Riding unhooked tutorial

[kitenight11]

@ kitenight11

Are you spending time on boards other than the foil these days?

Yes, from time to time if wind is mixed with decent swell, I sometimes take out my surfboard.

[jumptheshark]

No disrespect, but I highly advise learning the initial unhooked skills on your surfboard. The ability to edge out the kite more conventionally makes it a lot easier.

I’d be willing to wager that Horst came to hydrofoiling with some unhooked experience from his surfboard days.

Let us know how it goes.

[kitenight11]

Hi,
I tried today to start slowly my unhooking adventure while foiling. Not really unhooking but trying to get a feeling for the thing. So while riding downwind I depowered completely my trim at the bar and pulled the bar towards me till it reached the end and thechicken-loop felt loose. Then I recognised, that the kite started to either flew to the surface/down or backstalled and I had to depower the bar/long arms. I tried this at 12 and lower, but the same result. So something went wrong.
Any ideas how to solve this isuue?

[nherbold]

Hi,
I tried today to start slowly my unhooking adventure while foiling. Not really unhooking but trying to get a feeling for the thing. So while riding downwind I depowered completely my trim at the bar and pulled the bar towards me till it reached the end and thechicken-loop felt loose. Then I recognised, that the kite started to either flew to the surface/down or backstalled and I had to depower the bar/long arms. I tried this at 12 and lower, but the same result. So something went wrong.
Any ideas how to solve this isuue?

Sounds like you need to depower a bit more to get kite stability while unhooked. When on land test the kite by pulling on the bar all the way, you know it is properly trimmed when the kite doesn't back stall...mostly (i.e. it can always happen during a lull in the wind) so be sure to test it more than once.

[Cefirmeza]

[kitenight11]

Thanks for the new clip. Do you see any benefits in riding unhooked or is it just different and a bit more free? In the video you seem more relaxed and with more style and engagement when hooked!
What do you prefer and why?

[Cefirmeza]

It is a complete different feel that I am just starting to enjoy in the right conditions.
Of course I am more relaxed and confident hooked in but is a nice ride chasing downwind swell when you have just the amount of power to drift and carve almost free from the kite.
I can now imagine the benefits of a wing as the ride would be more fun if the kite wasn’t there for a while.
By the way just dropped a part 2 video: