Jibe practising, difficult !

[Hawaiis]

Any tips on switching before the turn? I have not yet been very successful on my Surfboard yet. I weigh 241 Pies. Loose all my Board Speed when I switch and then into the Drink!

14

Move your feet closer together before switching.

[FrederikS]

Any tips on switching before the turn? I have not yet been very successful on my Surfboard yet. I weigh 241 Pies. Loose all my Board Speed when I switch and then into the Drink!

14

It is timing with the kite and board. Make sure you try to get a feel for how much downwind you should be pointing given the wind conditions. If you are in the drink you are not carrying enough board speed or perhaps you point too low and get too much slack. The kite should be almost going in the new direction as you do the switch.

You should have completed the move before the kite builds a lot of power in the new direction. It is easier control the power and change of direction if your new back foot is quite a bit back, this goes for both my wave board and on race board.

It is really hard to explain how the timing is you just feel it once it is right

Like lander says practice practice practice..

[Peter_Frank]

Any tips on switching before the turn? I have not yet been very successful on my Surfboard yet. I weigh 241 Pies. Loose all my Board Speed when I switch and then into the Drink!

14

Just move your rear foot towards the front strap first, and then the former front foot rearwards

Later you can maybe do this in one jump with both feet, like most of us do - but start having both feet at the front straps for a moment.

Then you'll keep your glide and speed.

You most likely do it somewhat opposite, so you get your weight on back of the board, which is no good.

It will be easier if you initiate the jibe at the same time, so you dont have to lean forward and bend your front leg and ride "active" toeside with kitepull.

I never use this (apart from for fun and practising) as it makes no sense in waves IMO.

But I often switch feet going into the jibe, instead of at the middle or when going out, as normally.

This works awesome when jibing on the inside in heavy shorebreak, where you dont want to switch when you have to go over the breaking wave, and going toeside sucks here if gnarly conditions

So you simply switch feet immediately after you've begun your carve (maybe around the first quarter), so you are in the straps (or on the "strong" non-toeside side if strapless), and can conquer ANY huge steep wave dumping

Even if jibing onto a huge wave in the impact zone, I prefer switching IN the jibe, and not before - feels much better and safer

PF

[cglazier]

It is important to maintain your board speed or things become very unstable. Concentrate on switching your feet while you are still moving fast well before the turn. The foot switch and the turn can be two separate moves. If you miss your foot switch it is still possible to do it after your turn but this is more difficult. Ideally you switch your feet as you start your jibe as Peter says above.

I find that downlooping the kite helps tremendously by giving you some pull to keep your board speed up. Begin your downloop as you turn your board downwind. You want to feel the pull of the kite right after your feet are switched and you are mostly through your turn. In very light winds it is difficult to jibe without a downloop. I always downloop when I jibe unless I am very overpowered and then it is too scary for me.

CG

[Peter_Frank]

Chris I am confused now, are you talking waveboards now as in the last postings, or hydrofoilboards ?

PF

[Hawaiis]

Chris I am confused now, are you talking waveboards now as in the last postings, or hydrofoilboards ?

PF

The surfboard and the hydrofoil should turn pretty much the same, except the foil has a stall speed, which is harder to maintain.

[cglazier]

Hi Peter
I have been only riding my hydrofoil for the last few months so that is what I am thinking of. But jibing my kite surfboard is the same technique except I don't always downloop in the waves since I can often use a wave can push me through the jibe.. if I hit the wave right.

A kite surfboard turns quicker so you can do everything faster. But a hydrofoil board is more stable so you can jibe a lower speed (I am talking about jibing down on the water not up foiling). I use the same technique with either board but the timing is way different. I don't know which is easier.

With either board you can switch your feet before, during or after your turn. But the pros all recommend you switch before or during so that you come out of your turn with your feet ready to go. I personally do it just as I am starting my turn. However I believe that to do a foiling jibe on a foil board we probably have to switch our feet even earlier. I am having no success yet with my foiling jibes so what do I know.

CG

[lander]

Jibing and tacking is somehow the same on a waveboard and a foil. The foil is just a bit more sensitive.
And to switch the feet before the jibe can be needen in waves too. If a nice wave accoure as you go out, you just switch the stance and smack it! No backside spray looks cool exept if your name is Kelly (I belive Airtons middlename is Kelly )

[gmb13]

Would just share how "lousy" I still am - but it is going forward, slowly

Part of the process, that it is not easy, and when you change from a waveboard to a hydrofoil back and fourth, and have my age - it takes a loooong time

My board is only about 5 feet and very small and no straps, so I can not ride with the board down in our chop waves (and wont - it is not called "hydrofoiling" for nothing )

Just learning to make a relatively sharp controlled 180 degree curve, without downlooping the kite and keep good tension and control, took a lot of time - but I can do this now both sides, and also ride a bit toeside (but not well yet).

Waves are always chop ½ to 1 meter, but it feels good when you initiate the turn on the face on a piece of chop wave




I know good riders will laugh at me for taking so long to learn, but others might feel more confident seeing some like me still being "crap" at foiling jibes and switching feet - it still goes wrong just when changing pressure in order to switch feet - but I KNOW I'll be able to make it, as progress comes every time, particulary the last 3 sessions where jibes have been practised.

One bad attempt (took the kitecam out as it was going fine now occasionally, but then the wind dropped and only got one shot which went bad, as most often):



PF

Hi,

I assume you are trying a foiling gybe switching feet after carving to topside.

There are a few key things you need to improve.


1) bring the kite up a bit and sheet in the to take your weight off your board. This is key to all foiling gybes and tacks.

2) The reason you are falling off to the windward side of the board is because you are going upwind again. Try to point the board more down wind and keep it flat when switching your feet.

Now some points about straps of no straps. In my opinion i find it harder to learn gybes and tacks with straps (3 or 2). Strapless you can be a bit more inaccurate with your foot-placement during the manoeuvres. With straps you get punished immediately if you do not make it into the straps fast enough or miss them.

--
Gunnar

[Peter_Frank]

Thanks Gunnar.

Regarding keeping the kite high to be weightless, yes important - and wont work if I go too much upwind, I can see that now.
But still not confident in riding toeside for long, so will improve this first.


And the key to make a tight jibe seems to be, works for me:

Fly the kite quite low and good board speed, not pointing downwind - and then you turn the kite up and around and make the board turn. Works perfect after some practising.
This way I can keep the lines tight and have okay light pull when coming out, and the kite is in "normal" perfect height and no crossed lines.

But will think about pointing the board lower when switching feet, in order to be "better" weightless and have more room for errors

PF