Here is some of the waves from this morning's session on the Naish Hokua X32 7'10" I Foil Mounted yesterday.

This board really surprised me in how well it foiled. I mean I knew it would work and be reasonably good, but never thought it would paddle so fast and easily onto waves/swells (as you'll see it's barley breaking). This has proven to be a really good combo. Look at how few strokes it takes to get on these runs.

Board - 2015 Naish Hokua X32 7'10" GT.
Foil - 2018 Naish Thrust Surf Large.
Mount - Foil Mount Australia.
Mast position - 20" from the tail to the back of the mast.
Location - Collaroy Beach.
Conditions - Very small and hardly breaking. Mainly riding swells.

Enjoy,


Ride safe,

JB

That's excellent, I had wondered how some of the wider, heavier boards would go with the foiling, but you seem to have no trouble. After buying a replacement for my 7'6" x 29" Hokua GT, I was going to sell it, but then I thought I'd hang on to it and one day make it a foil board given the small amount I would be able to sell it for. This has inspired me to take the leap and convert it.

Also, it now seems obvious but your video has made me realise that Collaroy is a perfect wave for foiling - even though it's not much good for anything else

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GusD said..
That's excellent, I had wondered how some of the wider, heavier boards would go with the foiling, but you seem to have no trouble. After buying a replacement for my 7'6" x 29" Hokua GT, I was going to sell it, but then I thought I'd hang on to it and one day make it a foil board given the small amount I would be able to sell it for. This has inspired me to take the leap and convert it.

Also, it now seems obvious but your video has made me realise that Collaroy is a perfect wave for foiling - even though it's not much good for anything else

That 7'6" x 29" would be perfect. My suggestion would be to set the box's up so that at the most rear position the distance from the back of your mast and the tail is approx. 18", then the in the fore most position approx. 22". This should work well and give you trim for the uber flat days and the slightly more wally ones.

yes, Collaroy is awesome, i've enjoyed quite a few sessions there.

Look forward to seeing your new foil board in action.

regards,

JB

Nice one JB.
if I have a raptor 128 ,I don't use ,all I need is the naish foil right .?
and is it simple to fit it to the board.
tardy.

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Tardy said..
Nice one JB.
if I have a raptor 128 ,I don't use ,all I need is the naish foil right .?
and is it simple to fit it to the board.
tardy.

You just buy one of those $200 stick on plates and do-it-yourself.. oh.. and buy a foil.. Easy-peasy..

sounds like I'm going foiling then ...yeow with a bit of cash ...spent

i got a older 8'1o mana too ,I'm guessing the raptor would be better.dunno.

I'm a virgin.

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Tardy said..
Nice one JB.
if I have a raptor 128 ,I don't use ,all I need is the naish foil right .?
and is it simple to fit it to the board.
tardy.

Hey Tardy,

The Raptor V128 would be good. It is pretty wide, but the shortness will feel pretty good. The MANA 8'10" is a better width, but quite a bit longer. Really you could go either way here. The Mana might paddle a little quicker therefore being easier to get waves.

The Foilmount will work fine if you're not planning to get the Boxes put in. I will always recommend tethering your foil when not using a factory production board mount, but this said I have been using the Foil Mount stick ons on 3 boards now and not had any issues.

I'd suggest getting onto your local store ASAP, as many of the first shipment are pre-sold.

Enjoy the glide,

Ride Safe,

JB

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DavidJohn said..

Tardy said..
Nice one JB.
if I have a raptor 128 ,I don't use ,all I need is the naish foil right .?
and is it simple to fit it to the board.
tardy.

You just buy one of those $200 stick on plates and do-it-yourself.. oh.. and buy a foil.. Easy-peasy..

I think they're actually about $269 for the ridge mount. But still very easy, yes.

Thanks DJ,

Regards,

JB

I must have been looking at US prices.. still easier and cheaper than chopping into your board..

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JB said..
The Mana might paddle a little quicker therefore being easier to get waves.

Also a longer board paddles faster to get back to the peak, which is a relief when you end the ride and see the starting point far, far away ... :-)

The waves you ride in your videos seem perfect for foiling, anyways!

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colas said..

JB said..
The Mana might paddle a little quicker therefore being easier to get waves.

Also a longer board paddles faster to get back to the peak, which is a relief when you end the ride and see the starting point far, far away ... :-)

The waves you ride in your videos seem perfect for foiling, anyways!

The mana catches waves very easy ...the raptor how every has to be paddled flat out .

if its going to make catching unbroken waves easier to catch ...maybe the mana for sure .

. ...thinking more the plate .GTW .30.5 / 130/ 8,10'...is it too big ..does the foil make the board more stable ?
to paddle ..and do you have to paddle harder as to having no foil .? And seem the raptor is carbon ,will having a lighter board be a advantage .

I've been out of the water most of this year due to injury but in the last 4 weeks I have gone from my custom 8-0 x 29 -135 litre Sup foil board to my new custom board 7-6 x 28 -115 litre and today I rode my mate's board 7-4 x 27-105 litre . All the boards have fat nose and tails so they float me fine (I'm 53 & 90 kegs). The progression has been really fast. What I have found is the better you can foil the smaller the board you need to catch waves because as you paddle for a wave you can use the foil to push forward (you learn to use the foil force).

Once you are on the shorter lighter board it lets you fly and pump to drive through flat spots. Compare that to a larger board once you are on it feels like a dead weight and kills the pump. So you immediately lose any benefit from a longer board.

Less is best and learn to use the foil force to catch waves. Don't sit and wait for waves like you would on a normal Sup , get some momentum and it's only a couple of strokes and you are on to something you thought you would never catch. Same goes on the long paddle back just put in a couple of big ones and you will get some glide from the foil.

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Tardy said..
.does the foil make the board more stable ?

yes and no.
No, because as JB said, the foil catches all the underwater movements and put you off balance.
Yes, because as Piros said, with technique, if you keep the board in movement, you can use the the foil as a stabilizer.

My advice is to get a board you would feel comfortable on for SUPing, and maybe 10% more, but no more as it will become an hindrance in the air. And lighter is better, you want to reduce swing weight. There will be so many things going on when learning that you should be comfortable enough with the board to forget it.

For paddling to get waves, as Piros said, just become a beginner again: paddle early, in a straight line, and keep paddling. Even without pumping, the foil will lift the board making it lighter. You will be surprised by being able to take off on waves that you though you missed, as the crest has passed you... but somehow the board will catch up with the wave and do a kind of re-entry...

Thanks guys ...I did watch the vid again ..and there didn't seem like you had to paddle much before you are On.
i kinda like my mana and would prefer if I had a permanent mount on the raptor ,as it is my least favourite .

looks like i gotta learn how to walk again .but should be loads of fun .

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Piros said..
Same goes on the long paddle back just put in a couple of big ones and you will get some glide from the foil.

So even paddling back out, a few paddles will engage the foil and you get some lift/glide? It just gets better and better. Can't wait to try.

JB.... you make it look easy.... nice video!

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cantSUPenough said..
So even paddling back out, a few paddles will engage the foil and you get some lift/glide? It just gets better and better. Can't wait to try.

Mmm, definitely no!

You can sprint to get this effect, but you wont last the hundreds of meters to get back to the starting point :-)
Plus I found that often the foil will veer you sideways on the distance paddle when it hits some backwash or rip, which is all the time on the spots I foil in, so you spend energy correcting it, because when the board rolls on the side, you cannot just correct it simply, you have to drive the foil back into place.

It is a bit like paddling with a big single fin once you are used to paddle a board with small multiple fins: the balance is harder because the slight movements you used to correct it do not work anymore.

Colas you must be from another Sup Foil planet . Learn to paddle in surfer stance and use the fore and aft movement to push the foil as you paddle. if you paddle square stance you will rock side to side killing the motion and not being rude here mate but excess body mass will extenuate this. Add to this a stroke that is not parallel to the board you will yaw. We are foiling with mates on much larger normal Sup boards and we paddle back just as fast or faster.

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Piros said..
We are foiling with mates on much larger normal Sup boards and we paddle back just as fast or faster.

We do not speak of the same thing !!!

I was answering to somebody who is going to learn to foilSUP.

You are answering with your experience of a long time foiler...

It would just be like saying to a SUP beginner: "A sinking board is stabler", well it is once you have enough experience.

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colas said..

cantSUPenough said..
So even paddling back out, a few paddles will engage the foil and you get some lift/glide? It just gets better and better. Can't wait to try.

Mmm, definitely no!

You can sprint to get this effect, but you wont last the hundreds of meters to get back to the starting point :-)
Plus I found that often the foil will veer you sideways on the distance paddle when it hits some backwash or rip, which is all the time on the spots I foil in, so you spend energy correcting it, because when the board rolls on the side, you cannot just correct it simply, you have to drive the foil back into place.

It is a bit like paddling with a big single fin once you are used to paddle a board with small multiple fins: the balance is harder because the slight movements you used to correct it do not work anymore.

very interesting colas--not about foilism, but about the tippiness of my acid vs my airborn---airborn's a quad with much smaller fins than the stock sunova thruster fins on the acid---i wonder if i put a smaller rear thruster fin on the acid, if it would feel more stable to me?? or three slightly smaller fins than the stock sunova acid fins--the board is not remotely loose, so i dont see the board spinning out with smaller fins--i may do a fin swap to see if smaller feels more normal on the acid, given the board i ride most is a quad

one problem is that i hate screwing around with equipment when there are decent waves--i tend to grab the board i am most comfortable on, and paddle out and stay out for 3 or 4 hours--and im always on a goddamned schedule, where i have hustle to work or family or whatever after my precious session---so i feel like, why screw up a precious good session trying out gear and setups that i might struggle with?

makes it hard to learn what feels like what, by trying different options, but i hate being out on a board knowing id be having more fun with a different setup

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boundeast said..
i wonder if i put a smaller rear thruster fin on the acid, if it would feel more stable to me

I do not think you will see a lot of change in stability. The difference in fin size(s) relative to the board is quite small.

This said, I found out that it changes a lot the row when trying to position for take off, or making a U-turn before a wave: if when you begin you want bigger fins to master the row, with some experience you like a lot of row to keep the board loose for placing it where you want. Basically you will find big fins stabler when learning, and small fins easier to balance on once experienced: They provide a different kind of balance.

Changing gear to experiment is a pain. It was easier where I lived before, where often the car was parked close to the water, and the peaks close to the beach, but walking other the dune here in Hossegor is not something you consider lightly. For this the FCSII system is a boon, to be able to change fins on the water.

PS: On the foil issue, I have no doubts that with experience, you get used to its different balance and even can take advantage of it. But for your first steps (and you first board) you should not expect to be stabler with a foil, as some expert riders interviews may suggest.