Wing Foiling Session - 12/26/2025

Got home from running errands and the wind was blowing.  It is forecasted to get light for quite sometime (a week) so I figured it would be best to get a session in before it moves on.

The tide was low so I already had reservations about going to WP - Norm said he was going to PV - so that's where I headed.

In sticking with the mixing it up theme, I decided to wing instead of parawing.

No.39 with the Evolution Cedrus Surf mast, AFS Enduro 900/Mako Carve 130 rear stabilizer

It has been quite some time since I winged.  After I lost the North Mode Pro 4.8 here at PV and decided to commit to learning to parawing, I think I have only winged to dial in a board or new foils.  So this is the first time I voluntarily winged.

I forgot how much I can lean into a wing and pull myself up to foil/turn harder if pulling against the wing/tack easier than using a parawing.

The wind kicked up some swell that could be ridden on the outside.

With the wind as strong as it was, I was able to launch pretty close to the beach (and got up and moving before reaching the shallow spots).  And even at the end of the session as the wind was dropping, I headed in, made it across the shallows, saw more wind coming, tacked and repeated the run.

The North Nova Pro 5.0 is such a dependable piece of equipment -

The rear stabilizer did not give the same amount of instantaneous upwind pull as the HA40, and there seemed to be more pitch instability when riding swell - which is odd because using this foil and stab while Foil Drive-ing I don't get those same sensations.

You could see the wind dropping off around 4:15 so I figured why ruin a great session by paddling in.  I rode to just about where I launched and called it a session.

I forgot how much fun winging could be!

W:59/FD:142/PW:75/S:20/PF:4

Wing Foiling Session - 10/30/2025

I did get that lunch session in today to get the F One Momentum 800 dialed in on No.34

There was wind that was up and down - but it was completely doable.

Especially with this trusty engine!  North Nova Pro 5.0

Anson was out getting more parawing experience under his belt - Flow D Wing 4.2

Miles was also out.

I made one adjustment and the foil felt really good.  It basically aligned where the Enduro 900 lines up.

Of note, I was able to do multiple back-to-back tacks up towards the most SE buoy - probably five in a row in a tight series.  That speaks to the glide on this foil.

Just enough wind -

Not a bad top speed for getting a foil dialed.

And I actually went back out again at WPB with this same setup and the Flysurfer POW 5.0 to test it on parawing. Unfortunately I totally got skunked -

W:58/FD:127/PW:61/S:9

The Anointment of No.42 - 10/12/2025

It was blowing hard when I got to Hickam - whitecaps everywhere from the SE.

I wanted to dial in some foil positions on No.42 - and it is easier to do that on a new board with a wing.  With the whitecaps I figured I'd start out with the Enduro 900/HA40 and the North Nova Pro 5.0

It's been a minute since I inflated a wing -

I had laid out No.34 beside No.42 and transferred the foil positions for the Enduro 900 and 1300.

I started the Enduro 900 where I had marked the plotted point.

As soon as I had everything ready to go, the wind shut down.

If it wasn't for a little gust, I would have gotten skunked (and that can't happen on an anointment).

I was able to pump the board and the wing on that little puff in the middle of the red box - which was the design goal of this board - light wind pump ups.  What made it even more impressive was I was able to get up on the Enduro 900 - 

I pumped through some lulls but otherwise was able to use what wind was around (while it was around).  I got jibes in both ways and tacks both ways.  Then the wind totally dropped off.

In my further attempts to get back onto foil, I was able to stand on the board and feel how the volume reacted to pressure in the wing.  If there was no wind, I would sink while standing to above my calves.  With a little pressure I would be back at the surface without much drama.

The width was not that hard to work from - but today was relatively flat water.  Will need to assess this in waves (DW WP-PV run).

The deck pad placement seems to be really good.

And at this point the rocker and foil mounting area all seem to be working in unison.  I was holding my breath on this - and I still have to do more riding/testing. 

I stuck around in the middle of the harbor hoping another gust would come along - it never did.

I'm wondering if it would have been different if I had bolted on the Enduro 1300 to start (would I have stayed up on foil longer and gotten up faster?)

Even though this session was not long - it actually did the one thing I needed from it. 

There are a couple more days to get through before the trades come back with a vengeance.  It'll be smaller boards and smaller parawings then... if there are flat spells while the wind is up, I'll try using No.42 again with smaller parawings.  Now that I have a reference point for where the Enduro 900 balances out, I can get super close to where the Enduro 1300 should be.  

W:57/FD:126/PW:47/S:8

Wing Foiling Session - 8/17/2025

I actually went to Kailua this morning to try and get a repeat parawing session - but I got totally skunked.

I went home and got some forward progress on the garage projects (next post) - but I did keep an eye on the wind.  Around 3pm the wind filled in nicely and I decided to head over to WPB.

There were whitecaps outside and fun sized waves.

North Nova Pro 5.0, No.40, AFS Enduro 900/HA40/85 UHM mast.

Having been parawinging a lot recently, winging when powered and with waves does remain one of my favorite activities - primarily cranking turns.

I kinda forgot how fun winging in good conditions can be.

With the wind being as good as it was, I got to go everywhere - 

I think I did more tacks than jibes

The blacks spots are me tripping over my foil - I needed to get the muscle memory developed again.

Roland came out.  So did Duke (but he was only out for a little bit).

Fun session!!!

W:56/FD:103/PW:22/S:6

Wing Foiling/Parawing Session - 8/3/2025

After yesterday, I kind awanted to do a mellow session - but also get some new gear situated.

Hickam had good wind and there were fun (not thrilling) waves at Firsts and Seconds.

I pumped up the North Nova Pro 4.2 - rigged the boom and set the camera mount.  I did the first session on wing -

For the board-foil, I used the AFS Enduro 900/HA40 on the UHM 85cm mast mounted on No.34

- and I ended up using the same set up on the second session with the BRM Maliko 4.0

Both the Nova Pro and the Maliko worked super nice!  I am really happy with my equipment now.

I was also water testing the new Wingman Chest Harness that I got.

I did a bunch of transitions on the inside harbor to get a feel for the harness and wing (I think this is the first real session I've had on the 4.2???).

I passed Prayot on his way in - he was going to switch to the Pocket Rocket 4.3 - I told him I'd switch out shortly after testing out some stuff.

I caught some waves out at Firsts and then did some speed runs (typical Hickam pattern).

Good stuffs!!!

Solid session!!!

Then I took the parawing out.

The wind dropped off a notch - I kinda wished I had taken the Ka'a 4.8 out.

But when the gusts came through, the Maliko 4.0 was plenty to get the Enduro 900 up on foil.  I'm glad I tested this aspect out - now I know I can get this combo up!

Up three times, with several jibes - and I didn't have to paddle back.

I'll call this a successful session!

I would like to still test out the Enduro 1100 and the Silk 1050 to see where the gains/losses are with those foils compared to the Enduro 900 and 1300.

W:55/FD:97/PW:19/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 8/2/2025

The wind forecast called for nuking winds today - and by all accounts it looked like that was going to be the case.  With that - Mark, Norm and I planned to do a downwind run from Sand Island to Pavilions.

Mark had wing issues before launching.  He was the lucky one.

Norm and I made it out past the inside breakers (which were not small)

Then the wind dropped off and we had to bob around out in deep water.

We eventually got up and into some good wind.

There were even some good opportunities to catch and ride some well overhead swell pushing through.

Out around Hau Bush, Norm said his wing was losing air.  I told him I was going to make a beeline for PV and I can drive up and get him.

Getting in at PV turned out to be a mini ordeal for me - I went down for no good reason near the cabins and it took me forever to get back up and finish the run. 

This distance is not a straight line count.

Lots of North in the wind today.  Definitely stronger wind at the outlets of the valleys.

I had fun with the Silk 850 - especially on the big surf parts of the run, but I think the Enduro 900 would have helped me carry through some soft wind spots a little better.

Despite the challenges - this adventure was pretty cool.

W:54/FD:97/PW:18/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 7/31/2025

Interesting session yesterday -

Strong wind (but it had holes and would also swirl around).

Huge waves - double overhead and pitching on the sets

Norm and I launched at 4.  By 4:30 I had lost the North Mode Pro 4.8 to the waves and had a long paddle back in.

This was a good wing.

The shifty wind knocked me off foil on my way to picking up a wave.

It left me in the outer impact zone and timing had it that a big set was rolling through.

The first wave was a double overhead, lip pitching barrel...

I wasn't able to throw the wing high enough to avoid being caught and dragged by the wave.  Underwater going through the rinse cycle, I felt the wing leash pressurize, then a 'pop' as the harness hook broke.

The wing washed inside to where the white water eased, but the wind was starting to get a hold of it.  I tried to paddle out to where the wind would blow it, but it was getting cleared of water and starting to move.  Norm saw what was going on and tried to intercept it, but when he got off foil near it, the wind picked it up and that was that.

Shit happens - and honestly this was one of the scenarios that has gone through my head where the parawing would be way more advantageous.

When you play this game, you are bound to lose every now and then.

Aloha North Mode Pro 4.8 (and this incident actually finalized the decision to purge the Mode Pros - I'm done wing racing anyways, and use the funds to get a BRM Ka'a 3.6 PW!!!) 

W:53/FD:97/PW:18/S:4

Wing Foiling Session - 7/30/2025

South swell started showing today.  And the wind came back.

I opted to wing foil at WPB.

North Nova Pro 5.0 had plenty of power today without feeling overpowered.

No.40 with the AFS Silk 850/HA40/UHM 85 mast.  Perfect gear for today's conditions.

Challenging conditions - large set waves, rising tide and a far out wind line.

Starting out I ended up getting pushed downwind quite a bit.  But once up on foil I was able to get back past the Fenceline.

The wind was there, but it wasn't as powerful as it looked.

And with all the water moving around (big swells, long stretches of white water) I tripped up a few times.  But outside the swells - as big as they were - did not break (saving a ton of effort trying to keep the wing and foil apart).

Pretty fast for the Silk 850 - definitely got some help from the big drops.

I did surf the waves pretty hard, but I wasn't fully charging.  Being out in those conditions solo can get a little un-nerving.  So playing it conservative helps with the self-preservation.

The swell will be bigger and the wind stronger tomorrow.  I may go to PV tomorrow to avoid the beating trying to launch.

W:52/FD:97/PW:18/S:4