Mates I see many of these minifoild thingies listed on Ebay. Anyone tried them? Any good or junk?
The guy who makes them was on here for a while - haven't seen him recently. Seemed very argumentative and defensive about the products, and the videos supplied left a lot of unanswered questions. I think if I wanted a taxiing style foil experience - skimming the water but not fully flying - I'd just get a slingshot with the shortest available foilmast. In practice, though, almost everyone seems to feel that longer masts are easier to use - I certainly do.
I tested a winged fin briefly - noticeable difference to standard fin, loved the extra lift upwind and in lulls, but a bit alarming downwind ....
Select to expand quoteSearoamer said..
I tested a winged fin briefly - noticeable difference to standard fin, loved the extra lift upwind and in lulls, but a bit alarming downwind ....
Do you think it would help getting planing earlier than a big fin?
actually my supernerdal cortex has been mulling over foil-like sidefins. something like inward facing L shaped thingies that provide early planing/lift agogo and progressively lose that lift when you incline the board for the bottom-turn allowing the neverfading bliss of a rail driven carve.
Anybody exploited the thermoplastic potential of their K4's to this noble exploration? :)
(of course i wouldn't wanna open the can of worms of toe-in, asymmetry, cant & rant)
oh darn
Got you.. So a bit dangerous and no one is raving ... Will likely stay away..
PS. I somehow thought about these minifoils when thinking about some windfoil boards that are 180-190cm long and bad for regular windsurfing but still with fairly sharp rails ... and these fins that may be giving more lift to these shorties to feel a bit more stardard for say regular windsurfing... I know we can swap boards but imagine you cannot at that moment..
Also wonder if these/different types of fins may be needed if one wants to make <200cm/190cm windsurf board..
Select to expand quoteImax1 said..Searoamer said..
I tested a winged fin briefly - noticeable difference to standard fin, loved the extra lift upwind and in lulls, but a bit alarming downwind ....
Do you think it would help getting planing earlier than a big fin?
not sure .... I do know my losing 5kg would help!
I bought one years ago to use on a super light wind board. Lifted the tail alright in light winds but caused the nose to go down as the lift was only in the tail. Foil wings are further forward due to the fuselage and overcome this issue. I wondered if you could try it in a board like a starboard go with the fin in the middle to use like a daggerboard whether it may work there or if you would need two of them. I still have the fin somewhere if someone wants to try. Foiling has replaced the need for this type of thing.
