Starsky wrote:No doubt a short mast will make the first bit easier. I think there is risk of sticking with it too long. There are many many learning stages to foiling and it's really important to keep the end game in mind. That being full time flight, through every transition. The learning comes fast and furious and you can literally pull something new the first 50 sessions. That feeds the stoke like crazy. I have found it really helpful to push your own progression hard. As soon as you are batting 50% on whatever key skill your working on, you should try the next thing. For instance, once you make a few surface transitions, try it flying. You will gain insight that works well to get the current skill on lock. By doing this, my surface transition began to take on the timing and flow of a flying transition and learning accelerated. As soon as you can water start, do it with a kite loop. As soon as you can transition with the kite going across the top, try it with a downloop. As soon as you fly a few jibes, try a tack. Pushing your learning curve relentlessly will get you to the end goal in no time. Short masts should be the type of thing that people sell to the next guy quickly to help them with that initial couple sessions. I really don't think you do yourself any favors riding it for a month. Expose yourself to the the feel of 1m ride height and do it early. It will be old hat and completely normal in no time.
Have fun, learn fast, ride tons, share your stoke, and welcome to your new addiction.
Starsky . . . sounds like great advice . . . have read your comment more than a few times and agree entirely.
Have watched the first learners in my area take a pounding. We have onshore winds the majority of the time and very shallow drop-off, hence the short mast when the opportunity arose. It is half of a friend's original 1m mast that bent after a few uses and was discarded in my direction. Excellent opportunity I thought.
Also liked your advice to Plummet (about foil building) on another thread. Have had my eyes on the Blue and White Zeeko alloy foil since it came out and that looks likely to be my first purchase
The 4 or 5 foilers in my area are full on into the racing side and ride the serious full carbon weapons. Am not interested in the racing side . . . got interested once I saw the Drexler vids . . . though only time will tell what i will actually end up liking.
Like many others who kite, I am of the older generation so time is precious. Any foil builds will come after I have developed some foil riding skills.