Author Topic: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf  (Read 16349 times)

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 3
« Reply #15 on: June 11, 2017, 04:34:59 PM »
Day #3:
The progress continues.  I counted 3 waves before I fell in today, 13 total waves until I fell in twice.  Looking through this data shows 12 waves greater than 80 yards.   This does NOT mean that I was flying the whole time rather I was at least not crashing and likely doing a combination of flying and nose down.

Surprisingly I was able to make a few more pumping runs at waves in front of me.  It was once again extremely gratifying to make it over a hump and drop into the next trough.
 
The energy today was down, at least at the beginning of my session.  Despite the hardship of BIG waves the first day I found myself wishing for more energy, even almost worried that I couldn’t fly unless a wave was at least 5 feet or more.  I was rewarded with sets that eventually were greater than 6 feet providing plenty of power.  I even had a few buck me off as I headed down the line.
 
Good news again was that I was able to better control the board and my foot placement is starting to feel automatic.  One little hop from paddle position to takeoff with my back foot centered nearly perfectly every time. 
« Last Edit: June 11, 2017, 04:38:02 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 4
« Reply #16 on: June 11, 2017, 04:35:58 PM »
Day #4:
Great early session for 1.8 hours.  Waves NW 4 – 6 @ 11 seconds.  Probably some south swell in the water making for a few powerful sets.  Still learning the skills.  I would typically crash on the first 3 or 4 waves then start to get the rhythm.  32 waves caught.  Once again I paddled out into what I thought was going to be too small only to be pleasantly surprised by how much energy was present.

I am realizing that foiling can significantly increase wave count above and beyond what we already reap with a SUP.  You can effectively chase and catch almost any small bump with the combination of L41 and Foil at least in these conditions.  Gratifying but very worn out after the session.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2017, 04:38:22 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 5
« Reply #17 on: June 11, 2017, 04:37:45 PM »
Day #5:
Wind out of the South.  Not ideal.  Waves were a bit steep and boomy for spring 6 to 8 feet @ 11 seconds.  Took a few attempts to figure things out.  But eventually was able to keep the nose down and ride out some VERY long rides with a combination of Foiling and Planing.
 
This was taken with an iPhone at distance but you can see I am comfortable chasing down faces and hopping into position on the board.  I was surfing with my daughter Ruby.  Half the time I was encouraging her, the other half trying to take care of myself.  This was her first time surfing bigger ocean swell.  A few drops were very steep and fast.  This was my first day officially surfing my favorite left, which is front side for me as a goofy footer.

What I started to learn was that the energy varies greatly over the face of the wave.  Drop to the flats and you effectively stall out.  The video shows a few takeoffs.  I am comfortable pumping the board to get over the edge and pumping when things get slow.

The Flying Yeti photo shows me successfully foiling down the line and attempting to return flying high.  There is something about turning that significantly adds to the energy.  You will see that the foil eventually breached and I nose-dived.

I was hesitant to post this video because it pales by comparison to some of the cooler stuff out there but this puts into perspective Day #5 of foiling.  You will also see how I am working to keep the nose down to prevent blow-up which happens when you un-weight the nose.

https://youtu.be/Wldv6mfS-8k
« Last Edit: June 11, 2017, 05:24:46 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 6
« Reply #18 on: June 11, 2017, 04:38:51 PM »
Day #6
Forecast was for 3 – 4 feet.  Paddled out and figured I would struggle in the small stuff having met my limit of ‘small.’  Not the case.  The tide was super low.  There were waves feathering on reef spots I wasn’t accustom to surfing.  I tried a few of these and then looked outside to see even larger waves feathering from deep water exposure on the reef half way to Mavericks.  This is the dream to be able to catch feathering large waves that are otherwise unrideable.  While the tide was still low I paddled out and edged my way towards the breaking waves.  They appeared to have shoulders but as I got closer I realized the only way to catch them was to go deeper.  They were heaving and almost nasty looking pushing up to 8 feet but would back off pretty quickly.
 
I tried for 45 minutes and eventually caught 2 rights and one left.  The rights had a bunch of energy and I got the foil up to full speed.  Hauling a-s and pretty scary.  The left, my natural goofy foot takeoff, should have been more comfortable but I took too aggressive a stance and did NOT place my foot directly over the mast.  This resulted in the wobbles and I didn’t nail the ride.  At least I didn’t fall.  Check the box on the first person to attempt to foil Mavericks even if just the inside e.g. Phlegmballs.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2017, 04:56:49 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 7
« Reply #19 on: June 11, 2017, 04:40:12 PM »
Day #7
Sunday.  Social Day.  Super crowded.  Took out Ruby and met my friend Jim at the beach.  Had a few good rides but the surf was down.  Sets were loaded up with people.  This made foiling a bit dicey and uncomfortable on takeoffs.  Still had some good rides.  However I had to bail several times in the face of oncoming kayakers.  As my Haley observed “They are all wearing helmets and lifejackets so they should be good.”

Jim wanted to try the foil.  This introduces a whole other topic to be covered later.  When friends wants to "Try your Foil board."

Speaking of helmets.  I took a few head first diggers that definitely rang my bell.  When you crash at speed it can be very painful and typically going in head first like a dart.  The impacts were hard enough to leave me a bit frazzled and I was reminded of Stretch, William Reidel, who broke his neck at Waddell Creek after a forward loop attempt on a windsurfer.  He is partially paralyzed, and was lucky to survive.  To this day he swears that the increased surface area of the helmet added the impact that broke his neck.
 
Given these combination of factors I would recommend AGAINST wearing a helmet. 

This photo is of Jeff Clark.  He was foiling in Southern California and did a header as described above.  He extended his hands forward and ran into his paddle that was formerly in his hand.  Don't do this. 

« Last Edit: June 11, 2017, 05:36:31 PM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 8
« Reply #20 on: June 11, 2017, 04:41:31 PM »
Day #8
Wind was up, WAY up.  Decided to go just to test and see how things worked in the wind.  The waves were 4 to 6 feet @ 10 seconds.  Mostly crap on crap.  Wind was blowing 20 gusting to 25.

The hardest part was paddling to the takeoff which required some upwind schlogging.  Once I got to the primary takeoff I proceeded to catch 20+ waves without falling.  The wave CHOP was outrageous.  I would rate it a 9/10.  Yet on the L41 with the foil I never fell in and just kept catching waves.
 
This was partially true because it was dead-low tide and I strayed a bit too close to the reef and had my first foil strike.  I was foiling then SMACK went down instantly.  I was worried I had broken off a tip of the foil but it surprisingly held up very well.  A few scratches and a scuffed up wing(foil) tip.  Otherwise 100% intact.  Impressive.

The wind produced mostly short period bump on top of the already short period swell.  The lack of energy was noticeable and I was left imagining how Kai might have sucked more juice out of the lackluster energy.  The good was that I was out surfing, catching 100 yard + long rides, gliding and humming away when EVERYONE ELSE WAS SLEEPING IN.

When you are moving with the swell the chop is significantly muted.  Any of you windsurfers may remember what it was like to sail downwind.  There are often smooth patches and plenty of ‘clean’ water to take advantage of.  The foil was 100% comfortable in these conditions.  This is not surprising given the success of foils with downwinders.

This was only day #8.  On waves of 4 to 6 feet I am 100% comfortable and getting my feet immediately into position for takeoff.  I had one flying down the line ride where I raised up and then modulated my height keeping my speed up and under control until the end of the wave.  In summary I caught 23 waves and only fell in 3 times despite the wind and chop.
 
I am going to take a few days off but am happy to report that YOU CAN LEARN TO FOIL JUST BY GOING OUT AND FOILING. I can only imagine what the future will bring.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2017, 05:43:25 PM by Beasho »

SURFFOILS

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Re: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf
« Reply #21 on: June 12, 2017, 04:53:55 AM »
That's a great breakdown of your progress Beasho. Ts encouraging for people to know that with a bit of skill and perseverance it's possible to get those 100+ yard rides.
 I've sat and timed surfers at beach breaks and the average length of ride is between 3 and 5 seconds. Obviously longer if the conditions are better but the average ride at an average beach is very short and at around 30 seconds it's quite long for foiling. My main gripe Nowadays is getting back to the starting peak so I can catch 50 waves in a session.

surfcowboy

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Re: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf
« Reply #22 on: June 13, 2017, 07:40:22 PM »
Surffoils.... electrify;)

SURFFOILS

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Re: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf
« Reply #23 on: June 14, 2017, 09:24:23 PM »
Surffoils.... electrify;)
I think that's the way to go ! Get one of those electric motors to get me back to the takeoff zone and then foil back in.
I've had a lot of resistance to getting people to try shortboard foiling but it's so much faster like SUP foiling, it's amazing how the whole world flies forward in every way but some surfers cling to the slow old ways.
I suppose it's like the balding guy in his 60's still wearing a ponytail and tie-dyed t-shirt. Not that everyone will end up on a foil but there's a long way to evolve with this.

clay

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Re: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf
« Reply #24 on: June 22, 2017, 10:29:33 AM »
Thanks for sharing the stoke Denton! I am motivated by your guts and progression.  Sweet.
Aloha, I welcome and appreciate all responses of positivity and good feeling.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIE6FWr1SpWvbPJIIiEgog

jondrums

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Re: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf
« Reply #25 on: August 27, 2017, 06:14:17 PM »
Bumping this thread for truth - go out and surf!

I just had my breakthrough session, and it's my 5th session on the foil in the waves.  Was repeatedly able to foil for the entire wave with some semblance of control, still lots to improve and I really need to smooth out my altitude control.  But damn if it isn't much easier to learn from SUP-> Foil than it was prone -> SUP. 

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 10
« Reply #26 on: September 14, 2017, 09:47:34 AM »
Day 10

Got out early.  Waves were 4 ½ to 5 ½ feet. 

I had not foiled in 3 months and was worried I would be rusty. 

Paddled for a bunch and went 1 for 5 attempts.  Then I caught 10 consecutive waves.  In the end I caught 22 waves in slightly less than 2 hours.  I am happy to report that I only fell twice.

Waves didn’t have a ton of energy but I was fine with that.  My foil sensei Travis showed up and was flying better than I but he had been doing it non-stop for 6 months.

Like riding a bike I picked up right where I left off.
 

22 Waves.  Max Speed 18.3 mph.  Average speed 10.2 mph.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 10:25:50 AM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 11
« Reply #27 on: September 14, 2017, 09:47:56 AM »
Day 11

Forecast was good and conditions were even better.  I was fortunate to once again find Travis at another local spot.  We met early and for whatever reason 10 people watched from the cliff and no one else decided to paddle out.  We had it all to our ‘Foiling’ selves for 60 minutes.  It was 5 up to 8 feet on the largest sets with MUCH more juice than the day before.
 
The size humbled me knocking my confidence from the prior day back a few notches. 

The 7 and 8 foot faces were intimidating and I found myself going very heavy on my front foot to make sure I didn’t fly early on big takeoffs.  By the end of the session I had regained some confidence and actually began to master the foil stall.

The Foil Stall: Haley Fiske had suggested that IF the foil is going to stall its best to go heavy on the back foot.  Rather than violently pearling the board nose first attempt to get the foil to come down to the water tail first.  This makes for a gentler drop that can be surfed away from.

On my ride home I passed by Jeff Clark’s shop.  He had been watching from the cliff and gave me some more great advice.  He notice how I had been leaning forward to prevent the wing from popping out. 

He suggested getting more vertical and rotating my shoulders to be square with the board. 

This apparently allows for a more natural angle of attack and improved lift during flight.  “Watch the videos of Dave Kalama and Zane Schweitzer.”  He actually said Schweitzer which was redundant with Zane.  More on this from the next session.

16 more waves caught.  Max speed 22.5 mph.  Average 11.5 mph.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 10:26:06 AM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – Day 12
« Reply #28 on: September 14, 2017, 09:48:28 AM »
Day 12

Waves were down a notch from yesterday, 4.5 to 7.5 foot faces but with less punch that the day before.  I worked to employ Jeff Clark’s advice with great results.  He warned against leaning forward, as most surfers are inclined to do during a bottom turn.  Rather stand more upright, back slightly arched with shoulders facing forward.  My successful attempts did result in a perceived better glide.

It’s frustrating to realize WHAT you need while not being able to master it.  BUT I harken back to when I was learning to SUP in waves.  It took 10 sessions before I could barely catch a wave standing up.  Looking back that experience was super fun and I now envy the steep learning curve. 
So here I am again.
 
What is REALLY cool is how I have just began to perceive the different bands of energy in the wave and extended terrain.  It is not obvious where the power is coming from.  I often shoot down the line and start to turn back only to realize I am 40 yards away from any breaking wave.  “OMG I am nowhere near the curl and yet I still have plenty of energy.”
 
Among other things there is also a bizarre kick that you get when turning out of a wave, there is lift far, far down the line and a TOTAL stall if you go into the flats.

So much to learn.

On the upside: I was relying on the Foil Stall to successfully pull out of 75% of my crash landings.  This was up from ~ 25% just 2 days prior. 

PS:  I was asking Travis about Foil Mast distance from the tail.  I am running 20” and have NO problem with my tail hitting the water.  “What is all the hype about I asked?”  He said

“As you get better you will realize the importance of going nose down, nearly to the water and then snapping the board back skyward.  The whippier this motion the more acceleration you will get from each pump.  It is when doing this properly that you will notice the tail hitting the water.”   

So much yet to learn.

25 waves caught.  Max speed 21.7 mph.  Average 10.9 mph. 

Foil Waves LTD (Life to Date): 293.  Still never foiled behind a boat.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 10:27:18 AM by Beasho »

Beasho

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Re: Learning to Foil – What to Know: Go Out And Surf
« Reply #29 on: September 14, 2017, 10:34:14 AM »
My current rig. 
  • 8' 2" x 32" L-41 @ 139 liters - SUPER stable
  • KAI Go-Foil
  • Kenalu Mana 90 @ 1" Overhead
  • Phat-Tire eBike - The best way to carry the "Christmas Tree with Lights" to the beach
« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 10:35:46 AM by Beasho »

 


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