fibbob wrote: ↑Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:23 pm
What are optimal wind speeds for my 1st attempts at hydrofoil?
Am I better off with larger(slower) kite or smaller(faster) kite.
I am 165 lbs.
Twin tipper for 10+ yrs and would call myself intermediate.
Directional surf board limited experience. 1 out of 10 jibes and the 1 I make ain`t pretty.
Thanks
Hi Fibbob....do we know each other? I ride Sheboygan a lot and I'm from Madison and we do a ton of foiling here and on the big lake. So much fun.
Don't be too worried about the best winds. That is a hard to find optimal winds here or anywhere for that matter.
Most are finally realizing that your first rides on a foil will actually be on a kite that you can just park and ride. People used to recommend smaller kites for learning. That is not the case until you get better.
With the proper sized kite, you just dive the kite, get up on the board and ride slow actually trying not to foil in the beginning, which means using a kite size that you would use riding a twin tip and even slightly overpowered. You want to be able to just let the kite pull you while you are working on your muscle memory with the foil.
I actually have a bad ass easy training board from Slingshot that has soft top and rails and a short mast that makes learning much easier.
You're more than welcome to try it anytime. SO much fun. We've had a huge acceptance in Madison, Sheboygan and other places with foils the last few years. One you learn how to foil it will open up a lot of cool possibilities.
I'd be glad to help with any trining, etc. You don't need a lot of hours at all, just some proper guidance and TONS of practice to get the muscle memory going.
I'd say no to using longer lines when learning. Longer lines means a smaller kite which means a faster turning kite which could make it harder to learn. I strongly recommend using what riders are familiar with and don't change anything until riding and foiling becomes easier.
Looking forward to talking further.
Bob
www.kiteridersllc.com