Forums > Windsurfing General

is foiling windsurfing?

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Created by Gestalt > 9 months ago, 6 Aug 2023
Shifu
QLD, 1992 posts
26 Aug 2023 12:36PM
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Gestalt
QLD, 14627 posts
26 Aug 2023 5:56PM
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Great vid.

been thinking. What's to stop mechanical or electronic stabilisation of the foil. Like on a moth, there is a trimmer
or a gyro within the foil mast that adjust wing pitch

SurferKris
475 posts
26 Aug 2023 4:06PM
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Select to expand quote
Gestalt said..
Great vid.

been thinking. What's to stop mechanical or electronic stabilisation of the foil. Like on a moth, there is a trimmer
or a gyro within the foil mast that adjust wing pitch


Gestalt
QLD, 14627 posts
26 Aug 2023 7:08PM
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There you go. Had not seen that before.

PhilUK
1098 posts
26 Aug 2023 5:54PM
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Gestalt said..
There you go. Had not seen that before.


And you wont see it again. nearly 2 years later, that final prototype foil hasnt made it to the market.
www.taaroa-hydrofoil.com/products

2-3 hours battery life, thats not much. What happens when the battery is knackered and is no longer available on the market because it has been upgrade?
If you cant get past the dolphin experience whilst learning in the early stages, then foiling isnt for you. Part of the attraction is it takes skill, requires user input, especially going faster. You cant buy a motorbike these days without rider aides like traction control and ABS adding to the expense.

JonesySail
QLD, 1120 posts
28 Aug 2023 8:09AM
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Gestalt said..

Maddlad said..
Im not even sure how this is even a question. You use the exact same gear apart from adding something different to the fin box. All the basics of windsurfing are required before you can windfoil. Sure theres some differences in technique required to keep the foil/board stable but thats easily learned if you've windsurfed and its still the same type of activity.




Reading the calls for windsurf and windfoils to be seperate at the Pwa I would have thought more people saw them as different sports.


It's pretty clear now that foiling is generally superior race equipment, (except in extreme conditions) thats where the call to separate comes in, two different classes, so each can compete on equal terms.
The amount of gear required to cover the two disciplines is crazy. The sailing angle differences are extreme also, pretty scary having foils attacking from all sorts of amazing angles that you just can't do on a fin, same sport but different disciplines.

The opportunity is there for fin sailing to set up as the affordable / accessible discipline (easy to do if place a decent minimum wind limit) and let foiling go all extreme F1 style and budget$$$, I think there will still be be massive changes to foil equipment to come in the future, boards and foils $$$$.

BSN101
WA, 2372 posts
28 Aug 2023 8:38AM
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I look at fin & foil from my perspective. Fin is much faster and foil is an infant still. At pro level sure it's better than fin in certain situations but whatever. I love fin and do more foiling and least LT. We are foiling in stronger winds with smaller sails and love the smoother ride and better angles. We are hanging out for the summer wind patterns to go speed sailing and do big distances on the fin. But in between we happily foil and still have a huge grin after while having a brew. It's still windsurfing in my book, just a specific fin for lift/flight.



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"is foiling windsurfing?" started by Gestalt