I think a lot of you have the advantage of being near reef breaks. I've only got beach breaks and although I found a spot with really good offshore sand bar the whole beach has got just a crushing beach break that is really rough even in a 2 ft swell because it can translate into head high waves pounding sand.
I mean rough if your trying to wrestle with a giant board and balloon in 15-20 knots.

Normally like on a surf board or whatever you would just time it and you have at least 30 seconds to get through without giving it a second thought. But with an 80cm mast that I'm lugging into the water trying to get into waist high water to turn it over while also trying to keep the wing from slamming into the foil... you get the picture.

I've been thinking about trying to chuck the board out past the beach break and then swim out with just the wing but it seems super risky if not to my health then to my gear. Been thinking about a super long "leash" on the wing that I drag out to me after I am through the breaker? I dunno.

I also don't have a handle on the bottom of the board which is a 7ft Naish 120 hover crossover. Maybe I just need to get a more manageable board?


Any advice?

I hear you, and I haven't found a decent solution either, with the prone board I just turn it upside down, wrap one arm over the nose of the board and duck under the waves, but that doesn't solve the wing problem, maybe your long rope might work, try it without the board first and see how it goes. Atm I've resorted to driving to somewhere I can launch in a rip or gutter.

Hey Crashflow great name for this topic
went out today at Windang in a 20-25 knot southerly with 2-3 ft shore-break, bigger outside.I know your pain, it was a wait and see until a small lull appeared then raced out with foil pointing up and wing downwind.

Once in deep enough water I quickly turned the board over and paddled diagonally out with the sweep/current. I just let the wing fly loose down wind of me, it was crossshore so a bit easier than cross-on
it worked quite well the first time out. I came back in to change my front wing and second time out not so lucky.

I got my timing wrong and got rag dolled in the shorey, keeping hold of the footrstrap (very important) that foil is deadly.
I let go of the wing which handled the rinse cycle pretty well. I then came back in for another go with waiting for a lull. Coming back in at end of sesh was a bit sketchy as well, timing the sets and coming in close enough to getting a footing.

Good luck, I don't envy your location.

cheers
Jaimes

I would not try to take a 7 foot foil board (without a bottom handle) across a difficult break. Wait until you are riding a smaller board.

Here on the NE shore of Puerto Rico, I've seen a handful of good wingers getting trashed by 5' closeout shorepound.
Most enter the water and wait for the last wave of the biggest set to proceed beyond thigh deep water. Not a sure out, but better than trying with sets coming in.
I have not yet mastered beach starting my SUP in onshore wind and shoulder high closeout shorebreak, so I get to watch others make the attempt.
Getting out in those conditions with windsurf sail/SUP is much easier.

What about using a shorter mast so you can start in shallower water and just ride through it.

That would alieviate the problem just a bit but beachstarting is a skill beyond my means even with my 65 cm. mast.
Foiling in windwaves and swell over 4' would be difficult with the wave mast lengths.
I'm sure someone can perform a running beachstart with a foil, but timing a lull in the waves with a gust of wind would be challenging.
As would punching thru rows of whitewater trying to head upwind against the waves

Anyone seen a good video how the through a beach break? Couldn't find anything......

Mate. I've busted SUP & fins & me! mainly due to beach breaks!
I think I even bent my foil mast a couple of times too. But foil mast was a cheapie anyway.
Speaking of cheapies. If I was going to do it to find out then that's what I'd do if I had a board & wing that I wouldn't mind sacrificing.
That way with practice you'll know the risks & how to avoid them before using your good gear.
Anyway I just don't bother anymore with my foilboard and find the best & less risky shore break which is a 200 metre paddle away or I just go back into my lake entrance (see Jaime's reply) and slog it back against the current close to the breakwall which makes it a bit easier. But that's without a windwing of course. But ok if current is flowing the way you want go.
Sometimes a long paddle or walk or even drive to another spot might be worth it. Better than busted gear being useless.

This is a legit logistical nightmare. Running the shorebreak gauntlet will get your BPM running high before you even get on foil!

I read somewhere a decent idea (haven't tried personally). Get a small kayak anchor or similar with a 15' rope and a 2L bottle attached to the other end. Stand on the shoreline and loop that anchor like you are about to scale a giant wall with a grappling hook and let her fly out past the shorey. Then swim out with the wing and attach to the anchor. Swim back in and grab the board and re-enter the water and get back to your wing and presto.
Kinda reminds me of the old riddle with the river crossing, hen, fox, and the grain. Can only take one across at a time. How do you get all three across without the hen eating the grain or the fox eating the hen.

Going out I use the bottom handle to keep foil into the wind and wing downwind (if I don't have a handle I hold the mast).

I tilt the board at a 90degree angle with nose of board pointing straight into oncoming whitewaters. When whitewater approaches I push nose of board through (board always tilted at 90 deg) and try and lift wing up so it doesn't catch. When it gets deeper and you can't reach the bottom of board any longer I put my hand on the top rail (quite far forward so it feels balanced) and continue with the board tilted at 90 deg so foil is still pointing into wind away from wing. When waves pass through, you can use you board as flotation/balance point to keep board at 90 deg and sort of bounce over by seating the top rail of board in your armpit.

This technique ensures wing is never exposed to foil, the key is to keep nose pointing straight into oncoming swell with board at 90 deg angle at all times. Getting back out of water I do the same, but keeping the board at 90deg angle and perpendicular to whitewater can be more tricky coming in.

I never intentionally put my board upside down with a wing.

A smaller board makes things easier, I normally ride a 5'8 90L.

If whitewater gets too big or breaks too hard then nothing works and you just have to have good timing or take the beating and pray nothing gets trashed....

Select to expand quote

PeterP said..
Going out I use the bottom handle to keep foil into the wind and wing downwind (if I don't have a handle I hold the mast).

I tilt the board at a 90degree angle with nose of board pointing straight into oncoming whitewaters. When whitewater approaches I push nose of board through (board always tilted at 90 deg) and try and lift wing up so it doesn't catch. When it gets deeper and you can't reach the bottom of board any longer I put my hand on the top rail (quite far forward so it feels balanced) and continue with the board tilted at 90 deg so foil is still pointing into wind away from wing. When waves pass through, you can use you board as flotation/balance point to keep board at 90 deg and sort of bounce over by seating the top rail of board in your armpit.

This technique ensures wing is never exposed to foil, the key is to keep nose pointing straight into oncoming swell with board at 90 deg angle at all times. Getting back out of water I do the same, but keeping the board at 90deg angle and perpendicular to whitewater can be more tricky coming in.

I never intentionally put my board upside down with a wing.

A smaller board makes things easier, I normally ride a 5'8 90L.

If whitewater gets too big or breaks too hard then nothing works and you just have to have good timing or take the beating and pray nothing gets trashed....

Thanks so much - sounds logical!!!

Same same, it's an issue with any break. I've found (with 95ltr board) above my head with windward arm over the top to underside handle and Holding wing by leading edge handle with an underhand grip downwind. Walk out till it's getting too deep to deal with (timing the sets too) then let the wing go and concentrate on flipping the board over, getting on it belly down and paddling like **** to get well past the breaking waves. Important to note, I have a waist harness for the board and attach the wing leash to that. It was a nightmare until someone told me that hint. Just know that if you munt it, your board, foil and wing all come together in a mess and each time it's a miracle if something doesn't get broken or injured. coming in I try and foil all the way in staying high on the foil with the wing above/umbrella'd as far as I'm game, grab the fr t wing handle, jump off, grab some part of the board and run for the beach. Mind you, this is where all the danger is.
good luck ??

I never ever put my board upside down as you can get it in your face before you realise it.

I first use the handle till it doesn't feel confortable anymore.

Then I hold the nose under my arm, foil still at 90? (footstraps help a lot but it is not cool isn't it).

Finally, when it is deep enough to put the board flat (foil under - read above!), I hold the small rope I attached to a leash plug on the nose of the board (yes I asked the shaper to put it on my beloved custom board) and go further till I feel like knee starting.

Of course this doen't work in a big short brake but helps alot getting through braking waves till you kan go.

Ha ha....this reminds me of my 2nd week windsurfing, getting a Dufour Wing and 6.1 sail thru Ocean Beach SF shoulder high shorebreak with 10 mph side onshore wind.
That's 4' shorepound, total closeout, with an 11'9" 37 lbs board.
And 5 of my surfing buds just laughing and hooting the whole time...

WIng temporarily on waist leash for in and out is good. Coming in I ditch the wing and grab the board and run at an upwind angle so I don't trample the wing.

I want to try the anchor but swim it not throw.

Finally, pick your days and spot. A buddy here lives near beach break but can go a mile or two south and there's a harbor jetty that shelters an area of beach. Easy out and in.

Well I paid the price today. Decided to "just go for it" on a marginal day, not that the wind strength really mattered other than it was not worth it. Tried pushing my 95l board through the shore break that had more punch then I was expecting. Board was slammed back foil first into the wing and shredded it in several places. Thinking the ocean may need to be reserved for low volume boards that you can duck dive.

Will be back to riding my peak 4 and kiting the waves while I wait for the wing to get fixed. Still skeptical that I will ever be as enthusiastic about winging in the waves vs riding my peak, but I was more optimistic before today. So perhaps I just need to give it more time. Always fun to learn a new discipline.

Zane Schweitzer @zaniac1 just had a hell of a session trying to get out through the waves. Check his instagram and his story today if you aren't scared of some blood. He described what happened....basically trying to get out past head high waves without a leash for his board, so he was hanging onto his foot strap and go flogged and the tail wing caught him to the bone in his lower leg. Three layers of internal stitches and 11 on top. His recommendation was always have a leash so you can bail your board in that situation. Makes sense to me!

Also reminded me to up my first aid kit. Duct tape and some clean gauze, plus a tourniquet.

I resorted to waiting until a high tide gutter develops, or just driving to a better location ( harbour or river entrance to launch and come in ) interesting the idea of anchor and one piece of equipment at a time, not viable here as there is a nasty shore dump then a gutter then another dumping wave on the outside sand bank which is too far out to throw an anchor past.Maybe paddle out with the foilboard and wing in a backpack, then use a small cylinder of compressed air to inflate the wing out the back ?? Haha already too complicated.

No sure cure.
3' closeout shorepound, you can walk and push past.
4' and especially up, breaks in water you cannot stand, and close period never allows for kneemount.
In Puerto Rico, I watched dozens of decent foilers getting trashed by 5' closeout shorebreak in side onshore 12-18 knot wind. A foil just doesn't punch thru whitewater like a 55cm eave board...slogging or not.
"Decent" as in 95% foiling jibes on sub 50 liter boards.