Naish Hydrofoil
Has everyone questioned hydrofoils as much as we have ? At first we thought "No!", more stand up paddle enthusiasts. But we’ve come to an understanding that they are pretty fucking radical. We were persuaded by watching two schrapers showcase their new found stoke for foiling.
Ryan Hurley and Pat Towersey
Ryan and Pat were laughing trying to get into the water without looking like kooks. The mossy jetty rocks and awkward mass of the hydro foil attached to their shortboards weren't making it easy. As soon as they started paddling out we realized that it just looked like they were paddling normal shortboards. The foil sits under the surface just like a thruster fin setup until, of course, they catch a wave and gain enough speed for the power of the wave to stand up and propel them upward on a foil plane. As we heard after the session it is no easy task to control the speed and power of the foil. It requires a lot of strength from your back leg to keep the foil steady from bucking. Pat said his normal surfing stance of being crouched low is not as effective and easy on a foil. His best foil stance is more straight legged and vertical than his standard surfboard approach. The foil harnesses and creates a lot of energy for a surfer to play with. If you push hard through a turn theres a sensation of the foil pushing back at you with equal force. That is where the value of foiling lies. On days otherwise deemed flat, unrideable and shitty, a foil will allow one to harness some energy from the ocean.
Ryan's setup of a 3M adhesive mount instead of a routed fin box attachment. See how strong it is here.
