I’ve recently started out on the Prone journey and have become obsessed.
It’s like a drug - I need more.
One way I can see of getting my fix is tow foiling.
The problem is I don’t have the space to store a jet-ski and couldn’t be bothered with the whole trailer etc.
I have been thinking a small inflatable (4m/13ft) with a 20 HP engine might do the trick.
I could fit the whole kit in the back of my van and have the whole thing ready to go in under 30 minutes.
Sure it won’t have the grunt/acceleration for critical water rescues, but I don’t imagine we’d be towing in to critical conditions anyway.
Has anyone considered/tried this? Is it even possible?
Check out a tow boogie builds on foil.zone, or if you are not into DIY I make this one here Boogie. Sounds like they would fit your situation perfectly.
Tow boogies are far more convenient than boat or a ski, and you don’t need another person so can go when ever you want to.
Reminds me of the days of IRB racing in Australia.
3.5 - 4m long inflatable (with a solid removable deck), 25hp tiller engine. Those things FLY, and are ridiculous fun in the surf. We used to tow-in behind them (non-foil boards) on big days when there were beach closures.
Some thoughts on your idea: your inflatable will likely need to be a roll-up type with soft bottom in order for it to fit in your van. Those types of inflatables at 13 ft long are usually somewhat heavy. Pay attention to the weights. A 13-ft roll up inflatable can be pretty tough to move around by yourself. Also, if it has floorboards it’s going to take you longer than 30 minutes to set up. And you’ll probably find that you don’t want to break it down and set it up. That you don’t want to break it down and set it up they are a pain in the ass. if it has an inflatable floor, it can be quite wobbly and difficult to stand on in lumpy conditions. In conclusion, roll up and fold up inflatables have pretty lackluster performance, and can be less than convenient to set up and break down.
A rib, or rigid Hull inflatable has excellent performance, but at 13 ft will take up a similar amount of space as a jet ski.
Regardless if it’s rigid or roll up, it’s not going to perform like a jet ski. When you flip it over it’s going to be a bad day, there is no recovery. You can see there’s a few people doing it, and it works for their local conditions. Check out the guys foiling Chicima, and there is a guy in Puerto Rico doing it. I’ve tried it in my local conditions and it nearly ended in total disaster. Lots of slop, current, and closeout areas, with no way to bail out. In those types of conditions, it can be really difficult and stressful to use a non-jet ski for tow in. With 20 horsepower engine you might also find that when riding a really small board and a really small foil, you have to time the waves to be able to pop up on a plane. You’ll probably also not have enough power to keep up with the waves.
