Tips for new foilers.

[tautologies]

Hi good peeps of the zone. I am finally coming home to my SUP foil and can barely contain my excitement. I am a bit heavy for the board but I think eventually I'll be fine.

Now, I am a believer of trying to not make the same mistakes that other have of it at all can be avoided so I thought I would put it out here:

Any tips / ideas / avoids  / and definitely dos for new SUP foilers?
Thx again guys. 

[blueplanetsurf]

You have probably seen this but Sam Pa'e and I put together this video with tips for beginners from when I first started foiling.

[tautologies]

Robert, thank you for this. Great tips. Its great to see Sam out there, he is a legend. He gave me my tow-in instruction and taught the value of flotation in surf after an incident at Sunset. :-)
Funny digression on Go Foil I tried to get Aguera to make a SUP foil for me about 7 years ago. No go then. Its awesome to see the developments and I finally got my own stuff now.
 
So if you don't mind I have a few questions and thoughts. I am more based in N-Cal now otherwise I'd be trying to follow you guys for a bit. I do not have access to a jetski, but I have kitefoiled for years all the way back from the boots era. I am thinking of getting used to foils again with a kite. Then take out the SUP in wave with no foil, then use the foil. Still trying to find a perfect spot for the foil in N-Cal.

Some thoughts and ideas:
What length leash do you use. It seems to me that some of the videos you guys aren't really wearing leashes? Any reasons?
I will probably get a helmet for it since I have had quite a few close calls with foils and I remember vividly how my shins looked when I kitefoiled at higher speeds. You guys are not wearing it? No close encounters with the foil blade?
I am hesitant using a footstrap since getting caught with one foot in a strap freaks me out (I have seen a lot of injuries even with small kiteboards). Any good twists on your front foot using a strap?

Would you recommend trying to kite a SUP foil just to get a feel for it? SUP and kites do not really mix well IMO and I have a small board for the kitefoiling.

How I wish I was on Oahu with all the great spots for foil there. 

[blueplanetsurf]

Foiling is awesome but feels really awkward and unfamiliar at first.  I know plenty of guys that learned to foil without ever having towed behind a boat or jet ski, so it's not necessary but if you can find someone (who knows how to foil) to tow you and give you pointers, it will accelerate your learning curve.  Check Beashos posts about learning by catching waves and keeping the board on the water by keeping weight forward, the trick is to learn how not to lift up too fast and breach.

Regarding your questions:
We always wear a leash (except when towing).   A coil leash works well and I'm now using a retractable kiteboard leash on a waist belt which never touches the water.
Regarding helmets: we did use them learning and I recommend it but once you learn to bail if your foot position is not right you generally don't come anywhere near the foil and the edges are blunt, so no more dangerous than the fins on a SUP board.  Kite Foils are a different animal, sharp edges and longer masts make them more dangerous when learning.
If you can, use a shorter mast to learn on, it will make it safer and easier to get the feel for it.
Re. Footstraps, I don't use them, I tried straps and prefer to go without them despite being a windsurfer and being used to footstraps.  I do use a stomp pad under the back foot to help me position it correctly on take off.
We are blessed with many good foil spots on Oahu but the foils really open so many possibilities for riding previously unridden waves all over the world, it's exciting.

[daswusup]

Where in Norcal? I have been wanting to get to Dillon beach with my foil. There is a break out in the middle of the bay called The Shark Pit that I think would have ideal conditions for the foil. It breaks in deepish water and then reforms and continues for hundreds of yards to shore. It is a super chumy feeling place though. It is where Tomales bay meets the ocean. I have had many fun kite sessions there and some ok sup surfing. I know that it can get world class.

I never towed with my foil and  I went out and got a bunch of rides rides on my first session. I am not using footstraps on the sup and it seems fine. I too worry about being caught up in them and tweaking myself. I have been using them for kite foiling because its easier to water start however, I have buckled over several times and felt like I was going to break both of my tibias, stuck in the damn straps. Next time I go kiting, I'm ditching the straps. Seems like once I get the strapless water start worked out, it will be fine.

I did notice that Kalama and Aguera,  are paddling into the waves with there feet in the straps. This does eliminate the jumping from paddling stance to foiling stance. I will try this next time too(without straps).

Get the right foil and board. I have slingshot foils which are great for swapping out the front wings from kite foil to surf foil and easily changing mast lengths. They are heavier than the go foil but the weight hasn't really bothered me yet. Much more affordable too. I delamned a nice Hokua with a stick on foilmount. I am almost done fixing it though. I bought a finbox track cassette from supuk and installed it in the Hokua. Just need to glass over the bottom and I'm back in business. I live in Reno so it hasn't been a problem since I have had a coast trip in a few weeks. I do think that the sup foil will work for downwinders on Tahoe. My Hokua 8'10" 115L was always tippy for me to surf unless it was glassy. But with the foil under it, I can stay vertical in the bumpiest conditions. Just remember, you only really need the board to catch the wave. Once you are on the foil, you want as little of a board as possible.

Another spot that I have surfed alot and know would be a great foil spot is North Point in Davenport.

Maybe we could hook up sometime at one of these spots. I don't know very many surf foilers. 
-Tom

[tautologies]

Really short.. thank you Robert.  You are killing it. I got my second of many boards from your kapahulu store in 2001 (I think it was).

Tom. Hell yes. Dillon is one of my favorites for kiting. Been wrecking my brain about it for foil. I'm up. I'm nursing a cold after a kiting trip, but should be ready after that. 
I sold my hokua to get the foil..I just couldn't get my self to cut into it.

[tautologies]

Btw I got the Crossover board...even if I am not a windsurfer I just couldn;t find any arguments to not get it :-)
I am hoping it is decent to surf as well. I really liked the Raptor.

[surfercook]

Very cool reading about all your foil experiences. I really want to give it a go. I did windsurf quite a bit many years ago which I always thought was probably a big help learning to sup. Not much foiling going on here in NJ where I live but a coupla guys have started. I've only seen one or two all year and they were on kite boards.