Session 8- V-Box Flyer vs 9'3" Turbo Nugg

[surfercook]

First time on the foil in about 10 days. Flat spell had me down. I'm totally trying to force the foil stance now and did the one armed paddle hold/shoulders squared up thing. I can really feel the padding w/my bare feet where I put it down to mark the mast and forward foot. Come bootie weather it will be harder to locate them. It's tough to find the padding when I'm riding but just paddling around it's easy. I fell a bunch and also made a few waves just surfing em. Flew once w/out falling but only a little lift. When I flew all the way up the momentum died off and I came to a complete stop in the air and crashed. Think I do that every foil sesh at least once. Seemed to make a bit of progress today. It was definitely roughest surf I've been out in so far. Can't imagine foiling as fast as I'm sup surfing yet.
Foil clinic coming up w/Zane...it's $300! Would be cool to do for sure.

Foil Sesh (#8) vs. Regular SUP (Video is from the SSedit software uploaded to their hosting site.)
https://app.soloshot.com/video/bb1e355a-dcf8-459d-bf71-02fbf2b1e204

vlcsnap-2018-09-02-15h50m15s098 by surfercook, on Flickr

vlcsnap-2018-09-02-15h43m00s397 by surfercook, on Flickr

vlcsnap-2018-09-02-15h37m47s098 by surfercook, on Flickr

[surfercook]

Session #9 in the books. Waves had good energy and I managed a fairly late head high drop w/a bit of a splash as the nose almost pearled at the bottom.  My confidence catching waves w/the foil is increasing but I'm still not controlling flight very well. Flew a coupla times and landed to finish off the wave so that was nice. I've yet to sustain any flight for more than a few seconds. I think I need to start taking off on a bit of an angle to get down the line.
Weird, after my 70 mins or so of foiling today I hopped on my regular sup and it felt quite unstable at first!

Beasho, you told me 10 sessions b4 I'd actually get it....we'll see.

Session8 here on GoogleDrive

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qMhTYZBOmErQxBoFTinhc1iNYfPlPuXr

[Califoilia]

Cookie, I can't tell, but do you have a kick pad just behind the rear bolt (or mast) on that board? I only say that because it looks to me as though you're a little too far forward on the board with your rear foot, and then the only why to get it to fly is to lean too much weight rearward...and then because you're rear foot seems too far forward, you're either not able to get the board leveled off quick enough, or you end up getting too much weight forward, and slapping the nose again.

To me, the "feel" I get when visualizing myself in the position(s) you're in there...is that "our" front foot looks pretty good (much better centered on the board), but that "our" stance is too narrow, and "we're not giving "ourselves" enough distance between "our feet to shift "our" weight between in the more subtle movements it takes to lift, and control the foil. I think that if "we" could just move "our" rear foot back further (even if that means behind the mast a little bit) that "we'd" have greater control of "our" weight distribution, and would be able to have better control of "our" shifts slowly rearward to get the board lifting, rather than what it appears/"feels" to me as "us" trying either to push the tail down, and/or lift (unweight) "our" front foot independently.

IOWs, "we" see to be making bigger or more sudden of adjustments to the board is the "feel" I get while watching now, instead of just more subtle weight shifts/transfers across both "our" feet, rather than just using "our" feet to push down or lift up with. I find that when I just push down or lift up with either foot, that it most times creates too quick of a response from the foil, and unless I'm doing that intentionally to pump the board, and anticipating it...it will buck me off as I'm seeing is happening to you at the moment.

So for what it's worth, the next time out I think "we" should concentrate on getting "our" rear foot over or just behind the mast, keep "our" front foot at the very front of the deck pad as "we" are now, and then once "we're" up to speed, and ready to fly...simply shift "our" weight slowly from between both feet towards (but not necessarily on) the rear foot, and as "we" start to fly, stop that shift, let the board continue to come up...and then simply shift "our" weight between "our" feet fore or aft to maintain the level of flight "we're" looking for.

At least that's how I'm picturing myself flying that board, and setup. I had a friend who was doing something very similar to what you are now with feet placement and width, and he questioned if the board/foil was setup correctly (honestly, the foil was mounted too far back, but that's insignificant to the story), so we swapped boards, and what I described above is what I did to get his board up, and flying on the next wave...and had an absolute blast with it, as it turned, and pumped so much better than mine (with the same Iwa wings), that I have actually rethought about where I'm going to place the mast on my new board in the works...we are actually moving the mast tracks back 3" on it from where we had them planned prior to the above session as a result.

Btw, after that, and some quick in the water pointers wrt foot placement and weight shift, my friend did get the board flying, and heading down the line a bit. Yes, he did, and does still crash a lot, but his rides are getting longer, and longer...and more importantly his confidence level that he can actually control the board up, and down now has him actually going for it, and not worrying about getting thrown off the back or stuff the nose in the water all the time.

Good luck, and just keep at it. I can see improvement with each video you post...you're really close now!! 

[surfercook]

@sanoslatchsup...super cool reply...the quotations threw me off a bit so I will re-read. I was thinking the same thing today about rear foot placement...so weird you mention that. I passed on cammin up today as I was pressed for time but on one wave I instinctively moved my rear foot back a bit and kinda did a teeter totter thing w/both feet. I was just for a second as I approached the shorebreak to kick out w/out running aground. It was cool to feel the board lift and turn w/a bit of control...even if I did bail off the back. Def gonna try more teeter totter next go out.
btw---there is a kick pad on the tail but I think it's too far back for foiling.