Select to expand quoteboardsurfr said..
I think foiling ruins the fun of freeriding on a freestyle board a bit.
Especially, if you are not one of those people attempting all those freestyle tricks
I guess I would like to come off the foil and use my currently rigged sail and windsurf, but it seems that would only work if the wind has come up a lot while of the foil.
More likely I would need to match a bigger rig and appropriate windsurf board to plane 3/4 of the time that I am up on the foil.
Select to expand quotethedoor said..
Background: Longtime bump and jump sailor, primarily foiling at this stage but am still looking to ride the fin at times, currently about 76kgs
Unfortunately, relative to my foil sessions where I am up most of the time, have zero problem staying up wind and foil through the majority of my gybes, my fin sessions these days seem to be a struggle. I spend most of my time trying to stay upwind, even when the tide is to my advantage.
My primary fin board is a 93L fanatic skate with a 22cm fin. I am not interested in backward sliding tricks (maybe if I could do them I would be).
Clearly foiling is much easier than windsurfing, but I am wondering if a different windsurfing board would make my windsurfing experience more enjoyable. An ideal board for me would do the following
1) Goes up wind easily, so I can mess around and enjoy my session without spending all my energy getting back to where I started.
2) Planes easily
3) Turns off the back foot
4) Jumps
Example from the other day:
From 1.30 to 2.30 I was foiling and from 2.30 to 3.30 I was windsurfing. Wind was initially NW then more WNW I came off the foil because I was kind of lit so figure that windsurfing would be the go and grabbed my 93L fanatic skate and bagged out my sail a bit. As you can see the wind dropped a bit at that time so maybe that was the problem, but is windsurfing gear that sensitive to a minor drop in wind?
Not only was I on and off the plane on the fin, you can see how most of my time was spent getting back up wind.
I have never really enjoyed the 93L skate, upgrading to a 22cm fin helped. I enjoyed my older 100L skate quite a bit better, but don't really dig that frontfoot turning that most freestyle boards need. My favorite rides recently have been powered up sessions on my old RRD single fin wave boards (wave cults 85 and 76). I also had quite a bit of fun in the past blasting on exocet kona longboards eg.
I also had a good week of sailing on that old naish "swallow tail" freestyle board (I think this one www.amazon.co.uk/Naish-Freestyle-Windsurf-Board-100L/dp/B00ZL8J5E8)
Have I been spoiled by foiling? Would a different board help? More volume, more fins, bigger fin...
Sail size! It remains the most important factor for the low end. I am 72 Kg, I sail roughly where you sail (Crissy, Stick and Coyote) and I cannot tell you how many days my 6.5 has bought me together with any board I owned in the 90 to 100L range. Dozen of days when the 4.7 or bust contingent waits on the beach for the missing wind when a larger sail would fix it.
Maybe you have something bigger than 5.3, but if not get at least a 6.0, better a 6.5. Cost is way less than a new board, and at your weight the Skate will take it, my RRD FSW 90 takes it, and you will be surprised at the gain. A modern 6-7 battens 6.5 has a huge, massive range. If that is not enough, get a 110L board. At your weight that plus a 6.5 will give you about the same range of any foil with the exception of a race foil with a 9.0. During the season 95% of my sailing days are on 4.7, 5.4 and 6.5, 80 to 95 liter board. 7.3 and 110L comes out in early fall and winter.
What will not work is a 100-110L board with the same 5.3 sail. Sure, it will increase a bit the low end, but you are talking at most half a size, if that.
Select to expand quoteduzzi said..thedoor said..
Background: Longtime bump and jump sailor, primarily foiling at this stage but am still looking to ride the fin at times, currently about 76kgs
Unfortunately, relative to my foil sessions where I am up most of the time, have zero problem staying up wind and foil through the majority of my gybes, my fin sessions these days seem to be a struggle. I spend most of my time trying to stay upwind, even when the tide is to my advantage.
My primary fin board is a 93L fanatic skate with a 22cm fin. I am not interested in backward sliding tricks (maybe if I could do them I would be).
Clearly foiling is much easier than windsurfing, but I am wondering if a different windsurfing board would make my windsurfing experience more enjoyable. An ideal board for me would do the following
1) Goes up wind easily, so I can mess around and enjoy my session without spending all my energy getting back to where I started.
2) Planes easily
3) Turns off the back foot
4) Jumps
Example from the other day:
From 1.30 to 2.30 I was foiling and from 2.30 to 3.30 I was windsurfing. Wind was initially NW then more WNW I came off the foil because I was kind of lit so figure that windsurfing would be the go and grabbed my 93L fanatic skate and bagged out my sail a bit. As you can see the wind dropped a bit at that time so maybe that was the problem, but is windsurfing gear that sensitive to a minor drop in wind?
Not only was I on and off the plane on the fin, you can see how most of my time was spent getting back up wind.
I have never really enjoyed the 93L skate, upgrading to a 22cm fin helped. I enjoyed my older 100L skate quite a bit better, but don't really dig that frontfoot turning that most freestyle boards need. My favorite rides recently have been powered up sessions on my old RRD single fin wave boards (wave cults 85 and 76). I also had quite a bit of fun in the past blasting on exocet kona longboards eg.
I also had a good week of sailing on that old naish "swallow tail" freestyle board (I think this one www.amazon.co.uk/Naish-Freestyle-Windsurf-Board-100L/dp/B00ZL8J5E8)
Have I been spoiled by foiling? Would a different board help? More volume, more fins, bigger fin...
Sail size! It remains the most important factor for the low end. I am 72 Kg, I sail roughly where you sail (Crissy, Stick and Coyote) and I cannot tell you how many days my 6.5 has bought me together with any board I owned in the 90 to 100L range. Dozen of days when the 4.7 or bust contingent waits on the beach for the missing wind when a larger sail would fix it.
Maybe you have something bigger than 5.3, but if not get at least a 6.0, better a 6.5. Cost is way less than a new board, and at your weight the Skate will take it, my RRD FSW 90 takes it, and you will be surprised at the gain. A modern 6-7 battens 6.5 has a huge, massive range. If that is not enough, get a 110L board. At your weight that plus a 6.5 will give you about the same range of any foil with the exception of a race foil with a 9.0. During the season 95% of my sailing days are on 4.7, 5.4 and 6.5, 80 to 95 liter board. 7.3 and 110L comes out in early fall and winter.
What will not work is a 100-110L board with the same 5.3 sail. Sure, it will increase a bit the low end, but you are talking at most half a size, if that.
OK good point.
I do have a 6.5 (HSM speedfreak) which I have only used on the foil, but I wouldn't have thought to use it on the skate. At that sail size I was thinking slalom board, which as cool as slalom currently looks I am not sure I won't to add a completely new discipline.
Is you 110L a slalom board or FSW?
Select to expand quotethedoor said..duzzi said..thedoor said..
Background: Longtime bump and jump sailor, primarily foiling at this stage but am still looking to ride the fin at times, currently about 76kgs
Unfortunately, relative to my foil sessions where I am up most of the time, have zero problem staying up wind and foil through the majority of my gybes, my fin sessions these days seem to be a struggle. I spend most of my time trying to stay upwind, even when the tide is to my advantage.
My primary fin board is a 93L fanatic skate with a 22cm fin. I am not interested in backward sliding tricks (maybe if I could do them I would be).
Clearly foiling is much easier than windsurfing, but I am wondering if a different windsurfing board would make my windsurfing experience more enjoyable. An ideal board for me would do the following
1) Goes up wind easily, so I can mess around and enjoy my session without spending all my energy getting back to where I started.
2) Planes easily
3) Turns off the back foot
4) Jumps
Example from the other day:
From 1.30 to 2.30 I was foiling and from 2.30 to 3.30 I was windsurfing. Wind was initially NW then more WNW I came off the foil because I was kind of lit so figure that windsurfing would be the go and grabbed my 93L fanatic skate and bagged out my sail a bit. As you can see the wind dropped a bit at that time so maybe that was the problem, but is windsurfing gear that sensitive to a minor drop in wind?
Not only was I on and off the plane on the fin, you can see how most of my time was spent getting back up wind.
I have never really enjoyed the 93L skate, upgrading to a 22cm fin helped. I enjoyed my older 100L skate quite a bit better, but don't really dig that frontfoot turning that most freestyle boards need. My favorite rides recently have been powered up sessions on my old RRD single fin wave boards (wave cults 85 and 76). I also had quite a bit of fun in the past blasting on exocet kona longboards eg.
I also had a good week of sailing on that old naish "swallow tail" freestyle board (I think this one www.amazon.co.uk/Naish-Freestyle-Windsurf-Board-100L/dp/B00ZL8J5E8)
Have I been spoiled by foiling? Would a different board help? More volume, more fins, bigger fin...
Sail size! It remains the most important factor for the low end. I am 72 Kg, I sail roughly where you sail (Crissy, Stick and Coyote) and I cannot tell you how many days my 6.5 has bought me together with any board I owned in the 90 to 100L range. Dozen of days when the 4.7 or bust contingent waits on the beach for the missing wind when a larger sail would fix it.
Maybe you have something bigger than 5.3, but if not get at least a 6.0, better a 6.5. Cost is way less than a new board, and at your weight the Skate will take it, my RRD FSW 90 takes it, and you will be surprised at the gain. A modern 6-7 battens 6.5 has a huge, massive range. If that is not enough, get a 110L board. At your weight that plus a 6.5 will give you about the same range of any foil with the exception of a race foil with a 9.0. During the season 95% of my sailing days are on 4.7, 5.4 and 6.5, 80 to 95 liter board. 7.3 and 110L comes out in early fall and winter.
What will not work is a 100-110L board with the same 5.3 sail. Sure, it will increase a bit the low end, but you are talking at most half a size, if that.
OK good point.
I do have a 6.5 (HSM speedfreak) which I have only used on the foil, but I wouldn't have thought to use it on the skate. At that sail size I was thinking slalom board, which as cool as slalom currently looks I am not sure I won't to add a completely new discipline.
Is you 110L a slalom board or FSW?
You are set, or at least it is worth the try. I have a Freerace Point-7 ACX 6.5 that works on my RRD FSW 90 and (better) on my Exocet Slalom 95Lx62W.
My 110L is an old Isonic 111, and I am waiting for its replacement a Futura 71 (that is lost somewhere in the Japan sea). If can stay away from pure slalom boards, e.g. Isonic, the SpeedFreak should work well. Many Freerace to choose from and 110 and above they now with a foil box, so you can use it for both. That's my plan for the Futura.
Select to expand quoteduzzi said..
You are set, or at least it is worth the try. I have a Freerace Point-7 ACX 6.5 that works on my RRD FSW 90 and (better) on my Exocet Slalom 95Lx62W.
My 110L is an old Isonic 111, and I am waiting for its replacement a Futura 71 (that is lost somewhere in the Japan sea). If can stay away from pure slalom boards, e.g. Isonic, the SpeedFreak should work well. Many Freerace to choose from and 110 and above they now with a foil box, so you can use it for both. That's my plan for the Futura.
Cheers. Hope to run into you at coyote soon
Select to expand quotethedoor said..
Just rode the 93L skate with the MFC fin and had a great session. Stayed upwind much better than the two freestyle fins I have.
Select to expand quotethedoor said..thedoor said..
Just rode the 93L skate with the MFC fin and had a great session. Stayed upwind much better than the two freestyle fins I have.
I sail in a location where the wind is directly offshore so it is critical that I can make upwind at all times or I have to swim to make landfall. I only use pointers and always the biggest that I can leverage with whatever board I'm using at a sacrifice of a bit of speed and jibing performance. I also tend to go overpowered, my smallest sail is 7.0 never have a problem getting back to land except for one time when I got caught out and the wind dropped completely when I was about 1km offshore, that was a long afternoon of sail pumping didn't get back to land until dark
Select to expand quotemob dog said..thedoor said..thedoor said..
Just rode the 93L skate with the MFC fin and had a great session. Stayed upwind much better than the two freestyle fins I have.
I sail in a location where the wind is directly offshore so it is critical that I can make upwind at all times or I have to swim to make landfall. I only use pointers and always the biggest that I can leverage with whatever board I'm using at a sacrifice of a bit of speed and jibing performance. I also tend to go overpowered, my smallest sail is 7.0 never have a problem getting back to land except for one time when I got caught out and the wind dropped completely when I was about 1km offshore, that was a long afternoon of sail pumping didn't get back to land until dark
Nothing worse to that sinking feeling you have when you realize you cannot pinch high enough to hit your launch.
I clearly fell into the small freestyle fin trap. My mates have no probs going upwind with the tiniest of fins but they are much better sailors. The bigger fin (suggested by Mark and others) turned the skate into a completely different board.
A little clip from today
www.instagram.com/p/CN6s5T_FBg-/
I asked myself a million times why people who don't make freestyle buy a freestyle board instead of a freeride or B&J (I don't know if someone still make that kind of boards)...
There are like 15 guys on my place that have 80/100 lts FS boards and 5.3 sail try to have a nice windsurfing day with 10/12kt...The ones who are relatively new in the sport loose the entire season struggling with those rigs due the lack of wind.... I do sail Formula gear and little bit of foil (I don't like too much due the silence) during lightwind days. I don't know why they didn't use foils with those small gears during low wind days...It seems that pandemic freestyle came 10 years ago and everyone started to sail less year after year. The worst thing there is NO ONE MAKES FREESTYLE! Most people think that freestyle boards are good for jump and they aren't good for that, they are maked to perform tricks mostly in flat water
Just had a real nice session on the 93L skate with the big fin and my 6.5m speedfreak. I had my back foot mostly out of the strap to keep the heel over the rail. Pretty fun...tempted to buy a slalom board. Crazy?
This, near that launch spot, looks like a high potential speed strip to me if you ever get strong winds. Has anyone actually tried it, or other places nearby that seem to be next to very low shorelines. 
Select to expand quotesailquik said..
This, near that launch spot, looks like a high potential speed strip to me if you ever get strong winds. Has anyone actually tried it, or other places nearby that seem to be next to very low shorelines.
It tends to be a bit lighter than other bay area launches, mostly we have freeriders and freestylers (esp before winging started). Generally it is a slog up wind from the dock where the photo. I did have one session a few years ago where I was able to blast down the channel all the way to the dock but typically the wind gets light as you get closer to the dock.
There is a good example of a run down the channel at the end of this video. Generally the lighter wind closer to the dock means you come off the plane
Anybody still there?
Guess what? I can stay upwind in the flood with my smaller fin if it's nukin. Oh yeah: I made a gybe on the fin bitches.
