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flying foot switch - advice needed

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TomW
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flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby TomW » Thu Feb 22, 2018 2:33 am

I am comfortable doing heel to toeside and toeside to heelside carves. Not both ways yet. But one direction for each. I'm goofy footed.
But my foot switch is on surface, pretty quick heel to toeside switch at touch down, then fly up again and turn. or after heel to toeside gybe, I touch down and switch to heelside and fly again.
First, I'm wondering at what angle to keep kite, second, bearing of board,
And third, what kind of board speed? Slow, medium, fast??
Are there some exercises I should practice? Like riding with one foot?

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby borist » Thu Feb 22, 2018 3:19 am

If you are currently switching your feet by shuffling them from one position to another with the kite stationary, practice flying the kite overhead to take up some of your weight while doing it. Gunnar has a great instructional for this:
http://vimeo.com/96855534
This will give you basics for kite movement and foot switch timing. Then you just proceed to do it all while up on foil :lol:
http://vimeo.com/102049540
The key point for me was his instruction to keep torso stationary and letting feet move underneath (... think about stepping forward with back foot and sliding front foot back)
I found learning switching to toe and carving to heel a lot easier for flying jibes. Speed about medium. Slow is less stable and fast is intimidating. I tend to turn upwind slightly for the foot switch and usually start the carve right after. Not necessary but it seems more natural.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby cglazier » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:57 am

borist wrote:
Thu Feb 22, 2018 3:19 am
I found learning switching to toe and carving to heel a lot easier for flying jibes. Speed about medium. Slow is less stable and fast is intimidating. I tend to turn upwind slightly for the foot switch and usually start the carve right after
Exactly.
Your kite should be high but still pulling you forward. While foiling crouch (bend your knees) and then do a tiny jump motion (your body goes upwards a bit which unweights it). Immediately move your back foot up to the front strap. My first successes came when I simultaneously moved my old front foot back to middle of the board (kind of a jump with both feet).. but you can also move your old front foot back afterwards.

I did many touch down jibes this way and then I gradually reduced my time on the water until I managed to foil all the way through.

:wink: CG

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby Blackrat » Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:19 am

I can't fly switch yet... but since Ive started riding strapless my switch has improved dramatically. The reason is because I can reduce my stance so I can switch faster and not upset the balance of the board as much.

I think another 3-4 sessions and I'll be there

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby paulOz » Thu Feb 22, 2018 10:40 am

My tip: start the learning of this move with the board low in the water.
Of course this initially defeats the purpose of doing flying foot swap, but it means in the early 'crash stage' of the practice, you are near the water and foil wont tip you off sideways (as easily).. I found this meant I was quite happy to keep trying the move as the inevitable get offs were simple and mostly painless.
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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby Brian H » Thu Feb 22, 2018 2:40 pm

Learn to foil with your feet really close together is helping me a lot .

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby Mossy 757 » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:48 pm

Go faster and the foil will be more stable for the switch and the kite won't stall over your head if you ride under it.
Carve upwind a bit more than you think you need so you've got great line tension going into the "unweight" portion where you pull in on the bar and switch feet.
When you pull in on the bar to switch feet, the kite will be almost overhead but still providing some traction. Once your feet are planted, start to loop the kite with the hand that was your front hand but is now your back hand, relative to the direction of travel. Make sure you give it a nice solid tug so that the turn initiates quickly.

From there, carve upwind and put tension against your lines as you ride out in the new direction and then "follow" the kites as you accelerate back up to speed.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby plummet » 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.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby cwood » 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.

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Re: flying foot switch - advice needed

Postby plummet » 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.


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