Board: Hypernut 7"8 retro fitted with a H4 Slingshot Hover Glide
(Using SHORT MAST - 15"/38cm.....also comes with 24"/60cm mast)

Surf: 1-3 feet clean FACES, long rolling walls. Light offshore. No people....joy.


Enjoying the (very) new feeling but still "green" having only just had second session. Have solid surf/SUP experience. No real major crashes, feel quite stable (all things considered) and getting some small glides in as I feel it out. I have some questions from those further along in the learning curve....

1) I get a small glide easily then board slams back down onto water. Usually stay on and keep going (and repeat up/down again) but not sure where I am going wrong. Possibilities:
a) Coming out too far in front of wave and/or not moving round enough on wave once up (i.e. Straight lining)
b) Short mast possibly a hinderance i.e. Not as much "play" area in the short mast length to feel out the sweet spot.
c) Just need more practice
d) Need waves with a bit more push/size
e) Combination of above

2) I can fit whole set up inside car complete so, thus far, have left everything attached when at home. It gets a good wash post surf but should I detach from board when not in use or OK to leave all intact?

If so, what/where is recommended to detach? i.e. Detach whole foil including base plate or detach just the foil/fuselage from the mast?
NOTE: Will dismantle/clean periodically to minimise corrosion/fusion however)

Thanks in advance......
Steve

Sounds to me like you could be breaching (the foil is breaking the surface) as soon as this happens it will lose lift and slam you back down.

P.S. I am still waiting for my SUP foil though, so that is just from what I have seen from others and my experience kite foiling.

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steve_worm said..
Board: Hypernut 7"8 retro fitted with a H4 Slingshot Hover Glide
(Using SHORT MAST - 15"/38cm.....also comes with 24"/60cm mast)

Surf: 1-3 feet clean FACES, long rolling walls. Light offshore. No people....joy.


Enjoying the (very) new feeling but still "green" having only just had second session. Have solid surf/SUP experience. No real major crashes, feel quite stable (all things considered) and getting some small glides in as I feel it out. I have some questions from those further along in the learning curve....

1) I get a small glide easily then board slams back down onto water. Usually stay on and keep going (and repeat up/down again) but not sure where I am going wrong. Possibilities:
a) Coming out too far in front of wave and/or not moving round enough on wave once up (i.e. Straight lining)
b) Short mast possibly a hinderance i.e. Not as much "play" area in the short mast length to feel out the sweet spot.
c) Just need more practice
d) Need waves with a bit more push/size
e) Combination of above

2) I can fit whole set up inside car complete so, thus far, have left everything attached when at home. It gets a good wash post surf but should I detach from board when not in use or OK to leave all intact?

If so, what/where is recommended to detach? i.e. Detach whole foil including base plate or detach just the foil/fuselage from the mast?
NOTE: Will dismantle/clean periodically to minimise corrosion/fusion however)

Thanks in advance......
Steve

Hi Steve,

As for issue number 1, i would say it is likely that you aren't tracking across the wave. So you are dropping straight, getting good speed and lift, shooting onto the flats then dropping out until the wave catches you again.

Are you sure you arent breaching? That could also be the case.

If the waves are big enough, it is still possible to get the foil up. Angling the foil up will get it lifting early and keeping it angled will let you stay up for longer. However it is much better if you get the lift from the wave itself, that's why learning to cut back into the sweet spot on the wave is critical. Foiling in larger waves will also help this. You can really notice the difference in the ability of the riders as most people learning still angled the foil high for too long. It is much sower like this, limits your maneuverability, and restricts you from driving speed out of it.

I personally would dismantle from the board when you can. It reduces the chances of breaking things. There is a lot of leveraged force on your board and foil so i try and minimize any unnecessarily risk. Im not sure how your foil assembles but i would just ensure its not connected to the board.

Cheers,

Ryan

Thanks tighline and OA/Ryan,

RE: Breach
Not sure what causes the breach vs. just running out of gas to keep foil up (ie going straight and foil/board slaps back down). That was what made me question if I should try with the long mast - to have more play area to find the sweetspot. Im wondering if the smaller one breaches before you get the chance to work out your best balance spot.....

But I may possibly just need more time to not let the foil go "over up" and level it out (maybe I am breaching?). If that's the case, this will just take time to feel out....

I did try to concentrate on going across wave as I did consider going straight/into the flats was maybecausing foil to slap back down. When I went across the wave though I seemd to get little lift and felt a bit more like just normal SUP surfing.

The hypernut and sligshot foil is not the lightest set up so, possibly, the wave may have been just too small. But for my humble 73kg's I would have thought it would be fine - so maybe not the issue.

Good tips though to keep refining the learning curve. Will try and get in bigger waves (just a little bigger) and try to cut back into the power source more regulalry - as much as ability allows. Will also try to midful of if Im breaching or just runnig away from the power source.

RE: Removing foil
I have the 4 x large bolts into the mast head/track system but, as it is a bit of stuffing about lining up the track t-nuts, I might just remove the wing/fuselage from the mast - just 2 x allen key bolts. This should takea bit of leverage off but make the "on/off' process easiest....

Thanks again....

Select to expand quote

steve_worm said..
Thanks tighline and OA/Ryan,

RE: Breach
Not sure what causes the breach vs. just running out of gas to keep foil up (ie going straight and foil/board slaps back down). That was what made me question if I should try with the long mast - to have more play area to find the sweetspot. Im wondering if the smaller one breaches before you get the chance to work out your best balance spot.....

But I may possibly just need more time to not let the foil go "over up" and level it out (maybe I am breaching?). If that's the case, this will just take time to feel out....

I did try to concentrate on going across wave as I did consider going straight/into the flats was maybecausing foil to slap back down. When I went across the wave though I seemd to get little lift and felt a bit more like just normal SUP surfing.

The hypernut and sligshot foil is not the lightest set up so, possibly, the wave may have been just too small. But for my humble 73kg's I would have thought it would be fine - so maybe not the issue.

Good tips though to keep refining the learning curve. Will try and get in bigger waves (just a little bigger) and try to cut back into the power source more regulalry - as much as ability allows. Will also try to midful of if Im breaching or just runnig away from the power source.

RE: Removing foil
I have the 4 x large bolts into the mast head/track system but, as it is a bit of stuffing about lining up the track t-nuts, I might just remove the wing/fuselage from the mast - just 2 x allen key bolts. This should takea bit of leverage off but make the "on/off' process easiest....

Thanks again....

To be honest if you are breaching on your current mast, you will likely do the same with a longer mast. Yes it does give you more room to play but its all about getting the muscle memory to foil at a set height. It doesnt take too long thankfully. As you get better you can feel and hear the foil before it breaches and can catch it before it does.

The primary benefit of a longer mast is that you can lay the board over further without breaching when you "rail to rail" surf. But to be perfectly honest there aren't too many people that are at that stage yet.

Keep at it though. Try not to change your equipment too much as it only sets you back with each swap. It honestly is the most fun sport i have ever done!!!

Ryan

Sounds like the foil is stalling.
How fast would you be going when it slaps down, like fast walking pace?
The foil will only fly and hold the wieght of rider, board etc at a certain speed.
If you are breaching you will normally hear the wings sucking as it breaks free.
Hope this helps.

Thanks Ryan - can appreciate not messing with equipment too much. Definately see the potential.

I might have one or two more sessions on the small mast then throw the normal 60cm length on. I have heard this happening with at least one other person (short mast only briefly). Nice to get the initial feel on the small mast though.

I definately have a long way to go but my balance seems to be solid enough. As you say, just need to get the foil feel....which will come.

Most likely, this is breaching due to the short mast. You can switch to the long mast as soon as your lateral balance is OK (i.e, you do not fall immediately on the side on takeoff).
Stalling from the lack of speed will feel different: it will be more gradual than a "slam", and the foil will try to "escape" on the side, a bit like a dead leave falling.

You will have to try to follow the trim line, rather than going straight to the beach, but that is part of the natural learning curve.

I would dismantle the foil from the board, small but sudden motions in/on the car cannot be good...

Your board and foil set up is perfect but you need some locators for your feet. Back foot is very important just buy a stomp pad and stick it on top of your existing grip (it sticks) .Put the kick of the pad 2 inches behind the back of the mast. That gets your back foot in the right spot. Same goes for your front foot just get a different colored strip of deck grip and stick it on the centerline of your board .My feet centers are apx 660mm apart so use that as a guide. (but everyone is different)

If you look at my board I can easily look down to see where my front foot is when I feel balanced it's on or near the orange strip and the V point keeps it centered. ( I deliberately set it up like that). Now your feet are in the right spot if you are over foiling ,just creep the front foot. Take off straight with weight forward don't foil then turn into the fall line of the wave and ease up. Keep the board low stay away from getting too high. That way if you touch down you don't get thrown off. Pick your days small clean waves avoid offshore breezes they lift your board. Just keep at it you will get it. You can also slide your foil back in your tracks to reduce lift. This helps you learn until the switch in your brain flicks and you stop surfing off your back foot and learn to control foil height with your front foot.

Re pulling your foil apart yeah for sure every couple of weeks on the Slingshot but a Naish I would do it once a week as it is M6 with finer threads .

Thanks Colas and Piros.....I kind of knew (hoped) you'd chime in.

I felt pretty comfortable with my balance on it. Even with the slam downs (and nose going under a bit on on the slam) I could keep going each time and was cutting across the waves looking to stay with the power sections (as much as one can on tiny rollers).....So I might go to the standard mast (60cm). About time I had some text book crashes anyway

My hypernut has some good, distinctive breaks/differing patterns in the deck grip and found the exact mid-point on one of these grip sections is right over the mast. So Im confortable with the back foot marker. BUT, I do like the tail pad idea Piros! Front foot is still a bit up in the air but, as I've only finished session #2, I just need more time to feel this out - and, in the absence of another nice existing deck grip marker, I'll add one.

By the way, I have my mast about 3/4 of the way forwards (if measuring full track length - or in the mid point of the forward 1/2 from where you insert T-nuts).....seem about right? Or better to go full forward all the way?

Pulled Hover Glide off at fuselage end of mast to minimse unneccesary stress in between surfs - so have the front/rear wing & fuselage together separtate from mast. Goes in with 2 bolts, so not too bad on and off.....

By the way, I have my mast about 3/4 of the way forwards (if measuring full track length - or in the mid point of the forward 1/2 from where you insert T-nuts).....seem about right? Or better to go full forward all the way?

That's only relevant to where you set your boxes so look at somewhere between 21" & 23" from back of mast to the tail on a 7-8. personally, I'd set it mid box. Don't worry too much about removing the foil from your board the Slingshots are built like a tank and if your boxes are strong , all good. I only pull them apart for cleaning.

Run the longer 24" mast.

The 15" is really only for learning how to steer and control the height of the foil .

Once you have that part down pat you will really want the extra mast length so you have room to play around.

Steve, I would not worry too much about the mast position. Try to keep the same mast position between sessions, so that you do not change all the variables at the same time, just try to find the proper foot position.

If you have a full carbon mast, you do not need to dismantle the foil itself. I keep mast+fuz+wings always together. But for this I would recommend torx or hex screw heads. Trying to unscrew phillips or pozidriv heads after some time may yield unpleasant surprises.

Good tips as always colas and piros (et. al.)...

Current mast position seems relatively 90 degrees do won't mess with it.

Longer mast in now so see how we go....

Put the longer mast on.....

I levelled the board, and mast looks a little off from 90 degrees (can see it clearly angles towards the tail a little) BUT compared against the over flat bottom edge of the board it actually looks like it needs a bigger wedge plate as the fuselage seems a tiny bit down... but then again, foil wing itself seems about 90 degrees....

....any second opinions?

second angle....

It seems OK to me because I think your board nose will be higher when paddling on the water than here on the chairs,
on the water we have the nose over the surface and the tail under it, which does not seem the case here.

Thanks colas!