kook123 forum posts in last 60 days

AnyBoard said..
For me the specs on lots of these so called PW boards are far from ideal.
I am looking at 60 to 70 litres but I don't want a 5'6 or 5'8. I want at least 5'10 and ideally 6'

yes, when will they ever keep that length and get MUCH THINNER (encouraging to see the KT claiming the Arc is thinner, although specs I'm seeing show those dims as TBA)

SA_AL said..
...The all-around friendly foils you are using simply have too much drag for where you want to go. For jibes and tacks, glide is everything. If a foil slows down the second you stop powered-up riding, you will sink mid-turn.

This is probably the main limitation I'm feeling with my Uni Progressions...I like their low end, but you can feel the resistance in the water pretty clearly...the Lift hax's I had been on were really lacking in low end for me, but felt less draggy...
It seems we are at a point where there are a number of options that don't require those trade-offs as much
So...what are the best new options out there?
Having the Cedrus mast makes the cost of migrating relatively low, and I'll be in Hood River full time in another week or so...

I appreciate all the well intentioned coaching, and it is good to be reminded that I could be more focussed and consistent in practicing the things I struggle with and to keep putting in the time...but I really wanted to talk about foils...

Coincidentally, one of my bigger breakthroughs in learning to jibe was focussing my attention on my foil ("surf the foil" I tell myself) and that shift really cut down the number of times I either breached or got wiped out by a wave while jibing, and then it was suddenly no longer a challenge.

If nothing else, at least some of the language around a few new foils (e.g. from Hydrocraft and Omen) address making foiling easier/more approachable, in addition to or as a feature of the performance gains. Here is Matt from Hydrocraft from a thread on the Progression Project Forum:

"From our perspective, the magic of the Helix foil is how it pairs a very pitch-stable, easy-to-ride front wing with the efficiency gains of modern airfoil design and high-end construction.The focus with this setup was finding performance improvements that don't come at the cost of usability. Thinner mast, thinner fuselage, and cleaner connections with fewer seams and bolt heads. All aimed at reducing drag while maintaining stiffness.The Helix front wing's performance really comes from its pitch stability, roll in turns, and wide speed range. More than anything, it inspires confidence, which naturally pushes you to ride harder with more fluidity.The one component that adds a bit more spice is the Pivot 140 tail. It's more lively than what a true beginner might want, but paired with the front wing, it still feels very composed for intermediate to advanced riders.To put that into perspective, my girlfriend (about a year into foiling) and my 60-year-old mom are both riding the same foils setup as me. That definitely wasn't on my bingo card five years ago.Foils might not be making the same leaps they were five years ago, but they are getting smoother, more efficient, turning better, and easier to ride. We feel the Helix reflects that progression."

kiwiupover said..

I think the options I would be interested in are:
1) cold/wetsuit conditions:
a) cut-resistant board shorts and wind-breaker jacket to wear over wetsuit
b) thinner cut-resistant base layer leggings and top to wear under the wetsuit
2) warmer conditions (no wetsuit)
a) cut-resistant leggings to wear under normal board shorts and cut-resistant shirt/hoodie

Some design features that would also be good:
- if there are pockets, small drain holes so water can escape easily without adding weight
- attachment between tops and bottoms so there isn't space between the 2 items for the foil to hit skin
- fabric colors so you are more visible on the water
- minimal use of fabrics that absorb water and increase weight e.g. no cotton

This...

UisceBeatha said..
What do you all see on the foil front as being worth an update (or at least a demo) for this scenario? What has made the most difference in your progression from struggling intermediate to...uh...struggling less?
There is only one variable: "TIME ON FOIL"

Agree 100% that that is the main variable, and I'll be getting a lot more this season.

But I also know my first foil and wing both sucked and made learning more difficult, so its not like gear doesn't make a difference. Meanwhile, lots of hype at least about foils getting better and better, but not that much of the discussion is in terms of average joe intermediate foiling challenges that I see...just looking for more of that

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Wing-Foiling/Wind-Wings/Basics--Board-Volume?page=1

pitbulldoug said..
Good steady 20-30 kts for starters

I was going to say: longer arms and living on Maui would help...

I've been working on hip strength and esp. mobility a lot over the winter here, and just tried this again on a coffee table the size of a pump foil board, and it worked without anything to pull on with what would be my upwind/front hand, so I'm pretty stoked to go try it on the water now...

Hip range of motion and strengthening have been a focus for a while now...perhaps it is paying off

Looking for more reviews on the 2026 units...I'm looking for a new quiver this spring in the US and need to span 2.5M to 6.5M

Coming from 2024 regular Slicks...which I have definitely gotten lots of use out of, but especially with my 6.5M, they just seem heavy and the flagging sucks...just trying to jibe that thing I really have to work to get it to behave...and they flip over at every opportunity.

Thinking of going SLS 2.5, 3.5, 5, 6.5 to cover my crappy inland lake conditions as well as summer trips to The Gorge for my 65kg self on a floater midlength...I don't jump or race, just want a friendly all around wing