Unreal slice by Derek Hamasaki on his new 4'11" Custom Jimmy Lewis Flying V & GoFoil on Oahu....
Very impressive.
Please explain the benefits over prone foiling when down to this SUP size, thanks.
It just comes down to mass and air resistance. ( 30 odd litres v 80 to 90 litres) The less you have the easier it is to pump and being narrower the more you can lay it over. Prone boards are around 20" to 22" wide. You tend to generate more speed out of turns on a prone because of this . But steeper take offs are harder on a prone & Sup still wins that one and of course the paddle back plus scratching on , on small days.
As Piros said, plus this very interesting post by Patrice Guenole, the Gong shaper:
Hello,
There are several things that need to be integrated:
The interest of SUPfoil compared to Surfoil:
1/ Early Take-Offs : taking off on a wave that doesn't break, or even on a bump, flying crossed a flat surface, it's all possible on a SUPfoil but not on a Surfoil.
Which is to say that there quite a few conditions that are limited and can only be exploited in SUPfoil.
2/ Water depth : In small waves, because in SUPfoil you take off from farther out, while in Surfoil you need to be closer in. And quite often, an ideal wave defurls around 0,7 times its height, the mast doesn't make it through the take off on a Surfoil.
Concretely, you won't be able to Surfoil a wave that is les than 90cm because it will be unfurling over 65cm of water (which is the mast height). Unless of course you're looking to do some Clam digging with your wings in and trying to destroy it, you will need at least a little meter, up to your butt, of water.
On the contrary, on SUPfoil you can take off earlier, so deeper, and once you're in the air you can get through those areas that are shallower and not as long as your mast. The risk of breaking everything still exists,but it is very amusing to do.
3/ Getting back out : You won't be getting back out sole by pumping, it is very rare to have the physical capacity, and the technique for not fizzling out at the end of the wave and through the take off zone. So, you will be paddling. It's just easier on a SUP, unless there is a lot of foam. And in that case, on a Surfoil you can duck dive, but on a SUPfoil getting over the bar is like suicide.
4/ What's left for Surfoiling : Pumping, because the board is not as fat, you will be able to pump and maneuver the Board easier. So it must be known that this liveliness is also much more problematic and susceptible to severe repercussions when making minor errors when you begin.
So the smaller the Surfoil Board, the finer she is. And one must paddle correctly on it in order to get back out. But overall you can take a smaller Board because the Bigger L Wing floats and the take is done Bodyboard style in the foam or off a gentle slope.
Thanks
