Windsurf Foiling Discussion

[tempy]

I am with Morley on this one.

There is also a middle ground - high wind (3.7m sail) cruising with a smaller wing in choppy water doing s turns on the swell.

My goal is a board that can do both and perhaps 2 wings to make it achievable.

[juandesooka]

I use aluminum for kite/sup foil. Coat everything in TefGel, never had a problem yet with seizing. Though I got a cheap mast used from someone who seized the mast to base plate.

TefGel is the main recommendation in the kite foil community, dunno if it is the same as marine grease:
https://www.amazon.ca/TG-02-corrosion-e ... B00CEF65T4

[more force 4]

Couldn't get a screw out from the base plate last night with hand tools. Local shop did the trick this morning - I was using a silicon spray to help get the parts to mate properly and the screws to go in, but it probably washes out too fast. The problem looked more like fine sand rather than corrosion. Several of the other overly-tight screws had a white goop that was mostly very fine sand. Will try another product for next time. My landlord recommended 3M 727 - the original stuff, might be only available at Quayle Electronics.

That Tyson Poor video he says in comments was shot in just 8 - 14 knots, and he says a 4.5 m sail was 'plenty'. He must have super pumping skills (a lifetime of freestyle would help there).

[tempy]

Tef45 from nanaimo harbour chandlers is the same / similar as the tefgel and works great - very sticky and doesn't disappear.

I have put down some $$ on some different wings - 2018 Slingshot wings are on sale in various places. I am curious how they change the handling as the wind increases.

Yeah ... Tyson and Wyatt's skills are unappreciated - until you try and replicate ANYTHING they do.

[juandesooka]

Slingshot H2 wings, $250 used ... not sure if that's a good deal or great deal. Or if those are big enough for windsurf foil

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-44481.html

[grantmac]

I am with Morley on this one.

There is also a middle ground - high wind (3.7m sail) cruising with a smaller wing in choppy water doing s turns on the swell.

My goal is a board that can do both and perhaps 2 wings to make it achievable.

Small wings need quite a bit of speed, it seems the guys carving around are all on big wings.

I've played with my H2 in waves and it just needs too much speed. Likely I'll be getting an H10 for most of my riding. Maybe aggressive spending will finally get me those foiling gybes?

[more force 4]

Tef-Gel available at Trotac Marine at Gorge and Jutland. They have the 20cc tube and the larger tub. Pricier than Amazon but in stock!

Watched a bunch of foiling videos again yesterday. Sam Ross series def best but different things visible in each one, like different foot placements on gybes, that aren't always in the commentary.,

[juandesooka]

MF4: for a bit of variety, try riding your windsurf board and foil with your 12m. Will be an interesting cross over test ... I bet you find you need less wind to make it fun, with a 12m and that big wing, you'll be up and riding in 8-10kt easy

[grantmac]

Local guy bought the 84cm and had his first try in Everett (flat water, 8-15kts). He's selling all his other foils including NP/F4. Does 20mph no sweat and needs little power to get going. For reference lots of guys are using +8m to foil in this spot, he's flying the most with a 7m.
Think I hear my wallet wimpering.

[tempy]

The adventure continues.

I tried the H3 wing and didn't like it much. It has a high stall speed and is a fast wing designed for speed and jumping apparently.

I am returning it to Windance. The H5 (the one I thought I was getting) should be arriving in about a week.

The Foiling on the H2 and the Fanatic Skate progressed again over the weekend - although there was barely any time to foil with the 5.8 and I was on the 3.7 and 4.7 with it more than on the 5.8.

The turns are coming along, although they are really difficult if you are fully powered with the sail and things are happening "quickly"

[KC7777]

First real day foiling. Winds were light...9-12?

Researched lots....came up with the following “specs”, mostly by looking at the custom foil board being used by Bruce Peterson:

Board should be approx. 235cmx77cm and 130-145L (120L ok but makes learning tougher),

Mast base should (must) be 43” in front of front Tuttle bolt,

Front wing of foil should be approx centred between your feet, Bruce emphasized this is the KEY for your foil to feel balanced and to get in the footstraps , (ie when you look down through board when in footstraps, front foil wing is between your feet, if not you will have to pressure your front or back leg)

Inboard foot-straps help.

Carbon foils better for salt water.

The Fanatic Blast 145L LTD with a foil Tuttle box met all these “specs”. I compared the shape on the beach today and it looks just like Alain’s Starboard Foil board (236cmx75cm, but his is really thin at only 122L, mine is 145L). Board does not feel big.

Spent $1299US on a full Carbon AFS Wind-85cm Foil. Which seems a no brainer when all the aluminum foils are $999-$1,099?

Anyway. Spent only an hour on it today. With a foil approved sail (6.0M Sailworks Flyer). First three runs I would fly onto the foil, or then porpoise up and then nose slam down. Scary but I sailed out of them. Note I was hooked in the harness the whole time. Fourth run had my first catapult slam. Held onto the boom and did not damage me or the board. Whew! Fifth run, I would put front foot in strap, be ripping upwind (planing) then weight my back foot and instantly fly. Leaned forward to keep board lower. Even slipped my back foot in the strap! Nice feeling!

[more force 4]

Its looking like I might be at the Nat Monday-Tuesday if forecast holds - hope you are there still KC777777777s. I'd really like to try the rig out on my board to see if it seems worthwhile to make the additional investment. From the photos it looks like you were going in pretty light wind! (oh, re-read the post, you said 8-12 knot).

I think I only had a couple of catapaults my last day which was light wind -- sailing in higher wind and bigger chop really helped me with the board/foil control once it tamed down, I think. Once the board wasn't always veering off all over the place the speed picked up too which seemed to stabilize the feel.

Note for anyone with the alu components looking to use Tef-Gel to prevent seizing - make sure you have the right stuff for clean-up, the sticky gets everywhere if you don't.

[more force 4]

https://www.facebook.com/morley.eldridg ... 183971882/
https://www.facebook.com/morley.eldridg ... 183971882/

[tempy]

It has been awesome to foil with all these guys at NN this summer and see everyone's progression.

I don't have any videos. Personal appearances only.

After 15-20 sessions now on the Fanatic skate with the Slingshot setup I feel pretty confident and have expanded the bottom range of my ability (H2 wing and 5.8 sail) - much better pumping onto and staying on the foil at the same time or even earlier some days than the kite foilers.

High end has been tons of fun with the H5 wing and a 3.7.

But, there is no progress without sacrifice ...

In case you were wondering what type of forces are applied by a foil wing with a 35 inch lever on your board, check out these pictures of the Skate.

The powerplate adaptor has created an indent in the perfect shape of the powerplate on the bottom of my board.

I added some additional high density foam to the plate to disperse the force, but it had little effect.

There is no "break" in the surface - just an indentation. But that cannot be good, so I am getting Dave M to reinforce the tail area around the finbox, and have sent pics to Slingshot to let them know that the load dispersion of the plate has its limits.

[tempy]

Windance has said that they have seen this on other "light construction" boards, but not generally.

My Skate is labelled as "Biax Glass Sandwich Light"

They suggested some reinforcing (which is what I am doing).