizer.  I felt like I had some good turns - but Marvin said I was turning the Enduro 900 tighter.  On the bigger ones, I actually felt that I was overfoiled on the Silk 850...

Looking at the speed chart, I got 19 rides.  I know I missed multiple waves, so not every line here is a ride.

Now looking at the distance chart, I still got 19 rides.  So this is a good way to corroborate the data.

Super fun session!

W:31/FD:61/PW:1/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 4/7/2025

Big surf today!!!  Lower tide and lots of white water made for a difficult launch - but after about 15 minutes I was able to break through and get up on foil.

The wind was blowing the tops of the waves when I got to the beach - I pumped up the North Mode Pro 4.8

And opted for the AFS Silk 850 and the 142 rear stabilizer mounted on the 85 cm UHM mast on No.40

EPIC session today!!!

Multiple well overhead rides - 

Prayot, Roland and Duke were also out.  Prayot had his leash break and the board got away from him.  Syril finally got the board back to him.  Roland got his hat blown off his head by a set.  Pure carnage!!!

It was pure chaos - strong gusty wind that wanted to push the wing over, chop everywhere, whitewater turbulence - so epic!!!  My senses were on fire trying to keep everything in balance!

This was the first time I had the Silk 142 rear stabilizer on.  I'm pretty sure it was me pulling punches (so I wouldn't wipeout and get eaten by the giant waves), but today the Silk setup did not feel as carvey as I remembered it to be.  Gonna have to work on that -

What a way to start off the South Shore season!!!!

W:25/FD:53/PW:1/S:4

Dawn Patrol Foil Drive - 3/30/2025

This morning was about as close to foil paradise as it gets - 

Size, glassy, and tide were all excellent.

I ran the AFS Enduro 900/HA40 (in the rear mounting position) - time to sell off the Axis Spitfires.

Once I got the foil position dialed in, this setup blew me away!!!  And if you ask Andrew and Dean, it even drove me through a barrel!!!

I had the HO battery in - tons of endurance.

I had so many epic turns - I think this setup is getting me closer to slashing shortboard turn.  I'm going to need Marlon to drone to confirm.

The Enduro was getting me up on foil just as early (maybe a fraction later) as the Spitfire 960.

And it is an average of 3 mph faster.

I think I can even push it down to the Enduro 700...

This was one of those days that'll burned into my memory as a perfect session!

W:22/FD:51/PW:1/S:4

Dawn Patrol Foil Drive - 3/29/2025

The south swell was hitting in full effect.  ZERO wind - sheet glass!!!

Tide could have been a tad higher - 

Same lower setup on No.29 - wanted to get some more time on the prone boards. 

This morning was "everything that can go wrong - goes wrong" day.

First I did not hook up my remote to my leash - I had it in my pocket and it floated out.

I knew I needed to get my board up on the beach so I could dive after the remote - but I didn't get it high enough above the water line and it was rolling (luckily in sand only).

Next - while grabbing for what I though might have been the remote, I get urchin spines in the three lower fingers of my right hand.

I eventually find the remote (I lost it close to the beach so I figured just go with the flow and I'll end up where the current was taking the remote) - complete luck.

And after being out for a bit, I was noticed that I wasn't getting the lift I should have been getting from the foil - I was needing to put too much back foot pressure (not much - but more than I thought I should be). I also noticed it was hard to ride the foil.  I check it and it was pretty loose.  I figured I should go back in and get reset.

After fixing everything except my fingers - I went back out and then had a great time.

Twenty rides - many were all the way from outside to the outer lineup.

Super awesome session!!!

W:22/FD:49/PW:1/S:4

Dawn Patrol - 1/18/2025

Dawn patrol at WPB this morning to ride more of the SW swell.

Low wind which was coming in from the North.  High tide to make launching (and landing) easy.

Same equipment as yesterday (I love this stuff!!!!)

Super fun conditions this morning!!!  Eddy shot a video and I pulled the pics from that.

Dennis, Kalani, Eddy, Shari, Ross and one other were all out on Foil Drives.  Noel and Dean were out on their SUP foils.  Full houes.

Marlon said the inside was pretty crowded and everyone was kinda grumpy.  Even Cyril was grumpy telling Dennis that I got too close to him on a run (I did not).  It's hard when the waves have size, but they don't break and you are too far out... and not catching your share can make anyone cranky.

I could have stayed out much longer - but I was going to run errands with La.

Wide takeoff zone today.

There are a few 3peats mixed in the position chart.

I'll call this 16 rides.  I did miss a couple (train wrecked in front of Noel!!)

The swell did seem to be backing off - the trades should start filling back in tomorrow...

W:5/FD:10/PW:1

Evening Session - 1/17/2025

And with the swell peaking, I went back for an evening session.  The waves came up considerably!

Same equipment as earlier

There was still a little bump/chop in the water - but the wind was blowing offshore so it was pretty good.

I caught several - they would start as flat swell that you had to pump to get ahead of, then they would shoal and wall up.  Long racetrack runs to the right, carving up and down head high faces - only on Foil Drive is this possible

I stayed mostly over at Fenceline and Coves.  There was a seal on the beach, and turtles all over - just like this morning...

12 rides in an hour - with a big lull in the middle.

This south swell has been a good mid winter gift!

W:5/FD:9/PW:1

Evening Session - 12/3/2024

The waves were still up this evening - 

Marlon was out on his Firewire Seaside.

And to continue the fin optimization, I choose the Glenn Pang Twins

These fins felt more nimble for their size compared to the Black birds from yesterday 

They still had drive (to dig in a good first bottom turn), and they have more release than the Black Birds.  But I could feel my right knee more today than other days - so I think that is preventing me from getting that turn I've been looking for.

Since I started later today, I only got a handful of waves, but they were all really good and lined up.  I got in a ton of good turns - just not the one I saw on Youtube.

Tomorrow I'm going to try out the T1s - with less overall area and more rake, I may be getting closer.

W:145/PW:2/FD:87/F:5/S:27

Evening Session - 12/2/2024

After running a bunch of errands, I got home, picked up Marlon and we hit the beach to relish in the still really good surf.

Marlon brought his newer longboard.

I continued the fin testing in the Revo Max with the NVS Blackbird Keels.

These still had drive, but they did release a little better than the Vernor Magic Twins.  But not easy enough to do the TV turn...

I have also been having issues with my right knee (too much Foil Drive-ing - if I put too much pressure it starts to hurt).  Not sure if it is more fin or me not being able to push more with my back foot.

This swell is supposed to start coming down... I may only have one other session at WPB to try out another set of fins (I've got the Glenn Pang Twins in the slots now).

W:145/PW:2/FD:87/F:5/S:26

Wing Foiling Session - 4/23/2024

The wind/waves/tide were awesome today!!!

Koa, Kalani, Prayot, Roland and Duke (and one other who I didn't know) were all out.

I had to give the Ezzys back today - probably a good thing because using this wing back-to-back after the Ezzy 5.0 gave me a clear perspective on the differences between the two.  The North is quieter for sure - zero flutter.  And as far as I can tell, it pulls just as hard upwind.  I feel like the Ezzy is faster - but I had the SK8 950 out today and not the Eagle 890.  I feel like the North gets up faster (a little more low end).  Once up it has the same wide range as the Ezzy.

And tacking with this wing is about the same as the Ezzy - but the handles on the North are much nicer.

The surf was bigger today - and I caught several bombers!  This session was so good!!!

I forgot my watch today so I brought my phone out.

I got in a bunch of heelside tacks again - with the North it seemed a little slower - but that might have been the wind direction.  The wing actually felt like it wanted to be in my right hand while flagging - but there was a bit of north in the wind.

It seemed stronger than this (again this is Hickam's chart) - more along the lines of the gusts on a consistent basis.

I can't forget my watch again... the Strava charts are harder to derive the same information.

Awesome session today!

W:52/FD:26/F:4/S:9