Evening Session - 7/27/2020

With Hurricane Douglas influencing the local weather the past couple of days, I opted to stay out of the water (even though it probably would have be pretty good seeing as how we didn't end up getting rain or wind down on the south side) - I was actually busy at work and somewhat at the house getting ready for the storm.  Anyways - I went out today to get some exercise.  

The wind was up and strong out of the east - that meant choppy surf that was hard to ride and a head wind for me going front side.  The tide was dropping - probably around 0.9' while I was out.  I didn't hit bottom, but it wasn't the normal carefree deep PT normally is either.  Lastly the swell was on the small side.  Stomach high on the breaking sets, but mostly thigh high.

I brought out the skinny 4'10" with the Go Foil GL180 and the chopped P18W tail.  Transitioning from the Armstrong to the Go Foil was seamless - which wasn't the case going the other way (at least for me).  What I did notice going from the Armstrong HS1850 to the Go Foil GL180 was the smoothness of the Armstrong - it didn't feel like I was riding a foil because it just slipped through the water with minimal friction.  Today using the Go Foil it would go fast, but I could feel drag and turbulence more than I could on the Armstrong.  The Go Foil was still fast when I got it lined up - real fast.  I need a GPS watch to start quantifying these factors.  I think if I round out the stabilizer tips, I can reduce some of the perceived drag.

I ended up catching a bunch and getting several long rides - tons of fun from totally junk waves.  There were some longboarders out and they would catch the waves when they peaked, but they would fade quick and they'd have to stop - on the foil, I'd ride the same wave all the way in - accelerating on the walls even though it was unbroken.  I've said this all before, but it never gets stale at all!  

Getting Things Done

Marlon and I finally put the finishing touches on his board.  Over the course of the past few days he finished the artwork, we got the wear/clear coat on the board, and we outfitted it (leash cord, finbox screws, cleaned up the boxes - one of them was really bad - epoxy everywhere, deck pad and a wax job).  Pretty good job overall.  Now we just need a good south swell...

Over the past few days I also got a bunch of things done.  I got the fin boxes routed out for the 4'10" EPS foilboard (although I have to trim some more).  I sanded the Go Foil Pedestal interior some more so I could get a better fitment.  I countersunk the screw holes on the Ono Foil W228 tail wing.

I made a new neoprene front wing cover for the GL140.  And I cut up a bunch of wood so I can make La a couple of trellis for our dragonfruit plants.

Go Foil Surgery Success

I was able to finish the sanding, filling and filing needed to get all the wings to fit on both of the masts.  What a pain in the butt, but now modifying wings will be easier.  Honestly, when I got these I thought the compatibility would have been automatic (had I known I would have to modify, I might have gone a different direction) - but working with your wings does enhance one's understanding of them.

In the end, I only had to epoxy the Iwa so it would fit the 24.5" mast collar.  I just filed the set screw hole a tiny bit to get it to fit otherwise.

For the Kai wing I also had to file the set screw hole, but the fit was closer so I only had to shim the collar with metal duct tape to get the fit tight.  I still need to fine tune the M280 and the Nalu - but should be relatively easy. 

Looking forward to playing with these again - especially the M200 and M280 on the 29.5" mast for windsurf wave foiling, and the Iwa on the 24.5" for surfing.  I'd say the surgery was a success!

Sunday Afternoon Foiling - 29 September

I really wanted to try out the cutdown Maliko tail - but I was having too much fun riding the Iwa-Kai tail combo.

+1.9' tide (caught it right at the high), waist high (with some chest high ones on the sets) swell and a light chop on the surface from a light breeze.  I caught a ton of waves - with some really long rides.  There were a lot of people in the water - had to bob and weave around them, so I migrated to Fenceline.  Derek Hamasaki was out - doing flips with the new Go Foil GL180 - was pretty cool.  Damion was looking right at Derek when he pulled a flip - Damion looked at me and asked if I could do that (I say 'No').  Blah!!!!

Next Modification - Cut Down Maliko Tail

I've been reading the foiling forums and several posters are saying a cut down Maliko tail works better for them than either the stock Maliko tail or the stock Kai tail.  I have been having tons of fun with the Kai tail, and I did find the Maliko tail to be a bit too stiff (the whole foil felt different).  Might as well cut this one down (surfing setup) - nothing is supposed to last forever (except the glory attained by ripping like an ultimate surfing warlord).

Stay tuned