Hess forum posts in last 60 days

Grantmac said..
Roberts will only do their designs, not proper custom.

Maybe North Pacific?

From my experience with ROBERTS he will modify his design as you wish but will not start from scratch. I think this is the same for all custom board builders. You want a proven shape, rocker line and out line and even foot strap placement etc. But there are many things he can tweak when he does the finish shaping.

IMHO If you have a specific shape in mind that is not made by a manufacturer then a custom board builder may be the answer but only if they have something close. Custom builders generally give you shapes that are ahead of the curve and higher quality for a higher price. Roberts being Canadian may be priced better given the state of the Canadian dollar
If none of this works, and you want to have some fun, then building your own is a great idea but from my experience consider the first one a prototype because as soon as you ride it you will discover the things you want to change. The good thing is that you will now have the skills to change them or build a second better board.

John340 said..
Brilliant riding Adrian

Roy said..
Nice work, the 808 looks fast in those inside gybes. Do you always use the 808 front wing?

To provide info on your speed question I have a few clips in this video with a GPS. For context I don't were a watch that often, I think I have gone faster, probably down a wave. I don't really go for speed other than it adds to the fun feeling when carving, especially on a wave. I was on the 707/325 combo on a 3.4 for the 46 Kmph clip on the 808 the other days. Oh I know this is not fast by racers standards but thought it would help answer your question

sailortrash said..

Hess said..

Gurra said..
Interesting to hear about your experience with the 707. Today I had the best windfoil session of my life. So good that I almost think I might never windsurf again.
I was on the 808 with the 370 stabilizer and had amazing rides in wind swell. I used my 3.3 sail, which really is the key to good wave windfoiling with a small sail.
Great speed, solid turning, and some epic hits off the lip (goiter, kono).

I also tried the Reverse 375 stabilizer, but I didn’t like it. It felt slow to get into flight mode, and the board didn’t fly evenly, I had to shift my weight back too much. So that stab is going up for sale :)
After that I tried the 325 stabilizer, and wow, that’s a really good combo with the 808. I’m now thinking of buying the 93 cm mast, because I believe it will give me even more of everything.

Gurra awesome to hear about your session. Small sails are one of the reasons I love windfoiling so much and in the waves -- well I think you know what I mean. I am usually on a 3.4 or 3.8 Cypher as I like the way the freestyle sails provide low end power and the power turns on quickly when doing my version of an off the lip.
I am excited to hear you are doing the same moves on a foil that you would do on a fin in the waves. I have no chance of doing anything advanced like a goiter/kono but have always believed advanced wave riders could do them even in light winds and smaller waves when a windsurfer would only get a couple slow turns.
I ride the 94 UHM mast and found it less draggy. I also think you will love the 707 for its higher speed and tighter turns. I find I have to ride the 707 in conditions were I can waterstart easily when on my 100L board (I am 85kg) . With the 808 if I can waterstart in the gusts then there is usually enough wind.
If you like the 325 over the 370 you might also like the idea of the shorter fuse as its kinda like going to a smaller stabilizer.

Just a heads up to all the readers- going to smaller "stuff" took some time and can impact the fun. Fun is a very personal thing and there is no right or wrong. Fun for me is flying through a carving jibe or when you come down a wave and carve a bottom turn with speed. So smaller is faster, turnier but less stable and harder to get going. So if you like to flag the sail on lake swells a small MA freestyle foil might not even let you stay on the swell. Or if you like speed, well a short fuse is not the way to go.
For example; as a 68yr old part time foiler, when I get to Maui after not foiling for 3 or 4 months I don't jump on the 707/325 right away. I start with the 835 or 808/370 and it takes me a couple of weeks to feel anywhere near how I did the last time I foiled. And when I switch to the 325 the first reach feels like I am on a bucking bronco. Or when I go to the 707 I have to keep telling myself to keep the speed up or i will stall out. Which is actually a disadvantage when you want to slow down and wait for a wave or go down in the wrong place and can't get going fast enough before a big wave takes you out.
Sorry if this sounds like a rant but when I have been asked my equipment developers in Maui for advice it always revolves around avoiding making equipment for the few who foil 200 days a year or have crazy good skills and can ride the small stuff right away. I still want a board I can up haul and set up that gets going easily. That said things like the short sail to foil geometry really adds to the freestyle/wave fun factor. I also think there are opportunities to have a fuselage length/geometry suited to freeride or wave foiling.

U have a good point. Better to go with a floaty wing then falling through as soon as u go below 10 knots of speed. That’s a bit 2020 if u ask me

I probably was not clear, I really don't ride what I would call a floaty foil. I am 85kg on a light day. And the 808 is under 800 cm2 while the 707 is around 650cm2. Both are medium aspect.
I was just trying to explain that on the 707 sometimes I want to slow down to wait for the next wave or get going quickly in bigger sets and with a listed take off speed of 16-18knots the 707 can be a little trickier and even need a bit bigger sail So i then switch to the 808.

Gurra said..
Interesting to hear about your experience with the 707. Today I had the best windfoil session of my life. So good that I almost think I might never windsurf again.
I was on the 808 with the 370 stabilizer and had amazing rides in wind swell. I used my 3.3 sail, which really is the key to good wave windfoiling with a small sail.
Great speed, solid turning, and some epic hits off the lip (goiter, kono).

I also tried the Reverse 375 stabilizer, but I didn’t like it. It felt slow to get into flight mode, and the board didn’t fly evenly, I had to shift my weight back too much. So that stab is going up for sale :)
After that I tried the 325 stabilizer, and wow, that’s a really good combo with the 808. I’m now thinking of buying the 93 cm mast, because I believe it will give me even more of everything.

Gurra awesome to hear about your session. Small sails are one of the reasons I love windfoiling so much and in the waves -- well I think you know what I mean. I am usually on a 3.4 or 3.8 Cypher as I like the way the freestyle sails provide low end power and the power turns on quickly when doing my version of an off the lip.
I am excited to hear you are doing the same moves on a foil that you would do on a fin in the waves. I have no chance of doing anything advanced like a goiter/kono but have always believed advanced wave riders could do them even in light winds and smaller waves when a windsurfer would only get a couple slow turns.
I ride the 94 UHM mast and found it less draggy. I also think you will love the 707 for its higher speed and tighter turns. I find I have to ride the 707 in conditions were I can waterstart easily when on my 100L board (I am 85kg) . With the 808 if I can waterstart in the gusts then there is usually enough wind.
If you like the 325 over the 370 you might also like the idea of the shorter fuse as its kinda like going to a smaller stabilizer.

Just a heads up to all the readers- going to smaller "stuff" took some time and can impact the fun. Fun is a very personal thing and there is no right or wrong. Fun for me is flying through a carving jibe or when you come down a wave and carve a bottom turn with speed. So smaller is faster, turnier but less stable and harder to get going. So if you like to flag the sail on lake swells a small MA freestyle foil might not even let you stay on the swell. Or if you like speed, well a short fuse is not the way to go.
For example; as a 68yr old part time foiler, when I get to Maui after not foiling for 3 or 4 months I don't jump on the 707/325 right away. I start with the 835 or 808/370 and it takes me a couple of weeks to feel anywhere near how I did the last time I foiled. And when I switch to the 325 the first reach feels like I am on a bucking bronco. Or when I go to the 707 I have to keep telling myself to keep the speed up or i will stall out. Which is actually a disadvantage when you want to slow down and wait for a wave or go down in the wrong place and can't get going fast enough before a big wave takes you out.
Sorry if this sounds like a rant but when I have been asked my equipment developers in Maui for advice it always revolves around avoiding making equipment for the few who foil 200 days a year or have crazy good skills and can ride the small stuff right away. I still want a board I can up haul and set up that gets going easily. That said things like the short sail to foil geometry really adds to the freestyle/wave fun factor. I also think there are opportunities to have a fuselage length/geometry suited to freeride or wave foiling.

utcminusfour said..
Thanks Paducah!
It interesting. I can't argue the good points of Tuttle, only 2 bolts, lighter and less drag when the board is in the water. Those are just facts. Are they most important details for all of us, that's grayer.
PWA is still Tuttle.
Patrick talks about stiffness a lot with his Aeon set ups but chooses Tuttle. I think with the ever-smaller wings they ride the stiffness is good enough and drag is the priority.
Adrian at Axis is also focused on stiffness and says Tuttle is not the answer because the foil wants to be thicker at the board connection than the Tuttle is. Makes sense right the biggest loads are at the connection to the board.
Intuitively from a structural point of view, I like a tapered composite mast with a thicker top and molded in plate. With my ever-increasing front wing size, I need all the stiffness I can get, and I am considering a used Axis fatty mast to gain the added stiffness of a monocoque plate and tapered thickness.
I have thought about recessing the track, because as a garage shaper I can. I typically don't move the mast once I have things dialed in. Just make the top of the plate flush with the bottom of the board.
The other thought I have is for the foil builders. Keep the Tuttle conceptually, just make it thicker so the top of the mast can be thicker.

The slingshot rake adjustment shims are puzzling, for it to work it has to ignore the importance of the full contact wedging at the front and back walls. Perhaps they are just for fore and aft location, such that if you are not full forward or full aft you use two shims one each side of the mast. We all just associate shims with rake, maybe they should call them spacers.

Good Points Heres my 2 cents worth

I think there are a few mast manufactures that have lengthen the mast cord near the top (and still use a tuttle) Then minimized the thickness and cord nearer the bottom to get the best drag, stiffness and board connectiion(tuttle). I have not tried the 95cm F4 race mast which falls into this category and seemed to have good reviews
I am not sure about the shims either, for the reason of connection compromise, as I have been told by manufactures that the tuttle system is designed to take all the load in the friction fit at the ends of the mast/box. But if you have a front and back shim, both at the same angle to accept the tuttle mast head I believe the friction fit would be maintained. Its more about transferring the load to the box thru the shims; as the shims will have some very small space on either side to allow them to slide into the oversized tuttle. If you imagine shims 1/2 the width of a box and the resulting play they would have it gives you an idea of what I am describing. I guess we will find out.

IMHO a simple tuttle and a simple mast; with my board builder setting the mast angle works great form me. Given some folks will like to have flexibility I am just happy we are seeing some additional tuttle mast options; just hoping the bolt pattern fits in the standard tuttle box. Oh when the PWA racers start using the oversized box I may look into it 😂

Nice video keep them coming
I can see the crazy gusts moving across the water. You are making the 4.7m in a 25 knot gust look easy.

Having fun in reef waves.
The ability of the windfoil to go up wind and back out in no time allows the rider to catch so many waves in a session where I would be slogging on a windsurfer. And of course being on a foil makes a wave seem twice as big and turns small swells in to so much fun.