Windsurf foiling

[AJSpencer]

Alright. Normally I naturally avoid registering for any stuff like that, but if you insist! Looks like a nice website. Enrolling now.

[AJSpencer]

Figured I'd move his over to windsurf foiling thread as not to cluster the wingfoiling thread.

AJSpencer:
Quick rookie windsurfing question while on this subject. I'm a fairly weak swimmer but could probably go decently for a short distance to catch up to a board/rig, but one thing I've wondered is: can a windsurf with foil and rig in water pick up enough speed to get away from you in certain conditions?
Usually I hang on tight to the boom, but the other day it slipped out of my hands and the whole thing went on the other side of a wave. I adrenaline-swimmed and got to it seconds later no problem, but am still wondering if in certain conditions it can get out of reach.
What about breaking-wave sailing, if you wipe out? Can you usually swim no problem to it or does it sometimes surf its way to the beach faster than you can swim to it?
I've been a shit swimmer my whole life despite most of my life on top of the water on boats. With the 5/4 wetsuit I find it can pretty well float me without swimming almost, so I feel quite safe in it. But now that I'm getting a bit faster on the water and can potentially launch board and rig a fair distance away from myself in a crash, I wonder whether I should be keeping it slower for that reason.
I'm assuming the sail in the water always makes it slower than a slow swimmer but its something I should ask for sure, rather than finding out for myself.

Tempy:
In surf the board and rig can disappear and lead to a long-ish swim.

Otherwise, the rig will act as an "anchor" of sorts and I have not had the windsurf gear head downwind faster than a pretty easy swim.

If they get separated, however ....

[AJSpencer]

That leads to another question... is separation common? I've had a fair share of wipeouts, although slower speed wipeouts but some pretty good torque/pull on the europin. Is there a style of connection that is more prone to separation?

[themorb]

I have had 1 tendon universal snap in waves and a number of times a 1-bolt universal has come loose and separated (I now check periodically that it is tight.) Never had mast extension separate from base (US cup here.)

I can also say from experience foiling behind a boat, with no rig attached, when you fall and jump to clear the foil that board can really take off... like 50m+ swim...

Anyway, not common, but a good reason to use a 2-bolt base with an intact safety strap, if you are sailing alone or far out or whatever.

[tweezer]

AJ, I had my tendon UJ break on me a month ago while uphauling the sail. The safety lines held well enough for me to shlog in. 30 feet from shore my safety line came undone! So yes it does happen. I should've checked both the UJ condition and the safety lines before going out. I do carry an extra downhaul line in my harness to tie things together if needed.
Mark

[AJSpencer]

Thanks guys. I guess the penalty for being a poor swimmer should be that I replace older mast bases more frequently.
I’ve acquired a few different styles. 1 has the two bolts with the slide-lock thing in the middle but I don’t have anything that fits in there, and the other is the single bolt that the whole thing threads on with europin. Guess I’ll find a europin adapter for the 2-bolt one.
Hopefully the water clears up soon. See you out there!

[KUS]

2 bolt the way to go...breaking unis sucks, usually board damage, happens.

As to gear taking off you don’t have to be running a foil....it is not a bad idea to swim quickly to catch it....i haven’t lost a rig but there have been scary moments and long swims...so keep a hand on the boom and don’t....let....go...grab mast tip if you must after slipping...turban loops help...but then this isn’t Oregon’s Coast Sadly

[AJSpencer]

Does anybody use their 68cm Gamma Slingshot wing?
I use the 84 all the time, but thinking the 76 would be nice, but then I saw the price for the 76 wing alone which is a bit ridic. I have the 68 but am wondering if I'd only get that flying in very high wind. I'll give it a go in some higher wind but am wondering if anyone out there uses it regularly and if so, in what conditions and how do you like it?

[grantmac]

I rode the 68 for 2 years before buying the 76.
They are very similar wings in terms of early lift except the 68 tops out a bit sooner and is more pitch sensitive.

I haven't ridden the 84 but from what I've heard its extremely pitch stable so that is likely to be a significant adjustment.

[BigD]

I have the 84&76

I think it's a great combo for a big guy. I can chase puffs and float through lulls on the 84+48 and then when it gets windy the 76+42 is super smooth and can take the speed without getting squirrelly. Definitely takes noticeably more wind / board speed to get the 76 flying.

I've also shimmed the rear stabilizers on both wings to drive them down slightly at higher speeds. Thanks to Rob(Roberts Boards) for that tip. Feels more balanced and less front foot heavy at higher speeds.

I would love to try the Moses and Starboard foils to compare once the border opens up in 2025

I also attached my wings to a wakesurf board, pretty fun and cool to reuse the wings for an entirely different sport

[firstonlastoff]

Has your wife caught you foiling around in the pool ?

[juandesooka]

Disclaimer: Kite / wing / surf interloper here, response not windfoil specific.

I sup/surf foiled the H2/Gamma and 84 combo for a year. The 84 was then the biggest wing SS had, now also have the even bigger 99. My rule was that waist high or smaller, the 84 was great, but faster bigger waves the H2 was better ... it needs more speed, but once you have enough, it was super fun. In higher speed situations, I'd describe the 84's ride as tentative ... meaning teetering on the edge of out of control, trying to keep it in the water and not breach. Once feeling that, it was time to switch to the H2, and at that point it would feel unreal -- turning on rails, like a roller coaster (in a good way).

The 76 falls right in between them. You lose a little of the high-end speed and some of the low-end lift, but the versatility means it can be a one-wing option for all conditions. The 76dis Shaggy's go-to surf wing for the past year and you can't argue with the ripping. :-) But that being said, i don't know which wing he uses for windfoiling.

[AJSpencer]

A couple times last night I managed to get into this stance as per Sam Ross: https://youtu.be/HdQpyAxRtkA
And that was awesome feeling it power up and get a lot of speed, lots of apparent. When I was just starting I couldn’t see how I could get both front and back feet out on the rail and now I can, funny how that happens. All about TOW. Looking forward to more progress and more days like yesterday!

As mentioned in log, I did find though that the 84 wing on the Dialer with 7.0 moderately powered just isn’t allowing me to get into the front strap. Even with all weight as far forward as possible, with the front foot in it could fly for a bit but any slight gust and it would foil out immediately. Trying to anticipate the gust and get weight forward ahead of time and it still foils out.
Mast base is 3/4 forward as per Wyatt’s and others’ recommendations.
Contrary to all recommendations, I now have the 84 foil in B position ready for next session, which is what the 76 and 68 should be set as for windfoiling. But everyone says 84 to be only ever in C position. The amount the wing is aft in B, compared to C, is a few inches, but I’ve found I’m foiling balanced/controlled when my front foot is a few inches forward of the front strap, so I think worth a try. Will update next time.

[Bobson]

I have been using the Starboard 1100 front and 500 rear wing which with the 75Cm mast and 75cm was stable and balanced but now with my newish 115cm fuselage I’ve had to move my mast base almost all the way forward and footstraps 1/2 way to the front. I’m looking forward to trying the 800 front and 330cm rear wing to see where the balance points are compared to the larger wings.

[AJSpencer]

Yes, moving the 84 to B position was 100% improvement. Had nice balanced runs with front foot in, backfoot alternating from further back middle to up closer the front foot. Very comfortable and balanced. OPed now, on beach waiting for this 25 knot stretch to blow through Pat Bay but its been sustained for past 30-45 minutes.
So, for me anyways, 84 in B position is balanced, contrary to everyone I’ve talked to about it.
Forgot the 68 wing at
home today. This would have been the time to switch it out. Oh well.
Dying a bit now! woohoo!