Author Topic: Exiting a closeout  (Read 4872 times)

Southbay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 770
    • View Profile
Exiting a closeout
« on: September 13, 2017, 06:22:43 PM »
Ok...so I have been on the foil almost everyday for a month. I have the Maliko and the Kai Go Foils.  Most days have been really small (summer here on Maui) but now we are starting to get the first winter swells.  Today was the 2nd or third time I have had the Kai Foil out in surf that is head high.  I can turn the thing pretty well and run down the line no problem.  The speed is insane, but this is where things get dicey.

What do I do when the wave closes out in front of me?  I have had 3 times where I was flying down the line and had to pull the eject button.  This is a no brainier on a surf board, or a sup, but the speed of the foil makes it so that, once I kick out the back the board slows down in the air as I am still going and things get dangerous fast.  I landed on top of the board once, foil up on my back, and twice more I almost did the same, but lucked out and hit the water.  This is obviously a scary situation and one that needs some thought.  I have surfed my whole life and this is totally different because of the speed the the height the mast gives you above the wave. 

Here is what I have come up with as possible solutions.  ONCE, and only ONCE, I was able to just ride all the way up the face and surf off the back of the wave and I could actually pump a couple times out the back and didn't have to separate from the board at all.  This would be awesome if I could do it every time, but the timing is difficult to say the least.  I also thought that maybe I should try to fall back into the wave and just kick up the foil, but the possibilities of it then landing on me sounds as bad as me landing on it.

Any suggestions?  Winter is coming and I would love to say I'll just out run them all, but that is not very likely!  haha, thanks all.

clay

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1138
    • View Profile
    • www.clayisland.com
    • Email
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2017, 06:47:51 PM »
Hi,

Glad to hear you are going for it and hope the learning pains have been tolerable.

I also want to know what strategies there are for this scenario.

I hurt myself about 6 weeks ago on a closeout, I launched forward and landed on the rail of my board bruising my quad.  Happened really quick.

My strategy or practice since then has been to stay in the lip or on the shoulder and not drop in all the way to flats, and as soon as it starts to closeout turn off the wave.
Aloha, I welcome and appreciate all responses of positivity and good feeling.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOIE6FWr1SpWvbPJIIiEgog

Southbay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 770
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2017, 06:49:10 PM »
I guess straightening out could be a safer option too....

sharksupper

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 350
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2017, 09:06:50 PM »
I'm super new to this, but so far I can say as long as I don't fall inline with the board and wave, front or back, I seem to be a lot better off.  My big problem seems too be that I don't usually have a choice yet in where or when I fall when I do!   :P

When I fall in front of the board the wave pushes it over me and usually tangles in the leash.  When I fall behind the board I usually end up a few inches from it when I surface.  Both freak me out.  I surface super slow with my hands and arms blocking my face and neck.  Boy is a major pain to untangle the leash while being battered by whitewater!

jondrums

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 894
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2017, 09:38:34 PM »
I've got two strategies that have been working for me (after trying lots of things that resulted in painful falls).

1) exiting just a bit earlier so I can foil out of the back of the wave - this requires exiting before the wave stands all the way up.  Actually I have been having a lot of fun with seeing how far I can glide back out towards the lineup.

2) straighten out in front of the lip, wait for the whitewash to stabilize a little, then foil up (weight back foot) and quick turn around 180 on top of the whitewash.  Not sure if this is the best description, but the idea is to use the lift of the foil to get the board itself up and over the foam so I can paddle back out.  Probably has a limit to how big a wave it'll work in.

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2017, 09:41:15 PM »
So this is going to sound a little nutty since I haven't actually done anything with a foil yet other than get towed around, but it might be time to try riding the backside of the wave. Not much worry with closeouts back there. It might not work, but there's about the same amount of energy on the back as the front and it's moving in the same direction. Focused a little differently, but it could work.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Beasho

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3224
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2017, 02:30:51 PM »
My foil mentor Haley Fiske had a suggestion for close outs.  Here is what he described:

  "I have only done this twice but when a wave closes out I was able to shoot into the flats and then come back at the wave.  I was able to maintain my speed, successfully navigate a near 180 degree turn and head straight back out to sea.  At this point I was facing the whitewater head on but still up on my foil.  The interesting thing was that I was almost 2 feet in the air and the whitewater passed under my feet.  When you hit the whitewater the foil will naturally stall but given the closing speed and the speed of the wave coming at me I gently settled down on the backside and paddled away in clean water without falling." 


How bout them apples!
« Last Edit: September 14, 2017, 02:34:10 PM by Beasho »

Southbay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 770
    • View Profile
Exiting a closeout
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2017, 03:47:26 PM »
These are all great suggestions. I love the idea of turning back into the white water, but winter in Maui usually means waves what would not pass under the board as described.

Pono, you can definitely feel the energy behind the wave but I have not been able to ride it. Thanks all. Good tips. I'll let you know if I hear anything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jondrums

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 894
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2017, 09:12:54 PM »
My foil mentor Haley Fiske had a suggestion for close outs.  Here is what he described:

  "I have only done this twice but when a wave closes out I was able to shoot into the flats and then come back at the wave.  I was able to maintain my speed, successfully navigate a near 180 degree turn and head straight back out to sea... 

That's exactly what I was trying to describe.  Looks like we both independently found a similar solution.  It does work and I've done it a half dozen times successfully, though not on a wave I would describe as heavy nor particularly hollow.

Southbay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 770
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2017, 03:26:34 PM »
Spoke to a very knowledgeable guy here on Maui, that has been foiling for about a year, and his advice for "waves of consequence" was to straighten out in the flats and then kick the foil right as you go left, or vice versa.  The added benefit is that on a foil you can often get around the section, but you don't know till you straighten out and look at how far it is throwing and how top to bottom the wave is.


TonyGring

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 254
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2017, 01:43:18 PM »
Spoke to a very knowledgeable guy here on Maui, that has been foiling for about a year, and his advice for "waves of consequence" was to straighten out in the flats and then kick the foil right as you go left, or vice versa.  The added benefit is that on a foil you can often get around the section, but you don't know till you straighten out and look at how far it is throwing and how top to bottom the wave is.

Yeah I'm not so sure.  If that works for you, good deal.  My experience is if you kick the board out from under you, it wants to fly up.  That can be a problem.

I've found the safest ejection strategy is to gently fall off the back of the board. I've gotten hurt jumping off front of board or adjacent to rails.

Gently off the back is my game plan for now.  Looking forward to winter -  summer has pretty much been waveless around here.

Cheers

Southbay

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 770
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2017, 10:55:30 AM »
maybe "kick" was too strong a word, because yes, kicking in the traditional sense makes it go up and that is the crux of the whole issue.  "bail" left and push board right may be a better description.  Falling off the back is a problem in bigger surf because it pushes you right into the board and foil.  None of this is an issue on smaller surf, or less top to bottom surf. 

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Exiting a closeout
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2017, 07:10:38 PM »
Parachute?
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal