Any similarity between riding a foil and waterskiing?

[stoneaxe]

I was a pretty good water skiier back in the day. I'm curious if there will be any benefit from that when/if I try foiling. Flying a foil seems to require far more finesse especially without getting towed. I've manged to learn to surf reasonably well despite my crappy balance  but I'm wondering if the foil will simply be beyond me...minor corrections that aren't critical on a SUP I'd think might doom me on a foil.

[supuk]

its kinda like cross between riding a indo board and skateboarding down a hill with no brakes. I have spent my hole life water skiing and  maybe the only similarity is balancing your weight between your feet for slalom. I don't think its any harder than waterskiing on one ski just takes a bit to get your head around using a foil more than anything.

[stoneaxe]

I like hearing that you don't think it's more difficult than a single slalom. I don't think i'll get a chance to try anytime soon but I'd like to think i have some chance at success. Eager to try but have assumed it's likely beyond me.

[Beasho]

Any similarity between riding a foil and waterskiing?

None

As surfers we manage just 1 control Axis -->  ROLL

There is NO Pitch control (Other than Huntington Hop) and NO Yaw control (without a controllable rudder).

The Foil introduces a second dimension which is Pitch.  There is also the requirement to keep your center of gravity directly above the centerline. 

These may seem like 2 daunting challenges but I now have 15 sessions under my belt and am feeling VERY comfortable in 4 to 6 foot surf.  Compare this with learning to surf, and learning to SUP.  I think that the progression is about the same if not faster.  My last session lasted for 2 hours and I got out of the water DRY.  I never fell in.

[Off-Shore]

Beasho. That sounds very encouraging. Do you have a particular foil you recommend starting with?

[jondrums]

I have done a lot of waterskiing and wake boarding.  I don't see any real similarities between foiling and waterskiing. I find slalom waterskiing to be much more physically demanding and a lot less finesse as compared to foiling, which is all about tiny little adjustments and movements.  In comparison, I think slalom waterskiing is incredibly forgiving as long as your body position is good.

This might go over a lot of people's heads if they haven't had the experience, but foiling versus surfing is a lot like steering a high performance skiff (i14 or 49er) versus a dingy (FJ or 420).   With the high performance skiff, you have to make super tiny adjustments to the rudder at just the right times.  If you yank the rudder, it'll probably end badly.  I was used to throwing the rudder over to tack in a 420, then I got into an international canoe and flipped the boat every time I tried to tack. 

all that said, give it a go - you don't know until you try!

[stoneaxe]

Yeah...it's the finesse and critical balance that has me worried, the addition of pitch and need to center may simply be too much for my crappy balance. I figured my waterskiing experience was unlikely to matter much....maybe those last few seconds after having let go of the rope and you're balancing as you sink into the water...there's that moment where you are centered and managing pitch but it's so brief it hardly exists.....and I'm not even sure I could manage that these days....as I'm writing this I have terrible vertigo.....

edit...just heard the description of riding a foil by a guy in the WSL video of Kai foiling..."like a bowling ball with vasoline"....

[Dwight (DW)]

Stoneaxe,

Foils are more stable once airborne. Down on the water subject to chop, current etc..yuk

It’s like a kid learning to ride a bike. Seems unstable learning, but it’s really not. You just have to learn the feel.

Foils become very stable at speed.

[supuk]

Yea the hardest part is the first few strokes when you take of after that as long as your feet are centered they are very stable. Having a good paddle technique and some power behind the blade is probably more important. Learning to foil is generally scareyer than it is hard.

[Beasho]

"like a bowling ball with Vaseline"

No No No! 

It is hard for the first 3 sessions.  If you work to keep your front foot down and temper your weight released from the front you can get it very quickly.

The only reason any "Good" surfers is saying it is 'hard' is because they can't get on a foil and make it work instantly.  Kiters, with Foil experience, can't do it instantly and surfers definitely can't do it instantly.  But come on!

I was up and pumping with my legs on my 5th session.  I was up and pumping with combined legs and paddle on my 10th session.

This may be why the groms will take over because they're used to everything being hard the first time. 

Cost - That's another issue.  It is expensive.

With regards to Foils: Just buy the GoFoil Kai model for now.  Haley is riding his and he weighs 230#.  As he says "I have no problem flying it, I have a problem keeping it in the water."