A forum dedicated to Hydrofoil riders
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grigorib
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For sale: Slingshot Turbine 9/13m, 20” Guardian bar, 1700 sq.cm wing/fuselage/stabilizer fitting Moses mast
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Postby grigorib » Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:15 am
I’d say 91-100cm would be great. I ride 36” board and my 42” Micro feels big and bulky nowadays. Don’t go shorter than 36”
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Kamikuza
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Postby Kamikuza » Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:19 am
Flyboy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:11 am
Kamikuza wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:53 am
Flyboy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:47 am
I just bought the SS 3'6" Dwarfcraft. Decided to go with the larger (not micro) version as it still has quite a lot of volume, so I'm assuming it will still pop up on a plane easily & work in light wind. Not as light as a smaller/thinner board obviously, but is it weight or "swing weight" that is most significant?
Swing weight IMO -- any mass in front of your front foot.
That suggests to me that a floatier (but heavier) board may be a better all-around choice than a very thin (lighter) board as it will pop up on the foil easier in lighter winds & offers more security when offshore.
Won't be that much heavier....? What's the difference between the DV 3'6" regular and micro? The foam is the lightest part, surely?
Edit: yeah 400g according to the webpage.
The two boards I'm using now are close in weight but the smaller is without a doubt more nimble.
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Flyboy
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Postby Flyboy » Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:41 am
Kamikuza wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:19 am
Flyboy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:11 am
Kamikuza wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:53 am
Swing weight IMO -- any mass in front of your front foot.
That suggests to me that a floatier (but heavier) board may be a better all-around choice than a very thin (lighter) board as it will pop up on the foil easier in lighter winds & offers more security when offshore.
Won't be that much heavier....? What's the difference between the DV 3'6" regular and micro? The foam is the lightest part, surely?
Edit: yeah 400g according to the webpage.
The two boards I'm using now are close in weight but the smaller is without a doubt more nimble.
Well you get about 80 % more flotation for that extra 400 gms of weight - that's the extra foam plus the material covering it. It seems to me that if part of the point of foiling is to be able to go to in sub 10 knot winds, it makes sense to have some floatation to fall back on, although micro board users don't seem too bothered by this.
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Kamikuza
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Postby Kamikuza » Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:47 am
Oops
Last edited by
Kamikuza on Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Kamikuza
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Postby Kamikuza » Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:47 am
Ooooops
Last edited by
Kamikuza on Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Kamikuza
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Postby Kamikuza » Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:47 am
Flyboy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:41 am
Kamikuza wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:19 am
Flyboy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:11 am
That suggests to me that a floatier (but heavier) board may be a better all-around choice than a very thin (lighter) board as it will pop up on the foil easier in lighter winds & offers more security when offshore.
Won't be that much heavier....? What's the difference between the DV 3'6" regular and micro? The foam is the lightest part, surely?
Edit: yeah 400g according to the webpage.
The two boards I'm using now are close in weight but the smaller is without a doubt more nimble.
Well you get about 80 % more flotation for that extra 400 gms of weight - that's the extra foam plus the material covering it. It seems to me that if part of the point of foiling is to be able to go to in sub 10 knot winds, it makes sense to have some floatation to fall back on, although micro board users don't seem too bothered by this.
I suspect those not bothered by lack of flotation are also not bothered by using larger kites to compensate
Anything over 10m for me (paired with big wing) is just not fun: either-or wind is too light and is a mistake or lull away from a swim in, or the kite is just too slow and lumbering.
The small board loses me enough of the bottom end that I
I probably shouldn't bother even with the big board
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Wazza Foil
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Postby Wazza Foil » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:46 am
Kamikuza wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:47 am
Flyboy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:41 am
Kamikuza wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:19 am
Won't be that much heavier....? What's the difference between the DV 3'6" regular and micro? The foam is the lightest part, surely?
Edit: yeah 400g according to the webpage.
The two boards I'm using now are close in weight but the smaller is without a doubt more nimble.
Well you get about 80 % more flotation for that extra 400 gms of weight - that's the extra foam plus the material covering it. It seems to me that if part of the point of foiling is to be able to go to in sub 10 knot winds, it makes sense to have some floatation to fall back on, although micro board users don't seem too bothered by this.
I suspect those not bothered by lack of flotation are also not bothered by using larger kites to compensate
Anything over 10m for me (paired with big wing) is just not fun: either-or wind is too light and is a mistake or lull away from a swim in, or the kite is just too slow and lumbering.
The small board loses me enough of the bottom end that I
I probably shouldn't bother even with the big board
Could you repeat that
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- Kamikuza (Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:25 am)
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joekitetime
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Postby joekitetime » Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:02 pm
I've been foiling only 1 year...
I love the 3'6" dwarf craft after having ridden many boards larger, none smaller, but I've ridden other boards the same length (3'6") as the DC.
I own both the micro and non micro.
The feeling between the two when up and riding is barely noticeable to me.
I wanted to experiment with shorter, but after reading several posts I think the 3'6" is the magic size.
I can easily water start either in only enough wind to keep the kite in the sky, even with multiple downloops to keep the kite from falling.
I have been shocked at how the thickness of the board seems to have zero impact in riding.
In very few occasions when I come off foil and am riding the board, both boards easily stay on the water surface to allow me to get the kite back powered and ride away. No additional flotation is need. I have been sort of surprised as comments regarding needing flotation on the board because that has not been my experience.
I also ride a skim with even less flotation which is even easier to ride. Go figure.
So, if it were me (actually this winter I hope to build a home build and I'll copy the DC!) but I'd go 3'6" as well, and let the thickness just be what it is depending on the materials and I'd make zero effort to effect thickness with the exception of stiffness. I like a stiff board and have grown to like my skim less and less which has a lot of flex.
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