Takuma tail chop?

Prone Surf Foiling
1

i have recently bought a used takuma 980 with a 220 tail. they are both in pretty rough shape.
i have went for a couple of sessions and I’m loving the foil, but it feels like the tail is slowing down the foil.
is the tail just too big? is it the scratches?
i have seen that some people chop the tips of the tail, what does it change?
should I get a new tail? which one?

thanks

2

The 220 is a very big tail for the 980. I use the Takuma 178 tail and for me it works great

3

I aggressively chopped a 220. It wasn’t any good as a 220 and it is slightly better chopped. It’s a big fat and slow tail, and you aren’t going to change that, but it will turn better. It was kind of a novelty project for me since it was just laying around.

I used it a couple of times with the 1440 but I preferred the 178 and other options. I can’t imagine that’s a good tail on the 980.

4

Any suggestions on 178 tail chops? One side got smashed by the reef with about 1/4" gone after sanding. Haven’t noticed a difference yet but the asymmetry can’t be good so wondering if there are any patterns where folks have removed 1/4" or more of the tips.

5

I’ve been running mine lopsided similar to what you explained for over a year with no complaints

1 Like
6

When I previously chopped a Takuma tail I sealed up the exposed core with some epoxy. The core is a very dense material and while it is probably some kind of foam, it almost feels like wood. You can’t imprint a fingernail into it.

I just chopped my 178 tail and I’m curious whether I even need to bother sealing it? The exposed bit is very small, and given how dense it is, I’m not sure sealing it is really necessary. Anybody know? Anybody ride a chopped Takuma tail without sealing it and have any issues?