Hydrofoiling myths .. exposed

[queneseb]

I desagree about footstraps !

4 sessions to made controled flight, first tack, non aerial jibe, on Manta hydrofoil.
I avoid a lot of big crash and ankle injurie compare to friend.. just have to jump from the board when i loose balance or too much speed ! But for sure, you need to know how to ride a strapless surf board before !

[Peter_Frank]

I desagree about footstraps !

4 sessions to made controled flight, first tack, non aerial jibe, on Manta hydrofoil.
I avoid a lot of big crash and ankle injurie compare to friend.. just have to jump from the board when i loose balance or too much speed ! But for sure, you need to know how to ride a strapless surf board before !

I ride strapless too, but not in doubt at all, strapped is the way to start no matter how good you are on a strapless waveboard

Will always be a few exceptions, but in general

PF

[boardjockey]

I desagree about footstraps !

4 sessions to made controled flight, first tack, non aerial jibe, on Manta hydrofoil.
I avoid a lot of big crash and ankle injurie compare to friend.. just have to jump from the board when i loose balance or too much speed ! But for sure, you need to know how to ride a strapless surf board before !

I ride strapless too, but not in doubt at all, strapped is the way to start no matter how good you are on a strapless waveboard

Will always be a few exceptions, but in general

PF

I learned strapless and several other foilers in Maui also learned strapless. I am guessing you live in a strapped bubble.

[revhed]

.
. but not in doubt at all, strapped is the way to start no matter how good you are on a strapless waveboard

. PF

I can not disagree more!

CG,
Once again here a guy hurt his ankle badly learning with dredded straps!
I and others repeat,
Safest strapless, PERIOD!
For better water start board control and correct front foot placement, front foot hook only!
If one feels like more board control is wanted maybe a rear foot hook as well.
Foot straps used to learn to KBHF are scary, sorry to be a myth buster but I have seen way to many injurys to not speak up!
If one must learn with straps please a front only and correctly adjusted, not to loose or tight, but how do you know after you just sprained your ankle, and or twisted your knee in a freak fall, wow sure wish I was strapless so I could learn to foil some more!
And front and rearstraps to learn are simply stupid!
To each his own!!!
Submitted in the hope of safer KBHF learning!
R H

[Mitaka]

... but not in doubt at all, strapped is the way to start no matter how good you are on a strapless waveboard

From my recent own experience I also fully disagree. I just started foiling strapless and I needed only several sessions (4-5) to be completely comfortable in strapless waterstarts. Afterwards, if the wind is enough tho keep my kite in the air without the need of constantly moving it, I can waterstart 10 out of 10 times and once on the board I do not need the straps at all. All the time I felt much more safer without the straps. In the beginning when something went wrong during the waterstart I always kicked easily the board away of me. When I am loosing balance during foiling I always jump safely away of the board. I believe that I could easily hurt myself if I used straps during my first sessions since I have never ridden a surfboard with straps and I do not have the instincts to free quickly my foot from the straps.

I believe that everybody with enough strapless skills will be much safer without the straps when learning to kitefoil. Straps are for the guys who love racing, high speed foiling or jumping. For everybody else like me - coming from strapless wavering with the idea to have fun with the foil, just cruising, carving, etc - strapless is the way to go from day one.

[Peter_Frank]

Hmmm, maybe we have different conditions, or different views ?

We have open sea here, meaning there is 2-3 feet choppy windwaves always, when sufficient wind to learn to foil.

So impossible to ride with the board *down" without straps, particulary when learning

Even with straps, it is difficult because of this chop, but way easier and faster to learn.

I am the only one riding without straps for some reason - not that the others can not as it is easy when you have passed the initial stages, but they all choose not to.
Have not used straps the last years, only the very first times when learning back then (two, never a single strap, way too dangerous IMO but this is a personal issue I know), and a few times to explore the jumping possibilities on the hydrofoils, and of course when I switch hydrofoil with another so we can try each others

Seems we can not agree on this one at all, as many swear to straps for learning, and others say it is not necessary and risky
So be it - but we have not had any injuries here because of straps, and noone has learned without

PF

[lobodomar]

Agree with eabmoto, queneseb, boardjockey and mitaka.
People with solid strapless experience should get the hang of the foil strapless waterstart in little time.
Back hand on the rail, front hand flying the kite, done. I sometimes also found myself instinctively giving a little push at the back of the board with the back knee immediately before raising the front foot.
Only missed a front footstrap/hook when trying roll tacks, maybe I could actually get one right if I had it on.

Now if I may add another myth, for some at least: after learning to foil you will want to keep riding your foilboard more than any other board. While I can see this is the case of many people indeed, it has not worked out like this for me. I love foiling, it's really a very unique experience, besides the fact that it opens a whole new world of powered riding in very light wind. But for me it's more like an exquisite side dish rather than the main course.

[Mitaka]

Hmmm, maybe we have different conditions, or different views ?

We have open sea here, meaning there is 2-3 feet choppy windwaves always, when sufficient wind to learn to foil.

So impossible to ride with the board *down" without straps, particulary when learning
...

I think that only the kiter's background matters. If he is experienced rider on race boards, twin tip boards or 'strapped only' surfboards, then he will be more comfortable to learn foiling with straps. For kiters with sufficient strapless background who intend to foil strapless I suggest to start learning strapless from the very beginning.

Strapless waterstart with a foilboard is not much harder then a waterstart with a surfboard and it is really very easy to learn if you:

1. Grab the board on the toeside, close to the tail with your backhand and flip it over the edge using the gentle pull of the kite parked at 11 or 1 o'clock. When learning, do not flip the board with your hands (and legs) only - it is too much stress on your hands and shoulders. It is much more easier to flip the board and position it in the right direction if the kite is gently pulling you in the direction of the warterstart.

2. Use directly a tiny surfboard or a skimboard. Wide foilboards with a lot of volume and thick rails are more difficult to control and position with one hand. During my first sessions I used a 2012 North Nugget (53.3 cm wide) and a 5'6 F-One Mitu convertible (46.5 cm wide) and found the tiny, low volume Mitu board much better to learn on.

I would love to share also Greg's (Boardriding Maui) opinion about the matter:

"...Based on experiences by a few of my friends it seems a matter of if, not when, footstraps will result in injuries. I’ve only tried footstraps a couple times and they scare the heck out of me. I learned without them and this is what I recommend to all my friends. So often I hear riders express an intention to switch over to strapless once they “get good enough”. I suggest starting strapless from day one.
In defense of footstraps, for boards with floaty rails they may serve as a helpful handle to put and keep the board in waterstart position. I’ve only tried floaty boards a few times and seems they require some technique that I haven’t developed. Without straps I see riders using a hand to hold a rail up to keep the board in position until sending the kite. In super light wind where the kite is hardly pulling I’ve seen how tricky this timing can be. In contrast, with the neutral buoyancy of the Paipo I’m able to bodydrag up to the board, with a foot or hand burry a rail to position the board on its side, and with two hands on the bar keep the board on its side with just pressure from my feet in a waterstart position. It’s as effortless as waterstarting a twintip.
I’ve heard again and again that floatation is important in light wind conditions. I don’t accept this generalization unless you plan to park the kite at 12:00 and stand on your board with no pull in the lines. I’ve felt for years that the planning hulls of kiteboards are not influenced by volume. Rail shape, yes. Floatation, in my opinion, no. Taken even further by adding a hydrofoil for me has generated more lift than any planning affect from the board making it only a 2-dimensional surface to push on in situations without clean lift from the hydrofoil. The user-friendliness of a neutrally buoyant board has far more performance advantages to me in all windspeeds than anything I’ve experienced on a floaty board."

[herbert]

I must join Mitaka and others...
My first try on a hydrofoil was with straps and I strained an ankle. My good friend did the same..second or third session, really hurt his foot. I put a foil on a my boardriding maui paipo (installed it in minutes)...and waterstarting was immediate and without difficulty. It helped that I had already been riding that board strapless. I appreciate the comment about thinner boards of many types. The brm paipo is thin like that. It is easy to get it into position. In fact, no need to even "pull" it over. As I am going away from the beach with arm on the board with some light pressure and steering to the upwind side, the whole thing tips to leeward, nose comes up a bit, tail goes down and it is right in the waterstart position where it hovers pretty well. Where I kite it is very choppy...I just have never seen that as a problem for riding strapless...I think a lot of people might have a mental block about it, but if they just tried a bit they would be surprised. Subsequently I did try a Slingshot foil strapless and that was more challenging for sure....but a session of practice should take care of that. I think the less floaty boards like Greg Drexler's paipo and others are amazing for foiling. And if you are on the water, not flying, it handles the chop with greater ease than the wider and way thick boards....more glides through it rather than slapped around by it. Anyway, I vote for strapless for beginner foilers even in chop (just easier if board more appropriate and having a little strapless practice before foiling)....as a good option (not a must...but a good option).

[Bletti]

I must join Mitaka and others...
My first try on a hydrofoil was with straps and I strained an ankle. My good friend did the same..second or third session, really hurt his foot. I put a foil on a my boardriding maui paipo (installed it in minutes)...and waterstarting was immediate and without difficulty. It helped that I had already been riding that board strapless. I appreciate the comment about thinner boards of many types. The brm paipo is thin like that. It is easy to get it into position. In fact, no need to even "pull" it over. As I am going away from the beach with arm on the board with some light pressure and steering to the upwind side, the whole thing tips to leeward, nose comes up a bit, tail goes down and it is right in the waterstart position where it hovers pretty well. Where I kite it is very choppy...I just have never seen that as a problem for riding strapless...I think a lot of people might have a mental block about it, but if they just tried a bit they would be surprised. Subsequently I did try a Slingshot foil strapless and that was more challenging for sure....but a session of practice should take care of that. I think the less floaty boards like Greg Drexler's paipo and others are amazing for foiling. And if you are on the water, not flying, it handles the chop with greater ease than the wider and way thick boards....more glides through it rather than slapped around by it. Anyway, I vote for strapless for beginner foilers even in chop (just easier if board more appropriate and having a little strapless practice before foiling)....as a good option (not a must...but a good option).

Hi Herbert,

I just bought a shinnster (same as BRM Paipo) and I'm thinking I'll put a foil on it in a few months when I'm better at riding strapless. Which foil are you using on yours? Any thoughts on whether an aluminum foil such as the Zeeko would work?