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Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:41 am
by plummet
Yeah, I recon a very experienced kiter has to unlearn sooo much going to a foil that learning the foil early on might actually be easier.
Do it! Allow youself 1 year from pleb to novice.
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 1:21 am
by OzBungy
My mate and I learned to foil in 6 hours spread over 10 or so sessions. We're very experienced kiters but I wouldn't call us particularly "good".
The key to learning is to focus on foiling. The biggest mistake is that people look at the conditions and decide it's a good day for TT or surfboard. They don't put in the time to learn. As soon as you commit to foiling and start notching up back to back sessions then the learning comes fast.
The second big mistake is trying to progress too quick. For the first few sessions you need to relax and go with the flow. Definitely do not try to get up on the foil. That will come automatically. Forcing it doesn't help.
You need to learn to "feel" the foil under your feet and learn to modulate your inputs. The foil amplifies your body inputs and can react quite aggressively. Gentle inputs are the go until you can feel what is happening.
The other thing is to forget the idea that foiling is special and different to TT and surfboard. It's actually exactly the same. All the same techniques and methods apply. You just need to learn to feel and modulate things so you can react automatically to stuff. In the beginning you'll find it difficult and tend to exaggerate motions and look for "special" techniques to do things. It's much easier than that but it takes time.
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:24 pm
by Lokihel
If you move from beginner twintip to surfboard and make decent progression (ride upwind, downwind, and carve comfortably) you're good to start hydrofoiling. Just a couple of lessons to get the basics, then practice practice practice.
Don't expect to be doing full foiling gybes too soon though (unless you're very gifted).
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 10:43 am
by HugoMC
Yeah, so I bit the bullet and bought a 2019 Cabrinha Double Agent. Going to give the directional a go soon and hopefully sign up for foiling lessons in a couple of months.
Cheers for the advice.
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 11:25 am
by slowboat
Like many things in life, success will come with enough motivation and persistence. Once you start foiling, try to foil as much as possible and do not go back to twintip or directional. Also pick your kite size carefully. It is easier to learn when well powered. Don't use kite size guidelines written by experienced foilers....you will be too underpowered as a beginner.
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 3:33 am
by lovethepirk
gmb13 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:06 pm
If your kite control is good, then you should be able to go for it. I would however recommend doing it with an instructor who knows what he is doing and has the right equipment (short mast, no volume board etc) to allow someone with your lack of directional experience to learn safely and successfully. I have taught a good number of people who I would consider "beginners" to foil.
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Gunnar
Gunnar, serious quesion...why is a no volume board easier for beginners. I have only ridden my board with large volume so I don't know any better.
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:09 am
by TomW
Low volume boards float on their side lower in the water making waterstart easier.
Also easier to get board and foil tilted and the foil sinks back into water a bit slower.
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 8:50 pm
by gmb13
lovethepirk wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 3:33 am
gmb13 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:06 pm
If your kite control is good, then you should be able to go for it. I would however recommend doing it with an instructor who knows what he is doing and has the right equipment (short mast, no volume board etc) to allow someone with your lack of directional experience to learn safely and successfully. I have taught a good number of people who I would consider "beginners" to foil.
--
Gunnar
Gunnar, serious quesion...why is a no volume board easier for beginners. I have only ridden my board with large volume so I don't know any better.
The waterstart is easier for people who have never been on a board with volume as the board reacts more like a Twin Tip and also allows for you to get your feet on the board easier as half of the board can be submerged easily.
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Gunnar
Re: How good do you have to be to foil?
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 12:38 am
by pj sofine
If you can control kite with no conscious thought its a piece of cake. With a setup like the ss school masts you can be foiling in a couple hours. Now the progression from being able to ride the foil to doing transitions seems almost impossible ! Just keep a smile on your face as its planted for the 1st couple hours
