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I am still amazed foot hooks are never mentioned anywhere. Only strapped or strapless. Why not enjoy all 3? All types are great depending on what you are doing. Foot hooks once modified down to give just a little bit of hold are often my favorite. They are great for when you just need a little help, but can easily move around and most importantly, not enough to trap your foot in any situation.
agree
Please explain what you mean by "modified down"

Foot hooks have been mentioned see

viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2384320 topic, The predator Surf Straps

Quite a few guys I've been seeing are using front footstraps only... Does that make them Semi-strapless or semi-strapped?

Neither,
strapless is no straps anywhere, period!

And I would venture to say that you can not consider a foot hook as strapless.

This could be called as you say semi strapless and ,or semi strapped?

R H

Hi everyone,

I find that strapless is the way to go once you get to a certain level and want to progress.

In the beginning it is good to at least have the front strap(s) on as this helps you control the board a bit better when waterstarting. When you are confident with that, you can loose the straps.

I find that it is easier to learn things like tacking and gybing without straps as it allows you to be a bit more inaccurate with your foot placement. Having straps, forces you to have to get your foot into the straps perfectly. If you miss the strap, you will be standing way off the point where you need to be, and if the strap is not there you will only maybe be a few cm away.

For free riding I typically always ride strapless. It more of a fun feeling for me. Straps are purely for going fast for me.

--
Gunnar

revhed wrote: Please explain what you mean by "modified down"

Foot hooks have been mentioned see

viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2384320 topic, The predator Surf Straps

This could be called as you say semi strapless and ,or semi strapped?

R H

I use the NSI foot hooks but they are way too long of a hook. I cut about half of the hook off. Never tried the predator, but on those I would cut off half too Yes, semi-strapped

Find it almost impossible to get on the board in swells & tidal flow without straps .
Just using one front strap was no better , for me ,a port start was ok , starboard , really difficult .
Flat water , all is much easier .
Tried hooks , but the ones I tried , just destroyed them with the pressures ,when wiping out .
If some makes soon really strong ones would be great .
Before destroying them found that they worked best so you could move your feet around & easier to Jive .
The hooks are MUCH easier on the ankles

The idea with foot hooks looks excellent

Although, having ridden more now, I must say I prefer either strapless, or fully strapped, no doubt at all.

Strapless goes for itself why, especially the freedom of the front foot.

Strapped you want full straps for racing, as you can put more pressure on "everything" this way, and even rescue mistakes much better.

If jumping they are also needed of course, but for those riding both hydrofoils AND other boards a lot, jumping does not seem to be the big issue (at least not what you see around).
Those almost only hydrofoiling, they jump more than others - maybe because they are more skilled, but maybe because that is their only chance to do jumps.

For new riders though, a foot hook (front one) or hooks, looks really awesome

As you WILL chrash a lot, and might get you feet twisted, particulary when learning
Also, you WILL need a strap or hook, to be able to start safe and easy, and also to be able to start fast again if only fallen backwards (not possible at all strapless)


Yes, many uses one foot strap only But to me that is a big no no and I would never do that, except maybe for low wind or when going slow
Just like you would never ride waves seriosly on a waveboard with only one strap - it is both or no straps
Here a front hook would be excellent though, for choppy conditions on the wavefaces and when going out fast in chop, where it makes good sense with a front hook on a waveboard


Dont know if I am right, but thinking that hooks are awesome for new hydrofoilers as said, as less risk of an injury, and much easier to learn to foil.

Later I think you want either straps, OR strapless, is my prediction

PF

lezo wrote:OK Peter, now I understand why you don't like fast racekites for foiling..

Indeed, for cool strapless foiling you are better with a low AR front wing and a low AR kite.

I have the Edges with the racebar on my Spotz and it's maybe related that I also feel better with three straps than with one or zero. Now it would be good to get skilled enough to ride cool with this stuff also..

Why ???

You ride without any "bumps" whatsoever on a foil board, so why do you want straps when using a high AR faster foil ?

I use a high AR racefoil most often, and think it goes just as well as with a freeride wing, without straps.
The whole point of foiling, is IMO the fact that you can ride in a little meter windchop waves and you dont feel a thing - smooth as butter and you just blast through with high speed

Of course, for racing straps are better as you will be able to avoid "falling", and a much faster rescue of a stall or ventilation or even cavitation (or semistalls and ventilations), and more important - you can waterstart faster from more positions (and more convenient ones) and you can go full and deeper downwind easier when looping the kite even without being up foiling all the way, or if you bounce into the chop.

But for freeride on racefoils, why straps ?

Or maybe I should ask the opposite more appropriate question: Why do you want a low AR foil for strapless ?

Regarding race kites, indeed in higher winds, they could make a powerspike that you can not control very well without straps, also on the downwind legs when looping the kite - so agree that wavekites (not the grunty ones of course) feels far more relaxed when foilriding strapless especially

In low winds though, light high AR race kites are awesome for the freerider strapless.

Peter

This is strapless and probably on a Sword.

revhed wrote:I am still amazed foot hooks are never mentioned anywhere.
R H

Indeed, last week I had the chance to test a strapless foil with a foot hook , it was my very first strapless foil ride and it was really very easy to waterstart-and-forget!

Peter, I have not seen or ride a high AR-low speed foil yet, typically I met lowAR/lowSpeed or highAR/highSpeed foils, that's why I was thinking that you would prefer straps on highAR foils.

Anyway, my opinion is not really relevant for a typical foiler, since even for surfing with kites I prefer straps and I ride usually better powered and faster than most kitesurfers, that should come from my windsurfing years

Foot Hooks
I am just beginning and can foil for moderate distances. I have tried strapless in gusty conditions and could get up. Then I tried another day in light wind. I could get up, but it was really hard to position the board in the light wind. I did feel satisfied that I could do it, at least some of the time with so few sessions behind me. I'm going to try the hooks for a bit.

Can anybody recommend the proper placement?

One hook in front, hook pointing backwards?

Two hooks, both pointing in?

Or two, both pointing towards the rear?