The feel of being on a wave is very different on a foil as opposed to a surfboard. I found you end up surfing the undercurrent like a Dolphin. You also end up quite a bit forward on the wave rather than the face. Or maybe it's just me at the beginning of it

Got a big grin on my face though eheh

Enjoy,

Vwww.facebook.com/SirVV/videos/10153606472711018/?pnref=story

HD is better of course

Nice vid

Enjoyed watching that! Well done.

Is it just me, but moving from windsurfing (where sometimes I ran a 50cm fin) to kitesurfing, I have really enjoyed the ability to get into the shallow water with ease. Have you, or are you concerned about collecting a hidden bombie, excess weed, cray pot line...whatever with the foil?? Some of that footage looks like you are in fairly shallow water. I dare say a sudden stop will drestoy a fair bit of carbon plus injuries.

Nice question ;)Of course I am, very much so. You must be aware of the area all the time, scout the location for depth .. specially when the water is so clear that you don't know how deep you really are. I normally just cruise around for a while before hand, get off the board in some spots and try to feel the bottom, never go out and surf a wave without seeing/feeling the place at low tide. Taking the foil on an unknown area and surf it is just stupid.. I try not to be. But, in saying that, am I completely sure at all times? Hell No and **** happens. I did hit a bommie on the second beach on the video and came off superman like . Like with everything else it is a risk you must be prepared for, and then decide if you will take the punt - I do it with full knowledge that if I hit it at full speed, my foil can be done. And when the wave sucks the water it is shallower still.

But the MHL foil is ROCK SOLID , I've hit the bottom all the time in sand and and also reef sometimes. My wings are scratched and need polishing some times. Against the results it is a risk I am prepared to take .. can't eat the cake if you don't bite deep enough..Peace up and good windsV

Great video but Crikey! it was like watching a horror film my heart was racing with the suspense of when your foil would be destroyed. It didnt happen no? Lucky man or smarter than me I cant kite in indo without breaking fcs fins off. I have even snapped a board in half on a bombie.

Nice locations you really went every where. I was impressed you could ride the waves at tanjung aan. Must be the extreme upwind of the foil helping with that.

I only hit a bit of reef at Tanjun'aan, because the wind died on me and I had to drift downwind to keep foiling. I was coming off a wave and speed can only keep you up for so long . Another time at a different beach I sort of scraped it on the reef but it held on.

I'll add a couple of points here:

1 - the MHL LIFT Foil is super strong. At home in Palm Beach QLD I hot the sand bottom quite frequently because I continue to foil as the tide goes down. Eventually it hits and just keeps going. I have come off a few times at a rate of knots but the thing just stays together. The new link of strut / fuselage is super strong, they've got it dialed.

2 - I requested a short strut made for me, this one is 750 m/m. They don't call them MHL Custom for nothing eheh

Nicholas the designer makes anything upon request, and their main painter 'Gato' paints the boards by request as well, he's a freaken artist - look at image attached, that's my next custom job eheh.
But they'll make anything for anyone .. "Custom" is right.
Disclaimer: NO, I don't get commission. Go see for yourselves liftfoils.com/ - I'm just a satisfied customer eheheh V

Now I was with the group that went kiting in Lombok with Sir-V. What he didn't mention is how little wind he needs to kite on the foil. ON many days the wind was lite, and all us standard surfboard kiters sat on the beach twiddling our thumbs enviously watching Sir V gloating back and forth through the crystal waters. Nearly every day he would get 2 hrs head start on us, the only one on the water, before the winds picked up enough for us to even start mowing the lawn, struggling to keep up wind..

Velcro, great vid!

Matthew.

Nice Big V, that got me pumped for summer! the left hander at around 4m looks epic

Depth in really clean water is very hard to gauge.

We sailed into Lady Musgrave and the bombies looked like they were at rudder depth (0.9m), sounder said 4m. dropped anchor and went for a swim, sounder was right it was over 4m deap...

Nice vid SirV. Interesting all plp slamming you a year ago have disappeared.... Definately on my wish list.

I do notice you are strapped, has this caused any issues?

@ Harlie

I do ride strapped but not all the time. Most of the time with front strap only, still to transition to full on :) I guess that when you are facing an unfamiliar area / wave, and the fact that I am NOT a surfer (unfortunately).. it makes it a little scary facing waves on a foil unstrapped.

I find that sometimes I use the front strap to pull the board up and the back is only just to get on. In the whitewash is important to get on it asap before the next set hit you . If you look closely the straps are VERY lose, I mean seriously lose

I will definitely transition to strapless later but for now I am still coping with all other aspects. I am learning surfing through kitesurfing as I cannot paddle (rotator cuff surgery). But I am having fun learning this way. I guess it doesn't matter how you learn as long as you do - that how I see it anyway

The haters? I don't remember them anymore, who does? My smile says it all.

Cheers guys. Peace up and good winds to all.

V

very cool

that has definitely go to be a different feeling. Can you sometimes back the kite off a bit and ride the wave like you would with a surfboard ?

Also what wind speeds were you flying in?

Select to expand quote

JacobMatan said..
very cool

that has definitely go to be a different feeling. Can you sometimes back the kite off a bit and ride the wave like you would with a surfboard ?

Also what wind speeds were you flying in?

My guess is you can ... once you're on the wave, you could use the speed to keep foil up, much like regular surfing:


But I figure you need a bigger wave with a nice wall to make it work. I have started playing around with my foil in rolling swell (not breaking) and you can definitely feel the acceleration when you drop in ... though the challenge becomes how to spill off enough speed to maintain control.

I'd love to try in real waves, but suspect I never will ... because if I ever get to kite in waves as nice as that it would be pretty hard not to grab the surfboard!

[PS NICE video Sir V!!]

Select to expand quote

juandesooka said..

JacobMatan said..
very cool

that has definitely go to be a different feeling. Can you sometimes back the kite off a bit and ride the wave like you would with a surfboard ?

Also what wind speeds were you flying in?

My guess is you can ... once you're on the wave, you could use the speed to keep foil up, much like regular surfing:


But I figure you need a bigger wave with a nice wall to make it work. I have started playing around with my foil in rolling swell (not breaking) and you can definitely feel the acceleration when you drop in ... though the challenge becomes how to spill off enough speed to maintain control.

I'd love to try in real waves, but suspect I never will ... because if I ever get to kite in waves as nice as that it would be pretty hard not to grab the surfboard!

[PS NICE video Sir V!!]

Obviously the goal is to do it like the Man (LH) but that's a little far away still. I agree, the bigger the wave the 'easier' it should become.. but that also changes with the type of wave because how it breaks or dumps will have a massive impact on your turns etc.

Hamilton makes it look very easy but judging by the angle of his turns he is going very fast. I also think that if I am facing waves like those I will need to revert to the long strut and thus get more angle (lean) for the turns.For now I am using my 'shorty' 750 m/m as I have a more direct feel and responses are faster. But as long as I am not afraid of hitting the bottom I think the normal 1020 m/m will be a better proposition for big waves.

I will be back at Spot X in October as I hear the surf is bigger and there's more wind, so I will try a few more foil variations. I also hope to try the race wings as they will be faster still . That of course means more crashes eheh.

Keep you posted.

I hope a few more people start taking their foils to waves after this, and no more talking about 'mowing the lawn' . I would love to see a few foils on the Goldie come up and play at Palm Beach so we can learn off each other. I wish I was a surfer, imagine what I could do eheh. WhatEVA.. I'm still having fun

V

Select to expand quote

Sir V said..
I found you end up surfing the undercurrent like a Dolphin.

Vwww.facebook.com/SirVV/videos/10153606472711018/?pnref=story

PLEASEEEEE.......

Do not insult the dolphins.

Select to expand quote

waveslave said..

Sir V said..
I found you end up surfing the undercurrent like a Dolphin.

Vwww.facebook.com/SirVV/videos/10153606472711018/?pnref=story

PLEASEEEEE.......

Do not insult the dolphins.

On the contrary, I wish I was like them

Select to expand quote

Sir V said..

waveslave said..

Sir V said..
I found you end up surfing the undercurrent like a Dolphin.

Vwww.facebook.com/SirVV/videos/10153606472711018/?pnref=story

PLEASEEEEE.......

Do not insult the dolphins.

On the contrary, I wish I was like them

Then go surf the bow wave of a ship, dolphin-boy.

lol.

Lh video....raglan nz. Yes going super fast! And his mast is about 5 feet. I think you're right. ..that helps for big bottom turns.

Can't paddle surf but you could probably sup? Get a feel for getting a board right in the pocket and getting trim down the line....might make all the difference for next year's video.

Foiling has never appealed to me but that was a good watch mate. You are not a surfer? Well done