8M Strike CWC super light wind technique tips please
80kg
61 years young
6' tall
Kalama E3 DW board @ 105 litres
GoFoil GT2200 with 20" tail.
I've been using my 8M Strike to get up and going in pretty light winds, probably in the 6 to 8 knots range
As long as there is some decent pressure in the wing I'm able to pump the wing a few times and with a board pump or two I can usually get up without much effort (or swearing)
So all the gear is great for the conditions and generally I'm the only one out on foil in these light winds and once I'm up I can pump the board and/or wing to stay flying through the lulls.
Now when it's even lighter winds (for example the wing only just fills/No forward motion) I cycle pump the wing up high and to the front of me to get good board speed, but when I try and pump the board to release it from the water I find I'm running over the wing or the wingtip is dragging in the water.
If I turn slightly downwind to gain more board speed it makes it worse (running over the wing)
Any tips on how to keep the wing out of the way whilst generating forward speed and upwards lift?
Totaly normal with this wingspan, what i was doing is semi pumping the wing and it's worked like that unless you are in the nba 
. Even doing that sometime the tip hit the nose of the board, that ok.
The bigger the wing the bigger the area where you can fall/crash in , that why i didnt liked the 8m i was too scared to damage it.
The CWC are designed to be pumped a bit up to down as if to lift you up out of the water. Not strictly front to back.
I got so fed up with wingtips on my 6.5 from another vendor catching the water that I upgraded to a 7.5 from a different company with a 20cm smaller wingspan and it made a world of difference. After wing size, wingspan is the most Important factor for me when I buy a wing.
I've been out twice since my initial posting in variable winds and found the technique of slow, loopy cycles using both arms up high and in front to get initial board speed, then when I feel a gust I pump just my BACK hand quickly to get the board really moving and if needed I unweight the board with some "bunny hops" and BINGO ! I'm up and out of the water, maybe a few more back hand pumps to get height (93cm mast) and bring the big 8M wing in close and vertical to the board to maximise the drive.
That incredible feeling you get when the board releases and you accelerate forward and upwards onto foil is so exciting, so satisfying, so addictive!
I always let out a loud hoot or "f#ck yeah! " at that point, the lighter the wind the louder the hoot
It's a feeling only a foiler knows
The CWC definitely responds much better to the back handed pump. It's just too much wing to move around with the standard two handed scoop. Sounds like you've got it!
I read your comment on here, and then tried it on the water. It made a big difference for getting on foil.
