Author Topic: switchfoot foil...8 hrs  (Read 2166 times)

steamroller

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switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« on: August 10, 2020, 11:21:00 PM »
after carefull research i have determined it takes 8 hours minimum thats 4...2 hour sessions to go from an absolute first time Switchfoot foiler couldn't even get airborne....to sort of competent able to go up wind  down wind...point high point low....fly wherever i want on foil...


was a very frustrating 8 hours and i almost quit many many times....but flying all twisted up REALLY sucked so i had to learn it...

if anyone else out there needs to learn to switch foot foil so they can wing foil  without bieng all twisted up...the best thing to do is learn it on a kite ...then go to the wing...don't give up it only takes 8 hours of practice...

yaaaaaaay! :)

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2020, 01:58:12 AM »
Way to go Steamroller!  It is very cool to run into these mind twisters and to work through them.  So satisfying when it happens.  It sounds like you had previously kited toeside all the time and just learned to ride offside.  Is that right?  I learned offside first and then toeside.  Toeside was even more unusual feeling to me on the foil and took longer to feel really comfortable (especially overpowered in bigger swell).   

peterp

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2020, 03:55:36 AM »
after carefull research i have determined it takes 8 hours minimum thats 4...2 hour sessions to go from an absolute first time Switchfoot foiler couldn't even get airborne....to sort of competent able to go up wind  down wind...point high point low....fly wherever i want on foil...


was a very frustrating 8 hours and i almost quit many many times....but flying all twisted up REALLY sucked so i had to learn it...

if anyone else out there needs to learn to switch foot foil so they can wing foil  without bieng all twisted up...the best thing to do is learn it on a kite ...then go to the wing...don't give up it only takes 8 hours of practice...

yaaaaaaay! :)

Entirely age dependent - if we're talking teenagers, you can switch hours out for minutes.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2020, 04:00:22 AM »
I could ride switch foot on a kite, but never felt 100% comfortable. Kite foils are so hyper sensitive. So I got lazy and rode toe side all the time, like so many other kiters now regretting that choice.

But Winging....this is when I finally became comfortable switch foot. Big foils make everything easy. 

Winging wins!

Beasho

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2020, 05:50:49 AM »
8 hours sounds reasonable.  Think about 8 hours of invested time IN ANYTHING.  This is 1/5 of a single work week.

1/250th of a work year.  How much time did we spend learning to read, write and do math?

This is what frustrated me about all the 'old' guys who said foiling was "REALLY HARD"  Yah I would ask "how many sessions do you have?"
"2 sessions they would say."   JUST DO IT.  Put in the time and enjoy being a beginner again.

I taught my daughters to foil behind a 5 HP boat.  My youngest was regular foot but the board's straps were set up for goofy.  I just said "Put your feet this way."  She did and she rides goofy foot now. 

As a former windsurfer there was no choice you had to SWITCH YOUR FEET.  I have ~ 2 hours of total windfoiling time so 1 hour each way.  I am goofy foot but can fly well goofy.  Regular foot feels way uncomfortable but I will get there. 

I never understood the toe side thing.  Maybe I should take my own medicine (when I am better) and spend 8 hours to learn toe side. 


Dwight (DW)

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2020, 06:06:31 AM »
I never understood the toe side thing.  Maybe I should take my own medicine (when I am better) and spend 8 hours to learn toe side.

You already ride toe side. It’s called front side surfing  ;D

When you add a kite or wing and do a front side kick out the back of the wave, the last thing you want to do is switch your feet. So you continue riding toe side....searching for the next wave, usually right behind the one you kicked out on. Slash right in the face of the next wave and ride front side again.

Admin

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2020, 06:08:58 AM »
I never understood the toe side thing.  Maybe I should take my own medicine (when I am better) and spend 8 hours to learn toe side.

I see toeside as a must-have for winging.  The turn from toeside to heelside can feel really powerful.  It also lets you swell surf/downwind strong foot forward in either direction.  That is huge.  Heelside is easier for super long pointing reaches.  Other than that (and starboard launches) I stay toeside for offside all the time.

Beasho

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2020, 06:48:24 AM »
I am seeing that this comes down to surfing and turning vs. cruising.

Since I am a wrote beginner I am happy just going back and forth.  For this I will switch my feet. 

However when I get home to Half Moon Bay it should get interesting.  The objective is to ride the swells coming into Mavericks on the wing.   10 feet @ 10 seconds and 15 mph of wind with low-tide.  PERFECTION!  I will need to:

1) Get good enough under power to even consider this
2) I will be planing out to sea on starboard tack (North wind heading West) Goofy Foot then turn and be forced on to a wave (bump) effectively goofy foot going right.  Sail stalled in hand like the movies.
3) I will ride waves backside for 500 to 1,000 yards going right turn and power back out to sea
All sounds great.  Risks are:

  • Broken Boards
  • Broken Bladders
  • Long Swims back to shore - Getting blown out to sea
  • Broken body parts . . . . .

I have 2 friends who want to do this: 1) Dave West 2) Haley F.  I am not sure about Jeff Clark because I have been asking him about it and he hasn't been frothing or sharing any stoke on the idea.   Haley is a madman without comparison in Big waves.  He once joked that a big wipe out a Waimea felt like a jacuzzi compared to Mavericks because the water was warm and with shorts he could feel all the bubbles - Locals did not like this comparison.  Dave is learning to Foil and hand Wing but is a rock-head committed Mavericks level surfer . 
« Last Edit: August 11, 2020, 07:03:11 AM by Beasho »

Dwight (DW)

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2020, 01:45:15 PM »
I am seeing that this comes down to surfing and turning vs. cruising.

Since I am a wrote beginner I am happy just going back and forth.  For this I will switch my feet. 

However when I get home to Half Moon Bay it should get interesting.  The objective is to ride the swells coming into Mavericks on the wing.   10 feet @ 10 seconds and 15 mph of wind with low-tide.  PERFECTION!  I will need to:

1) Get good enough under power to even consider this
2) I will be planing out to sea on starboard tack (North wind heading West) Goofy Foot then turn and be forced on to a wave (bump) effectively goofy foot going right.  Sail stalled in hand like the movies.
3) I will ride waves backside for 500 to 1,000 yards going right turn and power back out to sea
All sounds great.  Risks are:

  • Broken Boards
  • Broken Bladders
  • Long Swims back to shore - Getting blown out to sea
  • Broken body parts . . . . .

I have 2 friends who want to do this: 1) Dave West 2) Haley F.  I am not sure about Jeff Clark because I have been asking him about it and he hasn't been frothing or sharing any stoke on the idea.   Haley is a madman without comparison in Big waves.  He once joked that a big wipe out a Waimea felt like a jacuzzi compared to Mavericks because the water was warm and with shorts he could feel all the bubbles - Locals did not like this comparison.  Dave is learning to Foil and hand Wing but is a rock-head committed Mavericks level surfer .

You’re lucky the prevailing wind direction of North favors the goofy footer. Going out heel side, and coming in surfing the wave toe side is always the preferred way. When it blows from the South the real challenge begins. Going out through breaking waves toe side is always more difficult. Becoming an expert at fast flying foot switches will help avoid sketchy moments.

bigmtn

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2020, 01:58:35 PM »
I'm gonna try getting up switchfoot next time I prone foil.  I can do it surfing, so should be able to figure it out, and if nothing else it will be good for some laughs...  tried briefly on the wing the other day, but i was losing so much ground from falling, I scrapped it to just focus on trying to stay upwind toeside.

surfcowboy

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Re: switchfoot foil...8 hrs
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2020, 11:39:09 PM »
Steamroller thanks for this info. It’s what I’m trying to do with my learning stuff. It helps keep you going when you’re re learning new stuff if you know a milestone is close. The Zone keeps me going when I’m learning most anything as people pitch in and let me know “how much longer?”

 


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