Just want to say thanks to all that have contributed to this thread, which has lead to me purchasing my J shapes gear.

Yesterday I took my J shapes foil (120cm freeride board + 95cm mast + cruzer foil) for its first spin.

What a pleasure to use. I'm still a beginner having had some runs on a liquid galaxy board and foil previously. I can foil and turn to toe-side OK and then ride toe-side a bit is about my level.

I must say coming from the liquid force kit that the J shapes kit is extremely friendly to use. Particularly love the way the board and foil float in the water when positioning to water start - I don't use straps. The wind was light yesterday and found it really easy to water start even tho the board is quite small (but I love the size of it, perfect). Once up and riding I found the foil very very smooth and easy to control. It honestly feels so smooth and an absolute joy to ride. And I didn't have any moments where I felt out of control on the foil once up foiling - the wind was great yesterday tho (very smooth - no gusts) which may have contributed a bit here.

Lastly the tear down after the session. Easy and super quick!

Can't wait to get out the foil again real soon!

which liquid force wing were you using previously

Looking at the website I'm 99% sure it was the impulse foil. I used this with both the short and 95cm mast paired with the galaxy 4"2 board.

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Cygnify said..
Just want to say thanks to all that have contributed to this thread, which has lead to me purchasing my J shapes gear.

Yesterday I took my J shapes foil (120cm freeride board + 95cm mast + cruzer foil) for its first spin.

What a pleasure to use. I'm still a beginner having had some runs on a liquid galaxy board and foil previously. I can foil and turn to toe-side OK and then ride toe-side a bit is about my level.

I must say coming from the liquid force kit that the J shapes kit is extremely friendly to use. Particularly love the way the board and foil float in the water when positioning to water start - I don't use straps. The wind was light yesterday and found it really easy to water start even tho the board is quite small (but I love the size of it, perfect). Once up and riding I found the foil very very smooth and easy to control. It honestly feels so smooth and an absolute joy to ride. And I didn't have any moments where I felt out of control on the foil once up foiling - the wind was great yesterday tho (very smooth - no gusts) which may have contributed a bit here.

Lastly the tear down after the session. Easy and super quick!

Can't wait to get out the foil again real soon!

Hey Cygnify,

This thread and the numerous posters were also a big influence in helping me decide on buying some JShapes gear. Pretty happy with my setup now. I'll have to get much more advanced to really test its limitations though.
I kite the Tweed Coast regularly and was wondering where some foil friendly places would be around the GC. Care to share?

Best place to foil on the GC would have to be Shearwater (park), Runaway Bay. Bit of a drive from Tweed but well worth it. Obviously around high tide is best but I believe you can foil there in all tides, I'm still learning about this spot. Also has 3knot boost when tidal flow and wind are moving in opposite directions.

Good crew foiling there always when the wind is on for it.

I'll keep an eye out for another j shapes

Has anyone here used the J shapes C-wave foil and either of the prone surfboards together for some paddle foiling?
Looking to get into prone foiling and not sure to whether to stick with J shapes or try one of the many other brands out there making gear.

I have only the 95cm mast, cruzer foil and 120cm board, so would need to get pretty much all new stuff, but at least it would be interchangeable.

The best thing is to contact Antoine at J Shapes and ask him. He gives good answers to questions. info@jshapes.com

I asked about the C Wave and he said it is the same foil as the Cruzer but with a deeper profile. It is used to give more lift in small waves. He says he surfs the Cruzer with a 5' board.

I have experimented with body board surfing and SUPing the Cruzer. It was loads of fun to body board. Very easy to do and risk free. I got up on the foil on almost every wave.

It was fun to SUP and I could catch waves and feel the lift of the foil but never got up on the foil. The Cruzer is too small for SUP and my SUP board was too big.

I now have a GoFoil Iwa and a dedicated SUP foiling board. I've kited with the Iwa but haven't tried surfing it yet.

I just contacted Antoine with exactly the same question. He is away until Sept 20th. I really hope that J-shapes do make a SUP specific foil, I've just gone and bought a 6'10" Starboard 4in1 foil-board.

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Gorgo said..
The best thing is to contact Antoine at J Shapes and ask him. He gives good answers to questions. info@jshapes.com

I asked about the C Wave and he said it is the same foil as the Cruzer but with a deeper profile. It is used to give more lift in small waves. He says he surfs the Cruzer with a 5' board.

I have experimented with body board surfing and SUPing the Cruzer. It was loads of fun to body board. Very easy to do and risk free. I got up on the foil on almost every wave.

It was fun to SUP and I could catch waves and feel the lift of the foil but never got up on the foil. The Cruzer is too small for SUP and my SUP board was too big.

I now have a GoFoil Iwa and a dedicated SUP foiling board. I've kited with the Iwa but haven't tried surfing it yet.

I asked Antoine this a while back ...

His words ; the surf foil is a fat cruzer foil , 40 mm thick to create lots of lift in small surf. Not really suitable for kiting , too much lift

cheers.

What a cruisey session on the Jshapes 150 -90cmast-cruzer Foil.
It just made sense today .
Will try the 135cm board tomorrow hopefully same cruzer 90mast set up how simple to assemble.
Absolutely awesome feeling just flying over 2' chop
Amazing I am blown away.

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LeighMajor said..
What a cruisey session on the Jshapes 150 -90cmast-cruzer Foil.
It just made sense today .
Will try the 135cm board tomorrow hopefully same cruzer 90mast set up how simple to assemble.
Absolutely awesome feeling just flying over 2' chop
Amazing I am blown away.

I keep telling people but most dont want to know the truth.... you just cant help some people.

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snalberski said..

LeighMajor said..
What a cruisey session on the Jshapes 150 -90cmast-cruzer Foil.
It just made sense today .
Will try the 135cm board tomorrow hopefully same cruzer 90mast set up how simple to assemble.
Absolutely awesome feeling just flying over 2' chop
Amazing I am blown away.

I keep telling people but most dont want to know the truth.... you just cant help some people.

Hahaha
I am having trouble encouraging our crew to get into foiling.
Mainly cost factor or no need due to other kiting outlets.
So I often Foil solo, then kite with my wife and friends later as the wind increases.
Tried the Jshapes 135cm ,90cm mast cruzer foil today.
Amazing feeling.
At times rising over 2' chop waiting for a cavitation but just gliding.
My toeside turns and occasional glides need more work to say the least.
Heelside again both directions works.
Lots more distance in runs
only shortened by my own fear.Shark Bay.Solo.
Glided over a School of rays thought the worst.
Lots of sea life.

Hey crew ,I am hesitant to place my rear foot in the foot strap in forward screw holes..My rear foot over the mast seems be balanced whilst foiling.Tried today but my rear foot felt too far back.So back over the mast.Just wondering what other jshapes folks reckon.

Hey Leigh,

Your 150 board looks pretty sweet with the custom graphics

Regarding your question on foot placement, from my online research and personal experience with my pocket 100 and Cruzer foil I think the common balance point for rear foot placement is directly over the mast. In stronger winds when I am going faster I can widen my stance and place my rear foot around the rearward mast bolt. This works for me when carving around at speed but you need to be mindful of stalling the wing when travelling at lower speeds.

For those with the freeride wing, I am sure the wing balance point is further back.

I have made a few online comments questioning why the mast position is so forward on all of the JShape boards. I don't appreciate the wasted space at the back of the board. Antoine has given me some practical advice on this.

I read a forum comment recently suggesting that when foiling, one isn't riding the board like you would when on the surface but balancing the forces of the foil. Foot position relative to the board is less of a concern compared to riding a directional in the waves for instance. I have changed my mindset a bit with this knowledge and subsequently have been enjoying my setup much more. I am now using my hips and upper body to balance the foil forces (very averagely I'm sure). Foot position is less of a focus for me now.

Cheers!

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LeighMajor said..

snalberski said..

LeighMajor said..
What a cruisey session on the Jshapes 150 -90cmast-cruzer Foil.
It just made sense today .
Will try the 135cm board tomorrow hopefully same cruzer 90mast set up how simple to assemble.
Absolutely awesome feeling just flying over 2' chop
Amazing I am blown away.

I keep telling people but most dont want to know the truth.... you just cant

Hey crew ,I am hesitant to place my rear foot in the foot strap in forward screw holes..My rear foot over the mast seems be balanced whilst foiling.Tried today but my rear foot felt too far back.So back over the mast.Just wondering what other jshapes folks reckon.

I had the very same problem initially and rigged up a footstrap over the mast. Eventually I just persevered with the rear footstrap in its designed position. It really only took 2 or 3 sessions and a little adjustment and it was easy.

It's sort of a two part answer.

The first part is the Cruzer is a very lifty foil and it likes to have a fair bit of forward pressure to keep it down. That's a good thing because in horrible conditions you can move your back foot way forward and it settles down very nicely and cruises (no pun intended) through anything.

My normal stance is front foot in a strap and back foot moving around to wherever it needs to be. Yuk or going super fast then back foot forward. Locked in, cranked over and powered up in flat water then back foot way back.

The Freeride foil is less lifty and much easier to ride with the back foot in the strap.

I generally only put a foot in the back strap for boosting or pretending to be a kite racer charging upwind. The sweet spot of the Cruzer is huge and it's a heap of fun moving your feet around for the best effect and best feeling.

The other answer is that with a lot more experience you can quickly adapt to anything. Initially riding the Cruzer with a foot in the back strap you end up in this weird stance with the front leg super bent and pushing down and the back leg extended and almost completely unweighted. With experience you learn you can straighten and even up your legs and relax your stance, move your head and hips a bit forward and just ride. At times you'll catch a mental image of yourself and think "I look like a kite racer". Funny about that.

As an aside, the J Shapes kit is so light, you can do little jumps with just a foot in the front strap. The board stays nicely attached. When learning to tack I often end up with an aerial backroll that lands and rides away as a tack or 360. It's annoying when that's not what you're trying to do, but great when your mates think you did it on purpose.

A little bit of philosophising. With most sports, and foiling in particular, people encounter a problem and decide that there is a problem with their gear. They move straps about and buy special things that will fix whatever problem they have. Think of windsurfers and foot straps, surfers and fins, kiters and everything. Most of those problems come from being new and unfamiliar. Short of a piece of gear being absolute crap, or totally unsuited to the person, the solution is generally to try harder and get better then all problems disappear.

More BTW. I recently bought a 1500cm Gofoil to try surf foiling (the Cruzer is just over 1000cm). I took it kite foiling and almost every water start ended up piffing me off the back. By the end of the session I had it nailed and riding was effortless. With a 155cm J Shapes board and the big foil it was like riding around on a pool table.

Hey thanks for your detailed answers.
Riddim hit it with his advice
riding or balancing the forces of the foil.
Cruzer needs more front foot pressure.
Relating to back foot position.
Which is generally over the mast give or take a bit each way.
So I basically don't or should not use the rear strap Foot position when on the cruzer.
When using the freeride Foil
rear strap position works better because of less lift .
The Freeride is noticeably more twitchy being a novice.
But it's just my level of inability to adapt.
Deffinately not the equipment but my lack of experience.
I really appreciate the sharing of foiling knowledge folks.
I look forward to more flying hours.

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LeighMajor said..
Hey thanks for your detailed answers.
Riddim hit it with his advice
riding or balancing the forces of the foil.
Cruzer needs more front foot pressure.
Relating to back foot position.
Which is generally over the mast give or take a bit each way.
So I basically don't or should not use the rear strap Foot position when on the cruzer.
When using the freeride Foil
rear strap position works better because of less lift .
The Freeride is noticeably more twitchy being a novice.
But it's just my level of inability to adapt.
Deffinately not the equipment but my lack of experience.
I really appreciate the sharing of foiling knowledge folks.
I look forward to more flying hours.

Hey Gorgo thanks for the feedback. It's Deffinately starting to feel amazing.
I noticed you purchased a V2 90cm mast.
Am thinking to grab one also.
Hoping the extra carbon and wider top and bottom add up to less flex and slightly more control for bigger riders.
plus gives you a spare mast for my free ride or cruzer Foil.

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riddim1 said..
Hey Leigh,

Your 150 board looks pretty sweet with the custom graphics

Regarding your question on foot placement, from my online research and personal experience with my pocket 100 and Cruzer foil I think the common balance point for rear foot placement is directly over the mast. In stronger winds when I am going faster I can widen my stance and place my rear foot around the rearward mast bolt. This works for me when carving around at speed but you need to be mindful of stalling the wing when travelling at lower speeds.

For those with the freeride wing, I am sure the wing balance point is further back.

I have made a few online comments questioning why the mast position is so forward on all of the JShape boards. I don't appreciate the wasted space at the back of the board. Antoine has given me some practical advice on this.

I read a forum comment recently suggesting that when foiling, one isn't riding the board like you would when on the surface but balancing the forces of the foil. Foot position relative to the board is less of a concern compared to riding a directional in the waves for instance. I have changed my mindset a bit with this knowledge and subsequently have been enjoying my setup much more. I am now using my hips and upper body to balance the foil forces (very averagely I'm sure). Foot position is less of a focus for me now.

Cheers!

Hey Simon
The graphics are simply a large sticker that Radiator WA anti Shark deterrent design have available in a few sizes.
It may help not sure.
Personally I don't think a white pointer would give a ****.Hahaha
Just something to reassure me when kite foiling in Shark Bay Nsw.