VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

The official thread for the new surf wings. Love 'em, hate 'em, or maybe just curious to find out more, this is the place to get your questions answered by ill-informed newbies. At the moment, that's me and unusually large robin.

I have 3 sessions attempts so far, but only about 5 seconds of foil time. I am hopeful next session, with technical issues addressed, a little more learning on techniques, and some wind, I will get lift off.

It seems to be halfway between kiting and windsurfing. The wing floats pretty effortlessly when luffing, nicely balanced. Sheeting in feels like windsurfing.

The hope is that it offers potential for long sup foil downwinders, riding the waves with the wing luffed, then using it for power bursts when needed. JDF, Parksville/Qualicum, Haro Strait, Georgia Strait ... who knows.

One bonus: very quick setup, if you're already suited up and foil assembled, roughly 30 seconds and you're on the water. Which may make time constrained lightning strike missions feasible.

If you see me at the beach with the red wing, hit me up for a demo. I bet the windsurfer types will pick it up pretty quick.

Thanks, JDS!
Do you use a kiting harness? Or no harness ?
What boards would work ? Kiting surf board, w/s or kiting foil, SUP , etc...... ?
Very interested
Looks fun !

Harness: supposedly don't need one. The wing floats nicely with one hand when luffed, and feels pretty comfortable when powered up. However, have seen one video of a guy who gerry rigged a harness. In light winds it is much more work...wind doesn't hold the weight up, have to luff/pump the wing to create more wind.

Board: they will work on any board, but mainly intended for SUP or SUP foil. Wind range on mine is rated as 15-30kt with supfoil, need some wind strength to get it going. There are also ripper types who are water starting small surf foils, though looks pretty challenging. For SUP it says 3-30, you can float along in nearly no wind, but pretty difficult to stay hold position unless have a big fin (or a dagger board).

I think the resurgence of these from the 1980s version is from foils ... that's the missing ingredient between slogging along on a too big board, to going faster, upwind, more maneuverable, and riding waves. We'll see what the possibilities soon enough, whether it's a flash in the pan fad or brings some new potential for fun. So far, the kiters and windsurfers mostly hate them, as they already have highly efficient wind vehicles -- the target market seems to be more about SUP riders who want to play in the wind, or the foil community.

The target market is exactly that and they may just end up being successful (if the price drops) and they can make it look sufficiently "cool enough" for the same reason Scooters have taken over from BMX and Skateboarding and I am pretty sure that is the gamble brands are taking. It takes days or months to learn to jump a BMX/Skateboard but minutes to jump a scooter. It's also the exact same reason SUP boomed, its just so much easier than surf-surfing and you can do it when conditions are crappy or even non-existent. Add the wing in and if you can stand on a SUP you can mess around with the wing without too much trouble within minutes. The same certainly cannot be said for a kite or windsurfer which will take days or weeks or months to get to the "fun" and "safe" level, require more equipment, more time, more wind, more instruction, more money etc...

To the enthusiast wind sport person it definitely looks like a kook sport, but we have to remember not every has the time, skill, fitness, money or dedication of the large transect of the windsport community. This is more like rollerblading, the bunny hill at your local ski area, or Golf, its accessible and if it gets folks off their asses then that is great. The key will be getting the price down to where mass consumer level SUP's are at.

I'll definitely hit you up next time, I was too tired by the time I remembered you were moving up to the point.

The appeal to me is compact traveling and possibly playing on waves luffed out.

Stoked to finally get some foil flights. And fun to wing it with Robin, saw him get some good rides.

20kt plus makes it easier, wing kinda lifts you up and out. It is way easier on arms once up on foil. I figure with economy of movement figured out it will work below 15kt. Hope so anyway.

Getting playful with it in the waves will take more practice.

Were you guys foiling upwind at all yet?
Your arms and lats are going to look like a drywaller's!

Yeah was able to get upwind pretty easy once foiling. It's trying to get up on foil where you lose all the downwind distance

Do you think having straps will help with pumping the foil and cranking upwind?
Are you riding goofy on one tack or switching your feet?

I want mine made from Aluula

I'm riding upwind, switch stance, haven't tried toe side riding, able to have long sustained rides. Thinking of straps as it seems would be beneficial in the 20+ knots that I've been in lately. Got blown off the water at G spot last night (30+ knots), went to Esq.Lagoon (20-25kn) and got 2 gybes almost foiled out of them. Still crashing on port gybes. This is now after 6 sessions.

grantmac wrote:Do you think having straps will help with pumping the foil and cranking upwind?
Are you riding goofy on one tack or swiitching your feet?

I suck at right foot forward foiling, as I generally don't switch kite foiling and never switch sup foiling. But toeside riding seems like it will be difficult so I'm trying to ride switch foot. Oddly my first foiling was wrong foot forward (same experience learning to windsurf, non natural stance worked first)

Straps will help for sure, especially getting up in lighter winds and also water starting smaller boards. Though I think I'd go for hooks rather than straps, allow quicker easier release

Juandasooka going up wind now up on foil!!! and Nanmoo is a scha-winger too

I'm a sWinger now too I guess!