Foiling progression.

01-01-2017
After approximately six sessions (about six hours) on a Liquid Force short mast hydrofoil, I am hooked! Bit the bullet and spent quality coin on a second hand high performance carbon fibre hydrofoil.
Today (New years day) was my second attempt on the carbon foil.
OMFG! This weapon has a mind of its own! It just wants to rise and go fast…insanely fast. Doing my best to keep speed and board down. Riding the board down against the surface of the water allows muscle memory to take place. Riding a foil (IMO) is about feel and finesse. The smallest of movements and shifting centre of gravity allows the foil to come up. The trick is to find a balance, balance I have yet to discover. Riding a surfboard with a huge keel and set of sharp wings underneath is an entirely different beast.
To date I am continuing to overcompensate, porpoising is evident on most runs, however not too violent. The six hours spent on the slower Liquid Force Hydrofoil has made quite a difference to my progression, I believe.
Got ejected a number of times as I could not control speed once the board began to accelerate.
However I did get a couple of runs going in both directions, keeping board and speed down successfully. At the end of each run was able to bring kite to 12 and carefully drop butt in the water, turn board and restart.
Tips to remember:
*Most importantly KEEP BOARD AND SPEED DOWN. This will train your muscles to ‘feel’ the mast slicing through the water underneath you.
* Assume the pooh stance as much as possible, keep knees bent, and push centre of gravity toward the nose of the board.
*If you cannot fly your kite without looking at it, you are not ready to ride a foil board. Kite size should be two sizes smaller
than what you would ordinarily use for the conditions on the day.
*Flat water is a must, deep enough to clear the full length of the foil and then some.
*Wear a helmet.
*Ideal wind 12 to 15 knots.


….to be continued.

Quite a good analogy really. The comparisons between foiling, flying, and using the force. Today I will use this mindset.
Thank you Jedi Kamikuza. Had to look up 'yoda side lunges'.

LOL that's gold. I actually meant yoga but so long as it worked

Aim to fly with just half the mast out of the water, to give you a margin of error...

At this stage, you know that any lift from the kite reduces your weight on the board and lets the foil rise. So you can probably start riding smaller kites, being more aggressive with the flying.

03-01-2017
Small 5m kite and foiling…in wind and rain at 7:30 in the morning! Grey clouds cover the entire sky, visibility reduced by the rain. Could not wipe the smile from my dial. Foiling is such a steep learning curve. Every session shows dramatic improvement over the previous. It seems there are two distinct forms of balance one can achieve on the foil. The first, the kite is lower in the window, exerts plenty of pull, and one can lean back into the harness, and push hard down on the foil. The second type of balance, is kite up high, foiling almost directly downwind. This requires somewhat more finesse and is actually extremely pleasant when it happens correctly. The feeling is unlike anything else one has ever experienced. Once again the trick seems to be keeping speed in check, easy to do with a small whippy kite. No transitions yet, just slow down drop butt in water, turn board and restart.
Tips to remember:
*Do not be too quick to get the foil up.
*Get a comfortable stance going for a hundred meters or so. Let the foil do its magic.
*Do not fight the kite or the board. Relax. Enjoy.
*Do not use the force, rather feel the foil...become the foil.
*Remember Yoda side lunges.

Gorgo, all constructive well meaning criticism is appreciated. Please share your knowledge and experiences with this newb. My mind is a sponge. Foiling is one of those sports where a small amount of correct knowledge can go a long way in helping progression. Jedi Kamikuza comments helped my next session immediately. By the same token, incorrect information will lead me to the dark side.

When you start out it seems to be all about foot position. Then you realise the Yoda Lunge is more effective. The next step from the Yoda Lunge is to lead with your head and shoulders. Where they go the board follows.

Keeping your head and shoulders low and forward and following the board allows you to carve through powered gybes and to swoop through troughs at speed. When the wing is trying to bust out of the water you can bring it back by looking down and forward into the trough and following with your head and shoulders.

At first you'll overdo it and look like and emu waving its head around. It'll soon become natural and you won't have to think so much about it and not have to overdo it as much.

Legs straight is good and comfortable. But there are times in gybes or going fast when it's best to have your weight low. Once you incorporate foot position, lunging and body weight through head and shoulders then you can trim yourself any way you need to when you need to.

Very soon you'll want to get up on the foil as soon as possible because that's the most stable position. It frees you up from being knocked around by waves and lets you take the power from the kite how you want to. On good days you'll water start straight up onto the foil.

Flat water is appealing at first, and amazing when you have foiling mastered. Waves are awesome and not a problem for a learner. It's best to have a bit more wind and a well powered small kite than slogging around with a big kite that you're afraid to drop.

07-01-2017 The end of this week, one is beginning to slalom a little. Small subtle S bends and flying at various depths up and down. Confidence and skill continue on an upward trajectory. The thought of transitions is beginning to take shape in the mind, however still continuing to lower butt in water, turn board and restart. Occasionally able to stand tall, legs almost straight, and take in the scenery...looking back at the fine trail of bubbles that the foil leaves is a buzz. Also beginning to judge where the stall speed is and keep momentum just above stall is gratifyingly pleasurable. It is comparable to the beginner foil, but with greater control. Raising the foil from water start happens almost without thinking, the body just makes it happen. Proper foiling is so much a mind thing! Crashes are inevitable however less frequent.
Tips to remember:
Attempt carves and gybes in ideal conditions. (IMO 10m with 12-15 kn)
Be aware how quickly other water traffic invades one's riding space.

20 knots this morning and having to decide between beach runs with the crew or solitary foiling is today's conundrum.

11-01-2017
First session on open ocean, 12 to 15 knots, small half meter swell and chop. A little challenging at first, however once dialled in, was able to do long single runs without falling too many times. Learning to gauge the swell and pump the foil up and over accordingly. What a unique and satisfying sensation!! Still no transitions. Once again the tranquility and contentment achieved when that board leaves the confines of water surface tension, it must be experienced to fully appreciate. Just the slight whistling of the lines and a fine trail of spray behind the mast, and 80kg body mass slicing effortlessly through an open expanse of ocean...freakin incredible! Foiling seems to be easier on the knees than directional or twin tip riding, if anything one feels it is beginning to strengthen the muscles around my aching knees. Looking forward with anticipation to the next flat water session, remembering back when, returning to flat water after my first downwinder, and discovering how flat water was so much easier.
Tips to remember:
Be wary of the shark nets and potential underwater hazards.
Do not go out further than one is prepared to swim in, should things go awry.
Wear my helmet.
Speed is stability.
Do NOT get cocky by riding close to the shore break.

Foiling is very much a mind thing, Good foiling is about letting go. Letting go the traditional concept of movement over water. It is about re training the physics in one's mind, the conditioning one has received. The notion that large physical distance requires large physical movement no longer applies.

Letting go the preconceived notion that motor action equals movement. The traditional notion that a series of motor locomotions are required to move from point a to point b. Foiling is something that each one of us has probably experienced in a dream. The ability to fly or glide in our dreams. The exact same sensations are physically present in foiling.

Somehow beyond the boundary of fear, my body intuitively already knows how to manoeuvre the foil with finesse. However overcoming my self made limitations hinder my thoughts. The fear of falling off actually enhances this particular line of thinking.

My ultimate goal is to ride that foil with the finesse of a ballet dancer. This is the goal i have in my head. I will tell as many people as possible, not to brag about it it, but rather to help re enforce my own thinking that I can do it. By making it a possible thought, in another's mind, helps me with my thoughts.
Yoda once said: "No, do not try. Only do or do not, there is no try."

The whole kitesurfing thing has been a progression from maximum resistance to minimum resistance. Twin tip riding is the start of maximum resistance to wind and water, gradually progressing to surfboard riding. Surfboard is more float, less resistance. Then down winders...further less resistance. Followed now by foiling, which is even less resistance. Each stage of progression becomes a deeper connection with mother nature's two natural elements, wind and water. Foiling downwinders is the epitome of least resistance. Foiling is very much about connecting with nature and being totally in the moment!

The ability to travel over and through the water at speed is an amazing sensation!

Try turning into toeside witout touching down. By turning your head/upper body and bringing the kite over as per normal. I find this one of the easier moves on a foil. You need to find the right course then quickly to not lose momentum and line tension so to avoid touch down. If you mastered a toeside to heelside turn you will master the turn into toeside easily too. It is amazing how the foil is turning almost on a dime given and while it can be so sensitive otherwise it seems to be most stable when carving tightly.

OMFG! The solitude, the serenity in that moment, the absolute perfection of human locomotion using nothing but the elements and some ****ing neat technology. Paradise is free ride foiling.along endless sun bronzed beaches, a blue sky that runs forever, and ten knots.

Don't say that. I've just spent $2k on a foil set up inspired by your beautifully descriptive and positive writing about the foiling experience. More happy happy stories please.