Wing Foiling Session - 7/24/2024

Today was my 500th winging session (by days gone, not the number of times I've gone out in a single day - so that number should be greater)

We had some car juggling to do this afternoon between me, La and the kids - coming/going from work.  So that meant I could get in an afternoon winging session at Hickam before going to pick up La and Marlon.

The wind was up and down when I arrived.  I had seen Jim out, but he had come in by the time I was getting my equipment together.  He had been out on his 5.0 - and said a 4.0 was doable.

I wanted to use the flatwater session to try and get recent documentation that I broke the 25mph barrier.  With that I bolted on the Eagle 690.  I kept the DW190 rear stabilizer on because part of today's run was to get the mast position dialed in - and I didn't want to have to wrestle with a stab that wasn't continuously contributing. 

And I pumped up the North Mode Pro 5.5 - figuring that this wing can eat gusts and keep me powered (as long as I didn't come off foil).

In a nutshell - today was good fun trying to go as fast as I could.

And low and behold - I broke the 25mph barrier!!!

Quite a bit of east in the wind today.  I did want to see if the Eagle 690 could ride swell - so I did go out to Firsts.  The wind out there was really swirly and full of holes - and that's why you see me headed back after a short run outside.

I didn't zoom in to the track, but if you could see the points at the transitions - that's because I was throwing tacks all over the place.

If I had a bigger front foil I could have easily used the Mode Pro 4.8.  And if the wind didn't have the holes it did, I would have used the Ezzy Flight 4.0 (maybe tomorrow). 

You can see I was off foil for multiple stints - those were the points where the wind lightened up.  Despite that, I got above 25mph!!

Now I'm going to have to go faster than 26mph!!!

W:91/FD:52/F:4/S:13

Wing Foiling Session - 4/6/2024

I hit Hickam around lunch time - the wind was supposed to peak then and the tide was rising (so the waves should be breaking).

Arvin and Harris were already out when I showed up.  Jim was setting up and Bill came along towards the end of my session.

I specifically went to Hickam so I could make flatwater speed runs.  Looking out at the water, I was debating pumping up the 4.2 or the 3.6.  I opted for the 3.6 - but what was also fueling the debate was the foil I bolted on -

I brought the F One Eagle 690 - I wanted to get more familiar with this foil and how it would ride with No.32. The chord on the 690 and 890 is pretty much the same - which was good because the 890 pretty much pegs the tracks on No.32  

The wind was really strong - which made getting up on foil totally pretty easy.

After a few runs to get the characteristics down (it had been a while since I've used it).  I got several heel side tacks in, then I went out to Firsts.

I made a few runs out there - but the wind was so strong it was suppressing the waves and they were slipping through unbroken.  Since I was out there by myself, I figured I should head back in - that would have been a long. hard paddle if something went wrong. 

Once back inside, I pretty much did sprints.

Strong wind - but I was pretty comfortable on the 3.6

The Eagle 690 is an amazing front foil - it has the glide of the larger Eagles, but it rolls super easy and can surf with the best of them.

I got it to 24.9 mph - so close to 25 mph!!!

I need to get a rear stabilizer than has less drag (the 13" KD Marlin???) - I'm pretty sure I'll break the 25 mph wall once I've made that adjustment.

Another really fun session!!!

W:47/FD:20/F:4/S:9

Wing Foiling Session - 8/27/2022

Got to go winging after a little bit of a hiatus (a trip to the Philippines to visit relatives as we all remembered my Mom - it was a wonderful trip, but I'm also glad to be home).

Trade winds are back with a vengeance!!!  I loaned Kalani my ART 999 so I bolted on the ART 899.  I also used the Project Cedrus 96cm Clydesdale mast that I received before I left for my trip.  To round out the equipment, I used the Wide Wingfoiling Board, the 420HA rear stabilizer and the Ultra Short fuselage. 

Lots of wingers came out for this new wind event - me, Kalani, Jesse, Arvin, Bill, Matt, Harris and Ryan.  Harris, Jesse and I were out at Firsts.

The wind was coming strong out of the East.  There was a good base level of wind, but the gusts coming through were really strong.  At times the 5.2 was fine - other times I could have used the 3.6.

This was the track of the first session (5.2 SWX/420HA rear stabilizer).

I caught lots of waves - and they were fun, but generally weren't standing up.  A few did and they were standouts!!!!  Harris was up and riding, but Jesse had a 4.5 Ensis Score, 30l Armstrong sinker and a 925HA front foil - he spent most of the time I was out waiting for a gust to get him going.

I went in to check the bolt tightness and to swap out the rear stabilizer and wing.  I swapped out the 420HA for the 375P, and the 5.2 SWX for the 4.7 SW2.

I headed out to Firsts again to ride some waves, but the tide was rising and the waves were starting to dampen out.  Jesse made it back out with a bigger board for redemption.

I think the wind did actually pick up also, but my top speed jumped up a notch with the new setup.

I managed to get several outbound tacks in (and jibes both ways) - so the 899 delivered without issue.  The new mast was really fun to use - riding up high was more relaxed, but I did ventilate a few times and I wasn't able to recover from it (like I can do with the 85cm mast - going to need to learn to recognize this; and maybe the mast height is a factor in the recovery...).

Good testing day and super fun riding!!!

W:86/F:72/S:19

Wing Foiling Session - 7/2/2022

Today was an experimenting day.  Winds were forecasted to be really strong - which they eventually were, but there was a slow start.

I ended up with four segments to this session.

First segment was with the Takuma RS 6.1 - it was pretty light to begin with.  I also had bolted on the ART999/420HA combo again.  And just as I launched, the wind started to fill in.

I tried a few inside tacks and got them around - I'm thinking the front foil is what makes all the difference in this transition - the Kujira 1440 was the easiest foil to do this with.  I might have to use that foil to develop the muscle memory, and then come back to the faster foils.  The wind got pretty stiff, so I went in to switch wings.

Second segment - same lower, and swapped the RS 6.1 for the SWX 5.2

I was still pretty powered, but decided to stick this out because I was not grossly overpowered.

After a few transitions to get recalibrated, I headed out to Firsts.

With the lower tide, the dropping swell still had nice form - I picked off several rides that were just as good as the ones from earlier in the week.  The peaks would show and the waves would run at that same height through to the bowl.   There they would break and I would maneuver around the section and keep riding the wall as it marched on.  SO MUCH FUN!!!  The SWX rides best barely luffing from the first riding handle (not the luffing handle).  From this position, I could pull a little power when needed to stay with the wave, or book it to a better section. 

The wind had seemed to fill in even more (just a notch below nuking) so I headed in.

I was contemplating going ahead and calling it a session, but I decided to swap out the ART999/420HA to the ART899/380HA and get some speed runs in.

I had gotten in about 20 minutes of some really fast runs - but the Strava app had not recorded the run.  That third segment saw some spectacular blow ups (there was a constant spot where the wind would spike up and if you weren't ready by softening up on your stance and preluffing the wing, you got bowled over), and some potential records for me.  Oh well - serves me right for forgetting my watch yet again.

I had just enough time left before I had to take off for work to get in one more segment and make sure it was recorded.

This was the data from the 4th run

24.61 mph max speed.  Not too shabby.

I feel that run was as fast as the others that weren't recorded from the third segment.  I'm going to have to tune in the 380HA rear stabilizer - it was singing like an opera singer on opening night.

Fun session!!!

W:59/F:61/S:17

Wing Foiling Session - 6/29/2022

The wind was way up today - I brought my gear and headed out after work.  I pumped up the Reedin SWX 4.2 and setup the ART999/420HA.

I brought Kalani out and Harris was finished setting up when we showed up.

By the time I was launching, Harris was already out at Firsts.  I made my way out, taking my time and getting a couple of jibes in to shake off the rust (it's been a few days since I was winging).

Waves were head high and the sets were pretty tightly packed.  But it was the wind that stole the show - at times it was nuking and switching direction simultaneously.  When the wind rotated more from the North, I would have a hard time staying with the waves.  I also would get blown off the waves if I tried to jibe too tightly onto them.  I could have used the SW1 3.6

Kalani used his SW2 5.2 for the first time.

There was a steep drop in the wind right around 5pm - I had already gone in by that time so all was good.

You can see the wind swinging in this low resolution report.  The wind actually seemed much stronger than the graph shows.

I tried something new today regarding the tracking.  I used the Garmin GPS watch, and I also used the Stava app on my phone.  The recognizable set is from the Garmin.

I hit 21.1 mph in the latter half of the session.  It was hard maintaining speed because of the chop and the changing wind direction - but BAM!  Not bad!

Here's my Stava track and speed chart.

The data corroborates well between the two devices.

The wind is supposed to be similar tomorrow.  I'll try to run the ART899 and the 380HA tomorrow and see what top speed I can generate.

W:56/F:61/S:17

Wing Foiling Session - 10/6/2021

Today was a testing day.  Two different friends loaned me their Takuma Kujira front foils.  The first foil is Marvin's Takuma Kujira 980.  The second is Prayot's Takuma Kujira 1210.  The third is my GoFoil GL140 and the last is my GoFoil NL160 (which lately has been my go to since I left Armstrong - before that was the HS1550v1 for its carving ability).  Looking at the picture - you can see there isn't much difference - but the chord is shorter on the Kojiras.

First up - the GL140 on the 32.5" mast.  This is the first time I've used this foil on the wing.  I've used it to ride some of the biggest waves I've paddled in to - but never winged on it (I always had it in my head that this was too small - little did I know!!!).

No shortage of wind - it was really good today!

This being a smaller front foil, did take a little bit more power in the wing and pumping to get it to lift.  But once it did, this foil proved the be another foil that liked to be up and in motion (like the NL160).  Tacks and jibes were executable.  I think I need a smaller rear stabilizer (note for next time).  Fun setup!

A lot of solid blue - echoing the statement that I was up on foil continuously.  I got to 19.3 mph without an assist from the waves (I stayed in to test).

Next up - Marvin's Takuma Kujira 980 on his carbon mast.

Looking at the center of lift on the front foil, and knowing the relative surface area - I figured just short of the front of the boxes was a good spot to try.  It actually was spot on!

In a nutshell, this is the fastest (I think - maybe the HA925 was slightly faster), most worry free, gliding, turning front foil that I have ever used - EVER!!!

I got a bunch of speed runs in and this foil was nothing short of incredible.  I had to pull back a little because the carbon mast is a total of 30" tall (I did not want to breach today while going fast).  Knowing that, there is still more speed to be milked from this foil...

I actually even started pulling toe side tacks on the inside - I got three and the last one was tight and almost executed without a touch down.  I forgot to mention that yesterday I got two toe side tack on the inside (I don't need to switch before the turn on the outbound legs).  

There was still a lot of solid blue - but the 980 didn't take the lulls as well as the GoFoil did.  Pretty sure the chord is driving the glide (and the rake on the tips is driving the turnability; and the thickness dictates timing of lift; and the span relates to the speed - so many variables, so much more experimenting!).

Now I just need the Takuma adapter for my Project Cedrus mast (so I can run the 1210 on a longer mast...).

Tomorrow through next week, the wind only gets stronger everyday -