I just got back from my first week of tow foiling in Fiji and really struggled finding a board that I liked.
I am 67kg and my 36L prone board was just a bit too much volume for me to deep water start comfortably. I could do it but it gradually got more difficult as I got more tired.
I tried a 8L Armstrong tow board which was easy to deep water start but sucked if you got stuck in the impact zone and had to paddle out - thing was impossible to paddle.
Lastly, I tried the 18L Apple Skipper tow board and it felt like its design (smooth edges) stuck to the water while getting pulled up. Overall, just not a forgiving board to get up on. Easy to sink but you really had to be careful with your front foot pressure as it broke the surface or the nose would launch up and then smack back down. A few others tried the same board and we all had the same issue.
So - any suggestions for me at 67kg?
Looking for something that’s forgiving and has enough volume to get our of hairy situations but also comfortable to sink for deep water starts.
I weigh 142 lb/64 kg. I like towing with my prone board, JS Black Eagle 2, 4’1” at 32L. It’s low enough volume to easily do a deep water start and adequate for paddling out of the impact zone.
I also have a Liquid Force Nebula 4’1” around 15L that I use for towing.
When it’s really choppy, the lower volume Liquid Force board is easier to start. But if it’s clean conditions, towing up on the JS 4’1” is a lot easier on my back. The extra volume and bottom shape of the JS is probably what makes the start feel so easy.
I’ve also towed with a JS 4’4” 27L, but the 4’1” is easier to sink even though it’s 32L.
I’m the same weight, about 150 lb. I use a 4’, 27L Armstrong FG board for towing. I have used the 9.5L WKT board but prefer a board I can paddle and duck dive. The 27L has foot strap inserts and I sometimes use a front strap. It’s a perfect setup for me.
Hey Tanner…I read your post on Best Board For Tow Foiling that measures 3’11’'x16.6"x 2.2" and is 23 liters. I just bought this like new condition FTW from Big Winds up at Hood River in Oregon. I usually ride a 4’1" Axis Tray 125 and strictly tow Pt. Loma here in San Diego. I actually love my Tray and it’s low volume I’m guessing is about 11 liters but wanted to try something new which was the FTW. I got a good deal on it since it was only used by their staff for some dock starts and towing. I was like a full blown beginner on the one time I tried the FTW and realized the extra volume was a problem for me. I thought you might be interested in it or perhaps a friend of yours. I’ll sell it for exactly what I paid which was $699 plus $50 for shipping. So $750. I love the look of the board and everything about it but don’t want to go thru a learning curve figuring out how to ride it as well as I can ride my Tray. It kills me to waste waves when we’re towing because getting up is so different on the FTW and shuffling my feet around when necessary.
It takes an adjustment from a tray board, 100%. But if you’ve only had one session I’d recommend a couple more. I have a couple questions- are you riding strapped? What brand are you riding/have you dialed in box position? That 3’11” is narrow, but I’ve had some of the best tow feels ever on that board. How are you deep water starting/what is your technique? What part of the process are you struggling with?
I have one, so not interested in buying it, but if you post it I’d imagine it’d get snapped up.
FWIW I’ve towed Point Loma a lot, it’s a delicate break - don’t want to be rude and zoom around on foil making wakes - you need to be able to pop up on a moments notice so I get where you’re coming from.
Thanks for a reply…I’m strictly a tow foiler riding waves and I ride without straps on an AXIS tray 125 which is very thin and 3" wider then the FTW by 3". I deep water start on the tray and I can stay standing with the board underwater and ready always. The extra volume on the FTW was harder to stay balanced with the board underwater and the exit out of the water on take offs was all over the place. A quick 3 to 5 second takeoff from calling out “Ready” to the driver to my throwing the rope was not even close. On the Tray it’s not an issue. I think the thickness of the tail with the boxy rail design is so different than the 50/50 type of rail on the tray that that may be the problem for me. The water seems to wrap completely around the Trays 50/50 rail and stays very solid under and on the water during takeoff and then once it leaves the water even if my feet are a little off, I can shuffle them into the sweet spot at anytime. We did try a couple different mast positions in the box but still we both struggled. The way I can foil the tray in surf from 2’ up to 10’ with confidence, I wonder why I wanted to try another board. But I did love the looks of the FTW. The 16.6" width was also appealing to me because sometimes on a hard backside turn the corner of the tail on my Tray can tap the water causing a speed loss or a water grab that results in a wipeout. If you’re ever back out here in SD, I’d love to take you out on my ski to the tip. There’s a hard core small group of foilers here now but generally there’s a lot of days with no other teams and almost all days the crews usually bail by 1 pm and then it’s just us…My thoughts on trying to get used to a board that has possibly too many liters for me, especially on the takeoff, isn’t really necessary. To blow a water start in good surf and miss a bomb or two is something I can’t stand to do. My DD foil setup in surf from 2’ to 7’ in case you’re wondering is all AXIS gear and an Art V2 819 front wing (647 cm2) …Carbon mast 900mm (36’')…Advance fuselage Ultra short (640mm)…Rear wing Progressive 250/56 ( the smallest tail in the Progressive Series). I also enjoyed reading some of your posts on Gear Talk on this site…
I think you’ll find getting up is easier and faster once you get used to the higher volume. Everyone I tow with has switched to boards in the 25+ liter range and much prefer them.
The take off is very different even if you are doing a sinker start on the Tray and will take a while to relearn the technique. I’ve found the higher volume is much easier on my back and shoulders compared to the sub 10L boards.
Keep you weight way forward until the foil engages. You can’t really do any type of plow since the board wants to sit on top of the water instead of cutting through it. When the foil engages your weight is too far back and you’ll get launched or end up very unstable if you are able to pull it off.
All you’ve said makes a lot of sense and the easier on the back and shoulders sounds good too. I’ll take all that in next time I try it because I do have another tow partner that wants to try it. Thanks bdavis…