I have the same water dilemma. Many assume that a foiler owner's toughest requirement is having enough wind. Wind ain't the problem; it's unbostructed water depth that we need more than anything.

It is amazing how thin the water is for most of the Florida coasts and our foilers are not really effective surf punchers to enjoy the deeper depths of the Gulf. A committed foiler owner will not sell his foiler. He simply buys a catamaran for the speed in light air. I'm even considering moving to a cold climate if I can find a place with a consistent eight feet of water along a long part of a coastal shore. (Pensacola would be great but I can't live there. God knows I tried...twice.)

Another hard part of living with a foiler is gathering enough pilots together for an event. We are really spread out geographically. It's been especially tough in the Rave community even so with the many Raves that were sold in Fla. Since our initial enthusiasm a few years ago, there have been attempts to gather but most owners don't respond. More accurately, NO owners respond. They are a solitary bunch which may simply be dictated by their eccentricity, distance, and work. Most pilots are empty nesters so, family obligations usually don't get in the way. BUT, we didn't know that there may be TriFoiler owners in the S.E. that might be interested in attending an event, as well. I will mention it on the Windrider Yacht Club forum and see what happens. Fall is a good time to foil in Florida because the water is still warm, the temperature won't roast you in the boat, and the windspeeds are great. The most convenient place for me to foil is due east of Orlando at the end of S.R. 528, Kelly Park on the Banana River. There are some facilities there with beach launching possible and a wide concrete launch, too, and it's a pleasant place. Too many crab trap floats will keep your crew busy.

I just got off the phone this morning with one of the developers of the Rave. He suggested that I try a new central hull for more speed while in displacement mode. It's the Rave's biggest hindrance. They had to design a hull that would float two people but hullspeed is unnervingly slow in displacement mode. I will be looking for a decent, used Nacra 6.0 hull to heavily modify for my Rave this fall or winter.