Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 6/7/2025

The big south swell was definitely pushing through today.

I mixed it up by using the F One SK8 750/Carve 161 rear stabilizer on the Cedrus aluminum mast.

The swell sets would come through and after taking the drop you'd be riding double overhead walls.

The rear stabilizer was not confidence inspiring - and I lost it multiple times.  I also had to adjust the foil position a few times to get rid of the "super lift pause".  I'm happy with where it ended up (but Jeff also texted me that the AFS Silk 650 came in... and that may have me putting the SK8 750 up on the market)

I could have stayed out for over 2 hours - but the remote battery drained before the drive battery did (I came in at 50%)

16 rides and several false takeoffs.

Prayot and Zach were out on conventional SUPs.  Noel was out on his SUP foil.  Definite bombs being nabbed today!

Tomorrow should have similar size.

W:42/FD:82/PW:8/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 8/26/2024

Spicy riding today - first this....

Then getting out through the white wash to find bomber sets rolling through.  There was wind, but it felt thin and didn't have the push it normally does (Hurricane Hone winds have seemed this way for the past several days)

I used No.36/Spitfire 840/325P/Project Cedrus 85cm mast and the Reedin SW2 5.2

Not a day to get stuck outside - Kalani, Duke and Prayot all came out to revel in the large surf.

I did not throw a single tack today - the turns were actually pretty critical today.  Miss one and you could get bowled over.

And the Spitfire was acting wonky today.  It wasn't getting up as fast as it normally does, and it was really twitchy.

I'm not sure if I've been spoiled by the F Ones, or if today had a lot of turbulence on the top layer of water - all I know is it was exceptionally challenging today.

I did catch a handful of bomber waves - when the waves broke the whitewater was way overhead (and I was up on foil).

I came in because I felt the pressure gradient drop.  I did not want to risk having to paddle in on a day like today.  Take enough - don't be greedy.

W:111/PW:1/FD:58/F:4/S:17

Evening Session - 5/10/2024

Today was pretty shitty - I got caught up in a scam and had to call my bank to unwind it.  That totally stressed me out.  I really needed this session today...

I swapped out the Spitfire 960 for the Spitfire 840 - then moved the Foil Drive unit up about a 1/4"

This setting felt perfect -

But when you looked at the video footage Marlon took, you can see how back footed I foil.  I'm not sure if it was the Foil Drive position, or if this is how I normally ride (Marvin says I'm backfooted - I guess this is what he means) - but the foil and board felt very comfortable to me.

I love the 840!!!  The combo with the Skinny 365 was incredible!!!!  I gained a ton of maneuverability and probably only lost a fraction of the early lift (to catch waves early).  I did lose pumpability, but I don't mind the tradeoff.

Looks like the takeoff spot was concentrated - pretty cool pattern actually.

Marvin and I were talking to Roland before heading out - he is slowly moving over to the Foil Drive side.  And I heard him yelling a couple of times while I was riding.  I stopped by to talk a bit - then proceeded to catch a bunch more waves.  It was crowded on the inside... I am so thankful for the Foil Drive and the freedom it brings!

Let's call this 18 waves - which would be consistent with the past few days.  But these rides were really long - 

This has been an incredible run of surf for me - using the Foil Drive and not having to compete for waves, riding large waves and hitting ridiculous speeds on foil - incredible doesn't do these sessions justice.

W:58/FD:33/F:4/S:9

Evening Session - 5/9/2024

The swell hitting peaked this afternoon - and how.

Similar conditions as yesterday, but it wasn't glassy... which made riding the big ones kinda challenging.

Same gear as the past couple of days - although Paul Cooper was out, and I know he was on the Progression 125... which means I really should try out as least the Spitfire 840... maybe tomorrow if I go out (and foil drive again - I've actually been thinking I want to try the Hammah Fish...).

Another pretty incredible session.  The waves did get noticeably bigger compared to yesterday - and the bottoms were dropping out of the bigger ones.  Proper wave choice was everything today.

I got some super long rides - which considering the chop, is pretty ludicrous

And even more ludicrous was hitting 24 mph on the Spitfire 960 without a wing!!!

I'm calling it 18 waves again - pretty much one every 5 minutes (which is becoming the norm).  Marlon was flying his drone to film Paul - and he said the waves I was riding were double overhead while I was up on foil - RIDUNKULOUS!!!!

W:58/FD:32/F:4/S:9

Evening Session - 5/8/2024

OMG!

The forecasted south swell hit this afternoon - and when the proper sets were coming through, the waves were big.  There was almost zero wind.  With the super high tide, the trip out was easy (but I ended up consuming some voltage because of the length to get out to the Foil Drive lineup).

Same stuff as yesterday - 

Robby was already out when I got to the water.  He was catching everything.

I was having a hard time actually dealing with the perfect conditions (I've gotten used to the wind and the chop - smooth water was throwing me a loop).  I eventually got calibrated and everything came together.

And Marvin and Dennis also made it out.  Marvin picked up a JS Black Eagle foil board and Dennis was using Marvin's 5'4" Quatro.

I had picked up some pretty good sized waves throughout the session.  But as I was telling Dennis I had to go in, I picked up a wave that turned out to be the first of a big bomber set - halfway through the ride I looked left and right and there was no place to go - close to double overhead feathering walls either side - I told myself "just don't fuck up and everything will be fine"

The wave broke in multiple sections and I rode it out.  That was probably the single biggest wave I've caught on foil...

Then the other 6 waves in the set came through - closeouts on the far outside every one of them.

That top speed is pretty crazy on the Spitfire 960 (although probably not as ridiculous as I think since I have the Skinny rear stabilizer mounted - pretty crazy that the stabilizer could make that much difference).

What a session!!!!

W:58/FD:31/F:4/S:9