Learning to Foil. VLOG #27.Learning to Wing foil. Using Gong Flint 5'10". Duotone Echo 6.0. i84

[@blooskyy7]

Awesome video, your point about the foil having stored energy with more height was very interesting as it gives a great insight into how the foil works, almost like a glider, when compared to non foil boards. I'll be having my first foil session soon.

[@heliboy999fly]

Hope it made sense. The foil is very efficient in lift and many of the principles are similar to flying and aerodynamics. Amazed at how little power input is needed once up and foiling.

[@solentfoiler5969]

I've got the Flint 5'6 which is +30 for me and I still have lots of fun riding it even though I ride a 34L board when it's windy. The only reasons I'm considering replacing it is to get something a bit closer to my weight now but also the blunt nose is a bit of a pain to punch through chop, especially when the wind drops and it gets a bit marginal. With your gybe, try doing an early hand swap, so just before you 'forget about the wing'. That keeps your weight more into the turn, and you then don't have to do a rushed hand swap just at that critical moment when the board is losing speed and you need to power up. Just grab the boom and go. Foot swapping was frustrating for me to learn. One tip that works is to use the wing as a crutch by holding over your head and creating vertical lift to help unweight the board so you can then move your feet. When you do move you feet, keep them on the centerline (sorry for stating the obvious!) and getting used to doing in two steps, not lots of little ones. It's not easy until you get the muscle memory, and it's still the most common point of failure for me.

[@heliboy999fly]

Thanks for the advice. Ive been learning in quite light wingds or with a wing that I thought was right for the wind but I am now going out with a bigger wing in more wind which seems to be helping. The gybes I have got have been when I can get power back on quickly after the turn so I have something to steady me. I do a quick foot change normally but my feet are getting caught in the strap which makes it unstable as I try to get my foot out. Got the rest of the year to sort it out and Im looking forward to the challenge.

[@solentfoiler5969]

@@heliboy999fly Light wind gybes are hard, especially if your apparent wind drops to zero mid gybe and you're left holding the full weight of the wing rather than the wind keeping it flying. You then have to manage your own weight plus the weight of the wing which throws it all out! Just thought I'd suggest the early hand swap, as that realisation was quite key to me getting consistency. It was a bit tricky figuring it all out on my own and took some time but it feels great once sorted. Look forward to seeing you smashing it!

[@heliboy999fly]

@@solentfoiler5969 Waiting for wind now

[@robertzeeland]

15:16 Before you gibe, grab the boom underhand (right thumb forward) and a wee bit further back on the boom. And raise your front-arm while releasing your back hand. Let the wing fly itself, up-high.

[@heliboy999fly]

that was 2 years ago. See my last video to see how I nailed it Cheers

[@cwright1971]

Nice vid. I look forward to getting back out windsurfing there. When it warms up! 😃

[@heliboy999fly]

See you there 👍

[@daytondenver3344]

Pro trick : watch movies on flixzone. I've been using them for watching loads of movies recently.

[@marcoalvaro627]

@Dayton Denver Yea, I have been watching on flixzone} for since december myself :D

[@nikolasadrien5284]

@Dayton Denver Yup, have been watching on Flixzone} for months myself :D

[@siddallj]

Thanks for making this. Got a Gong Flint 5'6 95ltr 2021 model on the way and a 4m Switch Drift wing 2021 Duotone Spirit surf 1250cm2. I weigh 75kg. Really good to see the Flint in action and get some tips on how to use it :) Few more days to wait for the board then its wing foil time.

[@heliboy999fly]

Thanks. Hope your kit turns up soon. I hope it’s windy where you ate because the foil and wing sound a bit small.

[@siddallj]

@@heliboy999fly planning to use it when wind is howling and theres waves. West Wales. 18-34mph ish wind range. I can kitefoil already and windsurf so that should help :)

[@heliboy999fly]

@@siddallj sounds like a great plan!!! Lucky you 👍

[@jurekg6035]

Very nice movie. I'm going to buy a FLINT 5'6 95l . My weight is 70kg. Is the FLINT really the king of take-off, quick start? I want a board for boundary conditions with my sp7.5 and curve xl-t. I have LANCE 5'7 120l . Very nice board, I like it. But she has a very weak take-off. Too wide.

[@hobodogjohnson9075]

Firstly love these videos. I’ve watched them all a good few times now. Really helpful about standing too far forward and too far back. I am brand new and have been out once on my new Naish hover ultra carbon 125lt 6’4x30 I’m used to my naish nalu 10’6 sup board and I wing with that and wing surf with it. But I want to fly. So bought the gear and have been watching constant videos on it. Told in the shop that my front foot needs to be on the centre line. When I try this I’m kinda wobbly. I have foot strap holes all over the deck on this board and noticed you are using the stance I would prefer to use which is back foot over foil and front foot in what I would call a surf or wind supping stance. Which is much more comfortable looking and less tippy looking. My question is I guess I can use this stance on my new board ? When I take off .. “ if I take off “ will the board not dip to the front foot side ? Or is it because you are heading windward with the front foot it balances out ? Or are you balancing it as you go ? Sorry for such a messy question. Again really great videos .

[@heliboy999fly]

Hi there. Glad these videos are helping. Its really why I make them because most of the videos are Pro's in perfect conditions make it look simple. To answer your question, YES you can stand with your front foot slightly away from the centre line of the board. Your back foot will be slightly further over the centre line which balances you out over the foils centre of lift. All windsurfers stand with a foot away from the centre line and they don't spin into wind all the time. You will take up and its going to be a lot to take in and understand but if you have enough wind to get the board planning of certainly increasing speed up to , say 10mph you are "Foiling" but not necessarily flying. The foil is working and your weight distribution will be able to turn the board up wind and downwind as well as weight the tail or the nose. Don't rush to fly. If you are in control when on the surface of the water its shouldn't be too much different when it lifts. Just quicker to react. Its better to have a bit more power in the wing at first because you can keep the wing still and build board speed. If you are having to pump its just too much going on at once. As you saw in the other video, an inch can make a difference to fling or not so place your feet, get going and see what happens. Move feet accordingly to find balance. Good luck Sir, I hope you start logging your first flights soon.

[@hobodogjohnson9075]

Thanks for your reply. I think this is going to help so much with my balance. I’m in no rush to fly. I’m mostly looking for control. So far I can go happily go from knees to standing. And sloshing up wind. I like the ideal of being forward and getting speed up and slowly nudging back. . I’ve seen people flapping like chickens and not really getting anywhere with the pumping. I’ve done some land pumping . And can feel the power building in the wing. 12-20 mph tomorrow for Weymouth Dorset hope to get out tomorrow :)

[@heliboy999fly]

@@hobodogjohnson9075 Let me know how you get on.

[@sdqpower]

Hi, your leash looks very lightweight and comfortable. Could you tell me what it is? NSP 10'? Thanks in advance and cheers from Poland

[@heliboy999fly]

It’s a Duotone 6 foot coiled leash.

[@benbhand]

Thanks for posting the video. I went out the other day on my RE Manta 84/48 and Gaastra Poison 5.2m. I'm 70kg and on a 150L Fanatic Sky Air, so float is not an issue. I felt I got oh-so-close to releasing onto foil but, every time it seemed to want to, the board would skew into the wind, and I'd have to start all over again :/ Is this just part of the learning process or what do you feel I did wrong?

[@heliboy999fly]

Hi. I would say you are standing go too far away from the centreline of the board. If you have your heels towards the rail as you come up and the board is no longer supported by the water you will put the weight through the foil and screw upwind. Try putting your feet onto the centreline of the board to start. That may help

[@wingdingandi3839]

Nice video 👍 any recommendations to place the foil under the board for a beginner ? Bedder front or back ? Have fun greetings from Alps

[@heliboy999fly]

Good morning. Right at the back to start. Will give the best stability whilst your are getting to grips with the set up. As you get more comfortable and feel you are able to pick up and maintain speed with power you can then start to explore foot position to foil. Good luck and enjoy the ride

[@heliboy999fly]

Have a look at my VLOG 31a ( finding the balance point) lots of info there

[@wingdingandi3839]

Awesome videos I guess the 31a will keep me quicker forward ! Thanks for sharing great content Greets Andi

[@KevinOpar]

Is that the 42mm stabilizer and long fuselage? I was considering using that setup when the ice melts up here. Do you find that your setup can fly at a higher speed than the 99cm and 48cm tail wing? With my 99cm and 48cm tail, I feel like I hit an early top speed in higher winds that I can’t surpass.

[@heliboy999fly]

Hi Kevin. Yes you are correct it’s a 42 cm stab and the longer “Windfoiling” fuse. I came over from Windfoiling so my kit is set up for that. I do have the 48 stab and I use it with my 99 in very light winds for extra lift. It’s SLOW. Top speed around 11 mph. Cruise at 9-10. The i84 much faster and the 42 stab better for turning and pumping the smaller foil.

[@ericmaurey2946]

Having also an Echo, I'm thinking to ride with an harness. What is the length of your harness Line ? Andy other tip regarding harness ?

[@heliboy999fly]

Hi Eric. My lines are 32 inches. I could do with 34 but these work ok at the moment. Try to have a high hook. My harness is an old chest harness from the 1990’s. You could use a waist harness and ride it up slightly. Practice on the beach to find the balance and hooking in and hooking out. Practice off the foil and get the feel for hooking on and out with wind in the wing. Be careful getting onto your board with the hook. It catches the rails. Try to get on slightly sideways Good luck

[@ericmaurey2946]

Thanks a lot.

[@martinomovies]

How cold is the water? What mm wet suit are you wearing ?

[@heliboy999fly]

Hi. It was about 9 degrees in the water and 11 degrees in the air temperature. I was wearing a O'Neil 5/4 mm suit. Very warm suit. Hands were ok, a few minutes at the start of the session where my fingers burned but then ok.

[@gaborgyulai5417]

how much do you weight please?

[@heliboy999fly]

105. Second run I explain weight on board

[@gaborgyulai5417]

@@heliboy999fly Thanks I found it in the end. Didn't fully get your calculation tho, 105 weight, board is 7kg, plus foil 7kg, wet wetsuit another 5-6kg probably, plus wing 3-4 is more around 128kg. That won't leave you with much to float. Just curious as I'm hesitating between Flint 5'8 @ 110L vs 5'10 @ 135L. I'm 83-84kg before/after lunch :) what do you recommend?

[@heliboy999fly]

@@gaborgyulai5417 I was cold and out of breath so my maths wasn’t so good 😀 You can see that the 135 will support me with all the weight. It just floats on the surface until you get the wing up over your head. If the wind is light you get problems because there isn’t any help from the wing. For your weight the 110 would work but it does depend on your skill and the conditions you have. If I could have 150 litres in the length of board it would help but I’ve got used to it now AND I have a slightly bigger board I can use. I have used the Flint with a 7.0 wing and in 12 mph. It was hard work in the lulls but it worked well once up.

[@gaborgyulai5417]

@@heliboy999fly thanks and hope to see some more videos!

[@svenpr9183]

@@heliboy999fly Great video, and sweet conditions. Almost no waves and just the right amount of wind. Fun to see you still out there learning. I hope it is less smelly in the winter than summer. Sticking to my Efoil (don't live close to ocean), but can't wait to ride the waves and wind. Something about being more connected to nature, plus you lose 40 pounds on the equipment (Efoil is 65lbs). On calculations: Buoyancy of foil is about equal to weight I believe, at least does not add a whole lot. Wing itself usually rests on the water, or is immeadiately lifted by wind so does not add alot. Rule of thumb is to add 30L on board, so with "board included"; maybe rule should be add 20L instead. Is the 7m wing alot of work becuase of its weight, or because of its size?