That’s really cool. Definitely inspiring. I’ll keep this in mind. I can’t afford a full Unifoil setup right now, so I’m still aiming to just get a Code 980S… since that would be the only thing I need to fill the gap in my quiver, but I’ll keep the Progression setup in mind. Luckily we have good prone conditions here. They’re not like what you’re describing. That said, I may be moving and the new location might not give me as good of conditions, but I’ll be able to get out more often. Currently I’m paddling out sometimes once a week, or once every two weeks… and when possible twice a week. Much easier to get it dialed that way, than every few months.
BTW, I just put in a long winging session in downwind bay bumps… and I purposely used my prone setup - Armstrong 55ML + Code 850S, except with a long mast and not my 75cm prone mast. Then I spent about 25 miles between riding upwind, then downwind again, flagging and riding bumps as much as I could… the idea is to really get used to this setup so that my only concern is popping up from prone. That way once I’m up, I comfortable. I’m riding the mast further back than I normally would winging, but it’s still feels fine. Again, I’m doing this on purpose so I don’t have to change anything going from wing to prone.
A generation 1 foil. A generation 2 foil. Current generation foil is easier to learn on. That makes perfect sense.
I’m revisiting this topic. I don’t see how a Code 980S wouldn’t give me that same level of reward as a Progression 170.
Code is good. Worry about mast position not too far back. Use the KD method of picking up board from under lift point (about an inch behind leading edge of front foil) and for prone, nose should be even to slightly comming up balance wise of board. The 980s works good on a medium fuse as a starting point. Board popping out of water with that foil is: not pulling your weight forward as you get up. Surfers learn to use hips and the power of the wave to pop up with weight shifting to load the fins and rail, but foiling you need to reach several inches more forward and pull yourself towards the nose as you pop up so you don’t have your hips loading the back of the board. If you get caught paddling for a wave that starts to pitch, leave hips on board without pulling forward and rotate out and off the back of the wave. Lastly, you can shim under the front of the mast base raking the mast back slightly so you have nose up. This helpful in more powerful waves or for bottom/top turning if you have a tendency to breach exiting turns.
2 Likes
Answering the original question, my prone mast position is slightly back from my wing mast postion, approx 1 cm. It was easier to catch waves prone as the board would stay on the water until I ollied it up versus popping up immediately.