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Why foil....fin vs. foil
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:50 am    Post subject: Why foil....fin vs. foil Reply with quote

First of all I am a windsurfer and have been since 1981..Three years ago sitting at my local spot, waiting, hoping for some wind to sail, John came out and put his new foil thingy in the water. There wasn't even enough wind to think about rigging a 7.5. Seven of us watching, thinking there was no way he could go. Wrong. A few pumps and he was up and flying. His second day on a foil and he was on a 5.3 sail. To the man we seven said no way this isn't for me it will never work here at this gusty little lake. Now we seven, plus several more, all foil.
At our spot, summer is normally filled with lots of 6.0 to 4.7 days on a WS board. I got my foil for spring and fall when there is not enough wind to WS.
That and I got tired of watch John having fun while I sat and waited for wind.
Now 2 years into it I find myself looking forward to the foil days and warm 15ish mph winds.
Here is why for me. I now carry 3 sails. 5.8 4.7 4.2. A foil board and a 96 liter windsurf board. If it looks like a lite wind day I rig a 4.7 and go foiling. If it does get windy I just grab the windsurf board and plug in the 4.7. Bigger guys are doing the same on 5.3 or 6.1 sails. My 5.8 doesn't seem to get much use. At 69 years old and a life time of action sports, foiling is much easier on my old bones and I can stay on the water much longer than when I windsurf. The use of a smaller sail and no chop bouncing my board really helps. Getting up on the foil is much easier than getting going on a windsurf board. The biggest advantage of the foil is how easy it is to fly through big lulls. Where a windsurfer would stall, the foil keeps flying. Now I fly all the way across my lake and turn near each shore. On my WS board I would need to keep farther out to make turns in the wind line. This cuts off sometime, half of the lake making a small sailing area even smaller. On foil I can head up wind at extreme angles compared to my WS board. I also can head way down wind on foil with out worries of getting back up. Again extending the sailing area. If your sailing a large body of water, some of this doesn't apply. The last best thing for me is our evening blow. After the wind backs off and the WS guys are packing up for the day, I head back out for a golden hour on foil. If your getting to your spot late after work, hoping for an hour before it glasses off a foil might be a better option. Same if you only have a short time to play in the morning before the wind turns on. At my lake WS season starts in April and ends the last of Sept. Foil season starts in March and goes through November.........Just my positive thoughts on this newish sport
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great treatise!
I'm a 35 year shortboarder who turned 70 before my 4th day on a foil.
Now with almost 60 days on foil, compentency with foil is almost achievable.
It's sorta fun. It's sorta ....like yoga?
57 days this year sounds like ok. But I windsurfed, with sub 86 liter boards, maybe 35 days at Berkeley, and maybe an equal number of days with -112 liter boards and sub 6 meter sails.
Hmmm... that's a lot of water days. Maybe too many?
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d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree. Foil has hugely enhanced our sport.

It has achieved the previously unimaginable feat of putting formula windsurfing planing power and upwind/downwind performance into easy-handling, wavesailing-sized gear... Allowing people in shitty venues to get good time on the water with the same small gear the wind snobs in Maui, the Gorge, San Francisco, Corpus Christi, and the OBX were using.

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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

d0uglass wrote:
... allowing people in shitty venues to get good time on the water with the same small gear the wind snobs in Maui, the Gorge, San Francisco, Corpus Christi, and the OBX were using.

Ahhh, but the reason we ARE wind snobs is that in most of those venues, it takes wind to create the terrain we're out there for. i.e., Many of us are cherry-picking snobs, all right, but we're swell snobs, not wind snobs. Smile
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grantmac017



Joined: 04 Aug 2016
Posts: 946

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Big +1!

Now I can get in a good session on my commute home in a spot which hasn't been popular since centerboards went out of fashion.

I'd add that once a person is competent, carving a foil feels quite similar to a side-on wave. I haven't started jumping it but I'm sure that'll feel like a good B&J session once I do.
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akrausz



Joined: 19 Sep 2008
Posts: 158
Location: FL

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Or why not foil? My immediate group of windsurfers ride slalom gear, formula or whatever depending on the wind. We're a bunch of old guys that like to drag race each other across the bay, or just cruise around. I don't like the added risk of injury and the added risk of running aground. Even after 30 years, I'm still exploring and learning to fly on a fin.

Last edited by akrausz on Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:22 am; edited 4 times in total
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll take a powered 5.0 and 85 liter board day any time over foiling.
But when it's gusting to 15, foiling is pretty cool on 5 meters through as big as you want.
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

All summer long "my" lake is filled with people trying to enjoy them self on the water and a small stretch of beach. Boats, jet skis, kayaks, fishermen and kids playing on the sand. Plus all the wind toys. Most of the spring and fall the place clears out. Even the windsurfers have put their gear away and won't bring it out till summer. This time of year I often show up with one or two other foilers and we have the place to our self. Peaceful. No screaming kids or buzzing jet ski's. No dogs jumping on sails. No white caps. Yet I'm flying across the lake on a small sail having a blast. Its silent and smooth. Its the whole vibe of it that really works for a old retired guy...learning a new thing at my age is a kick....
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mark



Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 181

PostPosted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

akrausz,

I noticed you are in the Sarasota, FL area. I would like to find more about your sailing locations. Sent you a pm so I don't I hijack this thread. Thanks.

Mark
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fathomfathom



Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very much agree.
It's not one or the other, it's both.
Foiling is especially fun for many of us here on the Great Lakes, both
-miles of downwind swell riding, sail flagged, just surfing the swell, and straight up back upwind, rinse and repeat
-side shore front side wave riding that normally would be too small/mushy for wave board (esp when the wind drops after a good WS wave session)

When the wind kicks in above 20-25 knots with good waves, the WS board comes out to play and still is the best thing since slice bread.
Yesterday was awesome in 35-40 knots and 10-11 feet swell at the buoy.
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