Screen shots from video 3 weeks ago at same beach location 13 years later. two prone paddlers , total crap waves but good conditions to foil. nearest surfer 5 miles down the beach at white plains beach. Surfing time was 40 seconds. Board 5 footish 24" mast and other surfer with 18" mast. Sequence of same surfer.
Because you can have a quality surfing experience on shitty waves I think foiling will continue, but its too dangerous to use in close proximity to others.
But foiling and electric motors is where it comes into an amazing transport vehicle. With a 12 " mast and a turbine just above the foil it can reduce the drag and get some incredible speeds over flat water. Some of the setups have twin jets, 30 KPH and a 40 minute battery life. its a mini jetski, it could replace ‘tinnies’ for getting across rivers, bays and out to yachts from shore. Its a SUP without the paddle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNeko-aIFcY
The same system in the surf enables any Texas accountant to get in the line up, catch a wave without paddling and tear along at great speed but hopefully away from surfers as long as there are specific bans in force.
THEY HAVE ARRIVED this morning I was watching guys surf and SUP foiling in the line up at Waikiki beach , blowing right thru the area that the kids boogie board .
We all enjoy sports and hobbies where risk to oneself or others is a possibility.
I’ve collided with other surfers, windsurfers, snowboarders and skiers, both mine or their fault. Sometimes through incompetence/inexperience on my part (especially getting into snowboarding in the last 12 years or so…sorry to all the skiers I hit). I’ve knocked myself unconscious (luckily not in the water) and had fins cut into my head and body. Everyone has had injuries and wont stop us from doing what we love till we are no longer able to.
Banning a sport in certain areas will continue even if competence is high to all parties.
A high chance of hurting others - you can’t surf in most designated ‘swimmer’ zones, even if that wave always looks better there. I’m not allowed to snowboard where young children are being schooled, for good reason.
A high chance of hurting yourself - A sign that says ‘Dangerous Surf’ will always be treated as a challenge. We can’t snowboard/ski outside certain zones on some resorts, but this is a risk I’m willing to take. I calculate these risks by going with friends or at least letting someone know where I am, carry relevant safety equip etc.
Throwing surfing, sup, wind, kite and foil onto one break will cause problems. Is it worth the risk? The foiler says yes as the surfer in the swimming zone would say. Could a young surfer lose a limb from a full speed hit from a foil? Probably not but if the possibility is there…From what I’ve seen you do not need a broken wave to foil. So would that mean it’s possible to foil when waves aren’t breaking?..food for thought.
Off topic but have to say - Snowboarding is stilled banned in some resorts!
Steve
for crowded spots like Waikiki licensing or limited areas if not a ban sound reasonable. In general I hate licensing, but in early days of kiting many retailers would only sell gear to those who took lessons or had a license. I am sure this prevented some injuries. That said the licenses and lessons could be a bit of a joke, depending on if the instructor was any good.
As a kite foiler who hasn’t tried to surf foil yet, I can’t imagine wanting to be near a crowd.
Lets review all city council meetings regarding water sports on Oahu. The 80’s we had everyone up in arms about hobie cats and surfboard rentals. Then moving up the years was the wind surfers, jet skis and jet boats, kite boarding, surfing lessons, tow in surfing, Stand up paddling and now Foiling. It’s called the fun police… Ironically, the desire of many to drain the swamp of these potentially dangerous water toys in Waikiki don’t understand that the actual draining of a swamp formed Waikiki.
Off topic. Oneula’s go to surf break had a shark attack victim on Saturday 9jun18. If my history serves me correctly that break the score is Sharks 3 and foil boards 0 for hurting other surfers.
IF as it has been claimed that foiling does not require a breaking wave , then there is no good reason for the foilers to be in that area . No we should not require licenses , too much government , but the day a kid gets run over and suffers horrific injuries is the day the shit hits the fan , the answer is common sense .
the first fin on a surfboard was aluminum
molded some what like the foil apparatus .
tom blake claimed the inovation and made a few
and passed en arround.Every body insists on
innovating within the fin world view ‘Box’
I think , and think… and think some more.
I am awfully happy that I have yet to be out
at the same time and spot as some one ‘pumping’
(hopping) on a model airplane foil.
Bless the hearts of the yankee engenue who
modified his favorite surfboard to advance the
surfing subculture into the aeronautical age.
some day soon,they just make them primitive
hydrofoil craft capable of becoming airborne
then they could concieveably fly away
with the next flock of pelicans on their way to
baja california where the whales don’t crowd up
scammons lagoon til winter… Idylic solitude…
no swimmers or surfers perfect place
to pump and hop yourself to blissful exaustion.
may every one get a turn…
your wave buddy.
…ambrose…
Its nothing mom
only twenny tree stitches
missed my caratitid artery by
six inches!
I knew the guy that
got his foot under
his lawn mower.
I immediately banned
my foot
from being under
my lawn mower.
so what did the monkey say when be backed into a lawn mower?
he said:
wont be long now.
Actually, foiling works in everything but throwing waves for the average beginner . Do you think the surfer only became dangerous and inconsiderate with the invention of a foil board? I rarely surf with anyone else around. Don’t have any personal surfing friends who would ever act like that. This is America and being blatantly and deliberately unsafe will get you sued at best and at worst thrown in jail or ass kicked and crippled by uncle watching from shore.