www.freedomfoilboards.com/nugget/5637976580.p

Will this rise on foil easier than a flat wide tail?.
I like the concept, but i also liked the Ginxu and reviews are kind of lukewarm on that one.

Have not ridden that one, but have ridden my own shapes with that bottom. They take off smoother, feel less drag on tail taps, and rip turns tighter without tail tappings. I love them. Also feels like rocker, without adding rocker.

These are basically prone foil boards. I'm sure they work nicely. My main concern would be wave riding these, chiney bottoms like to redirect you in white water. Flat bottom and fuller rails will be more predictable.

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DWF said..
Have not ridden that one, but have ridden my own shapes with that bottom. They take off smoother, feel less drag on tail taps, and rip turns tighter without tail tappings. I love them. Also feels like rocker, without adding rocker.

This is good to know!

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mcrt said..
I like the concept, but i also liked the Ginxu and reviews are kind of lukewarm on that one.

@mcrt What's wrong with the reviews, and more importantly, what's stopping you from trying it out yourself?

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Taavi said..

mcrt said..
I like the concept, but i also liked the Ginxu and reviews are kind of lukewarm on that one.

@mcrt What's wrong with the reviews, and more importantly, what's stopping you from trying it out yourself?

Price? :)

I have seen some non commercial reviews that said it gave no advantage whatsoever.
I like the idea of hiding the mast plate but it has a big structural price .
It puts a bend in the partof the bottom that suffers the biggest compression loads...you can compensate but it is heavier.

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Price? :)

I have seen some non commercial reviews that said it gave no advantage whatsoever.
I like the idea of hiding the mast plate but it has a big structural price .
It puts a bend in the partof the bottom that suffers the biggest compression loads...you can compensate but it is heavier.

Share the reviews, would be interesting to see different people riding on that board, and to hear what they felt.

The more connected to the foil feeling cannot possibly be described as "no advantage whatsoever". If even I can feel it while riding I am sure other people could as well. Try to arrange a demo, and try it. It has quite different riding characteristics and feel, compared to all other shapes that I have tried.

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Taavi said..

The more connected to the foil feeling cannot possibly be described as "no advantage whatsoever". If even I can feel it while riding I am sure other people could as well. Try to arrange a demo, and try it. It has quite different riding characteristics and feel, compared to all other shapes that I have tried.

Well Taavi, i have heard that "more connected to the foil" argument before and it kind of puzzles me.
If that is the big plus of the Ginxu then just slap a shorter mast on a normal board and enjoy the same connectedness with less weight,no?.

And i do love that connected feel, i have doggedly stuck to my 75cm mast just for that reason, now playing with 85cm for more boost on jumps and better surfing in the bumpy stuff i get to ride.Jury still out, maybe 80cm will be it for me :).

The advantage i see in the Ginxu concept is for sure lower drag on touchdowns and maybe (not sure) on takeoffs.

I think in the future foil position will be far less variable and the Tuttle,or some variation of the Tuttle with a degree of adjustment, will be the norm.
The foil plate&screws are an hydrodynamic abomination and the Ginxu is kind of a fix, but i am not completely sold on it.

I will try it if i can,just not many chances of that happening.

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mcrt said..

Taavi said..

The more connected to the foil feeling cannot possibly be described as "no advantage whatsoever". If even I can feel it while riding I am sure other people could as well. Try to arrange a demo, and try it. It has quite different riding characteristics and feel, compared to all other shapes that I have tried.

Well Taavi, i have heard that "more connected to the foil" argument before and it kind of puzzles me.
If that is the big plus of the Ginxu then just slap a shorter mast on a normal board and enjoy the same connectedness with less weight,no?.

And i do love that connected feel, i have doggedly stuck to my 75cm mast just for that reason, now playing with 85cm for more boost on jumps and better surfing in the bumpy stuff i get to ride.Jury still out, maybe 80cm will be it for me :).

The advantage i see in the Ginxu concept is for sure lower drag on touchdowns and maybe (not sure) on takeoffs.

I think in the future foil position will be far less variable and the Tuttle,or some variation of the Tuttle with a degree of adjustment, will be the norm.
The foil plate&screws are an hydrodynamic abomination and the Ginxu is kind of a fix, but i am not completely sold on it.

I will try it if i can,just not many chances of that happening.

I can't explain it either, but somehow the board being just a few mm more than 4 cm thick where the back foot is (hard to measure properly, speaking of my 32 L board) translates to a truly connected feel.

Indeed the takeoffs are different too. Once the speed increases and the board is ready to release from the water it happens suddenly, there is less delay compared to my 40 litres 5'0'' for example. You feel it a bit less with very lifty foils that would get you foiling easily anyway, and appreciate it more with smaller area foils that require more board speed. And yes, the touchdowns feel different too.

The pricing is a sad reality. Built like a wave windsurf board, and almost as expensive as a wave windsurf board - only 200-500 euros cheaper, depending on the size. A luxury item for sure, as are the wave windsurf boards. But as a result it is rock solid and pumps well.

Here is a short clip of getting going, and a touchdown.