I’m having trouble pumping into the next waves. It’s no doubt a matter of skill, but I am curious about the foils you guys are using for linking waves, and how far away can you pump.
Personally I have the following setup at around 76kg and can pump for several seconds and link a wave if it’s pretty near and there’s a peak in the same direction, but definetely can’t turn around completely and pump to the next wave on the peak I just surfed.
Mast length: 65 cm
Front Wing:
Wingspan: 77 cm
Wing² / Surface ratio: 5.4
Felt surface: 1350 cm²
I also have a HA 800cm^2 front wing but it feels impossible to pump it for a longer time, feels like you really need to be going fast. Also recently bought a 85cm mast, but haven’t tried it in small surf, so haven’t tried pumping it.
The front wing is way too low aspect to be a serviceable pumper. Look for a wing in that same area with a span around 95 cm. A 65 mast should be fine for pumping, but it will never really surf right. I’d get a 75 mast That’s the sweet spot.
What brand / model is your HA 800cm^2 and 85cm mast? I prefer a 85cm mast for prone foiling.
If your current gear is shitty, I would recommend getting a foil that you can dock start and learn how to pump properly at the dock. Unless you are really good at catching a lot of waves and you get a lot of prone sessions in, learning how to pump at the dock will be a lot easier than learning how to pump in the surf.
Here’s some great tips for staying up on foil longer. TLDW for gear: use big enough foil that you can pump easily, but still maneuverable to kick out over whitewater, etc. https://youtu.be/biYPptoItJg?si=WuY-gxnwptMf_Q72
I’m your same weight and would recommend getting a Unifoil Progession 170 with the Progression 14.5 tail and the medium or short fuselage. For short period surf it will work for knee to chest waves.
If your waves are in the knee high range then go with the same setup but with the Progression 200 front wing.
Agree with this suggestion - get the biggest progression stab paired with the Uni P170 and you’ll be connecting waves no problem. Very forgiving / user friendly wing. Also agree with someone else that a 75-80cm mast would give you more mast to play with while pumping.
Overall, get a higher aspect wing that’s forgiving, exit wave with speed, stay high on mast, don’t look at your feet, and you’ll be good.
I think one of these days i’m gonna give the pumping from a dock a go to get some more practice time when I can’t surf.
Regarding the mast size, being used to 65cm, 85cm feels like too much distance from the water if you want to stay high on the mast, and the added weigth. I guess it’s just a matter of getting more comfortable with it, but if the waves are small it can get way too shallow for that mast.
lol! If you’re asking “how do I link waves” you def need to be starting on a 1100+ and work your way down. Nobody downsized first then started linking waves. Ride your bigger foil till you can pump circles waiting for a set then downsize.
80cm mast gives more wiggle room, but 75 is fine if you are in smaller waves and clean conditions.
Bigger foil allows for crappy technique.
The older you get, the harder it gets because your heart will max out.
Learn how to glide.
Start with the best equipment you can get your hands on and understand that you need to exit the wave with speed and maintain that speed.
Yes, that guy is making a 65cm work. Scotty was way better on a crap foil in 2020 than I ever will be on the latest and best gear. I ride Nolimitz 80cm and Code S foils.
So I think part of this is the east coast shallow energy dynamic but I find and 80cm significantly harder to get catch waves and get up to speed on compared to a 75.(I’ve settled on a 77). The deeper that front wing is placed the farther it is from the surface energy. For me it equates to at least a size smaller wing
I technically ride a No Limitz 78 with Code S wings. Board to center of fuse at mast is same as GoFoil 80cm mast… so I just say 80. Both are a good eyeballed 5cm longer than old Takuma 75 I started with. The extra 5cm makes it much easier to turn without breaching and also to exit a wave with speed and not breach on the other side. The extra length also makes pumping a downwind board easier as I can get a really long up and down pump. It does make gliding on a short prone feel weird though until you get used to the height. Tried an 85, and it was a stong no-go. Best for winging rough conditions or towing in.
The drawbacks are as you stated, foil is deeper so small waves harder to get into and tend to bounce on the bottom sitting on board. Solution is: ride good waves (easy in Cali) and/or use a longer thicker board for speed on take off, and buancy when bobbing.
