Select to expand quoteMozKiter said..
Some interesting posts. I was busy with my third lesson today and there was a guy on a foil as well. He had a long mast but he was nose diving quite often. Even though i have absolutely no experience with this logic would make me say a shorter mast is better at first. Some of the guy's crashes made me cringe. So depends how much pain you are willing to endure I guess
Sooner or later, you're going to have to get onto the long foil and despite what you see in the pro edits, they still get lobbed at the surface of the ocean. I do see the benefit in starting short, but I don't think it's worth the money given how quickly you get used to the length.
Hitting the water isn't so bad, but hitting the board is. Until my third session, I had forgotten to take my helmet out of the car, and wouldn't you know it, I clocked myself in the back on my head with the board or something...inch and a half cut that bled for hours and probably needed stitches but I couldn't be bothered with the hospital. So, helmet is vital.
First few sessions, you'll be powering up out of the water and getting lobbed, or getting up on the foil then ballsing up your balance and just falling. Or ventilating and splashing down...learning the "BAIL OUT EARLY" instinct is good; fighting to hold onto the board is a bad idea, especially if you've got straps.
Select to expand quotesnalberski said..
That would be a good thing as the actual Zeeko foilboard doesn't seem to have any beginner friendly features like large nose rocker, highly angled bottom rails or high volume.
Myself and my friends all learned on low volume 120x45 strapless boards with 9cm rocker. I find it way easier to have little volume as the board is so much easier to move around (i.e after after a crash to reposition the board for a waterstart).
Try one for yourself, you won't look back. Especially if you are coming from a monster Sroka.
Select to expand quoteLivit said..snalberski said..
That would be a good thing as the actual Zeeko foilboard doesn't seem to have any beginner friendly features like large nose rocker, highly angled bottom rails or high volume.
Myself and my friends all learned on low volume 120x45 strapless boards with 9cm rocker. I find it way easier to have little volume as the board is so much easier to move around (i.e after after a crash to reposition the board for a waterstart).
Try one for yourself, you won't look back. Especially if you are coming from a monster Sroka.
You'll notice the lack of volume in light wind, when you're fighting to get speed for the foil to work, and the board keep sinking and slogging...
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said..
I disagree with the shorter mast idea, as I think it's unnecessary. Depending on your conditions, you'll "out-grow" it in a couple of sessions...
Having used the shorter mast on the first session and foiling 100 metres each way within an hour I was pretty stoked.
With the number of crashes avoided by bouncing back up off the water, it allowed me to just keep going until I had control.
In saying that, when in choppier water you will ventilate easily if you don't pay attention to the surface so it teaches you control the board more.
I thought I'd outgrow the short mast (70cm) but use it every now and then in shallower water and actually find it more demanding to ride than the longer mast.
This is just my opinion based on my experiences and still to this day think it was the main reason I got up and going so quickly.
Also the thought of gybing didn't impress me so I elected to ride toeside, something I found surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. Then I discovered the Dynabar....
Slingshot Alien Air LF2 70cm and 102cm
BRM Cloud 9m
Dynabar
I forgot to add the single most important tip I picked up when learning to foil (I still consider myself a beginner).
In the beginning you're thinking about riding the board and that's all you can feel through your legs and feet and that's how you try to react to things.
In fact, you're riding the foil and it takes that 6 hours or so until your brain clicks over and your body can feel the foil. Once you can do that the rest is "relatively" easy.
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
I forgot to add the single most important tip I picked up when learning to foil (I still consider myself a beginner).
In the beginning you're thinking about riding the board and that's all you can feel through your legs and feet and that's how you try to react to things.
In fact, you're riding the foil and it takes that 6 hours or so until your brain clicks over and your body can feel the foil. Once you can do that the rest is "relatively" easy.
Nailed it. Once the muscle memory kicks in you progress pretty fast
Select to expand quoteThecopterdr said..Kamikuza said..
I disagree with the shorter mast idea, as I think it's unnecessary. Depending on your conditions, you'll "out-grow" it in a couple of sessions...
Having used the shorter mast on the first session and foiling 100 metres each way within an hour I was pretty stoked.
With the number of crashes avoided by bouncing back up off the water, it allowed me to just keep going until I had control.
In saying that, when in choppier water you will ventilate easily if you don't pay attention to the surface so it teaches you control the board more.
I thought I'd outgrow the short mast (70cm) but use it every now and then in shallower water and actually find it more demanding to ride than the longer mast.
This is just my opinion based on my experiences and still to this day think it was the main reason I got up and going so quickly.
Also the thought of gybing didn't impress me so I elected to ride toeside, something I found surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. Then I discovered the Dynabar....
Slingshot Alien Air LF2 70cm and 102cm
BRM Cloud 9m
Dynabar
Yeah, I think it's unnecessary as an expense vs time used, but I can see how it'd be useful. My first session was last year on the SS foil, and I did get up and riding the board with some wobbly hovers for a few seconds...
Conditions here meant for every hour I spent in the water, I got maybe ten minutes water-starting and attempting to ride...but it wasn't long before I was on the board, then upwind, then foiling...than crashing. My third session I found a hole in the lake bed, and rocked away upwind and it was full speed ahead.
I didn't use the Dynabar initially, as I didn't want the distraction, but that was a groundless concern.
Trying to gybe and change feet, but the straps get in my way...
I got one of the $55 USD masts from here and cut it/tapped it (I have their board too, so it matches):http://www.thekitefoil.com/#!online-store/cre6/!/Manta-2-aluminum-mast-production-scrap/p/59642799/category=12622627
I used the short mast today because it was dead on-shore and I just couldn't get out deep enough to start on the long mast. At my local spot you have to drag out a long, long way to get deep enough for the full length mast, but the short mast makes it easy.
I'm not suggesting everyone should do it, but it just made the whole learning process much less painful for me...
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said..MozKiter said..
Some interesting posts. I was busy with my third lesson today and there was a guy on a foil as well. He had a long mast but he was nose diving quite often. Even though i have absolutely no experience with this logic would make me say a shorter mast is better at first. Some of the guy's crashes made me cringe. So depends how much pain you are willing to endure I guess
Sooner or later, you're going to have to get onto the long foil and despite what you see in the pro edits, they still get lobbed at the surface of the ocean. I do see the benefit in starting short, but I don't think it's worth the money given how quickly you get used to the length.
Hitting the water isn't so bad, but hitting the board is. Until my third session, I had forgotten to take my helmet out of the car, and wouldn't you know it, I clocked myself in the back on my head with the board or something...inch and a half cut that bled for hours and probably needed stitches but I couldn't be bothered with the hospital. So, helmet is vital.
First few sessions, you'll be powering up out of the water and getting lobbed, or getting up on the foil then ballsing up your balance and just falling. Or ventilating and splashing down...learning the "BAIL OUT EARLY" instinct is good; fighting to hold onto the board is a bad idea, especially if you've got straps.
Learning to fall a long way forward is a must, let the kite propel you away from the weapon of mass destruction.
And if you start going sideways, pull you knees to your chest. The wing loves striking a shin!!!!
Select to expand quotebigtone667 said..Kamikuza said..MozKiter said..
Some interesting posts. I was busy with my third lesson today and there was a guy on a foil as well. He had a long mast but he was nose diving quite often. Even though i have absolutely no experience with this logic would make me say a shorter mast is better at first. Some of the guy's crashes made me cringe. So depends how much pain you are willing to endure I guess
Sooner or later, you're going to have to get onto the long foil and despite what you see in the pro edits, they still get lobbed at the surface of the ocean. I do see the benefit in starting short, but I don't think it's worth the money given how quickly you get used to the length.
Hitting the water isn't so bad, but hitting the board is. Until my third session, I had forgotten to take my helmet out of the car, and wouldn't you know it, I clocked myself in the back on my head with the board or something...inch and a half cut that bled for hours and probably needed stitches but I couldn't be bothered with the hospital. So, helmet is vital.
First few sessions, you'll be powering up out of the water and getting lobbed, or getting up on the foil then ballsing up your balance and just falling. Or ventilating and splashing down...learning the "BAIL OUT EARLY" instinct is good; fighting to hold onto the board is a bad idea, especially if you've got straps.
Learning to fall a long way forward is a must, let the kite propel you away from the weapon of mass destruction.
And if you start going sideways, pull you knees to your chest. The wing loves striking a shin!!!!
I have two holes in my shins just to confirm that observation 
