VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Frankenboards...I started this silly foil experimenting with through-hulls. Drill 4 holes, epoxy in golf club shafts as through hulls for bolts, some glass over top. Works fine, as long as you don't mind semi destroying your board. Key: need a wide flange to spread load, either a metal plate or BIG washers. (a plastic cutting board isn't strong enough, I discovered)

I now realize that installing tracks is actually pretty easy, once you know how. Would strongly recommend that over the way-too-expensive foilmount or remora stick-on temporary versions.

Frankenboards aren't usually the optimal size, but that's no biggie when learning. One issue with frankenboards is tail rocker...too much and the foil won't work, you'll need to shim the back bolts to get the foil more or less level with your board middle.

Go200: excellent platform to learn winging without a foil. With so much stability and that big dagger, you'll go upwind right away. That is my plan (hope) for getting my wife into wind sports in the summer.

Riding open swells: it's a gas with a kite foil, one of those "holy s**t" moments actually, to turn down wind, float the kite and then silence as you go with the wind riding the swells. Closest thing I have experienced to powder snowboarding (and I once lived for that experience). I can't speak to the windfoil crew, but I think it is similar?

This is the hope n dream for the wing foil ... get out there on those big westerly days, wing into them, let it luff, then just ride the swells for minutes/hours without needing wind.

From what I've read down winding with a handheld wing only works with at least 10mph more wind than board speed otherwise the wing won't float. That'll take a slow foil and windy day, +20kts for sure.
Lots of guys on seabreese forums are riding swell with zero power in the sail windfoiling though.

grantmac wrote:From what I've read down winding with a handheld wing only works with at least 10mph more wind than board speed otherwise the wing won't float. That'll take a slow foil and windy day, +20kts for sure.
Lots of guys on seabreese forums are riding swell with zero power in the sail windfoiling though.

Jury is still out on this for sure. I also heard that if you are going directly downwind, there's no wind to hold the wing up -- doesn't mean you can't do it, but your arms will get tired holding up the wing.

I don't know if that will be a deal breaker though, as you'd ideally want to be bearing off and riding along the swells, not in a straight line. This would present more like side-off winds, which would hold the wing up.

As well, for there to be any significant windswell at Gordons, you're normally talking 25+.

Dunno...will let you know what happens from May to July, if there's wind and the ability to chase it. :-)

Ordered a Slingshot foil package from Windance in The Gorge.
https://www.windance.com/FOIL-Windsurf- ... ce%2BFoils
With the 84 and 68 wings.
Will fit right into the Starboard 140L deep tuttle. Will obviously tie a leash to it.

Will let you know how that goes.
The big 84 should be good for the wing too.

AJSpencer wrote:Ordered a Slingshot foil package from Windance in The Gorge.
https://www.windance.com/FOIL-Windsurf- ... ce%2BFoils
With the 84 and 68 wings.
Will fit right into the Starboard 140L deep tuttle. Will obviously tie a leash to it.

Will let you know how that goes.
The big 84 should be good for the wing too.

That's basically my go-to combo for sup foil before I moved to go-foil. Both those wings are excellent. You will end up wanting the Infinity 76 in between them, guaranteed, so start looking for it now. :-)

Good choice. I really like the Slingshot setup for modular capability. Not the fastest, but more than enough fun.

Nice. Was worried it may be a mistake because of the discount, but thought design looked good enough.

Any suggestions on a board that would be good for both windfoiling and winGfoiling would be welcome. Will have to save up a bit now, so not in a big rush to throw down.

Was watching lots of videos on wingfoiling last night. There's a lot more recent ones now, lots surfing down the waves. Looks like occasionally the wing falls and looks a bit awkward, but most of the time it floats off to the side or behind.
One awesome one in Hawaii with the wind going perpendicular to the waves, so, fast one-handed reach out, then surf back in. Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz-0QnJHM5A

Gong has the best wing videos I've seen yet for pure wave riding.
Here's one but there's others too
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg9x0Qveb3s[/youtube]

For wingfoil, the board isn't overly technical...basically a platform. You will want to err on bigger side to start, then can get smaller as you get proficient. The pros are on tiny boards, but I don't see ever getting there personally. Especially as this is more a light wind pursuit for me. Ideal board for you may be a hypernut 5 in 1. Atomic-Chomik has a 4 in 1 for sale, but no windsurf track ... could add one though.

re: downwind wave riding...me and BradM had a mini breakthrough session on Monday, first time able to ride little windswells with the wing luffed. This was in light wind (12-15ish) and riding the waves 3/4 to fully downwind. It was doable for sure, just had to hold up the wing as you ride down the line. Then while riding you could turn the wing, ride out toeside to get a little more speed, connect to the wave behind and ride it ... all while engaging and unengaging the wing to get a little wind push if needed or luff it and just surf.

Don't get wrong, we are far from ripping, I am talking barely 1' waves and brief rides, but it was a glimpse of the possibilities. I envision CB, dropping in above the parking lot, and then zipping in and out of waves all the way down past udderland, then upwind back out and repeat, over and over. :-)

Elix is doing some interesting things in the race workd:

https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=649789685793554&_rdr

Starting to look a lot like a miniature Moth dinghy. No idea if it'll perform better than a typical wide Formula style board.