Would love to get into foiling however my local suffers from long ribbon weed that can even get caught on the TT fins.
Question: Has anyone had any experience with foiling in weedy areas?
Have noted that weed build up is relevant to wind strength the windier the more weed.
Foil + Seaweed = Crash
Seaweed sucks. If I hit it I normally crash. If I don't crash the drag slows me down to the point I come off the foil and stop. If I can keep going everything is vibrating and slow and horrible.
The solution is fairly simple. Use the superior speed and range of the foil to ride out into clear water and stay there away from the weed.
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
Foil + Seaweed = Crash
Seaweed sucks. If I hit it I normally crash. If I don't crash the drag slows me down to the point I come off the foil and stop. If I can keep going everything is vibrating and slow and horrible.
The solution is fairly simple. Use the superior speed and range of the foil to ride out into clear water and stay there away from the weed.
Cheers Gorgo
Figured as much, may have to wait till the weed foil is developed
The ribbon weed you describe sounds like our seagrass and is a pain.
while I don't have a problem with it attaching to wings, it does attach to mast if I go through a clump of it. No crashes but first you feel the drag and then the turn turns to a sloppy drag down.
hopefully it is a seasonal thing like here where it is mainly January it is around.
That's one reason I keep an old Shinnster in my quiver - a cruisy alternative in case there's so much weed, jellyfish, or shallow water that the foil loses it's edge on the fun factor.
Port Phillip Bay was infested with jelly fish during a recent hot spell. It was kind of fun, like riding in a sea full of pumpkins. Lots of boomp de boomp de boomp.
I was riding with a 70cm mast so I was able to go over most of the jellies and avoid crashing.
Big seaweed = crash.
Little seaweed = slow down.
Learning and seaweed = hard.
Experience and seaweed = slalom.
After a brilliant session at Coogee on Sunday, I went out at Pinnaroo on Monday. The weed was so bad I put up with it for 25 minutes before giving up. I rode out to sea, upwind, downwind anywhere to find clear water and just couldn't go more than 50m without picking up weed on the mast. Impossible to train for speed or gybes ??
Select to expand quoteActionSportsWA said..
After a brilliant session at Coogee on Sunday, I went out at Pinnaroo on Monday. The weed was so bad I put up with it for 25 minutes before giving up. I rode out to sea, upwind, downwind anywhere to find clear water and just couldn't go more than 50m without picking up weed on the mast. Impossible to train for speed or gybes ??
Yep, I don't get the hype of Pinnaroo at all. It's a $h!t spot. Horrible confused washing machine swell on a TT and weedy for foiling.
Select to expand quoteDukeSilver said..ActionSportsWA said..
After a brilliant session at Coogee on Sunday, I went out at Pinnaroo on Monday. The weed was so bad I put up with it for 25 minutes before giving up. I rode out to sea, upwind, downwind anywhere to find clear water and just couldn't go more than 50m without picking up weed on the mast. Impossible to train for speed or gybes ??
Yep, I don't get the hype of Pinnaroo at all. It's a $h!t spot. Horrible confused washing machine swell on a TT and weedy for foiling.
Yeah your right it's a sh1t spot, don't go there
Hey Duke,
i think on on that day, Pinnaroo and most city beaches were all affected by the weed. I train at Pinnaroo because it's my local and it has the cleanest wind in The Perth area and the chop is very mixed which helps me practice control, timing and tacking in less than perfect conditions.
30 seconds upwind or downwind and I have an empty ocean to race in without so much as a single kiter to avoid.
My last session at Melville was crazy avoiding other kiters and beginners but the gusty wind is good for training and the flatter water good for top speed.
Every spot has its pros and cons and I find training in perfect conditions does not prepare you for real race conditions. Riding a mix of conditions makes you a more competent foiler overall.
DM
