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flying foot switch - advice needed

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cwood
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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby cwood » Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:45 pm

plummet wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:16 pm
cwood wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:30 pm
plummet wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:24 pm
Any tips on learning to foil jybe in lumpy choppy sea? A typical day for me is 1.5 - 2m swell 15-25 knots. I get a swell chop combo that means the sea is in a constant flux. I try to aim for a small piece of less lumpy water. But it usually isn't enough flat to pull of a foiling footswitch without being hit my swell/chop combo.

I can sneak into the port for a bit of flatter water. But then I get real gusty fluky wind and the kite starts falling out of the sky.
those conditions are sucky for learning an already tricky thing. I try to get to swell where there is a flat spread between for a bit of calm. It may be that you need to get away for a week to a more calm place to advance. Only other thing is ensuring you have enough mast. 110 makes a big difference over 17 or 90cm in rough water.
Oh yeah. I'm running a 90cm mast too..... No chance to upgrade to a longer mast or spend a week elsewhere. Money and time are an issue.
Grin and bear it :-)

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby plummet » Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:16 pm

cwood wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:45 pm
plummet wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:16 pm
cwood wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:30 pm


those conditions are sucky for learning an already tricky thing. I try to get to swell where there is a flat spread between for a bit of calm. It may be that you need to get away for a week to a more calm place to advance. Only other thing is ensuring you have enough mast. 110 makes a big difference over 17 or 90cm in rough water.
Oh yeah. I'm running a 90cm mast too..... No chance to upgrade to a longer mast or spend a week elsewhere. Money and time are an issue.
Grin and bear it :-)
That's what I'm doing. If there is a day for learning I take it. Otherwise if it's too lumpy I flag the learning and just fang around. I guess there's no race to learn other than my own urgency to become proficient.

cwood
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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby cwood » Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:38 pm

plummet wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:16 pm
cwood wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:45 pm
plummet wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 9:16 pm


Oh yeah. I'm running a 90cm mast too..... No chance to upgrade to a longer mast or spend a week elsewhere. Money and time are an issue.
Grin and bear it :-)
That's what I'm doing. If there is a day for learning I take it. Otherwise if it's too lumpy I flag the learning and just fang around. I guess there's no race to learn other than my own urgency to become proficient.
Fill your rough water time with massive foil boosts....most fun you can have clothed :-)

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby borist » Fri Feb 23, 2018 12:42 am

plummet wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:24 pm
Any tips on learning to foil jybe in lumpy choppy sea? A typical day for me is 1.5 - 2m swell 15-25 knots. I get a swell chop combo that means the sea is in a constant flux. I try to aim for a small piece of less lumpy water. But it usually isn't enough flat to pull of a foiling footswitch without being hit my swell/chop combo.

I can sneak into the port for a bit of flatter water. But then I get real gusty fluky wind and the kite starts falling out of the sky.
doing footswitch faster would be the obvious answer :wink:
Developing muscle memory in protected water will certainly help a lot. I learned on dead flat water and when foiling in lumpy seas for the first time I could not make a single one foiling jibe for almost a whole day. The reason it turned out, was that I was unknowingly slowing down too much for the switch. Once I payed attention to my speed all fell into the place.
If you can't find a flat water I would recommend working on the footswitch alone - don't think about making the turn, just switch your feet from heel to toe and keep riding straight. This way you should be less inclined to lean back during the maneuver and should be less overwhelming.
You may dedicate a session to it and take out a kite that lets you to un-weigh yourself by just pulling on the bar instead of needing to fly it more aggressively.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby TomW » Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:38 pm

Thanks for the tips. Last day yesterday in Cabarete was not good enough wind to practice foot switch, but over last 2 weeks have learned to gybe in very rough conditions on my 93cm mast. My trick is to look for a little chop or wave face, keep kite low as possible depending on the wind strength at that moment, the lower the better, yank the bar and whip the kite around and follow the kite. Low fast kite turn makes it easier to keep foil in the water.

As soon as we have 5+5c in Sweden I'll be out practicing foot switch

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby cwood » Fri Feb 23, 2018 3:01 pm

In my opinion practicing early foot switch, early in carve or before carve sets you up for progress later.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby Mossy 757 » Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:17 pm

Only ever go out in 14 knots totally lit on your largest foil kite and you'll be foot switching in no time!

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby TomW » Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:37 pm

I'm now at a point where I touch down and switch, then pop up again. I'm on surface 2-3 sec.
I'm still struggling, I bring down board closer to surface, have kite high and upwind a bit, bring rear foot forward and I drop to surface. Then switch and balance brings board up again.

How do I keep it flying? Move feet together more before switching? Lean back in a sort of seated position when feet are both at front? Or do the hopp?
I'm slowing down a lot, more speed? All of above?
I need a coach, but not many at high enough level here....
Im coaching beginners here....
Need to go back to isla de Holbox and have Jonny teach me...

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby junebug » Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:58 pm

I think it will help to:

Maintain good speed

Keep board flat

Fly the foil about mid-mast. You want a little margin of error for the board to drop a little when you have both feet forward. It is scary but you will get used to it. You can also give the board a little back foot push just before you do the switch to give yourself a little more time.

When the kite is close to overhead, pull in on the bar to give you lift and — this is important — keep pulling in until you have completed the foot switch

I do a step — not a hop — but it is very quick and I learned to make it quicker by focusing on turning my hips to new position at the same time I did the footswitch. For me, this was the absolute key to making the footswitch fast enough to stay on foil. Also, try making the front foot switch almost like stepping up — like standing up out of your normal riding crouch. This will help in keeping the weight off the front of the board.

If your foil is far back, you can also cheat by moving it forward. This will allow you to stay on foil with more front foot pressure before the board drops to the surface.

Also, Gunnar’s videos are really helpful.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby SaulOhio » Mon Jun 04, 2018 8:42 pm

How much do you use the kite power to keep your weight off the board so your foot movements have less effect on how the foil is riding?

I am guessing you need the board well tuned so that it almost rides on its own, and just be very light on your toes.


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