VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Apparently 50+ wingers were in the Kahalui harbour the other day. Seems to be catching on!

Smaller boards look so much more fun. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0zoWwHJYV ... _copy_link

It does seem like mere mortals are making this work too. I think a key in that Cadiz video is in the title "high wind"....if you are at the bottom end of usable wind range, I bet you'd struggle to find enough power to get up. Similar to windsurf water starts.

The other is straps or hooks....having some grab on the board would make this much more feasible.

Going to have to try it out with my surf/prone foilboard!

Something about that video certainly looks fun

TonyT1000 wrote:He makes that water start technique with a 30L board look easy. Holy crap.

Alan Cadiz, while incredibly proficient at any wind sport, is also about 30kg . He's a tiny guy.

I'm somehow more intrigued by the wing-foil set up as a swell chasing device than a wind-foil or even kite foil. It's also the one I've yet to try. Too bad shops and demos aren't a thing here.

Swell chasing - 100% with you on that observation.

Soon to be 50 wings in Ross Bay!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEk6QVMNbyo

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I expect to see this young man wing foiling circles around me before too long!

How old is he, 9 or 10 going on 35? So well presented and knowledgeable!

Hi,

Finally looking to get back into wind sports after a 4 year hiatus. I kept a 96L Fanatic Tri fin for regular windsurfing with 4.2, 4,8, 5.3, 6.0M sails, and a Fanatic Blast 145L foil board (and AFS foil) for windsurf foiling.

Looks like we're not back teaching in-person until January 2021 earliest. Liking the online teaching lifestyle...record lectures at night like some kind of accounting vampire and then have time to SUP/mtn bike/??? during the day. Gonna be living right on the water at Hornby or Kootenay Lake lots over the next six months. So I'm thinking of trying out wing foiling. But I don't want to dump a bunch of money at it....haha. Ya maybe I've changed. Or bwd just move this to buy/sell now. Shut-up!

My wing foil questions/plans....lemme know if any of this seems stupid?

I'm thinking of just buying a wing first....

1) I'm thinking of a 6.0M wing as I plan on first learning on my 11'2" Starboard Blend SUP in light breezes (see pic #3). Cause at Kootenay Lake/Hornby it's often breezy (5-10) all day. My 11'2" Starboard Blend SUP has two extra, windsurf side-fins half way up the side (see pic #1)....so there may be some upwind capability? Plus I could bring a paddle if I get downwinded? Likely? Is this a dumb idea? How soon will I be bored and want a SUP foil to wing on? At 160-165lbs...would a 5.0M wing be enough?

2) I like the simplicity of a wing with no boom (simpler, packable, easier to de-rig on the water if I get downwinded and have to paddle home)...does boomless impact planing a ton?

3) I'm not tall...I'm just a bit shorter than windoc....thinking of me standing on a regular SUP holding a 6.0M wing, and I don't have the extra height of the foil below me...so I'm worried about the wing's wingtips catching? Looking at the Airrush/Starboard FreeWing (which is boomless), I see that Airrush has angled the wingtips inwards (pic #4) specificially to avoid tip catching? Or am I f'd in this regard this at 5'7", and will always catch my tips on a regular SUP?

The plan would be to goof around on my SUP with the 6.0M wing for a bit, and then:

Go full on and buy a 125L Fanatic or Starboard dedicated SUP foil board and SUP foil, and then maybe add a 4.0M wing? Or do I just buy a 5.0M wing now?

OR

Declare it a stupid sport and sell my 6.0M wing at a loss?

I also plan doing some SUP foiling behind the boat at Kootenay, to learn foiling skills, and as a break from water-skiing.

Appreciate what the collective thinks?

Keith

My advice.

SUP: I tried briefly, but ended up way downwind. According to online reports it can be done, those side bites will help to stay upwind. I think it'll be a lot harder on your arms when surface riding.

Foil: the foil is what makes the magic ... once the board comes off the surface, it comes to life. If you are just planning to do surface riding....then you may be better off windsurfing, as a more efficient use of the wind. Windfoiling even moreso. Main benefit of wing...quick to rig and launch, feels quite free, but ultimately for me it's an extension of sup foil surfing, it's a wave riding tool. Downwinders in marching swells will be epic. But others do seem to be having fun on the flat water too.

Light wind: that's the first disappointment, these things are not nearly as efficient as windsurfers or kites, the light wind potential remains an open question. 12kt seems to be line where it's possible with my 7m (though it's not the powerful low-end out there). You could jump right into the 9m Gong Superpower..."cheap" at $1000cdn landed plus tax...chase that sub-10kt realm. :-)

Higher wind: 20kt+ is where the 4m gets really fun.

Boom: mine have handles, but I used a buddy's Duotone with the boom briefly, wow, it was surprisingly nice, a real solid/positive feel. Gybes were super easy, like holding on to a balance beam. The negative, apparently it doesn't handle downwinding as well.

WingTips: once up on foil, tip rarely touches, as you hold the wing more up at a 45degree rather than in front of you. But on surface when pumping it can dig in sometimes. I am 5.8

Boat foiling: with a large stable wing and big board you'll be up and riding in first 10 minutes. The progression we've used: short mast to begin. Start off very slow (5mph), means you can't get up on foil, just get used to riding, behind boat just off to the side of the prop wash. Then you will get bored and start pumping it and you will figure out how to unweight and get up on foil briefly. Repeat. Then increase speed a little to where you can stay up for longer and then slow descents back down. Repeat more. And then a little more speed until you can stay up sustained. There, now you're foiling. Then you can start playing around in the wake. Caution: when you start to fall, don't try to correct it, jump off and away and throw the rope....the foil wants to kill you in initial attempts.

juandesooka wrote:My advice....

Thx juandesooka....thoughtful response. Like the foiling behind the boat tips.

juandesooka wrote:the foil wants to kill you in initial attempts.

Truer words never spoken. It is uncanny how the foil somehow locates the sensitive parts of your body and then targets them.

sold

https://youtu.be/zP1gfT8ZexI This was just posted.[youtube][/youtube]