Shortboard Hydrofoils

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SURFFOILS
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Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:53 pm

Here's a quick video of the surfing foils Ive developed,

http://vimeo.com/57304609

I test them on bodyboards because of the low COG but I've also put them on shortboards. More videos soon.
Last edited by SURFFOILS on Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by Jakaul » Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:15 pm

Not really a body board fan since I was 11 but this does look pretty cool. Would love to see footage from theh beach.

Do you reckon foils could work on hand surfers? Now that would be wild!!!

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by alakaboo » Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:23 pm

I'm interested, but that video didn't tell me much. Can you get someone to film you from the beach or the water?
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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:03 am

It's something Ive been working on in my spare time so its taken a few years to get it to this stage. I'm working on another video with footage from the beach and it will have shortboard foiling in it for you Jakaul.
Bodyboards are good test vehicles because of their low centre of gravity.

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by chrisb » Sat Jan 19, 2013 7:44 am

Looks interesting. Foils featured at the end of a movie ("Endless Summer 2" I think) on tow-ins in big stuff. But that was 20 years ago and I didn't see or hear anything since.

Has development stalled since then or has it been an ongoing "underground" industry :?:

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:58 pm

heres a video of a diferent prototype foil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6NQz9JKWlA

Ive started making standup shortboard foils but Im getting some video of the test runs.
Here's the shortboard version...

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It's still in prototyping so its not finished and quite likely to look totally different as the testing progresses.

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Mon May 13, 2013 7:45 pm

I only know of one other guy working on hydrofoiled surfcraft in Florida but I've been experimenting on foils for a few years. Years ago there was a thread on Sways where Roy Stuart spoke of his early foiling experiments and that inspired me to build my own.
A while ago I spoke to another member here who's now been riding the hydrofoil bodyboard for a few weeks. He's put his hand up to be the test pilot for the shortboard version too.
He's picking it up this Thursday....
Last edited by SURFFOILS on Wed Jun 26, 2013 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by Animal_Chin » Mon May 13, 2013 10:17 pm

That would be awesome on a low tide reef.
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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by still here » Tue May 14, 2013 12:25 pm

yup , so it's not practical is it ?

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Tue May 14, 2013 7:53 pm

Hi guys, I'm the test pilot for SurfFoils chiming in to talk a little about how it rides.

I've been riding the square yellow aluminium foil on a bodyboard to get started, mainly to get my head around the dynamics of foil surfing versus regular surfing.

Its been a pretty amazing experience so far and I'm very thankful to SurfFoils for having me on board.

I won't comment too much this early on, but its a very different type of surfing to what we are all used to. Its very different to "surface planing" which we are all more than familiar with in surfing, such as getting the speed from the drop in your fall line, and then pressuring a rail into a bottom turn creating lift and speed around the water surface area to project along the wave. Connecting turns "cutting" into the waters surface.

Its more like surfmat riding, or maybe even bodysurfing, where you are actually surfing the power WITHIN the wave, underneath the surface of the water (at low to moderate riding speeds that is).

Once you get a nice angle with the foil at takeoff and pressure the foil into that energy under the water, you immediately lift up and takeoff with a buttery smooth speed and feel. The power seems to be closer to the upper area of the wave in a medium to soft wave, and once you have it on tap you just glide along with an amazingly smooth speed that stays very constant provided you keep the angle okay. You can turn left and right, and perform swooping cutbacks, trim along the wave, etc. Seeing as it rides the power IN the wave, I've even ridden a wave than ended up in the channel still surfing behind the unbroken lip on just the swell (not broken wave) for a long way. Its very intuitive surfing where you're trying to feel out the power under the water to get up and running, and once you have it, where a surfboard or even mal would start to fail you just keep humming along at a constant speed until the wave is well and truly dead.

The hard part is trying to find the angles early on to get that energy on tap, and when you don't get it right funny things can happen. It can just immediately "power down" and stop/flop/throw you right off the front like a skateboard hitting a kerb. It can also be effected by sideways power, losing stability and throwing you off sideways. Its pretty funny when things go wrong, its like theres an eject button.

Nevertheless, basic dynamics and feel are in place now and step two is to surf the standup version and learn how pumping, pressuring, shoulder torque, etc. effect the ride. The very least we'll have is a video of it being surfed, being surfed well first surf is another matter. It may be all good from the get-go, but it may require a little practice before any decent waves are linked! :)
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Wed May 15, 2013 7:16 pm

Thanks for the review Cpt.
I've got the shortboard hydrofoil setup ready for you to pickup tomorrow.
And there's a few new foils to test ride too.

Image

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Re: Surfing Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:19 pm

On the 11th June, 2013 at Curl Curl Beach.

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Its clearly riding above the water and the struts are only 8 inches high, it can easily ride higher by using longer struts.

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Alex was having a great time working the foils out, he even stalls for the occasional tube...

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The waves weren't huge but that's what was on offer today. About 3-6 foot face.

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Alex was surfing, I was in the water with the GoPro and Adam Rowlinson got these and a ton more pics from the beach.

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From the post-surf discussion its clear the hydrofoils lift with ease and are smooth and are as fast as any other surfboard, there's a definite difference in performance and feel.

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Alex is keen to get bigger waves and more power so he can get into full cutbacks and see how fast the foils can go.

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All thanks to Alex Budlevskis for having the time and courage to ride an experimental surfcraft and Adam Rowlinson for manning the video and stills cameras.

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Re: Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by Animal_Chin » Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:35 pm

3-6 ft?? :D
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Re: Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by otway1949 » Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:46 pm

Wow I'm so glad to see the foils up and running, congratulations on a beginning, With the Captain on board and shots to back you!!!!! :B
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Re: Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Wed Jun 12, 2013 4:44 pm

Def not easy to surf but it was feeling pretty damn fun!

Step one is done, Brett has proven it lifts up and you can surf it in your average beachy. Time to get it more user friendly now for more freedom to surf it around the wave, plane better, etc.

Thanks again to Brett for having me as his test pilot!

My payment has been a plastic pole to hold my boot up, and a long neck of coopers green from Adam. I have modest tastes.
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:50 pm

Its been a long time to get it it tuned to this level but now we've got the basics sorted its just a matter of refining it for bigger waves and getting the foil and board design working in all sorts of waves.
Great work Al, I hope that piece of plastic pipe is fair compensation for your efforts in the surf !! :-D-:

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Classic claim !!

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Next time we'll get some bigger waves. Thanks again Al.

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Re: Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:23 pm

Thanks for the credit Fongss, Ive been doing this for a while.

There a group of French guys called Horue who foil with kites, behind a ski boat, with kites in the surf, with and without straps....creative guys. Here's some links to their stuff.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=96iclqXrz3E

This is an original video of hydrofoil by Valère Caneri.

Horue Movie on Vimeo

vimeo.com/user9923424

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lm_FFALZhc

http://www.straplesskitesurfing.com/... ... story-horu...

I believe I can Fly... The Horue French team

Al's just had a birthday so Im not sure if he's surfaced yet from the festivities....

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Re: Shortboard Hydrofoils

Post by SURFFOILS » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:23 pm

Surfers are risk takers, if it wasnt dangerous, it wouldn't be so thrilling.
Last edited by SURFFOILS on Thu Jun 27, 2013 10:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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