Wing Foiling Session - 12/27/2022

The wind forecast was not aligned on the websites I use - so that meant today would be a crap shoot whether the wind would be favorable or not for winging.

Harris texted me and said there was wind - I got home quickly, packed up the gear and took Noe over to Hickam so she could try winging.  I set her up with the Takuma RS 5.1, the NWFB and the GoFoil 29.5" mast with the GL180.

I used the WWFB with the 85cm Project Cedrus mast, the PNL185/chopped stabilizer/Stringy direct bolt fuselage, under the North Nova Light Wind 8.0

Noe was a trooper.  She has good form on her outbound runs.  Harris even said he saw her get on foil.  But on her inbound runs, she was struggling to keep her balance and hold the wing steady.  

I tried sticking close to her to give her pointers - but she eventually drifted too far downwind.  I told her she should start paddling upwind to get to a point where she could try again.  The NWFB at 25" width was a bit much for her to get a good power pull while paddling.  I disconnected my leash and tried to tow her (but the leash didn't offer much area to hold on to).  I figured she should paddle as far as she could, and I would make a beeline in - then I could swim back out and help her paddle back.

I was nicely powered on the Nova LW 8.0 - I think the RS6.1 would have worked in these conditions as well.  I focused on making transitions without backwinding the big wing - as I was successful.  The PNL185 is a foil I haven't been out on in quite some time.  It was really fun to use - a bit loose and maneuverable, but still tracks upwind well.  Lots of glide in the transitions.  Fun setup today!

You can see the gap below where I was towing Noe.

When we got back to shore and were breaking down the gear, we were discussing the session and lessons learned.  Next time we'll use a smaller board - so if she needs to paddle, she'll have an easier time.  We'll also practice with a wing on land, and a mock board so she can work on her foot placement during her goofy foot runs.  Lastly, we'll use the Ensis V2 4.5 - the 5.1 in these winds was a little much - the 4.5 will have similar low end, but it'll have a more forgiving high end compared to the RS.

Based on the forecasts, this will likely be the last winging session this year.  And what an awesome year it has been!!!  So many awesome experiences - I am thankful and appreciative for the opportunities I have been presented and for my and the family's health.  I have so many more goals for winging next year - jumping efficiently, making more boards, learning more transitions, running more downwinders, and fine tuning my toe-heel tacks.

W:128/F:100/S:44

Evening Session - 10/5/2022

Evening session - surf came down, tide was dropping and the wind was gone.  I decided to take a different approach today - I used the 4'6" prone foil board and bolted on the GoFoil GL180.

Just like all the other times I switch foils/boards/masts/fuselages/etc - it took a couple of waves to get my bearings.  And seeing as how I changed up pretty much everything, it took a couple of more waves to really get adjusted.

This board is noticeably lower in volume than the 4'8" I usually use.  Next time I setup the dunk tank I'll measure the volume of it, but for now I'm guessing this is in the 34 liter range.  Taking off on this board also challenged my muscle memory - it is narrower and shorter than my normal ride and when I got to my feet, they were not automatically falling in the sweet spots.

Then there was adjusting to the lift characteristics of the GL180.  In its day (which was probably only 18 months ago), this was one of the most progressive front foils available for surfing/downwinding/winging.  I could still get 2 for 1s (I actually got a lot of these today), but I could feel the thickness of both the front foil and the rear stabilizer.  Compared to the Axis ARTs, I had to work a lot harder to get the same runs. 

 

I used my gauge to get the mast positioned.  It was pretty close - I didn't move it, but I think it could have gone forward a 1/4".

Roland was out - and he made sure to do a flip right in front of me.  Tomorrow I'm probably going to skip beach time and work on the two boards sitting on the rack.

W:96/F:83/S:28

Evening Session - 3/16/2022

Evening session yesterday.  Marlon was teach Mya to surf.  Waves were waist high, tide was deepish and the wind was onshore.

I got my share of long rides, but not many double dips.  The chopped down P18W stabilizer helped - didn't have to pump much.

Marlon saw this cat yesterday - he thinks it is the one that used to hang out pre-COVID - that seems like a long time ago.

W:14/F:28/S:10

Evening Session - 3/15/2022

I got in an evening session with the skinny 4'10" and the GL180.  I bolted on the 27.5" mast since the tide was on the low side and only dropping more.

Roland was out and we were pretty much trading waves.  The crowd was manageable (still had kooks that were dropping in though).

I caught more than a couple of handfuls of waves - pretty long rides, lots of turns and a few pump outs.

Not a bad way to end a work day!

W:14/F:27/S:10

Wing Foiling Session - 3/3/2022

While I was driving home, Harris texted me and said there was wind.  I had noticed the thermals kicking in from the west, but I didn't check on it until Harris said Hickam was not that good, but White Plains did.  I checked the wind chart and was totally surprised - thermals blowing from the WNW (offshore at WPB).

I got home and asked Marlon if he wanted to go to the beach.  He asked what I was doing and I had already begun to pack the winging gear.  He said he was pass on surfing (based on an earlier drone recon mission) and just take pictures.

Here are two he grabbed of me.

I forgot my watch, so I won't be posting speed charts and track overlays.  But this was pretty spot on magnitude wise.

This direction of wind is rare on the south shore.  I was riding waves that were forming in the strong west winds.  The wind was full of holes and I had my fair share of lulls.  I did manage to get some really good rides in - wide wing foiling board, Ocean Rodeo A 5.0, GoFoil's GL180 - great equipment!

Hopefully another thermal develops tomorrow!

W:11/F:22/S:9

Dawn Patrol - 1/16/2022

And another opportunity to dawn patrol!  Same gear as yesterday.  Marlon was a little sleepy today -

I forgot how well this board catches waves.  With its additional buoyancy, it just moves faster in the water.  I brought one of the GoPros out again today - this time I checked to make sure it was charged because I wanted to get pictures of on foot placement on this board - I'm thinking of placing the stick on footstrap inserts, or even drilling into the board and adding proper ones so I can wing with this board.

Anyways - there were waves coming in from the south today - super fun!!!  No triples today, but the rides were either super long ones or doubles.  Marlon flew the drone at the midpoint of the session and got a couple of my rides.

I was in position earlier in the session to take a sequence of Marlon catching a good ride.

And here are my feet placed on the board

Even if I don't modify this board (because it is so good as a prone board), I'll at least have more data points on where strap inserts should get placed

Count now stands at:  W - 1; F - 5; S - 4

Dawn Patrol - 1/15/2022

Hit the dawn patrol with Marlon yesterday.  The tide has not been terribly low, but with the waves not that big, I have been using the 27.5" Go Foil mast - this day was no different.  I have been on a path where I have been using the last generation gear to learn more from it, and also to get it through the front foil rotation.  The funny thing is that the more I use it, the better I am getting - the first wave was a 3 for 1, and I had double dips for the next several waves (until the surf backed down).

Marlon mixed in with the crowd at Middles - but I knew when he had gone in because he took this picture.  By this time the waves had backed down and it was the proverbial "last wave so I don't have to paddle in" and that took a while to materialize.

The count now stands at:

W - 1; F - 4; S - 4

Evening Session -1/14/2022

After work session!  Fun sized waves coming in on the westerly wrap.  I brought out the skinny 4'10" because I wanted to get a clear idea of where my feet are landing - with that info I can add the stick on footstrap inserts and try winging with this board.

I brought the GL140 and GL180 to use on the 27.5" Go Foil mast - perfect low tide combo.  I ended up using the GL180 - was the right call - my first wave was a 3 for 1.  The rides were really fun today.  I forgot how much fun it is to ride this board.  It catches waves super easy and really doesn't weigh much.

Marlon brought his longboard, but I didn't see him riding any.  He disappears pretty quickly on that board.

The new count:

W - 1; F - 3; S - 4

Evening Session - 12/5/2021

And after all that I got done today, I also hit WPB for a quick jump in the water.  4'8" prone foil board, Go Foil GL180, 16.25" Go Foil rear stabilizer all mounted on the short Go Foil mast (24.5" + 3" adapter).

It was cold, rainy and a tad bit on the windy side (just not strong enough for winging).  I got in about 5 rides then called it.  Marlon stayed on the beach and was kind enough to take some pictures with his cell phone.

It was a little harder to foil with the shorter mast - especially on some of the drops I attempted 

Always a great time!!!  Tomorrow the waves are supposed to be bigger ....                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Evening Session - 11/17/2021

This is a catch up post from Wednesday.  There was rumors on the internet that a late season south swell was present.  I hit it after work to see what the buzz was all about.  4'8" prone board with the GoFoil GL180 and one of the new thin rear stabilizers.

Roland was there (not napping in the van this time).  But that was a good as it got - the break was super crowded, the surf was small and the tide was on the low side of comfortable.  I caught three and called it - I needed to get back home anyways to work in the garage.

This is me trying to find way to keep the hollow void inside the Takuma masts free from water. 

I've already went through two different methods, and have an idea for a third. Blah...

Evening Session - 11/16/2021

I hit the beach at 3:30 to get a session in with the GL180 and one of the new thin rear stabilizers.  The waves were about thigh high, the tide was a low high at 1.3' and there was barely even a breeze.  I caught a bunch and just glided along (until irresistible sections came up and I just had to crank some turns). 

The thin camber functioned just like a flex longboard fin - stores and release energy through the turns.  I need to test these some more just to make sure they won't crack at the bolts holding them on to the fuselage. 

The more I use the GL180, the more I actually move the mast around. 

Evening Session - 10/27/2021

I pulled an evening session yesterday.  GL180 on the 4'8" - pretty much what I've been using while prone foiling for a while now.

I caught several fun ones - long pumping and gliding on the waves.  The tide was low, but there was a bump in the swell height, so I was able to stay on the outside (to avoid grounding the foil).

Roland was out - the whole time we were just talking about how we wished there was wind so we could go winging.

Evening Session - 10/19/2021

The swell was supposed ot be a little bigger and the tide more favorable for foiling - so I hit the beach after work.  Same setup as yesterday.  Roland was out winging on his 4.5m2  I don't think I could have used the 6.0 and did what he was doing.

I ended up adjusting the mast to better accommodate the new rear stabilizer - I noticed with the bigger waves, I needed to get this mast further forward to balance it out.

I caught some nice really long rides - super fun conditions!  Today was the first day I could tell the seasons are changing - a little cooler and the water had a different hue to it.  Plus the sun is starting to set much earlier.

I will try wearing a knee brace next time.  That way I can pump harder.

Evening Session - 10/18/2021

After my nap and time spent at the grinding bench, I put together the 4'8" and headed to the beach.  I opted for the GL180 and the newly completed "Crepe Spatula" 15" rear stabilizer.

The swell was waist high, the tide was probably 1.5' and the wind was on the light side.  Roland was just coming in from a winging session - he said proning was a better call.

I caught four good ones.  After the first one I moved the mast forward to get a bit more lift.  The waves behind that first were really fun - long, lots of carves and got to pump back out.

When I got back in, Roland showed me what his rear stabilizer did to his 4.5m2 wing.  I asked La if she would fix it - she said yes.  Stay tuned to see that!

Wing Foiling Session - 9/26/2021

Today was a big day.  Hickam had really good wind and I had decided to run some trials on the Go Foils (to see if the performance is better than the Armstrongs) - perfect conditions for starting this test.  I committed to multiple runs while altering only one variable and making notes on what was going on.

While packing, I was bolting on the 32.5" Go Foil mast and noticed the front of the boxes on the NWFB had busted.  No doubt from the prior incident here at Hickam (that run just keeps dishing out bad news... hopefully that was the last - and I'm going to have to dig the current boxes out to properly fix the board - ughhhhhhhh).  Good thing I still have the Wide Wing Foiling Board (WWFB).

The wind had a lot of east in it.  The tide was deep enough to not have to worry about grounding anywhere. I started out with the Ensis 5.2 and the GL180.

Surprisingly I nailed the mast positioning on the first try.  And the GL180 performed well - transitions were decent - had tripped a couple of times, but early on - later in the session I was nailing everything.  Nice tracks (I love easterly winds!!!).  

You can see the trips (botched transitions) below.  It felt like I was up on foil significantly more than when I was on the Armstrong.  This is actually consistent with what I've observed with Eli and Derek - they hardly touch down the entire session.

Next run saw the GL180 replaced with the NL160.  This is where things got really exciting!  The NL160 does almost everything better than the GL180 (except gliding - but turns were visceral and I literally would hang in the pocket next to the breaking section of the wave - I had my best three waves at Firsts today!!!).  This front foil can wing surf better than any other foil I've used to date - I could turn really well with the HS1550 - but I could not run down waves like I could with the NL160, and the NL turns better.  I broke the 20mph barrier on the foil to boot.  

I went in again to mix it up again.  With the wind as strong as it was, I wanted to see if the 4.5 could produce good rides with the NL160.  I was not disappointed - 3 mph slower, and the wing would do flips occasionally while luffed - but not having to handle a larger wing was nice.  I got fewer epic wave rides this run - but I think that was more due the changing conditions as opposed to the smaller wing.

My verdict - if I had to choose one today, I'd keep the Go Foil over the Armstrong - it just works better with the conditions I find a majority of the time.  I will need to test the GL210 and the PNL185 in lighter winds before I can start selling off the Armstrong foils.

The rear stabilizer was singing the whole session.  I normal don't go as fast as I did today while prone foiling.  Also I don't stay up on foil as long so I hadn't noticed this before.

I did not move the mast from this setting - I'll mark it and use normal M8 25mm bolts now.

If you are guilty of knocking Go Foil, you really should try the NL series (or even the GL) - these are game changers!!!