how do you retrieve someone elses foil board?

[Foil]

Just been thinking about this again as there was a old topic raised yet again about the slow return reel leashes,
as normal the posts are filled with comments from the usual bigots who love to bash them.
anyways this is not about any type of leash.
its about how the hell do you get your head around the rare time you come across a foil board drifting out at sea, and you are yourself riding high and dry on your own foil board?
I can remember 3 times in the last 2 years this has happened to me, the first time I was carrying a small 6ft line on my harness both ends with clips, it enabled me to drop in on the drifting foil board and with one hand undo one end of the line clip and loop it around the footstrap of the lost board, the other end was already clipped to a ring point on my seat harness,
then with my one free hand firmly holding my own foil board by the front foot strap, I could slowly body drag to shore,
it was not too far, but took flipping ages as speed was impossible, but it works, and the owner who had a downed kite was happy to not see their board drift away on the tide.
the other two foil board recoveries many months later on a different beach were on the same day for the same owner,
yes he was a complete novice, and his first time being able to hold a foil board up for any decent distance,
but each time this ended in a wipe out and kite down, and twice he lost his board from line of sight, and he ended up body dragging the wrong way,
he gave up looking and bodydraged back to shore so I went to collect his board, and by accident I found the best way to easily recover a drifting foil board,
On this occasion I had a much longer reel line attached to my harness, and tried attaching one end around the front foot strap and then just slowly and carefully getting up on my own foil board going as slow as possible, but to my surprise i did not need to go slowly as the other foil just flipped over on its side and followed on behind me with its wings tracking nicely through the water, no drama and virtually no drag on me, magic!
returned board to delighted owner who set off again out to sea, too fast and very wobbly and finally wiped out hard again, and again he started off body dragging in the wrong direction looking for his board, and again he gave up and darted back for shore, and off I went again, repeating the first tow back to shore, perfect recovery.

but if you have no line with you, how the hell do you go about getting two foil boards back to shore?

[airsail]

I always have a line, it’s an old wrist leash with a hook on each end. It hooks onto the spreader bar, around my back and back onto the spreader bar. Never seems to get in the way, but real handy to hook your board to when needed or retrieve someone else’s board.
Tried the reel leash but it’s bulky and the reel brings the board close to you, exactly what you don’t want as you end up kicking the foil, ouch.

[Opi]

Some weeks ago my buddy lost his foil. I went out until 50m before his foil, jumped off my foil, dragged to his foil an went back for 100 meters. Jumped off his foil, dragged 50m to my foil, went back 100 meters. Jumped off my foil, dragged 50m... Back again I had to chill for one hour.

[Peter_Frank]

If a downed kite, I drop my own board, and ride or drag his/her board back to him/her so possible to sit on the board for safe relaunch, or drift to shore.

And then drag myself back to my own board

If someone you know well, just ride and give him/her your board, while you drag to the lost board.
A bit faster this way.

Peter

[davesails7]

When possible, I've dropped my board off on the beach and then body drag out to their board and ride it back in. Works here because we have very long beaches, but doesn't work in all cases.

[cglazier]

If a downed kite, I drop my own board, and ride or drag his/her board back to him/her so possible to sit on the board for safe relaunch, or drift to shore.
And then drag myself back to my own board

If someone you know well, just ride and give him/her your board, while you drag to the lost board.
A bit faster this way.
Peter

exactly!

[jumptheshark]

First option is to just point out where it it to any boardless rider and simply help guide them back to it on their own.

Peter's option is a good one, but has plenty of exceptions. Odds are your retrieving a board for a relative beginner and they may bave difficulty with your small strapless set up.

My board is lighter and less cumbersom than most. I have waterstarted to foil with someone's tt across my lap in order to return it. Would be tricky AF if not nicely powered, but I think I could likely get going on the lost board with mine across my lap and then ride with mine under my arm and just ride upwind alternating heel side and toe side. Tricky, but I'd try it before leaving a board behind.

[robclaisse]

There is the option to pick up the other foil board, under your arm and then ride in or over to the other person and drop it off to them. It's definitely an advanced technique and for foilers who are super confident with their foil control and also water starting and riding with only one arm continually. There is also the possibility for incidents to occur so, only again, an advanced technique only, but with some practice it becomes quite easy. Myself and Danny, my coaching partner, often have to rescue foils for our students and it's got to the point where we can both ride back and forth gybing and foot changing, waiting for the student to relaunch a kite and then drop it off however far downwind they may drift.

Once you are up its surprisingly easy to ride holding another foil under your arm, assuming you are reasonable powered up - its the waterstart and popping up on the foil which is the challenge.
I generally put the lighter board/foil under my arm, whether that is mine or theirs, and being a bit heavily I loop the kite with my other arm to pull me up - in light winds that might then need a second or even third loop straight after to help pop me up on the foil. Danny being light can drop the kite normally and get pulled up - for him it's important the board is under his back arm, so his front arm can drop the kite, for me either arm will do as I can loop it either way. I'd definitely suggest having no one else too close so you have room to make mistake, ditch everything and loop the kite to pull you away if you need too.

A handy technique to master though a bit of a learning curve

[Peter_Frank]

First option is to just point out where it it to any boardless rider and simply help guide them back to it on their own.

Peter's option is a good one, but has plenty of exceptions. Odds are your retrieving a board for a relative beginner and they may bave difficulty with your small strapless set up.

My board is lighter and less cumbersom than most. I have waterstarted to foil with someone's tt across my lap in order to return it. Would be tricky AF if not nicely powered, but I think I could likely get going on the lost board with mine across my lap and then ride with mine under my arm and just ride upwind alternating heel side and toe side. Tricky, but I'd try it before leaving a board behind.

But my option was to ditch your own board, and then retrieve the lost board to the downed rider, so they could start/drag themeselves ashore on their own board
And drag back up/down to your own board finally.

Only as the last option, if it was someone you knew well, give them your board, as a faster solution.

I am pretty sure I often wont be able to ride strapless on a small board, holding another board under my arm, as I usually ride super low powered.
But some can do it, when more power available, I know

Peter

[Foil]

some great if challenging ways to think about when I next see a foilboard separated from its owner, its not nice seeing a very expensive set up being pushed towards the open sea of even worse onto the rocks.
Twice at flag beach in two years seen by me, and one where the whole board and wings were smashed to bits with only the mast being carried back to shore by the luckless owner, I had to ask someone else what had happened as it looked so strange-the lone figure walking up the beach with just a mast.
another kiter who damaged his board and ruined his wingset was the dad of a very well known pro kiter from the isle of wight, he was still smiling as he jumped off the rescue boat though!
and the other one was a novice foiler who downed his kite and was washed up on the reef, no one could get to him as he was on the reef before i called for the rescue boat, which then had to just keep an eye on him as the reef prevented anyone going near, he did get to shore eventually, all scratched and sad, and all brand new expensive gear, moses and groove, yikes!