After having seen both, I'm quite happy with my choice, the foil is only going to be used in sub 14 knots ..... can't see the point in spending the extra $$ just for carbon. And the alloy mast is really stiff/rigid, no flex at all.
neil pryde is going to release a foil for the average/week end sailor with an aluminium mast and g10 wings. I would expect they know what they are doing.
I've attached my Zeeko alloy kitefoil to an old slalom board. The first time out the deck pad glue let go so waiting for some time to remedy.
The alloy foil felt stiff enough but I only foil floated from one chop top to next.
Zeeko have experimented with a carver wing but feel there has to be some extra strength added.
Zeeko use a 3 bolt alloy mast which has been fine. But there have been issues with the alloy masts/struts that use 2 bolt system.
It's TF gel, to put on the stainless steel bolts that go into aluminium to prevent hypothetical galvanic corrosion (?) in you don't rinse your gear properly.
Like I said it's already loaded with gel, so you've got time ahead before using the extra syringe.
I asked around locally, apparently that stuff is quite expensive.
Hey GL and others that are doing it, foiling that is!
is there a particular board size that's best suited to make this happen?
So GL has used an Atom, with the Slingshot (spell check 10mtimes! SlingShi!) Neil Pryde videos they are on quite big boards.
the French Mob Horue (or whatever the brand) look to have small dedicated board, obviously you want something that floats you, but after that I'm not seeing where/why a big board is an advantage, once your up and away I would make have thought small as possible in the air? Given that you can foil a kite/wake board size doesn't seem to be an issue? Thoughts?
Fin box, aside from it being Tuttle (reg or deep) does the box and its fittings etc have to be super reinforced to handle the load of the foil, or will a normal box handle it?
Hey thinking that I'd want to give the foiling thing a go next year, what sort of board would be right? I don't want a dedicated foiling board, thinking a nice slalom board that can also work as foiling would be the goal.
I was spying up the Isonic 107 or 117 as my option and noticed a vid using perhaps the larger version. Anyway be good to get some thoughts.
btw spoke to local kiter who has been @ it for some time
says he sees NO detriment in using aluminium foils !!
as you say here - the good news is less $$$
let's hope the price drops to an affordable one SOON !!!
(and i do NOT need a lesson on RIO/king = return on investment )
am just a poor "average joe" who windsurfs in a place with lotsa light wind in a SHORT summer season !!
So either Isonic 107 or 117 would work by sounds of it, though the 117 might be nicer in light potentially slogging situations!
What do you guys think about the possibility of a foiling longboard? Obviously the extra windage and weight could be an issue and you'd need a centreboard case insert so the foil was further forward, but it could be interesting to those of us who sail inland and really, really hate schlogging.
I've foiled a Moth and a Laser briefly. Quite fun but I'm not such a huge fan I'm going to spend the sort of money for a top-end specialised foiler. To me the feeling of the board or boat slicing or planing is an enormous part of the joy of sailing.
https://www.facebook.com/windfoilbytaaroa/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
Benjamin Tillier this week end, long distance was cancelled for windsurfers/kiters, only the foils were allowed to start.....
On the topic of fitting a foil to a "normal" board; and after talking to a few shapers and foilers, it seems that inserting a wedge in the fin box to supress the gap at the top is the solution.
Most of the force is upwards and if you can prevent the foil from moving up in the box you should be fine (except coral bombs/floating logs and turtles)
here's what I did for my patrik 128
"inalterable" kohu wood with epoxy coating
With a 52cm carbon fin or bigger - believe I could get a Patrik 135 litre and a Severne Overdrive 8.6m going in 10 knots.
With the same board and sail - but with a foil - how many knots would I need to plane?
Sean,
Sorry to sound confused. Does your Patrick 128 have a loose box that needs wood?
If today, it took two people ten minutes to wiggle the mast head into the box, what is the spacer for?
Before the head enters the box? or to stop "box slop" of a loose head in the box?
I apologise, I saw the bit with your lube on video, but with too much Tefgel, everything got sticky :(
I have no solution?
Cheers Ian
Kinda interested , 120 kg average sailer , water starter , 9.9 out of 10 gyber , plenty of Tuttle boards , should I try ???
As far as I understand, Tuttles use the tapper to seat the fin ( or strut ) into place. Once the tapper is mated to the base the only way for it to go further up or in is for the male part to squash or the female part to stretch.
So if the Tuttle box can't stretch then how can having a spacer ( that can possibly inhibit the mating process) help?
First I have to apologize for my sometimes not technical english (second language... I don't know all the terms, google gave me wedge for spacer
)
The wooden spacer goes in first (obviously ) then the foil, on my Patrik I have to wiggle it a bit to get it in too.
(it even still sticks out one mm,which is fine with me)
I agree about the tapper part to prevent a normal fin from coming up in the box if over tightened, but you have to consider the extreme force of the foil in action.
It will stretch the tuttle box (it's only plastic with foam around it) if you don't prevent it from going up. We've all heard those "crack sounds" when over tightening a fin, the foil will do worse.
where's bloody Barn when you need him !!
I'm not trying to prove a point, it happened to me on the hypersonic, it went up and forward !
I ended up with the two bolts sticking out behind my foot
The local shapers told me that you also have to ensure you original box is connected to both top and bottom of the board, I only have patriks and it's the case, no idea if other brands would have "non connected" boxes. (seems strange they would)
What I did for the hypersonic (as the foil strut had made holes in the box) was to insert the foil (greased and glad wrapped), drill two holes in the deck between the bolt holes, put two straws in the bolt holes, and pour microballon epoxy in the drilled holes to fill the gap. Now it's a perfect fit and there's no way the foil can come up (without ripping the board )
Imax, of course you should try, it's such a thrilling sensation !! Plus you can then ditch all those 8.8/9.6 sails and go for a blast in 8 knts !
(but beware it's bloody scary at first !!)