I have posted this in another thread but thought I'd double post here to make it easier to find for other people.
Interesting that most of these guys are pumping with the back foot out of the strap. I've always gotten better results with both feet in the straps. But I'm pretty sure I've been foiling a lot fewer sessions then these guys so I'm sure there is room for improvement. I find that generally my weight is too far forward if I'm not in the rear strap for the board to take off early. But this could also be a setup difference.
My approach when its light is:
step 1. 1-3 large slowish pumps with back foot out of the rear footstrap. This is to generate some initial board speed. Back foot out to avoid sinking the tail.
step 2. Stick back foot in rear foot strap as soon as there is enough board speed that tail wont sink.
step 3. 3-4 more quick pumps, focusing on aggressively pumping the board/foil. i.e. like the prone surf guys do. Sail pumps here are pretty short/sharp, and not the full motion. Goal is to get the board clear of the water. A lot of the time I don't think my pumping technique is particularly refined so the board ends up porpoising around a bit, but as long as the board gets clear of the water, its usually all gravy from there on.
Actual pumping motion is pretty similar to video. If its not super light, and there is some pressure in the sail, pretty much just straight into the straps, a quick wiggle of the sail, and pump the board/foil with feet and I'm off.
I'm sailing Naish2018 foil with wave sails from 4.2-5.7m.
Select to expand quoteswoosh said..
Interesting that most of these guys are pumping with the back foot out of the strap. I've always gotten better results with both feet in the straps.
Thanks Thomas - epic drone skills as ususal 
Looks like Simon had his front foot in the strap and Ben mostly had both feet in the straps.
Both my feet are out in the vid.
It was only blowing 12-15 knots - I think I was trying to generate board speed (by keeping the board flat and bearing off downwind) to fly the small Infinity 65 wing.
If it's windy I mostly water-start and fly with both feet in the straps.
In 12-15 knots with the Infinity 76 I'll mostly pump with just the front foot in the strap.
Bit of everything I guess 
I'm an advocate of the technique at the 1:15 mark. Though using the same technique I like to start out w micro pumps using the same action until you feel that feeling you know you need that says you have a 50/50 chance of coming up.
Select to expand quoteswoosh said..
Interesting that most of these guys are pumping with the back foot out of the strap. I've always gotten better results with both feet in the straps. But I'm pretty sure I've been foiling a lot fewer sessions then these guys so I'm sure there is room for improvement. I find that generally my weight is too far forward if I'm not in the rear strap for the board to take off early. But this could also be a setup difference.
My approach when its light is:
step 1. 1-3 large slowish pumps with back foot out of the rear footstrap. This is to generate some initial board speed. Back foot out to avoid sinking the tail.
step 2. Stick back foot in rear foot strap as soon as there is enough board speed that tail wont sink.
step 3. 3-4 more quick pumps, focusing on aggressively pumping the board/foil. i.e. like the prone surf guys do. Sail pumps here are pretty short/sharp, and not the full motion. Goal is to get the board clear of the water. A lot of the time I don't think my pumping technique is particularly refined so the board ends up porpoising around a bit, but as long as the board gets clear of the water, its usually all gravy from there on.
Actual pumping motion is pretty similar to video. If its not super light, and there is some pressure in the sail, pretty much just straight into the straps, a quick wiggle of the sail, and pump the board/foil with feet and I'm off.
I'm sailing Naish2018 foil with wave sails from 4.2-5.7m.
If it is blowing good, I start with both feet in the straps before pumping. But typically like you I do a couple sail pumps with back foot out, then put the back foot in and continue to pump but with more emphasis on pumping the foil.
Anyone else find it harder to pump and get going when you're going with the swell? On a fin, it's generally easier to get going with the swell as you can get a quick boost from riding down a swell. When foiling, this just doesn't seem to work for me, and I'm not sure why. The swell I'm talking about are all wind driven - tightly spaced and 1-2 foot.
Some one left this link in another thread but I think it should be here too
www.instagram.com/p/B1yGKGhAL-B/?igshid=1wblcjav0wvhp
Select to expand quoteShlogger said..
I'm an advocate of the technique at the 1:15 mark. Though using the same technique I like to start out w micro pumps using the same action until you feel that feeling you know you need that says you have a 50/50 chance of coming up.
The pumper at 1.15 seems to use clockwise mast movements with left hand forwards (port tack), like Balz Muller. First move is left arm outstretched and forward, then around to the right, then pull close to body, then repeat. All others (including Bart) seem to pump in and out, i.e. if on port tack, right hand doing longer strokes than left hand. (Of course Bart pumps so hard that from Northwest Europe, we in the rest of the world, get foiling on the created gust.) :)
I seem to get the latter "all others" technique working more easily. Is this a timing thing vs pumping the foil?
Or something else?
Select to expand quoteoscardog said..Shlogger said..
I'm an advocate of the technique at the 1:15 mark. Though using the same technique I like to start out w micro pumps using the same action until you feel that feeling you know you need that says you have a 50/50 chance of coming up.
The pumper at 1.15 seems to use clockwise mast movements with left hand forwards (port tack), like Balz Muller. First move is left arm outstretched and forward, then around to the right, then pull close to body, then repeat. All others (including Bart) seem to pump in and out, i.e. if on port tack, right hand doing longer strokes than left hand. (Of course Bart pumps so hard that from Northwest Europe, we in the rest of the world, get foiling on the created gust.) :)
I seem to get the latter "all others" technique working more easily. Is this a timing thing vs pumping the foil?
Or something else?
With the smaller sails I also do more round movements, I explained part of it in the other thread (see below). The key answer to your question is that a more high aspect sail is better pumped by reflexing the mast, and a smaller, low aspect sail is better pumped through the backhand, at least generally for foiling. The circular movements allow pumping the sail through the backhand without rounding up into the wind as you keep the center of effort of the sail over the board!
EDIT: if you look at the vid of Amado, he is sailing with an older version hyperglide, so lower aspect, and if you look closely he is also using circular movements, with the sail gliding forward at the end of the pump instead of side to side.Select to expand quoteWhiteofHeart said..
Technique changes a lot depending on the sail though. I pump my racing sails way more through the sails mast, whereas I pump my wavesails through the backhand. Understanding how your sail works best and generates most power is also one of the key points to getting going in light winds.
Second (and more important probably, but this part doesnt work without having the first part worked out) is matching the rithm of loading and unloading the board with the pump and glide phases of pumping the sail. As you pull the sail towards you (pump phase) you also pump the board, but loading and unloading the board has to be slightly out of phase with the sail pumping movement, that makes it hard. At the last half of the pump phase you have to get your weight up off your feet to unload the board and keep it gliding all the way through the sails glide phase (extending the sail forward) untill you can put in your next pump.
If you look at the board and position of my body and sail in my video closely you should be able to see what I mean. If the time spent pumping the sail is 50/50 pump/glide, you only pump the board 30/70. Those 20% of the time where your board is in the glide phase but your sail is still in the pump phase is where you accelerate most and where I think most can be gained for most riders.
As soon as you are up on the foil / making those semi-flying bounces on and of the water by a few inches the technique changes again, for as maybe sounds familiar to those of you who have pumped the foil in the air, its pushing the foil down and not up which makes it accelerate. Once I'm up I push every bit of power from my sail pump through the front foot to push the foil down, and use the glide phase to unload the board and regain height. Timing for pumping in flight would be more 50/50 - 50/50 and matched in terms of rithm.
That's a good description on the timing for the sail/foil pumping interaction. I think I do it semi-instinctively sometimes but definitely not with any real consistency at the moment. Sometime to work on next session.
Pumping the Lull's - When I'm on foil and see a lull coming, I do combo foot pump (fwd-back) and concurrently "scoop" the extended foot area of the Ezzy Hydra below the below the rocker line of the board and pull up, in conjunction with the foot pump. The results are amazing. A no wind foiling experience. Great way to get thru a lull.
Select to expand quotesl55 said..
Gonna try out the bicep tricep thing next session.
At the end, when he talks about first foiling it up as high as possible then letting it come back down close to the water, he is basically foiling downhill several meters to generate speed. Hauling it up, gliding it down until the speed and apparent wind are enough to keep going.
I like that idea.
Select to expand quotesegler said..
At the end, when he talks about first foiling it up as high as possible then letting it come back down close to the water, he is basically foiling downhill several meters to generate speed. Hauling it up, gliding it down until the speed and apparent wind are enough to keep going.
I like that idea.
I see a lot of beginners, when they pump the board up, go up high but stall there. Just like flying, if you are going too slow, push the nose back down and gain speed. Even if you bounce off the water, you are still accelerating instead of just holding it up into the air until it mushes down and you have to start over again. Convert altitude into energy. Unlike airplanes, we can bounce off a landing at speed. 
Thanks for updating this thread, I had missed it in May. Very good videos, and nice to see different styles.
Select to expand quotePaducah said..segler said..
At the end, when he talks about first foiling it up as high as possible then letting it come back down close to the water, he is basically foiling downhill several meters to generate speed. Hauling it up, gliding it down until the speed and apparent wind are enough to keep going.
I like that idea.
I see a lot of beginners, when they pump the board up, go up high but stall there. Just like flying, if you are going too slow, push the nose back down and gain speed. Even if you bounce off the water, you are still accelerating instead of just holding it up into the air until it mushes down and you have to start over again. Convert altitude into energy. Unlike airplanes, we can bounce off a landing at speed.
I do like a few bounces.
