This will be a short article. I mean how much can you say about nuts and bolts? Not too much, but still, I think these are worth a little discussion. Why? I’ll give you two reasons.
Adjustability:
I have always been that person who has an Allen wrench up my sleeve when out in the water. I would carry one so that if something came loose or I wanted to adjust my foil I could do it right then and there. Even if I was using my same set up I would bring it. I have never regretted having my tool with me. I only regretted it when I did not have it. I have found that sometimes I want to move my foil forward or backwards depending on the wave conditions. There have been multiple times that I would look at the waves and think it is not that big or breaking that hard only to paddle out and find that I was wrong. Being able to adjust my foil any time without tools has proven invaluable. Steeper take offs may mean moving it back vs when the waves are mushier, I move it forward for better takeoff and pumping. With these Wingnuts I can do it in less than 15 seconds with no tools. Flip the board over and loosen, then re-tighten and you are good to go. I am constantly trying new foils and switching between different types and sizes of wings. I find that I could just leave the mast in the same place but adjusting it makes my foiling better. I have had sessions that I changed the mast position after every wave until I felt it was where I wanted it. I have had sessions where I would adjust the foil and my foiling improved immediately. These Wingnuts make that a quick and simple process.
Convenience:
The masts that I use have open ended holes. This makes taking my foil off and putting it back on very fast. I can just loosen the Wingnuts and slide them over in just a few seconds. I also leave the wingnuts in the tracks of my board so they are always there when I need them. Putting the foil back on is just as fast. I find that I do not mind taking my foil apart as much with this increased convenience. Also, no tools needed.
Cons:
- These are heavy compared to a plain bolt. How much? 117 grams for the Wingscrews vs 76 grams making a whopping 41 gram difference, which is not much. The benefit outweighs the weight penalty.
- They will loosen on you while riding. I have found that after a few waves the Wingscrews will be loosened. This is mostly after the first wave. The first ride is a lot of torque on the base plate and it will loosen the screws. Generally, I will tight them up about a 1/8th turn and they stay tight the rest of the session.
- Increased drag while paddling. If you can feel this, you are a better foiler than me. I cannot tell any difference.
In summary I cannot see why anyone would not want these or something akin to these for the pure adjustability and the ability to fine tune your foiling on the fly. I will not foil without them now. These Hydrofoil Wing Screws are the best.
