Go ahead ding my board, it's waterproof and will be fine. I used to be afraid of dinging a board and would never let anyone borrow my super fragile glass encased sponge. I have seen the proof that waterproof boards don't soak up water and last for years. I am sold on the concept so I made myself two boards. Did I mention these waterproof boards weigh less than any of my EPS boards? What's the catch? Well, I had to make it myself. Considering how much I have learned it seems like a good catch.
This page shows the process of making a wing foil board from start to finish. Almost nine hours of video edited down to about two hours of video showing the entire build process and me explaining every step including making the vacuum bag. Also a list of the parts and materials and where to get them. This is not meant to be a master shaper or perfect build tutorial, my intent is to simplify the build and make building a board more accessible to anyone. I left all the imperfections and some rough edges as a proof of concept that a wing foil board can work well with a less than perfect finish. I also used plant cloth and plant based resin, it is important to me to continue moving towards 100% non toxic materials.
First video is a 5 minute fast time lapse of the entire build. Then videos showing: making the blank, shaping the blank, installing the boxes handle and leash plugs, making and setting up the vacuum bag, laminating the top and bottom and vacuum bagging, opening the boxes, sanding, and installing the deck pad. Then a list of parts and materials. I also talk about possible delamination of waterproof foam and the solution we came up with. Here is shorter preview I uploaded to YouTube.
18 videos in this series.
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How to control and manage a wing while wing foil surfing waves or riding bumps downwind. When only holding the wing with one hand it can drop and twirl and flip and spin, this video series focuses on why this happens and what to do about it. Five videos in this series: why the wing moves around, strategies to control the wing, what the best wing foilers do in waves at Fort Point, managing the wing on tanker waves, and managing the wing when riding bumps downwind.
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I hand shaped and glassed a hydrofoil wing out of a piece of wood and mounted it to an Axis fuselage for $20. This is a beginner friendly foil wing shape, designed for someone who has never foiled. Cheap, simple, and hopefully durable. The only challenge was deciding how thick to make the profile wing shape, I started really thick and worked my way down to a shape that is very forgiving and user friendly. I am stoked and feeling very proud and empowered, I can now make my own foils and I have lots of ideas for future builds!
There are 11 videos in this tutorial series. Cutting the outline shape, cutting the fuselage hole, shaping the profile of the foil, laminating, vac bagging, drilling and fitting for the fuse bolt holes, more shaping, even more shaping, laminating and vac bagging again, sanding, showing the finished foil shape in detail, and a ride test video.
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In this video series I show and explain tips and drills to learn to jibe on a wing foil board. When I was learning riding toe side felt very foreign, and so I go in to detail how to get the feel needed to complete a jibe. I show and explain how to work on the parts of the jibe so we can put the pieces together and have success. There are 11 videos in this series.
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This video I remove and then install 4 new bladders in a wingfoil inflatable wing.
A mostly straight forward job to replace a bladder, and there are several tricks or tips that can turn failure into success.
In this video series I replace a leading edge, center strut, and two side strut bladders of an 8 meter wing. I also show and explain valves leaking and how to check for leaks.
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I surf foiled the F-one SK8 850 foil. I was mostly testing to see how it handled wing tip piercing the surface, and how it performed in head high plus long period swell.
In this video I show what happens when the wing tip comes out, and compare the SK8 ride characteristics to the F-one Eagle, Seven Seas, and Phantom foils.
Also there are additional videos of a short wing foil session speed test, and another surf session in small gutless surf.
Thanks to Olivier at Covewater for letting me demo a SK8.
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In this video series I explain how popular foil brands are designed and built and why it matters. How the hydrofoil wings connect to the fuselage and the mast, whether in components or one single piece, I go over the components and design choices and the pluses and minuses. Several times I was an early adopter of a new foil and learned the expensive way whether the marketing why hype or the real deal. The brands I discuss are F-One, Axis, Armstrong, Slingshot, and Mike's Lab. This knowledge can be applied to any brand of foil. For clarity this isn't a detailed review of a specific foil wing or model (see my Foil Reviews page for detailed reviews). This information helps one know what they are getting so they can determine the true value of a hydrofoil, it's durability and longevity, and what the upgrade options are.
The point of this video series is to give you an overall understanding of why foil designers do what they do. I didn't have a clue when I bought my first foil, it was all a big mystery. Every new brand of foil I purchased had a new learning curve of how the parts fit together, function, and the longevity and durability.
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A review of the new 2024 F-ONE Seven Seas 1100 hydrofoil (currently on the F-ONE website they are calling it the Seven Seas and the 2022 model is called the SS Carbon). Tested for speed, maneuverability, wing tip ventilation, and glide.
I previously reviewed the Seven Seas 2022 Version 1200 and 1000 in the foil reviews page.
The 2024 is quite different, I was initially shocked at how different it felt, and pleasantly surprised with the changes.
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Review of the Code 1300 S foil. I tested the Code 1300 hydrofoil winging, and on a short surf session. The video in this review is of me winging the code foil. I talked about how it feels, what conditions I would ride it, and what I believe it's designed for and does well at. Cort at 101 Surfsports let me demo the Code foil.
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I tested the Foil Drive Gen 2 in flat water, in downwind conditions, and prone surf foiling. Also I am reverse engineering the Foil Drive to asses the value, and ability to hack or upgrade. Let's explore together if the Foil Drive is a viable way to get more waves and time on foil, or all the things the critics say about it.
Big thanks to Cort at 101 Surfsports who lent me the entire prone Foil Drive, board, and foil setup in the photo. Also huge thanks to Evan of Axis at Live2kite who lent me his personal Foil Drive and let put it on my mast and give it a thorough test, also I saw a really cool Axis/FD integration that might be available soon...
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