Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

too light to drift downwind?

A forum dedicated to Hydrofoil riders
User avatar
bragnouff
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1532
Joined: Tue May 14, 2002 1:00 am
Kiting since: 1999
Local Beach: New Brighton
Gear: Boards: Alkita boards
Zeeko Slash/AirWave/Scrambler
Amundson Johno
Foils: Spitfire XLW/ XXLW. GoFoil NL130/160/190
Kites: FS Peaks
HB Legion
Wings:Zeeko Carve
HB Flair/Guide...
Brand Affiliation: GK enthusiast / Zeeko & HB Pimp
Location: 43.5320° S, 172.6306° E
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 336 times
Contact:

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby bragnouff » Tue Sep 25, 2018 10:42 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:37 pm

(...)
It is no problem dragging to the hydrofoil on its side IMO, take longer of course, but if you do it like you would with a TT upside down t.ex, it will work just fine :thumb:

The lightness and ability to waterstart faster by far outweighs the extra time you sometimes need to bodydrag.

8) PF
Except that when the wind is light, and you need to keep your kite moving all the time to prevent it from falling at the edge of the window, this would become pretty tricky to bodydrag upwind, or even just square to the wind for a significant amount of time.

User avatar
juandesooka
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1193
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:05 pm
Kiting since: 2011
Local Beach: Sooke, BC, Canada
Style: Canada's Kai Lenny (in my mind)
Gear: Ocean Rodeo wings&kites / GoFoil
Brand Affiliation: Open to offers
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 97 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby juandesooka » Tue Sep 25, 2018 10:53 pm

Laughingman wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:31 pm
AGK wrote:
Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:17 pm

So: has this happened to anyone else?
Yes to an extent, I just recently changed my high volume (21 liters) board to a low volume (5 liters or so) and noticed the same thing, the board did not come and meet me, in fact I had to body drag up wind to get it... I didn't think much of it till I read your post but certainly noticed it on the water
Same as me ... my wakeskate with aluminum / g10 combo floats with only about 6 inches of nose out of the water. I had to paint the tip bright orange just to find it again. But if I end up downwind of it, it'll a long way back, as it doesn't catch any wind, just sits there. I thought about attaching some kinda gojoe like thing to nose, would pop up on wipeouts, sail down to me. The pool noodle idea is interesting.....might be worth experimenting. Particularly as adding more duct tape and neon foam would contribute further to my ongoing unicycle juggling clown act. :-)

Back to the OP though: bizarre problem, never occurred to me this would be an issue, but makes sense. Last weekend we wake foiled with a buddy's new gofoil maliko, it was odd to see it floating on its side on wipeouts.

Dwight
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3377
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2002 1:00 am
Local Beach: Florida
Gear: Any
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby Dwight » Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:44 pm

The cloud 9 P27 wing has that issue. It floats high and dry, even with heavy aluminum mast on it.

OzBungy
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2756
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:35 am
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 219 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby OzBungy » Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:55 am

It happens to me all the time. The board, foil and mast are all so light the whole thing floats high on top of the water.

It is possible to ride more conservatively so that falls are less likely. Ride with a little more wind with a better direction so your gear ends up on the beach. Touch down gybes can help to keep line tension during transitions. Set up carefully for the transition. I generally avoid downloop transitions. They're fine when they work but unrecoverable if anything goes wrong.

I have swum backstroke while flying the kite. That worked the last time I got stuck some metres from my board. Lie on your back. Scissor kick. Stroke with one or both arms. Tweak the bar as needed to keep the kite tidy.

Benicia Wind
Rare Poster
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:04 pm
Local Beach: Benicia CA USA
Favorite Beaches: Benicia CA USA
Style: strapless foil
Gear: DIY foil. NRG surfboard. Jimmy Lewis surfboard. Liquid Force One 12M. Slingshot Rally 9M.
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Benicia, CA USA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby Benicia Wind » Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:47 pm

It has happened to me. Now I keep a spare leash on me and attach it to the board if it looks like it is going to be a hassle re-launching my kite. Also handy for when the wind dies and I have to swim in. I put a small loop of rope in the nose of my board so I can attach the leash. I tried attaching the leash to the mast, but that didn't work.

Okkiteboarder
Medium Poster
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2018 2:52 pm
Local Beach: I kite in Oklahoma at Lake Keystone, Hefner, and Eufaula Lake
Favorite Beaches: My favorite beaches are: Maui, Cozumel, St. Pete, and home in Oklahoma
Style: Kite Foil and Wingfoil
Gear: Flysurfer, Delta Foils, FOne, jAxis, and Duotone
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby Okkiteboarder » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:25 pm

Same issue here with the Slingshot carbon setup. I talk about that issue in this review.

https://youtu.be/6KWdJP5VBBE
0C4E8BA1-DC11-481E-AE6A-7905D8463838.jpeg

The OK Kiteboarder

bohme
Rare Poster
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:01 pm
Local Beach: Ringkøbing
Favorite Beaches: Hvide Sande
Style: Foiling
Gear: Worn
Brand Affiliation: DIY
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 12 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby bohme » Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:54 pm

This happens to me 8 our of 10 times in strong wind and flat water.
The foil floats, and the board acts as a sail. For some reason it finds a way to rotate and position the board upwind.
I usually swim hard for 2 min. If the board gets a head start, I would struggle.
I use a UNIfoil 175 wave foil and a light 1.3kg custom board.

User avatar
Peter_Frank
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 12734
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Denmark
Has thanked: 1005 times
Been thanked: 1187 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:06 pm

bohme wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:54 pm
This happens to me 8 our of 10 times in strong wind and flat water.
The foil floats, and the board acts as a sail. For some reason it finds a way to rotate and position the board upwind.
I usually swim hard for 2 min. If the board gets a head start, I would struggle.
I use a UNIfoil 175 wave foil and a light 1.3kg custom board.

Very true Jacob - when in strong wind even a bit heavier foil can float on its side with board as a sail keeping the foil from going down vertical...

When a bit of wave or chop, it will often be "tilted" down by these.

But not always, and especially when more flat and higher winds as you say, it can keep itself on the side eventhough it would "sink" if no wind - and it is a lot more timeconsuming to bodydrag back and forth to get up to the board.

So when you crash and you fly downwind, and you shoot the board upwind, say in a failed 360 or rolltack or trick - it will take some time to retrieve your board if it stays on its side :roll:

Opposed to if it goes "flat" it will turn downwind pretty fast and you can almost just wait for it.

Still, I prefer the lighter foils by far - and as said, even a foil that will sink normally, CAN sit locked on its side if windier :wink:

So you just have to use your old "TT upside down far upwind" bodydrag skills - as it can always be retrieved I am pretty sure :naughty:

8) Peter

User avatar
Sandras
Medium Poster
Posts: 148
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 3:04 pm
Local Beach: Fort Walton Beach, FL
Favorite Beaches: Okaloosa Island, FL
Gear: .
Location: Destin, FL
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby Sandras » Sat Oct 06, 2018 3:31 pm

Okkiteboarder wrote:
Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:25 pm
Same issue here with the Slingshot carbon setup. I talk about that issue in this review.

https://youtu.be/6KWdJP5VBBE
0C4E8BA1-DC11-481E-AE6A-7905D8463838.jpeg


The OK Kiteboarder
Nice Video! :thumb:

drsurf
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2018 5:42 pm
Kiting since: 2000
Local Beach: NSW South Coast
Gear: Too much too describe
Brand Affiliation: Whatever I sell
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 268 times
Contact:

Re: too light to drift downwind?

Postby drsurf » Fri Dec 28, 2018 3:09 pm

Happened to me twice yesterday :( Using a Onda 633 wing on a 91cm mast and a new lightweight but thin Axis Free MV 125cm x 45cm board. The board is great for strapless riding with a flat comfortable deck with a centre low spine for stiffness. Being thin the board sits low in the water on its side making for easy strapless water starts.
However if you fall off and the board ends up on its side, board side to the wind, it rockets upwind faster than you can body drag. A bit of swell or wind chop seems to accelerate the process causing the foil to pump the board upwind even more! First time a friendly sea kayaker grabbed the board so I could get to it, the second time I had to body drag into shore in a dying breeze which was too light let to run up the beach upwind and body drag out ahead of the board to catch it. Had to get a friendly SUP boarder to paddle me out and get it. Meanwhile I had visions of my expensive foilboard being run over by Dolphin Watch cruises and other large boats :cry:

I'll see if I can modify the board in any way to prevent this as it's a serious issue I don't want to keep repeating. The board is great otherwise. I may have to use my less floaty freeride wing like a Moses 590 which shouldn't have the buoyancy to allow the board to float on its side. Of course if I stopped the occasional crashing that would solve the problem too.

Interested to hear if anyone has solved this issue in a simple way.

Have fun, Dave


Return to “Hydrofoil”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 154 guests