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boardsurfr
Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266
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 Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| gregnw44 wrote: | ... I doubt it will be "relaxing", LOL At least, it won't be relaxing for me!!
I do NOT believe those vids showing peaceful, air-born, windfoiler's, flying along 2' off the water... with relaxing and fun music tracks!
I mean yes, that's what the vid is selling... but I ain't buying it 
I am expecting it to be tough and a long learning curve, before I'm able to do that (if ever) !!!
I'm expecting it to be a wobbly and constant balancing challenge... with tense muscles, making tons of slight adjustments, trying to keep it balanced...
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All these arguments could very well be made for windsurfing. If you've been planing for years or decades, you often forget how difficult learning to plane can be. But when I watch some newbies struggling with getting into the harness, onto a plane, or into the straps, I am often amazed I (or anyone!) ever made it through this stage. Once they learned how to plane at what seems screeming fast .. they are still a lot slower than others. One little slip of attention ... and the next chop or gust will catapult them.
For many windsurfers, it takes a lot of sessions before windsurfing in high winds and different conditions becomes relaxing. It can take months or years to build the "muscle memory" to automatically compensate for gusts or deal with chop.
The human body can do some rather amazing feats. I think it can also learn to foil windsurf in a way that all the necessary adjustments are automatic, so that foiling can be relaxing. There are now lots of foil manufacturers - the German Surf magazine this month has a test of 7 foils from 5 manufactures. Innovation is quite rapid - this year's model fare much better than last years, and foils aimed at beginners are a lot easier to learn on. Perhaps windsurf foils are where windsurf gear was in the early 1980s - fun, but with lots of possible improvements still to be discovered. |
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gregnw44
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa
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| Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 11:02 am Post subject: |
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Right boardsurfr... well said... I totally agree!!
And I said as much in the next sentence, after the part you highlighted.
< And it's this challenge that has all these experts so stoked. They are having to work their asses off while sailing in 8-18 knots again (just like they did when they were learning)... and they're loving the challenge. >
And those things I wrote, weren't "arguments"... they were observations / comments... things that make foiling appealing to some people.
I think it's all very positive!!
Next, there was an English translation posted here on iW about 2 weeks ago, from a French windsurf magazine (I think).. with a big foil test. But I can't find it now. If someone can tell me the thread to search... or can post it again... I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
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Greg
Longboarding since '81
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grantmac017
Joined: 04 Aug 2016
Posts: 946
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| Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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| jlooby wrote: | Really looking forward to the Slingshot review Andy. please post here
Joe |
Big +1 from me as well. |
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gregnw44
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa
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| Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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| gregnw44 wrote: |
Next, there was an English translation posted here on iW about 2 weeks ago, from a French windsurf magazine (I think).. with a big foil test. But I can't find it now. If someone can tell me the thread to search... or can post it again... I'd appreciate it.
Thanks |
Found it - Thanks Joe, for posting it originally!!
People are saying there's a newer comparison test, in the current German Surf Mag. I can't find it, but hope to see an English translation of that one as well, some day.
Here's the link to the French one.
https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=https://www.windsurf.boutique/actus/comparatifs-windfoils.html&prev=search
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Greg
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scottwerden
Joined: 11 Jul 1999
Posts: 302
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| Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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| I have never been into big-gear light wind sailing anyway so foiling is not going to all of a sudden change that. When the wind is light, I do other things like SUP or surf. If I were to take up another water-wind sport I would likely go to kiting before going to a foil. Kiters can do some amazing stuff on waves and it looks more inviting to me then foiling. But that's me. Each to his/her own. As others have said, foiling is really a different sport in many ways. |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5329
Location: East Bay
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| Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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But has ANYONE here experienced the lightwind ability of the foil vs the light wind ability of windsurfing? Which is what this post should be about...maybe?
Lots of videos showing foils zipping while beginner windsurfer's are slogging in the background.
What about real experience? Anyone? |
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gregnw44
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 2:13 am Post subject: |
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| zirtaeb wrote: | But has ANYONE here experienced the lightwind ability of the foil vs the light wind ability of windsurfing? Which is what this post should be about...maybe?
Lots of videos showing foils zipping while beginner windsurfer's are slogging in the background.
What about real experience? Anyone? |
Not sure what you mean here - whatcha mean by "lightwind ability of windsurfing"?
Explain please.
If you ask 100 windsurfer's what they think the lightwind ability is of their gear, you will get tons of different answers. Or if you ask, what light wind will you actually go sailing in... you get a whole different bunch of answers.
Next. If you're looking for... "how much wind do you need to foil... compared to who much wind do you need to plane a windsurfer"??
That's already known. It's comparable to wind needed to plane a formula board (of course however, you're using a smaller sail with a foil). Everyone's answer will vary 2 - 5 mph of needed wind speed. But anyway... both will plane in 8 to 12 knots of wind speed (or 6 or 7 knots if you believe the marketing).
And just like getting a windsurfer to plane, it'll depend on all the same factors - sailor weight... sailor skill... sailor fitness... gear... and lots more. Most good sailors will be able to get their foil to lift them, when the foil is traveling a solid 10 mph through the water. Some lightweight pro FW guys can get a FW planning just after it hits 10 mph of board speed (but of course with a bigger sail).
And like everything else in this sport, everyone's exact number for wind-speed to plane will vary a bit from person to person.
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gregnw44
Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 10:12 am Post subject: |
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(sorry, also meant to say) - What's the light wind ability of windsurfing? That answer is also known.
It's about 1 mph of light wind. Meaning a skilled windsurfer can balance on a floating windsurf board... and can move slowly across a body of still water, turn around and get back to their beach (in 1 mph wind).
If there's current, then you need more wind (and more board volume and or sail size) enough of that... to get enough speed to manage the current.
LOL, not saying most all windsurfers WANT to sail in those conditions, cause most do NOT. Just saying that is the wind light wind ability of windsurfing. A good longboard and sail and an experienced sailor... could navigate those conditions alright. A foil would not compete in that light wind.
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Greg
Longboarding since '81
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wdsurf
Joined: 22 May 1999
Posts: 335
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| Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 4:32 pm Post subject: Foiling 2017 |
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| Been out 5 times now about a dozen hours on my Horue setup 110 tiny and light wind foil making small progress.have been planning with 5.3 while 12@14 m kites been in the air and 7.5 windsurf sails.sailing 35 years nonstop on wave and high wind gear.going upwind and getting higher and longer foil rides each time.slow progress for shur but fun and very tiring! |
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jroberts
Joined: 10 Feb 1997
Posts: 30
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| Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:56 am Post subject: Bic Techno? |
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| Any opinions on if a Bic Techno would serve ok as a foil board? I have one I was *giving* away, but now maybe it has more value as I want to try the foiling. Thanks, Jeff |
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