by Clay Schmitz | Apr 18, 2023 | foil, how to videos, learn to foil, projects, wing
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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by Clay Schmitz | Mar 3, 2023 | foil, projects, wing
We built waterproof boards. Mine came in 4 pounds lighter than my eps board of similar size and volume. The swing weight is night and day difference, felt way more maneuverable, turns felt much quicker especially rail to rail. With waterproof foam dings aren't a problem, as in they don't suck up water and get heavy and cause the boxes to delaminate and fail, this has been the issue with many of my eps foil boards. Ding free means less material and resin to seal the board. Water ingress isn't an issue, pin holes don't matter. Jeff Clark made a prototype 2 years ago, and even with many dings it has not gained weight. I tested it for several months and was very impressed with the potential.
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by Clay Schmitz | Jul 29, 2021 | adventures, projects
Retribe – Below are a collection of videos and books on Tribe.
I am ready to re-tribe, to build a way life designed for human thriving.
If you want to join me please comment below or contact me.
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by Clay Schmitz | Apr 1, 2020 | DIY camera mounts, foil, how to videos, projects, surf videos, videos
After several attempts I figured out how to make this DIY 360 camera pole or paddle mount to capture the look of a drone or "follow me" tracking video shot. When foil surfing I am often riding for 500 to over 1000 yards making it difficult to video the entire ride, and even more so to capture any close up detail. This homemade pole mount allows me to catch and ride waves normally AND video myself, my gear, and the wave in full detail.
Here are videos showing the paddle pole cam mount I use regularly, and the removable pole mount that I lend to friends (can be mounted to any paddle including adjustable length paddles). The first video is an overview of the 360 camera mounts, second and third videos go in depth on how I made the mounts, and the fourth video shows how I mount a 360 camera near the blade of a paddle. Full parts list and where to buy everything needed is also included in this post.
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by Clay Schmitz | Apr 26, 2019 | adventures, foil, how to videos, projects, surf videos, videos
Here is a video tutorial showing how I build with bamboo. I dedicated years to discovering how to make an action camera mount out of plants: bamboo, hemp, and plant based resin.
I procrastinated in making this tutorial partly because it’s difficult to build and film at the same time, I had already made mounts for myself, and I enjoyed being one of the few with this unique camera angle.
Now with foil surfing I have seen a revival in foilers using pole cams, myself included. So I was inspired to make an ultralight bamboo design for foiling.
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by Clay Schmitz | May 16, 2016 | articles, projects
Surf Village Sketch From 2012
One of my teachers offered this idea:
Imagine being born into this world and being seen by everyone in the community as a cargo bay containing precious goodies that no one else carries, and these goodies are needed by the community. Also no training, diploma, or certification is necessary, we are seen as being born with the diploma and all the credentials necessary to take up this unique purpose of giving these gifts to everyone. Further our community recognizes and acknowledges and celebrates us for our giftedness, before we achieve or accomplish anything. There is something about being seen in this way that elevates a human being in a way that is very exhilarating.
Once this idea got a hold of me I haven’t been able to let it go, and even more so when I learned that all our ancestors used to live this way…
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