Unlimited or foil what is the future?

I hope foiling is, haven't tried mine down wind yet but can't wait too. Surfing them is fun in the right conditions, but I primarily want mine so go downwind on

It's quite possibly a sliding doors moment right now, when the sport chooses a pathway - one path leads to breakout success, popularity, mass media coverage and millions of dollars of sponsorship money pouring in; the other path leads to oblivion as a sport with great potential takes a wrong turn and basically windsurfs its way to irrelevance. I don't know which one is which necessarily, but both outcomes are very possible.

This is a tricky one - foils are not cheap (it's like buying two boards) and with the current foil designs really, really hard. Anyone I have spoken to about going downwind say it's really hard - and the few that have tried are really, really good and very fit "watermen" (SUP,surf, foil etc).

I'm slowly learning how to foil on the SUP and I hope to crack a downwinder within the next 6 months, and by cracking it I mean actually foil. The problem with a downwind foil is that if you are not getting up on the foil you are on a low volumed board with extra drag = going nowhere. And all I have spoken to say it's physically very demanding to get on a run. To crack that initial hurdle will take some grit and unless foils become a lot easier I currently doubt it will become excessively popular - the cost of entry (in Dollars and physical ability) is too high.

Hope I'm wrong...

Interesting debate.

I must say that seen from France (and I guess from outside of Hawaii), downwinding looks already like a chihuahua-sized niche (excuse the pun, niche in French means "doghouse"). I may be mistaken, but I think there are nearly no unlimited sold in France each year (even only 2 one year).

I also never downwinded. I can see the fun, based on my days windsurfing chasing bumps, but the logistics of doing it with a SUP were too much.

So maybe foiling will change it for the better: much cheaper than an unlimited board, less logistics, and I guess one can start on very short downwinds, because foiling is so tiring at first, you wont need 10 miles to begin to have fun. Heck, after a 300 meters wave foiling run my thighs are burning. Just like we saw beach races become separate events from the long distance paddle races, I can envision shorter (and safer) downwind foiling sessions where a boat would bring (or maybe tow?) foilers with small boards 1 mile upwind. Hey, even a pal with a Hobie cat or jet ski can do it and have fun also.

I like the UL though I don't know about the transport & storage. Stand Up Foil if I had a prone surfing background. I do like to try the kite foil. Retail cost about the same for either sport though foil might be more than $1000+ retail depend on the brand.

Area10 is spot on. SUP will have a fairly healthy future as a mass participation sport as long as the "mass" can participate. That means relatively cheap, lightweight, easy to transport and ride boards.

SUP will never be truly "mass" because of the perceived need to take your clothes off and wear wetsuits and fall in the water all the time. I predict there will be lots of heavy old SUPs appearing on council hard rubbish collections because they're too heavy and cumbersome for every day use.

The elite end of the sport is entirely irrelevant until a person appears that the public can form an emotional bond with. Consider the interest in the Tour de France with Cadel Evans fighting to win it, and the efforts to find another Australian to care about in the later races.

I think too much is made about the difficulty and dangers of foiling. I am 60 and kite foil all the time. I was probably a touch above average in kiting skills but I am certainly no super athlete. The other kite foilers are a wide range of the old, the fat and the decrepit. We're all doing just fine. I think I could coach any motivated kiter to get up and foiling in half the time it took me.

The only thing that would hold me back from going SUP foiling is access to suitable waves to do it on.

There is another aspect to mass participation but I'm not sure how you can communicate it to the general public. You can have experiences with nature that rival stuff seen on David Atttenborough movies. Just recently I SUP surfed waves with dolphins. Over the years I have kited and surfed with whales. I regularly play with soaring birds (especially foiling). If you spend enough time on the water all this stuff just happens. The best SUP is the one that lets you get out on the water, but more importantly, makes you want to get out on the water.

To address the original question, I choose foils. if you can add a foil to a moderate sized board to turn it into a surfing/downwinding monster then I'd be jumping on that.

Man that is flying JB , we have been towing behind my boat at 40km and holding it in flat to get used to the speed. Pretty terrifying , so to get 43.6km free riding in the ocean that's huge well done , serious riding skills and really efficient foil.

So many good topics going on here..
The reason foiling will take off is because it is an intoxicating mix of speed and glide. It is the closest thing to riding powder or flying, that you will ever get without spending a truck load of money.
Of most interest to me is that kids are frothing on foiling. This is a very good sign. Having gone from coolest sport in the world - Snowboarding (in the 90's). To the un-coolest sport in the world, I can tell you this is a huge driver of a sport.
Foiling is so early in its development that no one can really predict where it will head.
The discussion is great though. Who would have thought back in the 70's that a sport as difficult as Windsurfing would take off, become so intoxicating and popular and then die such a famous death?
As for the difficulty of Foiling this a minor issue as far as I am concerned. The path that is being beaten now by the trail breakers is going to make it very easy for people to learn and take up foiling. In just 6 months we have learnt how to teach people without injury and major stacks.
Slow the process down and teach your body properly and you will be safe. Rush into it and yes, expect to get smashed.
As for the dangers, if someone invented the Motorcycle today they wouldn't let it on the road. Teaching methods and equipment will be developed got make it safe.
I agree, the future of SUP is locked in. As opposed to Windsurfing, its simplicity is its biggest attraction and the fact that it is not age restricted or ability restricted like so many other sports. It might not be the coolest sport in the world but just about anyone can do it. As the population ages it is going to become increasingly popular as more people find out that it is one of the best, low impact ways to get out and get moving.
As for Unlimited's I just have to look down stairs into Ocean Paddler and see the interest in $3600 racing skis to see that there is a market for this more versatile craft as long as there are the events and races to participator in. The beauty of Unlimiteds is their versatility. It is also easier to include them in an event where the conditions are not so perfect for racing a rudderless craft. Foiling is going to be 'big' and SUP will continue to grow (slowly). Unlimited's should grow, but remain niche and Windsurfing should enjoy a comeback!
Good news all-round for the Ocean enthusiast who likes to mix it up a bit.

Well Said AA,
Another session this morning, Only hit 41.8km's

Yeah fair points Hilly but I have found as you progress you can ride other waves , even on shore days will produce some good rides. I'm also now looking at short inflatables to mount a foil for travel , that you can prone or kite & maybe Sup.

JB said:- If you need to slow, then checking down is really the only way. Just be ready for a major speed drop without learning back (as you'll just launch back up).
I sent a message to Dave Kalama and asked how he dealt with the excess speed , his answer was a simple one simply ride off the back of the wave to slow down (he calls it kissing) , this also helps to set up the long cutback , if the lip is curling move out in front of the wave towards the shore to get out of the wave energy. Add to that the faster you go simply move front foot forward to help keep it down.

I thought foils had a much lower max speed but after looking at Supfoiler (Andy Davies) speed stats I was wrong it's simply rider ability , the better you get the faster you can go. Very impressed with the Naish performance and hopefully have one to test in the next few weeks. When I get it , I'll grab a bunch of foils with my foil crew behind the boat and will see how fast you can actually go, I reckon we can achieve 60km. Should be some good carnage, I'll have the cameras on board.

The higher speed we can maintain on the foil will let us ride bigger waves and on open ocean running on down winders will let you link endless bumps with far less leg burning pressure and no pumping.

Andy Davies run at 43.6km/h is faster than the surfers at Jaws and he was on a fat much smaller wave. The early paddle in on the foil will make this foil sport a game changer.

i think there has been a huge miss conception that foiling is hard and only for the elete, its not! If you can surf to a competent level you will be able to foil. The hardest part I have found is getting going. Once up and riding they are extremely stable, yes you have to learn a few things like speed control that are quite different to surfing but it just takes a little time to get it in your head. I was never able to get anytime behind a boat but with a short mast I was happily flying around in about 4 hours water time. Yes they are expensive but not compared to most board that seam to fall apart in a few years, a well constructed foil should last a lot longer! having booth unlimited and foils I think there will all ways be a space for both in my quiver its good to be able to mix things up.

as far as burning legs I haven't found that yet but can see where it comes from, I have not got mine set up so I have a foot hook on the front and a centre line so my foot is always in the same spot and a adjustable tale pad and along with changing the angle of the mast weight is actually very even between booth feet and very relaxed.