DIY kit?

[PRCD]

i've tried bringing the wife along and she hates it. windsports can be a total relationship wrecker if you let it. i am fortunate that our good wind season coincides with my slower season at work. i get in most of my sessions during the week and i'm home before the wife. she actually encourages me to stay later when i drive over to the bay area so she can have an hour alone after work.

from march through september, the forecasts are usually right on and the days are plentiful. rarely get skunked. it's hard right now because we're chasing storms and the forecasts are usually off in some way and i've been skunked a few times. the focal point right now is the half moon bay harbor. super flat water with strong sw winds around storms. most sessions are setting up and/or breaking down in the rain. water is cold af. it's an hour and a half drive each way. and it's my busy time of year. i'm thinking about breaking down and going back to surfboard riding once a week just to scratch the itch.

I've been thinking of building a downwinder to open up possibilities on lighter wind days. I can also use it for prone. If I build it myself, it doesn't cost much money so I don't care about whether or not I actually use it and I pick up some new skills. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'm in this for the long run - surfing really seems to fit my location and stage of life with my kids right now.

Anyone doing a north-bound downwinder today?

 

[frontsidegrab]

I'd love to get an almost SUP size board to take out prone. I hear that JJF has been doing downwinds on narrower SUPs and just proning them to get catch the bumps. Anyone know if people make a narrow SUP foil board?

 

[PRCD]

I'd love to get an almost SUP size board to take out prone. I hear that JJF has been doing downwinds on narrower SUPs and just proning them to get catch the bumps. Anyone know if people make a narrow SUP foil board?

I think you're referring to downwind foil boards.

Kalama Barracuda Downwind SUP Foil Board 2023

bigwinds.com

 

[Hdip]

Anyone doing a north-bound downwinder today?

It was today, but still.

Patrick on Instagram: "Fun sends with new friends! Sent a super technical run with @andywidmeier who was in town from the Great Lakes. He’s been pioneering runs out there and was blown away by how gnarly the conditions are here with all the crossed up swell. Stoked to have a mission with him. This was the furthest out I’ve gotten, probably around 3 miles. I made it to the oil rig off HB, which has been a mission of mine. Got heavy out there as it created its own backwash and weird waves. Also, not being able to see the beach plays tricks on your mind and I got really nervous really quickly. Haha. @unifoil Nimitz 7’10 @the.progression.project 200 / 14.5 Katana 83 / medium @qbpaddles Ono Ava 115 @kaohileash All gear available at @thefoilshop"

216 likes, 21 comments - foilwithme on February 19, 2024: "Fun sends with new friends! Sent a super technical run with @andywidmeier who was in town from the Great Lakes. He’s been pioneering runs out there and was blown away by how gnarly the conditions are here with all the crossed up swell...

www.instagram.com

 

[PRCD]

It was today, but still.

Patrick on Instagram: "Fun sends with new friends! Sent a super technical run with @andywidmeier who was in town from the Great Lakes. He’s been pioneering runs out there and was blown away by how gnarly the conditions are here with all the crossed up swell. Stoked to have a mission with him. This was the furthest out I’ve gotten, probably around 3 miles. I made it to the oil rig off HB, which has been a mission of mine. Got heavy out there as it created its own backwash and weird waves. Also, not being able to see the beach plays tricks on your mind and I got really nervous really quickly. Haha. @unifoil Nimitz 7’10 @the.progression.project 200 / 14.5 Katana 83 / medium @qbpaddles Ono Ava 115 @kaohileash All gear available at @thefoilshop"

216 likes, 21 comments - foilwithme on February 19, 2024: "Fun sends with new friends! Sent a super technical run with @andywidmeier who was in town from the Great Lakes. He’s been pioneering runs out there and was blown away by how gnarly the conditions are here with all the crossed up swell...

www.instagram.com

Prone seems more accessible than wing around here. Seems like you have to be able to prone before DW.

 

[Hdip]

Prone seems more accessible than wing around here. Seems like you have to be able to prone before DW.

Right tool for the job type of thing. Knowing how to do every aspect is better than only knowing one. But they all take time to learn is the hard part. For example. I don't foil on the weekends, because if I go to the beach it's with kids and we ride soft tops together. I don't regular surf at all anymore though. I barely prone foil. Winging is the most bang for my buck by far. Took me a year to get to that point though.

 

[PRCD]

How are Belmont Shores and Seal Beach for beginners? It'd be amazing not to have to drive into the LA Harbor.

 

[Hdip]

Belmont shores is quite good because you can walk back after you've been blown down wind. Seal beach has shorebreak which means it's bad.

Both places have Stingrays, so shuffle/stomp your feet.

 

[PRCD]

Looks like it's on tomorrow:

 

[PRCD]

Crazy how Austin Kalama can hand-paddle on tiny bumps to DW:
http://instagr.am/p/CnnphsMhJlC/

 

[PRCD]

Skunked - the wind didn’t show up. I got down there mid afternoon and it was about 5 knots. One guy was taxiing on his knees with a huge wing. Almost no one there.

 

[PRCD]

I got home and watched this video about foiling in light winds with a huge HA foil and an 7' downwind board.

Let's add up the cost of the foils, titanium fuselage, mast, and board:
Front foil (2000 cm^2): $700
Ti Fuselage: $250
Mast: $800
Gong Cruzader 7'0" : $800

For the low low price of another $2550, I too can foil in 5-10 knot winds.

 

[Hdip]

I got home and watched this video about foiling in light winds with a huge HA foil and an 7' downwind board.

Let's add up the cost of the foils, titanium fuselage, mast, and board:
Front foil (2000 cm^2): $700
Ti Fuselage: $250
Mast: $800
Gong Cruzader 7'0" : $800

For the low low price of another $2550, I too can foil in 5-10 knot winds.

That foil drive isn't looking that expensive anymore.

 

[averagejoe]

bit the bullet and ordered a 7'2 armstrong downwind board for light wind days. thing is amazing. picked it up from air cargo and went straight to the lake yesterday afternoon. wind was 6-15. if there's enough wind to stay on foil, there's enough wind to get up on foil. this is going to open up a lot more days...

 

[PRCD]

Anyone tried prone foiling? How hard is it?

 

[Hdip]

Anyone tried prone foiling? How hard is it?

10 sessions of falling. That seems to be a nice number. Scott Bass is doing it now, it can't be that hard. If you have the right waves, which you likely do then it's easy enough. Most of us learned prone in the surf.

 

[averagejoe]

i plan on trying prone on the new board. there are a few guys at cowells doing it on downwind boards...

 

[PRCD]

This sport is still pretty new and it's hard to get the right gear for your situation right away. I'll probably get a DW board at some point but the wind struggles to get above 6 knots most of the time. I think I'm going to try prone, probably on some beater DIY board. I'll probably try SUPing on that Maliko 200 first.

 

[averagejoe]

if i were you, i would put all my eggs in the basket of a nice downwind board. you will get a ton of mileage out of it. i let all my buddies borrow mine the last couple of days (i'm grinding through corporate tax returns) and all their minds were pretty blown.

 

[PRCD]

Surffoil seems like a way better option in the vast majority of places that have awful waves. You're also moving a lot more during the session rather than sitting.

Kai Lenny explains it here.

Last summer really drove this home for me - the vast majority of the time I'm riding garbage when I could be having a lot more fun.

if i were you, i would put all my eggs in the basket of a nice downwind board. you will get a ton of mileage out of it. i let all my buddies borrow mine the last couple of days (i'm grinding through corporate tax returns) and all their minds were pretty blown.

I'm not sure if we even get enough wind to wingfoil on DW boards here. The nearest local looks like this almost all the time. The sustained winds are usually below 10 kts, and the guys in that MacKite video said they don't do it below 8 knots even on the DW boards. That means I need a huge foil. I'm thinking of just getting a foil assist.



I realize you have to pay dues to avoid getting skunked but I'm not in a stage of life where I'm going to drive huge distances for this when I really can't bring my kids.