Monofoil or "riding stabless", setup and riding

[Horst Sergio]

@foilfun:
Looks good , just could it be your strut is to much forward or do you stay with back foot in front of back strap? For monofoil I always recommend a pretty wide foot stance not as wide as races but close to.
Not sure if I got the point why you felt that monofoil is better for weed? The only point for me is that you can surface with less chance to fall but the weed I had love my mono as my stabifoil .

@elguapo:
There is a lot of light in monofoiling just a long way to find it.

And I fully agree with Peter, even that the "drive" is lost for first when monofoiling, but after a long long time it will be back there, the drive to just do what you want thanks to stability of stabi will then be installed in your head.

The tendency to use smaller stabs I also see everywhere.
Just at some point you will prefer to make a final cut and stop to carry around the heavy spiky scorpion tale for the lowering benefit of having the last few cm² of your stabi.
Then it is called monofoiling.
I would expect some day in the future better monofoil dedicted wings will make this last cut easier.
But with todays big wings it already started to be much easier then years before.

[foilfun]

My LP wing is fairly small, 720, so it needs to be farther forward. When I use my NP surf wing, 1226, I move the mast back. I like the LP mono better because it goes faster and jumps better. Riding with my feet side-by-side is fun on it too. Keeps the adrenaline pumping.

Our weeds tangle around the stabilizer wing. Without one, they almost never collect around the mast. They'll hit the mast but pull themselves off. They almost never pull themselves off the stabilizer.

[foilfun]

Mono freestyle day. First day adding kiteloops to mono tricks.

[Horst Sergio]

Mono freestyle day. First day adding kiteloops to mono tricks.

Looks very good
But does the twintip don't feel to indirect / soft to you? Maybe try something more stiff to see the difference.

And on the end of your fuselage you may add a guidance for the flow which can be also made by wood as it does not see any load, just if you want to eliminate the last percents of drag

[foilfun]

Thanks! I'm still trying different setups to find the one that fits my style. I tried that 115 TT when I first started foiling, but it was too soft for that. It actually works much better with the mono. My first mono was the short Dwarf Craft, but I don't care for floaty boards. However, I am currently using a 115 carbon board with my NP surf mono. For my 720 LP, I've started using the 135 Double Agent. Ultimately, I plan on riding the mono in the waves this winter in South Padre Island. The 135 is very friendly on the water--when needed.

I rode my two-wing LP the other day in some big wind, it seemed so draggy.

I started to add a point to the end of my foils, but I decided the rounded end would be a little safer. Plenty of other dangerous parts that can't be changed on a foil.

[Horst Sergio]

Looks like that there is another monofoil collector in the room.

... Ultimately, I plan on riding the mono in the waves this winter in South Padre Island.

Go for it. After more than 30 years of skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, etc.

Riding a tiny wind wave down the line for a km just straight the line on a monofoil just stabilized by an unhooked and as tiny as possible drifting kite ... :

Is just the most amazing surf feel I have ever had.
And the best is those small windwaves in 20 knts you even find at my home in central Europe in big lakes or small seas.

Can't wait to see your video: "tandem monofoiling on a wave"

I rode my two-wing LP the other day in some big wind, it seemed so draggy.

Yes I rarely ride with stabi and if, I use the most tiny existing one with just around 100 cm² or on my wingfoil setup I shim it to nearly no angle of attack.

But whatever I do it always feels wrong and draggy.
But this is an experience you just can do yourself after having started to feel compfortable on a mono, but if you once have had it, you will be out of stabifoiling forever

[foilfun]

I'm waiting on her to be off work on a windy day. We've only been tandem once this summer. ☹ I test rode our tandem board with the mono surf wing today. Can't wait to take her for a ride on it.

[Horst Sergio]

With Wing Foiling it now starts to be the same as with kite foiling. I start to refuse to use a stab as its disadvantages starts to outstrip the advantages:

- The Wingfoil board without stabi goes much better upwind with lower holding forces.(additionaly now use harness so can go in much higher wind and fast upwind and riding for very long time, saving force for jumping)
- It is more lively in waves and all manouvers
- And last experience since I now have two straps: It jumps a lot better, not just for the 1 kg less weight (Board as shown complete with leash is 8,5 kg, which is very light for 72 liter inflateable and 1400 cm² alu foil)
- And it lands a lot easier as you can bomb in back wing forward without being catapultet to the front when normaly the backwing first hits the water. (Landing on wingfoil is normly more difficult as you are missing the good kite support)

Also finaly found the perfect balancing point and foil for my smallest (88 x 33 cm) board, had an awesome session boosting with it and also bombing back no matter how it comes down.

Fortgot the link, already seen in other topic:
The last part of the video with the grey 3 m² Wing is with a monofoil of 1900 cm². It was the moment directly before I dismounted stabi last time and never take it back, but from outside it is hard to see the difference in riding style, maybe just that start is pretty easy, compared. Also found out that 1400 cm² Mono which I use now fits much better.

[Horst Sergio]

Now also tried the Duotone Spirit Surf with 1250 cm²

For the short test it felt pretty well as monofoil.
The impression was to be able to push it for its size quite fast with low drag. Pretty sure much better, also in general, than my GONG Allvator M Wing as monofoil, I used later.
Haven't directly compared against Levitaz Cruizer and Moses Onda, which I would expect both to be better as monofoil, but for all interested in a medium priced Duotone foil or already having one, trying to go one step forward, this is it.
The owner now wants to build a better 0-fuselage for it, then I think I will try it again.

[foilfun]

After mono foiling for a couple of months, I decided to go back for a day to my 460 LP wing with 40" mast and stabilizer wing. (The weeds are cold and dieing--finally!) Well, it was definitely locked in for jumping, but wasn't near as much fun as it used to be. It doesn't feel very lively, now. What I learned: (1) If you like riding locked in side-to-side and up-and-down, you'll probably hate riding mono. (2) If you like a lively feel, quick turns, and don't mind touching the water, you'll probably like riding mono. My Double Agent board is even fun to make snap turns in front of lake "waves" while on the water as a mono.

If you'd like to get a feel for mono but retain some stability, move your stabilizer wing as far foward as possible. I added that option on two of my monos. It gives about 50% of the mono feel. I think it'll make it more likely for my friends to try it. And it's the only way I care to ever ride two wings now. Mono foiling is addicting!

Among many other things, Horst is correct about leaving a little fuselage behind the mast for better flow. Much less likely to generate air bubbles and drop the wing. Thanks!