Update Introduction of 2014 Freestyle Hydrofoil Wave Board,

[marina]

The Kiteboarder developed an excellent feature on foilboarding which will be released in the upcoming winter issue (starts mailing out Dec 30). The online versions in the TKB Store and Itunes should be up about a week before this. We got input from the various emerging foilboarding companies/distributors, Carafino, existing brands within our sport that are developing production foils, racers like Lake and Heineken and foil surfers like wave pioneer Peter Trow....

[zfennell]

I confess i've wanted to jump into this with my own opinions and preferences for some time now.

But, by now i'm sure you folks are starting to realise that everyone has their own way of doing things. Odds are that if you have decided to build something. it will likely follow your own recipe.

I'll take it one step further.
if you come on this forum looking for suggestions. its because you'd like validation for what you've already decided to do. (and few will be swayed until they have first done it 'their way')

Its no wonder that larry tuttle, mango carafino, rush randle, and everone else has
their own opinion in these matters. thats's ok.
some opinions are guided by past experiences
some opinions are guided bychoice of materials
some opinions are guided by board geometry and construction.
some are guided by marketing and politics.

I can say with certainty that both approaches (flat plate or tapered insert)
are perfectly viable.
Yet, either will fail w/o proper execution of a design which addresses all structural constraints from top to bottom

"Vive la difference!"
or
dont believe everything you read.

-bill


(spell check -compliments of johnny rotten )

[cglazier]

I bought a Carafino board several years ago and am very satisfied. The board itself bent in half recently but that was after a long life of hard crashes so I have no regrets. I am having a local surf board shop make me a new board so I can use the mast and wings of the Carafino which are holding up fine.

The new Carafino mounting plate looks fine. I know Aguera and others are using the deep tuttle mount and it seems to work too. Alex Aguera and Rob Mulder are very respected board builders who have been making boards for decades (windsurfers originally) and both assure me that the deep tuttle is a good way to go hydrofoils. I believe that they find it easier to work with than a flat plate.

This sport is in its infancy and we will see what evolves. I have a new Aguera board which looks great and a new Spotz foil which should arrive shorty. I will post when I get a chance to try them.

And if Carafino can produce a reasonable product for the prices he mentions I expect it will be very popular. Good luck Mango.


Chris Glazier


(demonstrating a dismount from my old Carafino )

[Johnny Rotten]

I
I can say with certainty that both approaches (flat plate or tapered insert)
are perfectly viable.
Yet, either will fail w/o proper execution of a design which addresses all structural constraints from top to bottom

-bill