Foiling Safety video

[blueplanetsurf]

I'm meeting with some of Oahu's foilers on Saturday to talk and make a video about foiling safety. 
I'm working on coming up with some questions and topics to cover, any suggestions or ideas?
Has anyone here had a serious accident or injury from foiling?  Lessons learned?

 

[PonoBill]

Might sound silly, but getting into and out of the water with beach break is a bit touchy. I bruised both thighs with the mast having a wave hit the board and wings. Now I move the wing from the carry position (mast in front of the legs, hold the fuselage in one hand, board carry handle with the other) to wing outside or board on my shoulder. In shallows flip board upside down to swim out.

Also, bailing as soon as beginners start to lose it. If you try to save by leaning counter to a tip you are leaning over the foil, the weight shift makes the foil climb out of the water and you'll jacknife onto it. 

Going off the back is always the safest.

Caught inside, get behind and push the nose of the board into the wave. The foil will hold it down and carry it through

[sharksupper]

This would be my personal rating for risk areas (1-10, 10 being worst):

-Falling on the foil when learning because you're used to regular surfing rail/tail pressures when dropping in.  ( 10 x e^10! )
-Getting in and out of the water/shore break (just beach breaks where I live) with the foil  ( 8 )
-Falling off the front of the board with a breaking wave behind you, wave and foil runs you over  ( 8 )
-Going out in too big of conditions or getting caught inside in big waves.  ( 7 )
-Shallow water  ( 6 )
-Don't surf when/where it's crowded  (6 )
-Watching out for your fellow beings, be it, swimming, prone, sup, foil, kayak, turtles, etc  ( 5 )
-Leash tangle in foil.  ( 4 )
-Riding in steep/dumping waves ( 4 )

I don't have all the solutions for these items, but I gauge my fear/injury factor to these values.  I'm just waiting for the day I get the classic situation where both legs are tied up by the leash by now at the same time wrapped around the foil!!  Yikes!

I think it's important to acknowledge that foiling is much more dangerous than regular surfing in many ways... both for the rider and people around. 

Not every day is a good day for foiling, it's more important than regular surfing to know what conditions are safe for foiling.

As usual, personal discrimination and good judgement is key to having a safe session.

My biggest mistakes so far has been being too excited to go foiling and going out in dangerous conditions, and not having fun anyway.

[Newps]

I was having a hard time getting out of the water with my foil gracefully (beach break with the dreaded trough right at the water line). 

Getting in however was always easy.  Flip the board upside down, hold the fuselage or tail (depending on water depth) push the board and walkout.  I now do this in reverse to get out of the water and just walk backwards. 

[sharksupper]

I was having a hard time getting out of the water with my foil gracefully (beach break with the dreaded trough right at the water line). 

Getting in however was always easy.  Flip the board upside down, hold the fuselage or tail (depending on water depth) push the board and walkout.  I now do this in reverse to get out of the water and just walk backwards.

yea, it's just when those ones come into the beach that are big enough to throw you and the board over the falls, super sketchy!

[blueplanetsurf]

Great feedback.  Here is a list of items we will plan to cover in the video, please add to list if you have other ideas:

Gear:
Using the right equipment, sanding any sharp edges, transport
Foot straps, strapless, foot hooks

Water Safety:
Getting started
Getting in/ out of the water
Dealing with shorebreak
Paddling out through whitewater
Shallow water
Taking off, weight placement, how to avoid falling onto foil
Etiquette, avoiding others, best conditions to learn
If in doubt, don't go out

[jondrums]

I've broken three leashes since I started foiling and the board really takes off away from you.  All three times were fairly long swims.

The other thing is that when I do eat it at speed, I hit the water a hell of a lot harder than typical surfing.  Starting off higher up off the water, and going a lot faster makes quite a difference.  I've had the wind knocked out of me a few times tripping up the foil on the bigger stuff.

[PonoBill]

I've broken three leashes since I started foiling and the board really takes off away from you.  All three times were fairly long swims.

The other thing is that when I do eat it at speed, I hit the water a hell of a lot harder than typical surfing.  Starting off higher up off the water, and going a lot faster makes quite a difference.  I've had the wind knocked out of me a few times tripping up the foil on the bigger stuff.

Amen. I actually bounced when faceplanting off a big wave.

I'm playing with some modifications to leashes to keep them away from the foil.

[blueplanetsurf]

Thanks for all the input.  We had a great group of great watermen talk about foil safety this morning and I got several hours of footage that need to be edited, hopefully I will have it posted by next weekend. 

For now this is today's video about the foot hooks I'm using now and really like, as well as all the different foot placement attachment options I have tried over the last year:

[JBinGulfShores]

Thanks for sharing! Cool video

[Beasho]

There are foil injuries and then there are injuries to foilers.

Here Chris Bertish was run over and nearly decapitated but SAVED by his foil board.

[blueplanetsurf]

Thanks for your input everyone.  I finally posted the video and it's a long one but please take the time to watch it if you want to get into foiling.

Thank you to the Watermen and foiling pioneers who shared their knowledge in this video we recently shot to help keep people from hurting themselves or others when foiling. It's a long one but if you want to get into foiling, this should be mandatory. In this video: Leleo Kinimaka, Kalani Vierra, Sam Pa'e, Edmund Pestana, Todd Bradley, Reid Inouye, Rex Shinmon, Robert Stehlik