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flying foot switch - advice needed

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fun2kite
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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby fun2kite » Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:57 am

Really good thread. Thank you for all who posted advise. I have started to make great improvement after reading this thread and even had two successful flying gybes.. (out of many attempts :-)

Somebody said:
"Learning that I can send the kite 1/2 hour BEHIND my direction of travel to help get the new back foot back far enough."

QUESTION: Is the kite flying overhead across the 12 o'clock to give me lift while I am switching feet moving from back forward towards the downloop, OR is it moving backwards towards direction where I come from during the time when I am trying to switch feet? From the comment above, it sounds as if kite flying backwards via 12'oclock ..

But I always thought that the kite should be moving forwards, so that once the feet have been switched, we initiate the down-loop.

So, which direction to fly a kite over 12? forward or backwards? I don't think anybody have specifically mentioned the direction.

Thank you guys.

-D.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby Qiter » Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:56 am

QUESTION: Is the kite flying overhead across the 12 o'clock to give me lift while I am switching feet moving from back forward towards the downloop, OR is it moving backwards towards direction where I come from during the time when I am trying to switch feet? From the comment above, it sounds as if kite flying backwards via 12'oclock ..
I think as long as the kite is high it does matter only when it comes to the timing for the downloop and the "pull" from this downloop to kick in. Obviously, you want this somehow in the middle of the turn when you start to go downwind with the feet switched going towards the kite and you start to loose tension in the lines. If the kite is a bit far back, this (the kite to come forward) might take a bit longer, although you will be able to keep it a bit higher during the loop which is convenient in stronger wind (less pull).

I think the key element for the FOOT SWITCH itself (your question) is to go a little bit upwind when you power up the kite at 12 (or 11 or 1). This will lift you more and give you maybe half a second more of weightlessness which will make the switch easier. And of course, a biger wing helps. I tried the foot switch for months on a small high AR wing and never made it. The day I bought a big wing (Moses onda) I had them dialed in within afew sessions.

Dont get frustrated, they are difficult!

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needede

Postby jakemoore » Wed Aug 22, 2018 9:45 am

fun2kite wrote: So, which direction to fly a kite over 12? forward or backwards? I don't think anybody have specifically mentioned the direction.
For me it depends on the kite and the wind. I think my first success came modestly powered on Hyperlink 7, sending the kite behind to pull a turn into a broad reach, then switching feet as I redirect back over the top, followed by the jibe. Downloop only sometimes if needed for power or slacking lines. Also, 30 meter lines so there is plenty of time to lift.

Just a small amount of increased experience and success and I’m doing it either sending or redirecting the kite.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby junebug » Wed Aug 22, 2018 3:01 pm

I don’t think I have ever put the kite behind my direction of travel for a jibe. Even when seriously underpowered, I can get enough lift by pulling in—and holding in—on the bar, particularly if I bring the kite high and cut upwind a little before the footswitch.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby TomW » Wed Aug 22, 2018 9:39 pm

I've switched over to a moses 633 surf wing and pocket board I made. Rode around on it for 2 sessions to get feel for it and the new board.
Then 3rd session tried some foot switch and made one or two, not smooth. Practiced by moving feet close together before switching.
4th session I tried more and did 8-10, one or two with good flow.
5the session i did many only falling 2 of 10 and made 50% with smooth flow and control. Feet wider apart. Learned the pump, olly/switch thing. Switching heel to toe and reverse going only one direction. Going faster during switch.
6th session I am nailing 95% and most with smooth flow.Can pump foil over a wave switch at crest and pump it down backside after footswitch. Feet can be kept wide and I can stay flying while messing up and recovering.
Ready to learn carve from heel to toe on weak side and do footswitch on weak side.

Being able to do flying footswitch is major advancement for being able to ride more freely, and stoked to learn before my October trip to Brazil.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby fun2kite » Wed Aug 29, 2018 3:14 pm

After following all the advise on this thread and using my Onda wing during last 3 sessions I have progressed from zero flying gybes to almost 70% flying gybes!!
My strong side almost 90%.

Thank you all again for contributing your knowledge and experience!!

My breakthrough points were:

0. Get Onda!!! so you can do it all in slow speed.
1. turn a bit upwind before the gybe
2. Make sure kite moves during feet switch to increase the lift.
3. Foling crouch!! (this could be #1 ) to increase the lift
4. add speed and not be afraid.. (not be afraid only comes after you realize how easy it is.. )

I am very excited to graduate to a brand new level of ridding and after a few more sessions when I can do gybes with speed and confidence , I will finally move onto attempting the "tack" !!
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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby junebug » Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:17 pm

My last post on this thread was from August 2018. I was injured shortly after that, and I had to take about 4½ months off from kiting. I’ve been back on the water for about a month and a half. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been foiling exclusively with underpowered LEI kites, which is my preference. I’m not skilled enough to tack with a footswitch when flying underpowered. I can do other transitions underpowered (typically by throwing in a loop) but, at my current skill level, I need the lift of a powered kite to stay foiling through a tack with a footswitch.

I wanted to practice tacks for the first time since my injury, so I went out yesterday with a 9m in 14kn. Man, I am not used to that kind of power! I was reminded how much I prefer small kites when I looped the kite powered up and got teabagged a few times. In any event, for like the first hour, I tried to tack on each change of direction and I nailed exactly 0. Scores of attempts and I didn’t nail a single one. I have gotten so used to leaning back and carving hard through 360s and tacks to toeside without any kite power that I couldn’t figure out how to keep my weight over the center of the board. I just kept making the footswitch and over rotating because I was leaning too far back.

Over the next half hour, I got them sorted on my strong side (I call 80% “sorted”), but I still couldn’t overcome the muscle memory of leaning back on my weak side.

I don’t really have a point to make other than to note how quickly this skill goes away if you don’t do it. I haven’t really tried a tack with a footswitch in about 6 months, and it was like starting over. In fact, it was worse than starting over because my upwind carves are more aggressive than they used to be on 360s and tacks to toeside, and it is harder to overcome the muscle memory of that technique.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby Pedro Marcos » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:01 pm

junebug wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:17 pm
My last post on this thread was from August 2018. I was injured shortly after that, and I had to take about 4½ months off from kiting. I’ve been back on the water for about a month and a half. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been foiling exclusively with underpowered LEI kites, which is my preference. I’m not skilled enough to tack with a footswitch when flying underpowered. I can do other transitions underpowered (typically by throwing in a loop) but, at my current skill level, I need the lift of a powered kite to stay foiling through a tack with a footswitch.

I wanted to practice tacks for the first time since my injury, so I went out yesterday with a 9m in 14kn. Man, I am not used to that kind of power! I was reminded how much I prefer small kites when I looped the kite powered up and got teabagged a few times. In any event, for like the first hour, I tried to tack on each change of direction and I nailed exactly 0. Scores of attempts and I didn’t nail a single one. I have gotten so used to leaning back and carving hard through 360s and tacks to toeside without any kite power that I couldn’t figure out how to keep my weight over the center of the board. I just kept making the footswitch and over rotating because I was leaning too far back.

Over the next half hour, I got them sorted on my strong side (I call 80% “sorted”), but I still couldn’t overcome the muscle memory of leaning back on my weak side.

I don’t really have a point to make other than to note how quickly this skill goes away if you don’t do it. I haven’t really tried a tack with a footswitch in about 6 months, and it was like starting over. In fact, it was worse than starting over because my upwind carves are more aggressive than they used to be on 360s and tacks to toeside, and it is harder to overcome the muscle memory of that technique.
Handling power is something you will learn with time. I was exactly like you, using 6m kites in 12 knots, now i use 21m/19m kites in 12 knots.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby junebug » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:57 pm

Pedro Marcos wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:01 pm
junebug wrote:
Thu Apr 25, 2019 4:17 pm
My last post on this thread was from August 2018. I was injured shortly after that, and I had to take about 4½ months off from kiting. I’ve been back on the water for about a month and a half. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been foiling exclusively with underpowered LEI kites, which is my preference. I’m not skilled enough to tack with a footswitch when flying underpowered. I can do other transitions underpowered (typically by throwing in a loop) but, at my current skill level, I need the lift of a powered kite to stay foiling through a tack with a footswitch.

I wanted to practice tacks for the first time since my injury, so I went out yesterday with a 9m in 14kn. Man, I am not used to that kind of power! I was reminded how much I prefer small kites when I looped the kite powered up and got teabagged a few times. In any event, for like the first hour, I tried to tack on each change of direction and I nailed exactly 0. Scores of attempts and I didn’t nail a single one. I have gotten so used to leaning back and carving hard through 360s and tacks to toeside without any kite power that I couldn’t figure out how to keep my weight over the center of the board. I just kept making the footswitch and over rotating because I was leaning too far back.

Over the next half hour, I got them sorted on my strong side (I call 80% “sorted”), but I still couldn’t overcome the muscle memory of leaning back on my weak side.

I don’t really have a point to make other than to note how quickly this skill goes away if you don’t do it. I haven’t really tried a tack with a footswitch in about 6 months, and it was like starting over. In fact, it was worse than starting over because my upwind carves are more aggressive than they used to be on 360s and tacks to toeside, and it is harder to overcome the muscle memory of that technique.
Handling power is something you will learn with time. I was exactly like you, using 6m kites in 12 knots, now i use 21m/19m kites in 12 knots.
I’m not sure I’m ever going to learn because I just don’t like flying a big kite as much as a smaller one. I’m going to get tacks sorted on big kites and then go back to my small kites and make a run at them.


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