Try some onshore

The video in the previous post had these ideas that I took to the beach today.
1. Onshore winds are better than strong offshore winds.
Result: did not work for me the waves in Sydney are not like Hawaiian waves - the wave face crumbles too easily.

2. There was a board with a foil in the video that also had some fins. Rather than put all four fins in I just did the back two.
Result: no noticeable difference but it looked cool.

3. The video reminded me that my coil leash is a bit stretched out. I boughr a new one.
Result: the only coil one they had was a ten foot leash, bright green with a calf fitting. Unfortunately kneeling to paddle rules out attaching it to my calf.
And guess what?
There was no screw to undo to swap that part.

4. Previously the screws that connect the foil mast with the base had worked loose.
Three slightly longer screws fixed this.

So progress of sorts but not nearly enough time on the foil in the surf today.

Foil Safety

It is an hour and twenty minutes but stay with it and remember.
Don't take a foil out in the "line up".

Find somewhere where you can use a breaking wave to get up on the foil and stay foiling through the bit where the wave swells up but does not wall up.

Try, try try again

Saturday 21 April was a chance to get the paddle on the knees thing going.
1.1 m south south-east swell at 13 seconds and a light south-easter.
So the place to go was:

Best surf in Sydney today?


I moved the foil base to the furthest back position on the track.
The rear bolts into the base plate were replaced with longer bolts.
Added to these rear bolts were fat washers that had the effect ot pointing the foil a little higher at the front.

So today I worked out:
1. How to get to and from this distant spot carrying all this gear.
2. That I forget about using the rear-most position on the mast tracks.
3. That when I come up on the foil if the weight on my knees is different the board turns almost immediately.
4. That if I am going to take off on my knees then standing up will be an opportunity for things to go wrong.

Blue Planet
blueplanetsurf.com
on their YouTube channel suggested:
1. That instead of footstraps to use foil foot hooks (blocks of foam to help position the feet).
I had set these up and while I did not use them today I am happy with what I have set up.
2. That boards for foiling not have much bottom rocker.
Unfortunately the Starboard (potato) Pocket Rocket that I am using is famous for its bottom rocker.
3. That the places that they go to when they doing this are not classic beach breaks.
Watch closely how the waves swell up and run for a long time.

Results after one month

Windfoiling - 55cm foil mast
There is a fine line between not enough wind and too much.
Gusty conditions can make it difficult to do the necessary adjustments.
Chop on the water is best avoided at the early stages of learning.

Short paddle SUP foiling - 65cm foil mast
High tide often has a fierce shorebreak that feels like it wants to break the gear.
Low tide gives more opportunities to run aground.
Going from a kneeling position to a standing position should be done before the board goes up on the foil.

Also
Watching others do things easily and well can take its toll..

Tip from Blue Planet:
Foil Surfing Foot Hooks

Lessons from the weekend

Sailing
Stop turning up when there is no wind.
Chugging around the bay is good practice for uphaul starts and slow jibbing but it is time up on the foil that has to happen next and did not happen this weekend.

SUP Foil
Gently does it and don't over-react.
On the first wave I paddled onto on Saturday the foil started to lift and I let it up; stalled crashed down and got straight back up too high then stalled again.