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Learning to pass the brake again

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abel
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Learning to pass the brake again

Postby abel » Fri May 20, 2016 6:01 pm

During my first hyrdofoiling sessions at the sea I had quite an issue to pass the brake with the hydrofoil.
Situation:
Wind: 9-12 knots cross shore (coming from center of pic below) - no issue holding the kite in the air.
Kite regular LEI 10m2 (a bit heavy though)
Sand depth at center of pic: between hips and shoulders.
Sea 3-4 foot like this (maybe in this pic the waves are bigger, but the pattern is the same):
waves2.jpg
Am I trying to do something extremely difficult or impossible? (BTW I can easily ride in this conditions with a TT and a 14m LEI)

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Starsky
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Re: Learning to pass the brake again

Postby Starsky » Fri May 20, 2016 7:18 pm

Im no expert, but my experience is that getting a foil to go anywhere once in the water, you gotta fly it. I burn so much less energy water starting now that I never muscle the foil. Steer it and let it and the kite do the work. This video by Gunnar:

https://vimeo.com/96927290

Pretty much lays it out. Once chest deep, fly it on its side. In any kind of shore break you gotta hold onto it full length to keep it under control and streamline both you and foil through any wash. The foil will power up so you have to learn to expect that. Get your weight forward and try not to stop, faster you can go, the quicker your through.

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Re: Learning to pass the brake again

Postby Peter_Frank » Fri May 20, 2016 10:53 pm

You just experience what everybody does - use A LOT of time, handling the board, it takes days before you got a clue, and weeks and months till you can do it just okay :roll:

I do it the opposite way of Gunnar though, sometimes - both ways work just different.

It is really hard to handle the hydrofoil through the breakers, particularly when no experience I would say on the verge to impossible :wink:

And you HAVE to get far out, to non breaking waves - in order to have a chance to learn foiling.

When you have learned, it is easy peasy in these conditions, as you just have to conquer a few breakers max, and then you are up and foiling in a yiffy :rollgrin:
But for learning they are a tough challenge, as you have to unlearn what you know and learn again - so the more flat water the better - but it is possible to learn in waves too, I had to do that also.

Got some kitecam shots that I thought were useless, but maybe they can show the two (three actually) typical ways of board dragging a hydrofoil ?

When going out "normally" I just let the foil be flat, wing down almost - resting my arm relaxed on the board:
BD1.jpg

Then the wing to windward way - preferred when a bit of waves as then you dont risk pushing the board into the reef yourself, and somehow I feel safer not risking getting tumbled over the hydrofoil, going out in dead onshore winds:
BD2.jpg
BD2.jpg (67.14 KiB) Viewed 1465 times
BD3.jpg

The other "side", wing to leeward, used sometimes also, maybe better when bigger waves, like Gunnar also shows:

Going out
BD4.jpg
BD4.jpg (37.47 KiB) Viewed 1465 times



Conquer the waves, other tack (but it was dead onshore)
BD5.jpg
BD7.jpg
As said - dont worry you find it REALLY difficult Abel - it is, till you have learned :naughty:

8) Peter

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abel
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Re: Learning to pass the brake again

Postby abel » Sun May 22, 2016 9:42 am

Thanks for encouraging.
I had another session yesterday with waves 2-3 foot and was significantly easier. Seems that >4 foot break is the challenge :wink: .

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Re: Learning to pass the brake again

Postby BraCuru » Sun Mar 04, 2018 3:20 pm

I would add to dive with board under a coming wave as surfers do:
https://vimeo.com/191972770


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