Do any of you now only foil ? I went normal windsurfing today and it was super windy. the whole time I was out I was wishing to be in less wind and foiling.....
Everything felt so heavy and loaded up, it was all quite unpleasant.
I think foiling has possibly become my favourite thing to do.
21 days into windfoiling, still windsurf 4 to 1 days over foiling.
Winds here, if gusts peak at 21 mph, I'm jumping on a 5.2 and 84 liter board. That is about 90% of the days here.
Banner year for Berkeley.
Well if your learning curve has intercepted your ageing curve. If, in the last few years, your GPS numbers have stalled, the gybes are no smoother, the jumps are no higher. Why wouldn't you take up the challenge of something where you have room to improve?
I started windfoiling 20 months ago. Since then I have 101 sessions on the foil, and not one single fin session.
I doubt I will ever fin again. Fortunately much of my old formula gear is good for foiling. Well, except for the 11.0 and 12.0 sails, unless I decide to take up windfoil racing.
Yes, 100% windfoiling. Windfoiling brought me back to the sport after 15 years of kiting, which has lost its appeal too. Between kiting beach closures, and mostly light winds windfoiling just makes way more sense, and is way more fun currently than all the other options.
In 2 years +/-350 sessions on the foil, about 5 sessions on the regular board?
i only take the regular board when foil / 3.0 is too big, so above 35/40 knot gusts.
I think after 30 plus years of windsurfing the challenge of foiling has really gripped me.
I also went through a kiting thing a few years ago but this is waaaayyyyy better.
The smooth effortless less carving has got me hooked.
I can see my " normal" board gathering dust.........
You are not alone Nimo1972. I have regular windsurfed once in 18 months. I went out on a 5.0 and freestyle board. The wind holes were horrendous, thought my arms was going to blow out.
I now foil from 7 to 35+ knots
I pretty much foil full time now as well.(except for the rare windy occasion)
i do race Wally's in summer during the club season though.... good for keeping the brain sharp![]()
same here....all year round on the foil, kept the slalom board for those ultra shallow spots..
thinking off getting a cruisy slow second foil for big swell downwinds (and maybe some good old freestyle 360s)
I think for most of us it's just massively increased our time on water. I come from a wave/freestyle background and being light I could still get out on my freestyle board and cruise around on the 5.2 in >16kts or so. In summer on a good week I could get a few arvos after work and maybe a day or two on the weekend. Now with the foil if it's >8kts and lets face it there are a lot of days when it's 8-12kts we're good to go, I reckon id' average 5 session a week in summer. And good sessions too, not slogging around trying to get good waves which was often the norm.
There's also nothing quite like light wind foiling. With the race gear, which is my focus, once it's 12kts i'm just fighting to control the power and going such speeds in such little wind is just awesome. At 10kts or so on race gear you're already going ~23kts on hot angles, the apparent wind is quite addictive
I basically only sail the waves now if the surf or wind is firing. Since I have race foil gear once it's mid to high 20's it's a bit out of control so I might do a bit of high wind training here or there but more likely bust out the freestyle kit, good to keep sharp across all disciplines as the compliment each other.
I'm learning to foil next year, as mentioned in another post. I'm gathering foiling gear now so I can learn next year. Many light wind days here, which is drawing me to foiling. I'm guessing 75% foiling and 35% windsurfing.
I'm learning to foil next year, as mentioned in another post. I'm gathering foiling gear now so I can learn next year. Many light wind days here, which is drawing me to foiling. I'm guessing 75% foiling and 35% windsurfing.
I envy you for having more time on your hands than us mere mortals: where can I enlist to sell my soul to get 110% of time?
I wouldn't hesitate to do so!![]()
I'm learning to foil next year, as mentioned in another post. I'm gathering foiling gear now so I can learn next year. Many light wind days here, which is drawing me to foiling. I'm guessing 75% foiling and 35% windsurfing.
I envy you for having more time on your hands than us mere mortals: where can I enlist to sell my soul to get 110% of time?
I wouldn't hesitate to do so!![]()
Lol!! These are only windsurfing and windfoil percentage estimations, not including other domestic duties and responsibilities.
Foiling only now, so much fun in the 8kt to 15kt range. Windsurfing feels so loaded up. Its like the windsurf skills are slipping away, water starts, wobbling on a 97 lit board in the wind holes etc, but not missed really.
Yep, same here. I've been windsurfing pretty much all my life, concentrating on racing. Since taking up foiling a few years ago I've completely dropped the raceboard and really only get out on the slalomy type boards when a good westerly blows through at Primbee or going to GI.
Last year I was about 4:1 foil to slalom and this year I'm about 10:1. Not quite ready to give up on the slalom board just yet, but it is getting closer.
Just love the challenge of the foil and still blown away at how efficient they are in light wind and how manageable they are in strong wind (with the right sail and foil combo).
Happy days![]()