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Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

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Big Wally
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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby Big Wally » Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:43 pm

How can I make it FUN learning to ride a longer Mast?? Seems like several of you found a way to make it fun. I learned super quick on short LF setup. Then went to a LONG Mast and never could get started. Sort of lost my excitement. Any words of wisdom to get excitement back to start up again?

Thanks
:cool2:
BW

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby junebug » Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:52 pm

Big Wally wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:43 pm
How can I make it FUN learning to ride a longer Mast?? Seems like several of you found a way to make it fun. I learned super quick on short LF setup. Then went to a LONG Mast and never could get started. Sort of lost my excitement. Any words of wisdom to get excitement back to start up again?

Thanks
:cool2:
BW
Maybe try a middle-length mast?

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby dylan* » Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:43 pm

Big Wally wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:43 pm
How can I make it FUN learning to ride a longer Mast?? Seems like several of you found a way to make it fun. I learned super quick on short LF setup. Then went to a LONG Mast and never could get started. Sort of lost my excitement. Any words of wisdom to get excitement back to start up again?

Thanks
:cool2:
BW
how short? i did the slingshot 40-60-90 cm masts and found very easy transition between them. 40cm is kind of worthless, you outgrow it in a half hour. but 60cm is great for learning and i found the transition to 90 to be pretty easy aside from the falls being worse

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby TomW » Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:49 pm

It's mental. If you have the motivation, the pain is fun.
Ever try skateboarding? Foiling is easy and painless compared.

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby Big Wally » Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:55 pm

I think it's the Motivation that's lacking. I had motivation when I started on Short Mast.

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby Whattheflock » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:19 pm

It's worth it, even if you're not in it for light wind benefits. Very very fun.

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:36 pm

Whattheflock wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:19 pm
It's worth it, even if you're not in it for light wind benefits. Very very fun.

That is the best, and most simple answer, agree fully - it IS worth it, no doubt.

Problem is, everybody try to imagine the benefits before they start, without knowing it is because it is a new dimension of fun, IMPOSSIBLE to imagine...

That is NOT the issue at all, the benefits that is, it is simply a priceless sideeffect (able to ride every day you want to, riding max speed in no wind, jumping high in no wind, riding waves in no wind, feeling like waveriding in flat water, riding smooooth in choppy water)

You will love hydrofoiling, no doubt at all :naughty:

I only know of two persons (and I know many) who has said "thats not for me", after having tried it briefly.
BUT, they both (one is here on the forum, the other one is my friend) had the attitude beforehand that it is not fun, it must not be fun, so they only tried it to be able to say "I told you so" if you get my point - sad, very sad, and one is changing view now, when seeing the fun and options suddenly opening worldwide, and that it catches everyone like a wildfire going crazy :rollgrin:

JUST DO IT :D

8) Peter

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby OzBungy » Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:39 am

Big Wally wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:43 pm
How can I make it FUN learning to ride a longer Mast?? Seems like several of you found a way to make it fun. I learned super quick on short LF setup. Then went to a LONG Mast and never could get started. Sort of lost my excitement. Any words of wisdom to get excitement back to start up again?

Thanks
:cool2:
BW
Just guessing, but by learning on a short mast you don't actually learn to hydrofoil. You learn to stand on a slightly more wobbly board. To learn to foil you have to develop the muscle memory and motor skills to be able to feel the foil. The only way you can do that is to practice on a real hydrofoil. Get yourself a longer mast. Put in the time. Learn to do it.

As to whether foiling is for you, or anybody, foiling is hard to learn, easy to do. During the learning phase you will wonder if you will ever get it. Once you've got it you wonder why you thought it was so hard.

If you're up for a challenge and have the persistence then you'll thrive on foiling. If you're a bit half-arsed about doing stuff then you might get to the just competent stage then give up.

There seem to be a series of plateaus for people who take up foiling. 1. It's hard. 2. It's not so hard but still a bit scary. 3. I can do it but I imagine all sorts of limitations. 4. There are no limitations. 5. Yeeehaaaaa!!!!!!!

For me, I foil almost every day. There's almost no such thing as a day you can't foil. A 10 knot session is great. 15 knots is greater. 20+ knots is pure joy. 35+ knots is yeeehaaaa! We get excellent sessions when no other wind powered craft bother coming to the beach.

Gliding along over clear water is beautiful. Slicing up waves is huge fun. Boosting is unbelievable. Backroll kite loops are surprising. : :o Tacks are hard but when you pull one off it's worth the effort.
Last edited by OzBungy on Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby downunder » Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:56 am

Peter_Frank wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:36 pm
Whattheflock wrote:
Sun Mar 17, 2019 11:19 pm
It's worth it, even if you're not in it for light wind benefits. Very very fun.

That is the best, and most simple answer, agree fully - it IS worth it, no doubt.

Problem is, everybody try to imagine the benefits before they start, without knowing it is because it is a new dimension of fun, IMPOSSIBLE to imagine...

That is NOT the issue at all, the benefits that is, it is simply a priceless sideeffect (able to ride every day you want to, riding max speed in no wind, jumping high in no wind, riding waves in no wind, feeling like waveriding in flat water, riding smooooth in choppy water)

You will love hydrofoiling, no doubt at all :naughty:

I only know of two persons (and I know many) who has said "thats not for me", after having tried it briefly.
BUT, they both (one is here on the forum, the other one is my friend) had the attitude beforehand that it is not fun, it must not be fun, so they only tried it to be able to say "I told you so" if you get my point - sad, very sad, and one is changing view now, when seeing the fun and options suddenly opening worldwide, and that it catches everyone like a wildfire going crazy :rollgrin:

JUST DO IT :D

8) Peter
But no one is actually doing it on my local :) Particularly jumping high in no wind, which is no jumping at all. Mostly coz they are now in strapless! It is a THING.

So, if you are referring to me, this is why I'm so disappointed.

Let's put it this way, ALL of people I know (10?), went with a short mast first. With a reasoning that it MUST be easier to learn on short and to be fair, it's a bit shallow on my local.
The thing is, they are still on a short to medium mast. One or more years after. It does float their boat, I do not judge.

It is totally untrue that the short mast has any benefits in my books. Took me 3 sessions on long mast to crack it. After 5 session it's easy to maintain UP/DOWN movement. All together, I crashed maybe 10-15 times. In last 3 sessions on 90cm mast and race high aspect foil. With a broken ankle (talar dome split in half 80%, no displacement, now 3.5 mnts latter).

The biggest disappointment is that absolutely no one foils in +25kn. Maybe some does, I just do not see them. It would be awesome to see someone jumping like like crazy but it's just mot happening. Or, if I need a telescope to see them, well, that is a shame. I stand behind my words, we need a crowd 'pleasers', we need people to get exited for this sport to survive. As Plummet mentioned, it's easy to reach a plateau if no one to compare with.

Only thing I see is going left/right, up/down, crash/splash, occasional jibe. Which is all to funny for me since "we" did judge people who mow the lawn on a TT, right? How is that different on a HF is beyond me.

So, if I wont be the first one to break a 10m jump on my local, no one else will. Saying that we are doing this strictly for our self's is rubbish. If is not, we would not write accolades about it here. Only people who never ever troll about it are doing it for them probably.

That is, if not posting on a FB and elsewhere :)

Spreading a stroke? For a +50yo guys? To funny. Must be a middle age crisis, which somehow, I'm still not in, or not recognizing it :bye:
Last edited by downunder on Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:36 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Hydrofoil, Worth it for me?

Postby cglazier » Mon Mar 18, 2019 3:36 am

OzBungy wrote:
Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:39 am
Just guessing, but by learning on a short mast you don't actually learn to hydrofoil. You learn to stand on a slightly more wobbly board. To learn to foil you have to develop the muscle memory and motor skills to be able to feel the foil. The only way you can do that is to practice on a real hydrofoil. Get yourself a longer mast. Put in the time. Learn to do it.

As to whether foiling is for you, or anybody, foiling is hard to learn, easy to do. During the learning phase you will wonder if you will ever get it. Once you've got it you wonder why you thought it was so hard.

If you're up for a challenge and have the persistence then you'll thrive on foiling. If you're a bit half-arsed about doing stuff then you might get to the just competent stage then give up.

There seem to be a series of plateaus for people who take up foiling. 1. It's hard. 2. It's not so hard but still a bit scary. 3. I can do it but I imagine all sorts of limitations. 4. There are no limitations. 5. Yeeehaaaaa!!!!!!!

For me, I foil almost every day. There's almost no such thing as a day you can't foil. A 10 knot session is great. 15 knots is greater. 20+ knots is pure joy. 35+ knots is yeeehaaaa! We get excellent sessions when no other wind powered craft bother coming to the beach.

Gliding along over clear water is beautiful. Slicing up waves is huge fun. Boosting is unbelievable. Backroll kite loops are surprising. : :o Tacks are hard but when you pull one off it's worth the effort.
Very well said OzBungy. Thanks.
:wink:
CG


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