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Race boards were a big turn off with 50 cm fins. Foilboards are an other big turn off with 85 to 100 cm draft. More negatives than positive in my opinion. They are only at their best in 6-7-8 knots. In 9 knots and above i never wish i had a foilboard because in the waves they just go too fast and are not actually riding them. Niche in a niche in a niche in a niche. You summed it up well "Mr.eree"

Way to go, Eree, I knew you could be a ray of sunshine!

Here we go again indeed... The only guys thinking its over rated have never done it. I know a few windsurfers you could hang out with. They still think lines are a turn off!

No doubt, foils are cumbersome. The first time I put that thing together in my kitchen it was down right intimidating. Intimidated me again when it jumped through my lines! It's a steep learning curve, you either get over it, or quit. It might not be for you guys. I can understand why. Not everyone can fit in a niche!

Your loss..... 9 knots on anything else is a bore wrapped in a bore covered in boring. In fact anything south of 15 is foil territory.

Never heard of race face, or door face, but I know exactly what foil face is!

eree wrote: remember those big fat race boards from 1-2 years ago and all the speed records and olympic hopes? well in my place less then 1 percent of the kiters acquired these boards with long fins and started to conquer the race and light wind riding.
now when there are slightly better new foil gear appeared only minute portion of these race board owners have switched to foil boards. why? maybe because the next generation of the better boards came too soon and the most of the racers just consider this technology race pointless? or maybe they found out that the hydrofoil board is just the mother of all lawn mowers?
whatever it is i think the "niche inside the niche" just sums it up

and naysayers will always be naysayers...

those who never tried foiling are the ones endlessly comparing it to riding race boards. there is no comparison. at our light wind spot, there was a fair number of race boards till last year. none today. dead end. now, there is at least 2x maybe even 3x that number of foilers at various degree of progression (i know of at least 30 in our town). meaning: even those who never considered race board now own the hydrofoil.
some places are better for foiling than others and that will reflect the number of participants, but it will not be another fad. it is just too much fun

cheers
b.

Eree, a naysayer ? Bite yo tongue!

borist wrote:

eree wrote: remember those big fat race boards from 1-2 years ago and all the speed records and olympic hopes? well in my place less then 1 percent of the kiters acquired these boards with long fins and started to conquer the race and light wind riding.
now when there are slightly better new foil gear appeared only minute portion of these race board owners have switched to foil boards. why? maybe because the next generation of the better boards came too soon and the most of the racers just consider this technology race pointless? or maybe they found out that the hydrofoil board is just the mother of all lawn mowers?
whatever it is i think the "niche inside the niche" just sums it up

and naysayers will always be naysayers...

those who never tried foiling are the ones endlessly comparing it to riding race boards.
b.

Exactly. I honestly wonder why some are even following this thread since they find foilboarding so un-interesting...

Here in the Vancouver, Canada kiteboarding is popular. We have over 700 paid kiteboarding members at our most reliable wind location in nearby Squamish.

Some of our very best local kiters here took up racing several years ago and we had an active fleet of over two dozen kiteboarding racers. We were perhaps second only to San Francisco on this continent in the racing scene.

That all changed two years ago when hydrofoils appeared. Virtually all the racers and some others took up hydrofoiling. We now have a few dozen hydrofoilers around here and I often kite with at least ten other hydrofoilers. Race boards are done around here (anybody want to buy one?).

I am well aware that hydrofoiling is not easy and most of us around here were accomplished kiters first. But many of us are enjoying it and find ourselves preferring it. We shall see how things progress, but I predict a growing future for hydrofoiling. It does not replace wave riding (I just got back from a good time in Maui) but there are many days when I would much rather be on my hydrofoil than my kite surfboard.

CG

cglazier wrote: but there are many days when I would much rather be on my hydrofoil than my kite surfboard.

Last two years - I spent 20hrs on a waveboard and 500hrs on a foil (ish).
I do not feel temptation for waveriding anymore like it was before I've met foilboarding.
Take a wave board only when a perfect storm hits the coast (maybe 3-4 times a year).

Many people (not foiling) make a mistake associating foilboarding with kiteracing. They predict the future on the basis of racing. Big mistake. Foilboarding is not about the racing at all.
Foilboarding is fun of freedom and expressing yourself on the water. That's a new dimension in kiteboarding. Real 3D.
Racing is just a tiny part of foilboarding but unfortunately it is expressed by some manufacturers like it would be mainly about racing.

There was a dozen of foilers in Poland two years ago. This year - we had them more than kiteracers ever!
Interesting thing - from my experience - one/third of Polish amateurs buy a new gear without any testing and foilboarding skills. They just want to do it. Has it ever happened with kiteracing? Do not remember a single case.

PullStrings wrote:Not big at all only one guy out. Lately because of small sharks sightings in the shorebreak he does not go out. The water goes to chest deep very gradually so to go out it takes him about 30 seconds in and out. He feels like a fish troll. When he rides he mostly stays out on the outside going back and forth.All of us spraying in the waves on surfboards are having so much more fun in my opinion. We can see the look on his face. He is starting to get bored on his foilboard. The guy is an excellent rider on surfboard and kills it in the waves so we think he will foilboard less and less. As they say "been there done that". One day there will be zero hydrofoilers out at our beach. It will not catch on. Fad over.Next.

This is an awesome post, priceless

At first I thought Pullstrings was a spot on ironic post, but I think not now....

Does not matter, it works equally well no matter what

It shows in a nutshell WHY so few want to go hydrofoiling, the paradox only known by those who do it, and this thread shows why those who do, NEVER regret, as a new life has begun !

Raceboards are boring and a PITA with those stiff fins, agree.
Comparing as Eree did, is not only wrong, it shows directly why most havent got a clue what hydrofoiling is all about

I love riding waves (waveboards) - and having started hydrofoiling this wave feel and experience has been magnified and works in flat water too - the same carving zen feel we know from perfect waves

This thread is cool, because somewhat like in 2005-6 when everybody said "Bow kites dont work, only C kites are good" ha haa, hilarious seen in retroperspective right ?

Nough said

PF

windmaker wrote:

borist wrote:

eree wrote:...

...

Exactly. I honestly wonder why some are even following this thread since they find foilboarding so un-interesting...

well, may i suggest, start with reading the OP post in the beginning of the thread. maybe it saves you the time on honest wondering?

Down to business! I am an engineer with some aerospace and fluid dynamics experience who has made many carbon kiteboards (don't make any anymore but still ride my own - as do a few others) and am now bored of my job. I am thinking about the kitesurfing business and know this is a bit fictional but how big is the Hydofoil market now?

the OP clearly wants the information for starting the business. when only the foil board aficionados answer his request he gets deficient, one-sided information.
so if you like foilboarding knock yourself out, i don't care. but don't expect the masses to send foil board request letters to santa yet just because some of you think foil board is the latest technological breakthrough.
i don't think foilboarding is un-interesting. i think it is impractical, that's all. you certainly did see occasionally the weird looking bicycles where the cyclist almost lying in it, cranking the pedals in front of himself? that is what foil board for me. i mean, yes it allows you win a couple or more knots in the light wind, but there are so much more other things to do in life when wind is not strong enough.
in couple of years there will be more wonder gears, and most of todays foil boards will be stashed in garages forever...

I actually think your partially right! For sure these foils will be in the attic, but there will be a lot more foilers out there in the future. Its never going to be everyone's deal, not even half, so Eree has a point when it comes to the OP's business aspirations. I think everyone was actually pretty clear on that but thanks Eree.

I can also understand your comparison to weird bikes. It is weird looking... no doubt. I absolutely thought along the same lines when I first saw it. The straight line, race set ups were a complete turn off. Took a few decent free ride clips to catch my attention. Funny thing is experience can completely overcome those early perceptions. PF is dead on. There is a surfy style and feel right there for anyone to take. True curvilinear carving in dead flat water.

No one is saying it will take over. It certainly will end up being the main form of riding for many who take it up, but thats just dictated by conditions.

All kinds of things look weird at first. Once you grow accustomed to it, its no longer such a hangup. Used to be you could tell who was crazy by just watching who talked to themselves. Now everyone talks to themselves phone or not and you don't bat an eye.