Best Way to Practice Downwind Foiling? Small Conditions Surf Foil

[@laurettapisarczyk9813]

Nice work on the lake! Great tips and suggestions. Yeh, looks like a real good workout!

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Thanks 👍

[@aimsy3508]

Thanks !! Very good and smart approach!

[@guybartlett9587]

Great video!

[@ladomi1]

Absolutely killing it! Thanks for the inspiration and the advice!

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Thanks!! Appreciate the kind words!!

[@jazaza420-cm5gr]

Heck ya man

[@yes2cookies651]

Thanks GLWaterman! We are trying to get going here in Toronto- Good rare lake advice- hard to come by.

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Thanks! All this stuff is so amazing. Trying to spread the word and the stoke. Population around Great Lakes is massive. Such an under utilized playground. I was compare to the ski hills around here. Blows my mind

[@bmrbca3658]

Your balance is amazing. It's hard enough staying up in the ocean on a big sup. Can't imagine doing it on a DW board.

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Thanks! Practice makes perfect…

[@jonastverring6925]

I was looking for a video with this exact content. I’ve been using a FoilDrive to practice downwinding, and while that is excellent practice for reading waves and pumping, I am actually missing the whole body workout and it sucks when the battery is running out and you have to go back earlier than you would have wanted. Here in southwest Sweden we have these kind of conditions at best and I was thinking that the new model downwind board should be possible as sup foil / pump / downwind practice, while also involving a great workout for a 30-40min session. Only thing I worry about is upwind/wave stability. Most people I see on downwind board (Dave West?) prone paddle out, presumably because the board isn’t stable enough for SUP. You are riding a 7’7, 121 L, 21” inch I presume? What is your weight and SUP/experience skill level and do you find that the balance aspect is good enough for going upwind/against waves? Thanks!

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Hey glad u found it! I’m 170 lbs approx 77 kg. That’s the 7’2”, 107L. I had quite a bit of paddle experience and various other water sports. Also this is fresh water. For my weight I find this to be perfect. My board prior to this was one just a little to small. Super hard to balance. Check out my other KZbin video. 2 boards keeping 1. I go into quite a bit of detail. Go get some!! Have a good one

[@jonastverring6925]

@@michaelpisarczyk6465 Thanks! What I am missing the video and the description is how you go about travelling upwind/against waves (when starting off or when you come off foil). Do you SUP or prone paddle? isn’t this going against or even sideways to chop the deciding factor on how stable your board needs to be? Thanks again!

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

I do a bit of both. I’ll prone usually going through breaking waves, and going through really rough sections. Then get to my feet. I use both just depends on how I feel. When it comes to the board, I don’t think to much of direction of waves. More about what you feel comfortable at.

[@Hmanfoil]

When people ask me how foiling feels, I always say 'like boarding in some deep powder x2'

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

It’s incredible. Like that description.

[@williamcameron1840]

Just wondering where you get your equipment from .. I’m looking to get into sup foil … been doing regular sup surfing and sup down wind… foil looks so fun… Do you think a beginner can start on a 7.7 board ??

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Hey been getting my equipment from various places. Silent sports in Toronto. Big winds hood river. Or online direct manufacturer. 7.7 is a good size board. Think I could start on that if your around 180 lbs

[@williamcameron1840]

Thanks so much 👍 I’m about 190 lbs . I live in Georgian bay region so I’ll check out silent sports for sure

[@Lanceisoutside]

SUP foiling hard to beat in those conditions!

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Right tool for the job forsure!

[@frenijffels]

What paddle size you’re using?

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Quik blade 88 cmsq. Is usually my go to. I have a Ona Ava I cut to about nose level because my shoulder was in rough shape. That’s a little to short but easier on the shoulder. 88 cmsq height is at the top of my forehead

[@clowngrowl2671]

I've been tryimg to do this for months!!! Came in with no sup or foil background and got a Casey Aviator elite 7'3" 128 liter. Have a gofoil 70cm V2 mast with HUGE 2600 cm2 foil. Still cannot do it! But my paddling and balance has gotten a lot better. Have a custum order in with Canadian shaper who does Kalama inspired shapes, going long and skinny - thinking 8'6" 19.5" wide and 125 liters - I weigh 180 lbs dry. Do you think that long and skinny will be a benefit for those conditions and maybe finally get me off the water (far from shore, marginal non breaking)?

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Oh ya that shape will make things a lot easier!! Keep at it! Things will start clicking. Have to work at it! Is it a stinger board?

[@clowngrowl2671]

@@michaelpisarczyk6465 yes Stinger. I'm in line to start shaping soon so looking to make this thing with highest likelihood of liftoff in conditions like you mentioned, bumps and small wakes a few hundred feet out and away from the shore breakers. Going to use it for light wind winging too.

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

That will be right tool for the job! With those dimensions

[@stephens.9748]

Hey. I am a new subscriber and you have some Great tips here. I have been winging for a few years and just ordered my first Downwind board. Want to use it for light wind winging but also get into down wind sup foiling. I have sup surfed in the past. What front foil size, width, aspect ratio do you recommend for someone 190 pounds? From what i see alot of people are using very high aspect foil for down winding. . The two systems I go back and forth with are Gong and Neil Pryde. Gong has alot of selections. My wing foiling set up is 1900 sq/ cm around (5 Aspect). I use this with the 85 mast. Use the Neil Prdye (1850) when I use the 75cm mast if the water is shallow. Is it better to start with what I have or should I look to a different front foil size, aspect ratio? Thanks S

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Hey, thanks for subscribing! I’d say those wing sizes are on the large size. Probably too big. Yes they will get you up early, but there’s a lot of energy even in a waist high wave. So a big wing on a wave becomes very difficult to manage and usually results in blowing up, wipe out. The biggest wing size use is 1161 sqcm. I usually use high aspect wings. Great for the non breaking waves. Tons of glide. Some brands high aspects are just for pump and glide. Not good in surf. For your weight I’d start with maybe some around 1300-1500 sqcm. Hope this helps. Totally worth putting the work in. So much fun! Also nice to have options. Wind does no problem

[@stephens.9748]

Thanks for your input. I do have a 1500 HA wing from Gong that I only really use behind he boat for wake surfing. Going to use that. My mast size is 85 CM but the regular Carbon and not the High Modulas. Just curious what size Mast do you use for Downwinding and is the HM necessary? thanks again.

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Perfect, as you progress can go smaller. Even with wake boats the wave isn’t that big so if your finding 1500 is good for wakes that’s about as small as waves you need for DW. Then as it get bigger start sizing down your foil. When DW I usually use 72cm mast length. When the foil is close to the surface it’s more efficient and taps into all energy from the wave. Most people when DW are using around 75cm. 85 cm mast length would be the max length for DW, also would not recommend that length when starting out DW. In small shore break I’ll use 72cm. In Bigger shore break I’ll use 82cm. I have used 82cm only a few times when DW when large. It’s wild how 10cm can make such a difference. Always playing around and learning…

[@stephens.9748]

Thanks again for the great input. Gong has a 70 cm Aluminum or a 75 High Modulas Carbon. I have a 65 aluminum now that I use for kitefoiling, light wind, in a shallow area. Do you think the HM is necessary? big difference in cost @@michaelpisarczyk6465

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Necessary no. But there is a noticeable difference.

[@santiagoortizbasualdo3682]

what foil size and aspect are you using there?

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Lift HA 200, 1290 cm2, aspect 6.8 Super easily/early paddle up, but even in those conditions on the steep part of the wave was over foiled and found it difficult to control

[@ttonAb2]

Can you use a downwind board in same situations as a sup foil? I have an axis 1150 btw but only a pumping board right now but want to try sup/downwinding

[@byroncrawford8624]

Yip I'm solely use my 7'7 Armstrong DW board for just sup foiling in waves and its awesome 👌

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

Yes it actually makes catching waves a lot easier. You can catch waves before they are breaking with DW board. Trade off is more swing weight, less performance while one foil.

[@frankwright9774]

this shit is getting out of hand...

[@michaelpisarczyk6465]

In a good way? Lol