Select to expand quoteexcav8ter said..LeeD said..
Move foil forward on sled.
Last 2 times out, 4.5 and 1220 foil in 10-18 winds, very comfy. Gusts of 21 pretty hairy. 73 kg.
I will try that. Our wind conditions are mostly gusty. For instance, Sunday was 16 to 28 mph. We often see a range where the gusts will be double the low end of the forecast like 10-20mph, 18-38mph which we had a few weeks ago. I imagine a range of wind like that poses an issue when using the Shred Sled....?
I have conditions like that often and in them I use the sled, 1100 and 4.5. I can get going in the lulls becasue of foil pumping the 1100 and I can hang in the gusts (up to low 20's in knots) because the sail is so small. The board just happens to be the one I am riding currently and it has little to do with the big range I cover with one foil and sail.
Also I do not agree with moving the foil forward on the sled in windsurf foiling mode. It is already a compressed geometry with the foil quite far forward, every time I move the foil from the very back of the track it makes it harder with out any benefits.
Excava8ter there is nothng wrong with digging on your levi. It is a awesome board and if you are having fun than you are doing it right. I have and continue to endured all kinds of abuse from many different people (in person and on this forum) for riding my 180l custom board. I just ignore them because I am having fun with it. No one is forcing you on the sled and if you are not going to ride it perhaps you can sell it to a new winger while its still fresh. I nearly sold mine but decided to modify it first.
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..excav8ter said..LeeD said..
Move foil forward on sled.
Last 2 times out, 4.5 and 1220 foil in 10-18 winds, very comfy. Gusts of 21 pretty hairy. 73 kg.
I will try that. Our wind conditions are mostly gusty. For instance, Sunday was 16 to 28 mph. We often see a range where the gusts will be double the low end of the forecast like 10-20mph, 18-38mph which we had a few weeks ago. I imagine a range of wind like that poses an issue when using the Shred Sled....?
I have conditions like that often and in them I use the sled, 1100 and 4.5. I can get going in the lulls becasue of foil pumping the 1100 and I can hang in the gusts (up to low 20's in knots) because the sail is so small. The board just happens to be the one I am riding currently and it has little to do with the big range I cover with one foil and sail.
Also I do not agree with moving the foil forward on the sled in windsurf foiling mode. It is already a compressed geometry with the foil quite far forward, every time I move the foil from the very back of the track it makes it harder with out any benefits.
Excava8ter there is nothng wrong with digging on your levi. It is a awesome board and if you are having fun than you are doing it right. I have and continue to endured all kinds of abuse from many different people (in person and on this forum) for riding my 180l custom board. I just ignore them because I am having fun with it. No one is forcing you on the sled and if you are not going to ride it perhaps you can sell it to a new winger while its still fresh. I nearly sold mine but decided to modify it first.
I definitely dig the Levitator. No one gives me grief about it, but there's also no one around me that windfoils.?? The closest guy I know who does is over 170 miles away.
I was thinking last night that I may try riding the new Levi 150 strapless and see how that feels. I know I can use the Levi to wingfoil too, because I have done it several times already. The Levi 150 might be a little bit easier than the 160 was.... maybe?
I haven't bought the Shred Sled yet, just been trying to use it. MACkite is the shop where I buy most of my stuff from and they have been super cool about letting me try stuff for a few weeks.
Do you ride the Shred Sled with the Foil mast all the way to the back of the track? I may keep the sled for a bit yet and give it another try or two.
I am the only windfoiler and nearly the only windsurfer. Thank goodness for this forum. I get crap from kiters who can't comprehend why the board is so big. I have towed one of them in when the wind dropped and he still does not get it.
Yes the foil is in the back of the track and the sail is mid track. In theory you could move the sail forwards but the nose is so thin you sink it when uphauling if the sail is forward.
MACkite has been good to me too, they rock. At least you have a shop nearby, there are none in my state.
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
I am the only windfoiler and nearly the only windsurfer. Thank goodness for this forum. I get crap from kiters who can't comprehend why the board is so big. I have towed one of them in when the wind dropped and he still does not get it.
Yes the foil is in the back of the track and the sail is mid track. In theory you could move the sail forwards but the nose is so thin you sink it when uphauling if the sail is forward.
MACkite has been good to me too, they rock. At least you have a shop nearby, there are none in my state.
There's a small amount of windsurfers near me, and when I say small, I mean 3-6 that I've seen. There's a guy who comes up from Indiana nearly every weekend to hang out in South Haven, Holland (where I live) or Muskegon. Muskegon is a haven for kiters. Wing foiling is beginning to really catch on here. The other week there was around 15 kites, 4 wing foilers and me on the windfoil all out at the same time. It was really cool to see. There seems to be good vibes between everyone because we're all stoked to be out having Fun and doing different things. There's a few kiters who are less amicable, but still decent. They tend to stay in different areas and keep to themselves.
I was thinking I'd really get into wing foiling, but it really hasn't been something I love. I like the feeling of being "connected" to the board through the mast. It also gives me leverage to carve the board more than if I were using just a wing.
What state are you in? Ever get to Michigan?
I live in Charleston, South Carolina. I am really lucky to live here. It's beautiful, water everywhere, we get at least 12 knots regularly, sailing year round and the vibe is really friendly. The kiters and wingers I sail with are cool and we all look out for one another. They just don't get my gear but so what.
I'll hit ya up when I make the trip to Michigan. I dream of cruising the Upper Penisula on a sail boat someday. We will roll out the welcome mat for ya (or anyone water people) when you get down this way, just reach out!
Charleston gets high marks as a tourist destination.
I dropped some pins where I windfoil. The Folly inlets are a blast with side shore waves breaking on the shoals. Sunrise park and Sol Legree are my flat water kiddie pools. All these sites have a LOT of current and 6 + feet of tide but one learns pretty quick how to deal. I live right in the middle of all these pins.
I got to pile on as well.
- All in One Boards...I had my doubts but my new RRD 200 Pocket Rocket does it all. Tuttle + Tracks , but now I had to buy two Moses Kits (tuttle and plate)
- Ya, the guys a MACKite Rock. But I also get gear from Isthmus Sailboards in Wisconsin, as well as used pro/demo gear from the vendors in Maui (FYI... they usually have free shipping). Try MauiSails, HotSails, Ezzy
-Yes, I am the lone foiler on my lake (Lake Charlevoix, Boyne City MI). Some old mistral windsurf beginners, occasional kiter tons of sail boats and a "Wake Thief them" every chance I get. This location is a mid-west Hood River (afternoon thermals, tons of mtn trails, 2 ski resorts, golf and downtown micro brews).
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
I live in Charleston, South Carolina. I am really lucky to live here. It's beautiful, water everywhere, we get at least 12 knots regularly, sailing year round and the vibe is really friendly. The kiters and wingers I sail with are cool and we all look out for one another. They just don't get my gear but so what.
I'll hit ya up when I make the trip to Michigan. I dream of cruising the Upper Penisula on a sail boat someday. We will roll out the welcome mat for ya (or anyone water people) when you get down this way, just reach out!
Charleston gets high marks as a tourist destination.
I dropped some pins where I windfoil. The Folly inlets are a blast with side shore waves breaking on the shoals. Sunrise park and Sol Legree are my flat water kiddie pools. All these sites have a LOT of current and 6 + feet of tide but one learns pretty quick how to deal. I live right in the middle of all these pins.
Small world. I'm 2 1/2 hours from you (Augusta GA). Long time windsurfer and have been foiling for about a year. It's been 20 years since I have windsurfed Charleston. I might hit you up for some info on the launches!
Select to expand quoteallesad said..
I got to pile on as well.
- All in One Boards...I had my doubts but my new RRD 200 Pocket Rocket does it all. Tuttle + Tracks , but now I had to buy two Moses Kits (tuttle and plate)
- Ya, the guys a MACKite Rock. But I also get gear from Isthmus Sailboards in Wisconsin, as well as used pro/demo gear from the vendors in Maui (FYI... they usually have free shipping). Try MauiSails, HotSails, Ezzy
-Yes, I am the lone foiler on my lake (Lake Charlevoix, Boyne City MI). Some old mistral windsurf beginners, occasional kiter tons of sail boats and a "Wake Thief them" every chance I get. This location is a mid-west Hood River (afternoon thermals, tons of mtn trails, 2 ski resorts, golf and downtown micro brews).
Very cool! I go to Traverse City several times a summer and quite often in the fall too. Maybe we can meet up sometime? I may be interested in driving to Lake Charlevoix too....
Select to expand quoteexcav8ter said..Grantmac said..utcminusfour said..
Excav8ter,
I can't say what the lightest wind possible would be because that is not my explicit goal. I have other toys for sub 10 knots like boats!. I can honestly say that at 220 lbs using the moses 1100 and a 4.5m^2 wave sail I can pump free in flat water and 12 knots true perhaps even 10 knots but it is hard to confirm. It is not tons of pumping either. It's two small quick sail pumps and then I start to combine that with leg pumps for less than 3 more reps. Once in the air I usually stop pumping and focus on smooth flow over the sail but if the apparent wind is low it is foil pumping for a couple reps that gets things moving. The act of just foil pumping automatically pumps the sail in a mellow way that keeps flow attached. Foil pumping in the air is pretty easy and not as exhausting as classic windsurf pumping. The tail kick mod I did made a noticeable difference on the low wind take off as well. I have a board similar to the Levitator and I need more sail (5.7) to make it happen in 12 knots. That said it is the foil and the pumping technique more than the board. The best way to learn to foil pump is behind a boat, don't let go of the rope just try and make it go slack without riding the wake.
I gotta say I would not have believed this was possible when I started out a few years ago. Back then I was on a 6.5, needed 15 knots and was overpowered for my taste as soon as it flew.
I am ASTOUNDED and THRILLED with the results.
With the 4.5, I can enjoy it from 12-20 knots, thats a massive range for windsurfing.
Now am I the fastest,? HELL NO but I am having a blast and have no interest in hiting the water at 30+ knots from 2 feet in the air! Good light air VMG coupled with great Surfing and bursts of speed to low twenties is enough for my old ass!
I am not saying the Sled is the end all be all. If it was I would not be modifying it and there will likely be more changes I try now that the seal has been broken. In fact I would not recomend the Sled for windsurf foiling with out the mod to the tail. I am just saying that most folks do not see the benefits that the type offers for Windsurf foiling. And that is a bummer for the sport as a whole cause here we go again makeing the boards so small that normal people can't use them.
Segler,
Thanks for emphasizing the sails effect on pitch! It is essential knowledge to become proficient at windsurf foiling. It is also only ONE of the reasons I keep yammering on about moving the sail closer to the foil.
I realize these comments are more about sailing style, the choice of front wing and technique than Excav8ter's question about the board but they are key to light air foiling without huge sails. There are details of the Sled that pair nicely with the big wing approach.
It is my hope with all this posting that someday I can get some gear that I don't have to order custom, make or edit myself. I also want to make others aware of a style that gets less attention than it should because it is really fun and user friendly. Thanks for listening.
+1 on getting the mast foot as close to the foil mast as possible having a very positive effect on pitch stability when combined with surfy foils. Racefoils use fuselage length to get this stability but that greatly reduces agility.
Wyatt Miller says 29" from the front of the foil mast to the universal joint is how you want to have it set up. I sail my Levitator in the neighborhood of 42" am I way wrong with that? The 29" measurement makes me a bit nervous for some reason.
Maybe a dead thread but here are my 2 cents: I think the 29" spec is outdated. On my Levitator 150 it appears the minimum space between the UJ center (all the way aft) and the leading edge of the foil mast (positioned all the way forward) is approximately 37". I am currently at about 43"with my UJ center 4-1/4"back from the front slot edge and my foil mast base plate nearly all the way aft. I am still a novice foiler using my forward foot pressure to control height, and without stability enough jibe so my setup maybe could use some adjustments. 185 lbs, i99/48.
Select to expand quoteutcminusfour said..
I am the only windfoiler and nearly the only windsurfer. Thank goodness for this forum. I get crap from kiters who can't comprehend why the board is so big. I have towed one of them in when the wind dropped and he still does not get it.
Yes the foil is in the back of the trexcav8ter said..
I was thinking I'd really get into wing foiling, but it really hasn't been something I love. I like the feeling of being "connected" to the board through the mast. It also gives me leverage to carve the board more than if I were using just a wing.
I am also interested in wing foiling but I am not willing to sacrifice a good amount time and rather enjoy windfoiling. However, I noted a good talented windsurf friend made switch from windfoil to wingfoiling, and since he mastered jibing on the wing, he has not been back to windfoil. He says he has more fun with winging which makes me wonder if I should give it proper amount of time to learn.
Select to expand quoteSA_AL said..utcminusfour said..
I am the only windfoiler and nearly the only windsurfer. Thank goodness for this forum. I get crap from kiters who can't comprehend why the board is so big. I have towed one of them in when the wind dropped and he still does not get it.
Yes the foil is in the back of the trexcav8ter said..
I was thinking I'd really get into wing foiling, but it really hasn't been something I love. I like the feeling of being "connected" to the board through the mast. It also gives me leverage to carve the board more than if I were using just a wing.
I am also interested in wing foiling but I am not willing to sacrifice a good amount time and rather enjoy windfoiling. However, I noted a good talented windsurf friend made switch from windfoil to wingfoiling, and since he mastered jibing on the wing, he has not been back to windfoil. He says he has more fun with winging which makes me wonder if I should give it proper amount of time to learn.
I was so stoked on wingfoiling that I bought a Slingshot 6.4 and 4.4 as well as a dedicated foil board. (6'x30"). Ivetried it several times with good success, but it's always in rather gnarly conditions with wind ranging from 25-40mph. Anything under 30 and I'm windfoiling. I think wingfoiling will be a blast once I take the time to learn some more of the intricacies of it. But at the same time, I don't want to waste time learning because I don't get every time the wind blows. For my weight, I am feeling like anything under 18mph is futile at this point.
