Author Topic: Shared Knowledge for beginners  (Read 86196 times)

Admin

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Shared Knowledge for beginners
« on: June 22, 2019, 09:15:47 AM »
Maybe we can share some notes on hits and fails during the learning process.  I have a few that may turn out to be all wrong but here goes.

A long wrist leash is not your friend.  It is a lot more to reel in when you want to get started and if you are doing a leash uphaul style start from your feet then every second counts because you really feel at the mercy of the conditions until the wing is in lift position.  Plus, in strong wind the wing has more room to get wild far out.  I am going to get a short shortboard leash without coils and see how that goes.

With two leashes, tangles are a real issue.  tangled up seems like the easiest way to lose skin. 

If you are uphauling the leash from a standing position and you are starting on a beam reach, the board is going to want rotate to straight downwind as soon as you start lifting the wing.  You can correct that once the wing is in lift position but it is an extra step.  Getting up from a kneel with the kite already flying avoids that and the board is a little more stable due to forward motion.  But, on a small board, getting up from a kneel without hands to help destabilizes the board.  It is much easier on a bigger board.

For my gear the best carry position is with the wing right side up (flying position) with your fingers of the downwind hand through the wing's leading edge handle.  That leaves the fingertips to also grab the board's handle.  The upwind hand grabs the fuselage of the foil.  That keeps the board, foil and wing off the ground with very minimal dragging. 



« Last Edit: June 22, 2019, 09:28:39 AM by Admin »

Julie_Scheyer

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2019, 11:53:05 AM »
I have been riding since December 2018 in Maui.  I could write a book now :) Alan Cadiz HST Maui teaches lessons on the duotone foilwings and starts students on a 200L windsurf board with daggerboard and after you can stay upwind and jibe, then you progress to a very short mast hydrofoil.

I always hang onto my wing when I fall and protect my face with the leading edge. I don’t Let the wing out of my hands because the leash flagging the wing isn’t fun. I also feel holding onto it when I fall it keeps me farther away from the foil.  I also recommend using a hydrofoil that stays down.

Duotone comes with a coiled wrist leash, but before I had that one, I tried a few.  I recommend the creature of leisure bodyboard coiled leash.  It doesn’t sag so it doesn’t get caught with the waist leash.  I wear it on my right hand and a watch on my left.

I love my ion waist leash because I switch my feet riding.

Need to learn to ride on your knees and steer up and downwind.  That’s your self rescue.  With a boom you can set it on the board and it’s stable to use like a spinnaker of a sail boat.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BzBhB7ynRb5/?igshid=5q49ufpvbdl

To stand up in no wind it’s the hardest. I clipped this for a friend.  Being perpendicular to the wind you have the most power in the wing so that’s the best way to get started.  Even if it means going into waves.  The least amount of wind in your wing is downwind even if it’s the direction of the waves.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BwkdkVtHDSH/?igshid=1ar5wio7atwpy

Getting started in high winds on a hydrofoil you need to know the exact foot placement for your front foot.  I would not use foot straps either. 

Here is Sky Solbach starting overpowered in waves
https://www.instagram.com/p/BweJw_nneJx/?igshid=9diy0j0x1ftt
« Last Edit: June 22, 2019, 12:26:42 PM by Julie_Scheyer »
Duotone Foilwing rider.  Hydrofoil setup for Foilwings: Fanatic 1500 or 2000sqcm front wings, 80cm fuselage, 90cm Mast & Fanatic 5ft 68L Sky Solbach proto board.  SUP: SIC Bullet 16ft, Naish Mana 8’6”, Fanatic 6’3” wave SUP hydrofoil. Qb paddles

Julie_Scheyer

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2019, 01:39:51 PM »
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzBo7X5nWEV/?igshid=a15iyeusa67o

When the wind drops on your downwinder.  Set the boom on the board and steer like a spinnaker. 
Duotone Foilwing rider.  Hydrofoil setup for Foilwings: Fanatic 1500 or 2000sqcm front wings, 80cm fuselage, 90cm Mast & Fanatic 5ft 68L Sky Solbach proto board.  SUP: SIC Bullet 16ft, Naish Mana 8’6”, Fanatic 6’3” wave SUP hydrofoil. Qb paddles

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2019, 04:19:27 AM »
I love my ion waist leash because I switch my feet riding.

We picked up some short 6' straight leashes for our wrists.  I am going to check out that waist leash tomorrow.  I like the quick release.  Two coiled leashes is a headache for me.  Way too easy to tangle and too hard to free up.  As a beginner who is down a lot, I want leash management minimized.  :)

Chan

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2019, 04:25:10 PM »
I've just begun working on transitions.  Jibes were easy; tacks not so much  To jibe: turn downwind, switch my hands to the opposite side of the wing, the board follows through.  Tacks: turn upwind, switch my feet, pretzel and fall.   Any tips?

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2019, 03:50:10 AM »
I've just begun working on transitions.  Jibes were easy; tacks not so much  To jibe: turn downwind, switch my hands to the opposite side of the wing, the board follows through.  Tacks: turn upwind, switch my feet, pretzel and fall.   Any tips?

This was posted this AM.  Also interesting that he has his wing leash on a harness hook.  I wonder how it would be to have the wing leash on the front for the waist belt for the waist board leash and have the waist leash off the back.  Trying that today. 

https://www.facebook.com/wingdotsurf/videos/2471114542938906/

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2019, 07:26:01 AM »
Kite leash to his harness....

I wonder how well that works. Harness would be restrictive. I would prefer attaching to a waist leash belt.

ninja tuna

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2019, 08:37:47 AM »
Kite leash to his harness....

 

amongst everything else goin on.  What brand was that.  Center boom, center handles, windows,

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2019, 08:57:46 AM »
Kite leash to his harness....

I wonder how well that works. Harness would be restrictive. I would prefer attaching to a waist leash belt.

I sure wouldn't want the hook because you have to belly up onto the board to get started.  The waist leash is a little improvement over a leg leash but honestly pretty minor.  I am not sure why a kite leash would be better than a short straight leash.  Maybe he likes the quick release idea.  I think a very reduced waist belt with tubing over rope (front and back) like they use on the back of a kite harness would be good.  That would allow the two leashes (one on front and one on back) to slide and maybe not snag as much.

PonoBill

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2019, 01:52:57 PM »
Crazy wind this morning. Not super strong at Swell City--probably 25 gusting to 30, but the swell was HUGE for some reason. I went out with my 4M wing on Mr. Fugly with the M280 foil and I think everything was a little too big except my cojones. I got up on the foil about Mid River going goofy foot (starting from the Washington side toward Oregon makes that a necessity) and when I got up on the foil it kind of went out of control. I was still flying, but I turned downwind a bit on autopilot and got up to about Mach 2. I thought I could slow a bit by turning upwind. Why I thought that is beyond me. I accelerated to Mach 3 and then tossed everything away going up the face of a swell. The board went about ten feet up. I know it was about that because it hit the end of my ten foot waist leash. It came down on the deck with the foil up and the wing went after it like it had a guidance system locked on. I heard this familiar hissing sound and realized it was the sound of ripstop failing to stop a rip. The stabilizer cut right through a panel.

Lesson learned--if you think your sail and/or foil are too big, they probably are and you should step down.

I was able to fly the wing even with a one-foot hole on the upper wing. In fact it was more controllable, and since I was sailing regular foot back to Swell City I popped up on the foil with a little more control. Banged into a few swells, but mostly made it back to land under some semblance of control, though mostly not foiling.

I decided to find something more sane. Dropped the wing off at Airtime for repair and took my 3 meter out at the event center. I should have known the shallows next to the sand dune make for crappy wing foiling. OK for kites and sails foiling since they get up quickly and get away from the sand bar. But I was crabbing upwind, losing ground, so when I turned a little downwind to get up on the foil I lost depth. One screwup that put the board back on the water and the foil was hitting bottom. I made lots of screwups.

I finally gave it up and made my way in. I've never had so many people say "That looked really tough". One lady said "better you than me". I thought about trying the marina side of the sandbar, but decided I was exhausted. I almost left without my board for the second time today.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2019, 01:55:46 PM by PonoBill »
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.

Julie_Scheyer

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2019, 12:48:31 PM »
Ken Winner says “hold the wing high over head when over powered.  Literally straight overhead.  It took me a while to really get it and now it’s easy. 
Duotone Foilwing rider.  Hydrofoil setup for Foilwings: Fanatic 1500 or 2000sqcm front wings, 80cm fuselage, 90cm Mast & Fanatic 5ft 68L Sky Solbach proto board.  SUP: SIC Bullet 16ft, Naish Mana 8’6”, Fanatic 6’3” wave SUP hydrofoil. Qb paddles

Julie_Scheyer

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2019, 12:51:59 PM »
Ken says Viento would be better because of flatter water and decent wind.
Duotone Foilwing rider.  Hydrofoil setup for Foilwings: Fanatic 1500 or 2000sqcm front wings, 80cm fuselage, 90cm Mast & Fanatic 5ft 68L Sky Solbach proto board.  SUP: SIC Bullet 16ft, Naish Mana 8’6”, Fanatic 6’3” wave SUP hydrofoil. Qb paddles

PonoBill

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2019, 04:16:57 PM »
Ken says Viento would be better because of flatter water and decent wind.

Good idea. I'll try that tomorrow if the wind cooperates.

I went to Rufus this afternoon because the western gorge was kind of flat/gusty. Rufus was way too bumpy--I was getting tossed off the board before I could do much, so I gave up and went to the Dalles Waterfront Park. I was doing well, got up on the foil a couple of times but then I fell in and my waist leash let go. It's a homemade leash and the line attaching the cord to the waist belt came untied. The board got away and headed briskly upriver.

I'd just been thinking that I wasn't all that happy with my waist leash. It's a little clumsy. I did belt and suspenders--both velcro and a buckle. And then the damned rope pulls loose. I've always considered myself good at tieing knots. I might have to revisit that.

I figured I'd swim the wing in and then chase the board down on the bank. Slow going, but then I realized I could get the wing flying and use it to pull me. That worked fine, a good thing to remember. It was like doing a body drag with a kite. I probably could have chased down the board in the water if I'd figured it out sooner, but I was close to shore and the board was a hundred yards upriver so I got to the bank, tied the wing to a stump, and hot-footed it down the muddy bank. Fortunately, the board pushed a little inshore and got mired in river grass. I got parallel to it and swam out fairly easily.

It was time to go home and feed the dog anyway. I'm switching back to a calf leash.
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.

eastbound

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #13 on: July 02, 2019, 06:03:28 PM »
feed the dog or not, PB

you are one dogged human

impressive

pls dont hurt yourself--ill feel guilty for having enjoyed your journey
Portal Barra 8'4"
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PonoBill

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Re: Shared Knowledge for beginners
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2019, 05:13:27 PM »
Wound up going to the wall with Admin and Chan. Almost perfect. I either needed a bigger wing, more wind, or more skill. But close, very close.
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.

 


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