Transitions - How ?

[Alysum]

Apologies in advance if this has been covered many times already.

I'm up to approx 10 sessions so far on the Hoverglide (solo mast), I can manage super long runs without issues but I have no clue on how to do transitions !

I come from strapless surfboard and I thought I would progress quickly but this is completely different.

I would ideally like to do transitions from heel side to toe side then carve back to heel side as I believe this would be the easiest ? I know that the key is to commit to the transition but everything is happening so fast and I have to keep the foil flying....

I'm so focused on where my feet are on the foil to keep it going (no straps btw) that I cannot imagine moving the feet much for transitions....

Any tips highly appreciated !

[juandesooka]

Just do it ... you will probably find it easier than you think. Kind of like the first time you did it with twintip or surfboard....weird at first, then quickly no worries.

Try it heelside to toeside with whichever foot is your dominant surfboard stance. Follow the kite through the turn just like the surfboard (ideal to be decently powered, not over or under, but just right). Not going overly fast. You will probably find you need a wide turn at first and will be pointed downwind longer than you want, but you can work on tightening up -- again, just like way back on the surfboard.

And you soon will unlock the magic key: finding that turning downwind with the foil is when the fun starts, the downwind carving in little windswells is super fun. That's been the nicest surprise for me in a long time.

[plummet]

Fly low and transition as you would on the sb. Lean and carve around. If you touch down who cares. Then add height with confidence. Soon yourl be carving with gusto.

PS always keep your C&G in line with the mast. Dont lean way the hell back or forward like you might do on a sb or tt.

[Alysum]

Thanks guys - oh absolutely it will click sometime... but for example since the foil is so much quicker than a SB, do I bring the bite up to 12 to slow down, turn the kite the other way and then initiate the foil turn ? Or just don't think about it and just DO IT !?

[Kamikuza]

HG really likes to go in straight lines and is very roll stable: you'll need good body English to gybe like you want. This and the weight are the reasons I sold my HG.

Start with gentle S-turns, then as you get comfy increase the duration of the turns until you're changing direction.

The LF videos talk about this...

[slowboat]

Thanks guys - oh absolutely it will click sometime... but for example since the foil is so much quicker than a SB, do I bring the bite up to 12 to slow down, turn the kite the other way and then initiate the foil turn ? Or just don't think about it and just DO IT !?

No, you need better control of your speed first. Kite should be high and your speed under control before carving around. Also point upwind some before initiating turn. Focus on 2 things during your turn. Maintaining your balance over the foil and making sure your kites comes around. When I was first learning this, I would often be so focused on the foil, I would forget about the kite mid-turn....never works.

[Peter_Frank]

I disagree....

With those saying it is pretty easy, if we are talking flying foot switch transitions (jibes and tacks) - a few might learn it quite fast yes

But for the majority Alysum, it is extremely difficult to make flying transitions switching feet

Many quite good riders (on other boards and surfboards) have been foiling for years, and still not learned any flying transitions.

I have been foiling for many years, and my hydrofoil surf jibes sits pretty okay, really good actually, on one tack, but not nearly as good on the other tack - and some days things just DONT click at all...

You might be one of those very few who finds it pretty easy (you got at good stable foil, that helps immensely), but dont get discouraged if you find it almost impossible, even after a long long time, maybe more than a year.

It IS really difficult. Period.

Carving on the other hand, comes pretty fast indeed.

Just carry on riding as your muscle memory is key, you have to get confident keeping the pitch stable without thinking - it takes a long time.
It is the basic skill that gets polished over several years, and when starting this basic skill is pure rubbish, even if you can ride okay back and fourth.

If you ride strapless surfboards lightly powered, and like this too on your hydrofoil, it gets even more difficult - as having lift from the kite makes feet switch so much easier, but you will find out.

These very topics are discussed often on this forum, but it can be difficult searching here, I know, but found some of them:


About turning and carving -

Timing when carving

How to turn a hydrofoil - and what is YAW ?


And later, when you want to learn to jibe (or tack) -

Beginner gybes

How to switch on foil

Peter

[TomW]

Asylum,
I was in same situation last year.
You want to learn to go from heel side to toeside, in your dominant direction. I'm goofy footed, so that means I am going right, then carving around left to toeside, then carve back to heelside. This is first thing to learn and will increase your time in the air dramatically once you learn. You are not switching feet at all in this manoeuvre.
PF calls this" carving " others call this a" gybe" - please don't start this debate again everyone!

It takes a lot of practice. at first I tried 50 times was still failing, and guys here said I need 500...

Do The s-turning thing a lot first, even try turning down wind and Slack lines then back up to get back tension.
Then try a full turn in moderate powered conditions, keep kite at 45 degrees, bear upwind, fly hydrofoil low in water, then quite fast: stand-up straighter on board( not leaning over) , turn kite with confidence, yaw and lean foil a bit into the turn following kite, look into the turn ( you must look to where you will go) - really important.
Think you are swinging nose of board in downward 180 degree arc.
First times you succeed turning you might not be able to ride toeside, but just keep at it, I learned toeside faster than the turn. Once you get stable on toeside try a toe to heelside carve around. It's more difficult.
I find doing a kite downloop on toe to heelside is easier. It is fast tho...

[edt]

I think what you are trying to do is carve heelside to toe side and then while you are toeside switch your feel on the board back to heelside again. Do your heelside to toeside carve with the foil up then let the board touch the water for one or two seconds when you switch feet back from toeside to heelside. Keep your feet near the front of the board so the foil doesn't start working while you are switching feet.

[cglazier]

The first transition you should do is touch down on the water, switch your feet just like you would do on a surfboard, gybe and then sail away heelside.

A slightly more difficult transition is to touch down on the water, gybe to the other direction and sail away toeside. Some kiters prefer this because there is no foot switch.. in fact some kiters never switch their feet.

It is much more difficult to do either gybe above while flying up on the foil. A good steady wind helps.

An even more difficult move is the tack. Tacking even when touching down on the water is difficult. Tacking while staying up foiling is the holy grail and if you master this, consider yourself an elite foiler.

CG