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ss59



Joined: 10 Nov 2016
Posts: 104

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

maybe buy the kit, but go for the smaller 5.7 from the same sail range and learn to sail it even without getting up on the foil, the less fancy mast and boom will matter less that way too. Get a nose protector for the board, wear boots and a full leg wetsuit for when you kick the foil and hold fire on the harness until you need one - then get what fits Smile
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to agree that starting out using a fin rather than a foil might be the best way to build your skills and better understand your kit and its performance. That would greatly lessen your risks during the learning process.

While I've never used a foil, I know that you need to be comfortable and understand how the board and rig work together, especially in light winds before you would graduate to a foil. Needless to say, there are a lot of subtleties in extracting performance from your kit and using it to your benefit.

You definitely don't want to push too much learning all at once. That could be a recipe for disaster. Even though I'm an advocate of the self-teaching concept, it's important to establish realistic goals and plateaus in your learning process. If you are a fast study, the time to progress will be shorter. Overall though, don't get discouraged if things prove to be tougher than you thought. With determination and practice, you will get there.
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just get a WingDing, Simplify your life.
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For me, wind foiling is about going out in lite winds on a small sail and flying across the lake. At 170 lbs I would use a 4.7 sail and a 1800 front wing in 10/15 mph winds. I would need to pump to get going but once on foil you need very little sail to keep going. My opinion is to get a bigger front wing and a much smaller sail. The larger front wing will start to rise at a slower board speed and be more stable once up and flying. That said we need to know what the wind is like at your local spot. What gear are the guys using where you plan to learn.
A sail that large in its self is a lot to handle on a foil. Go for a 5.5 or 5.7 to learn on. Then as you progress, you can go bigger or smaller as need. You might find that you won't need a sail much larger than that 5.7
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forgot to mention: Helmet, vest, leg protection and booties are a very good idea...just sayin
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2022 11:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I cut a soccer-style shin protector out of deck pad material. I stick it in my wetsuit as I'm putting it on. It contours itself to fit my shin, I never know it's there, and it never moves.
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corneskinkcoetzee



Joined: 19 Jul 2022
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This has been a lot of good info, and i am still weighing up my options, i was planning on getting a board, maybe second hand, that can fit a foil and learning with fin first, but i have no idea what to look for in older boards when it comes to fittting a foil, also, as i will be travelling with the gear i would like to minimize size, most training boards are way too big to even consider, and im not buying a board in every country im going to, thats just silly.
Sail wise, i see a lot of recommendations for 5.5 and 5.7, i will mostly be sailing in 15 kts or less, more than that ill be out on a dinghy.
Im about 95kg, 1.85m tall, this was why i was suggested a bigger sail i guess, but 7.7 does seem like overkill, that said, i am quite used to how sails work, as i am a sailor by profession, ill need just a couple of sessions to understand how this specific type of sail handles.
As far as protection goes, i agree its always a good idea, whether or not ill buy the stuff is a different story
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coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

westender wrote:
Just get a WingDing, Simplify your life.


Or complicate your life depending on where you will be sailing.

Coachg
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mac



Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17742
Location: Berkeley, California

PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ckc—I’m about your size, 6’2”, 205 pounds. I raced formula boards for about twenty years before making the transition to wind foiling. It was a hard transition—in part because it was the early days of foiling—but it is much harder than windsurfing.

Looking back, and giving advice, I would say take lessons from a reputable vendor and you will make more progress, faster. Here’s why. There are a dizzying array of alternatives in foils, and they do different things well. I cruise with other former racers, so I am on a race foil—90cm wing. It’s fast, but tough to learn on. Fat foils that won’t go over about 15 mph, but will get you up in light wind with a small sail are much easier to learn on. Once you learn the balance, you might want a more versatile foil and/or board.

Second, longer fuselages on the foils increase stability. When I switched to a 120 cm fuselage, life got much easier, upwind and downwind. The longer the fuselage, the fatter the foil, the more stable the ride. If you are satisfied with learning maneuvers, you can stay there. If you want more speed, or distance, you will need different equipment.

Third, consider winging, or at least consider a lesson. If holding a sail/wing overhead and pumping like mad is okay with your shoulders, you can have much lighter board and a much smaller wing. People are progressing rapidly, so there is a ton of used equipment in places like the Bay area. It is graceful, people are starting to race (they have a division in the Classic today), and I am certain that the designs will progress pretty rapidly.

For windfoiling, at my size, a 6.8 is the sail I use the most, in winds over 17 mph and less than 24. So if you go with that kind of foil, at your size, a 5.7 might not get you going.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you're looking for an used board that will accept both a fin and a foil, I would look for a board with a Deep Tuttle finbox. A board with a Powerbox can be used with an added adapter component, but I think that the Deep Tuttle box would offer significantly more strength with its deeper cavity design. Also, a DT finbox can reliably handle larger fins much better.

Ideally, I would look for a board that was originally designed and built to fit either a fin or a foil. In addition, the footstrap placements might be better positioned to take advantage of both sports.
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