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Stitches and hydrofoils

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papasmerf
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Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby papasmerf » Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:45 pm

I’m sure a lot of folks on here have watched the rise and fall of all the wind sports. Has anyone noticed a higher incidence of injuries with hydrofoils? A friend just got some stitches and he is one of the best Kiter’s I know. He never got hurt in 15 years of kiting like a maniac on a twin tip. Had a helmet but the foil got him just under it.

Does anyone else look at their super sharp wings and then look at the much more rounded wings and wonder which one will hurt less in a jackknife? Maybe I am being a big baby. I know that thin will go a lot faster and glide better but how to find a balance of injury risk to performance?

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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby leeuwen » Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:51 pm

I just started foiling & certainly had a lot of bumps on my legs the first sessions.
Mostly just hitting the mast when crashing.

I think its a matter of: you gain some and you lose some.
Yes you can hit your foil in a nasty way.
On the other hand: I am out on a way smaller kite and extremely underpowered compared to anyone on a twintip.
If anything goes wrong with a kite its less problematic. Also I am not jumping with the hydrofoil so no risk of breaking something that way.

At least is sorta similar until you want to be powered up for either racing or jumping.
Then you have the worst of both worlds: sharp foil & powered up kite :D

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tkaraszewski
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby tkaraszewski » Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:07 pm

Mike's Lab + my foot the other day:
Image

It's not really that bad, I didn't get stitches, but I'm also not too worried about scars on my ankle.

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purdyd
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby purdyd » Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:02 pm

papasmerf wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:45 pm
I’m sure a lot of folks on here have watched the rise and fall of all the wind sports. Has anyone noticed a higher incidence of injuries with hydrofoils? A friend just got some stitches and he is one of the best Kiter’s I know. He never got hurt in 15 years of kiting like a maniac on a twin tip. Had a helmet but the foil got him just under it.

Does anyone else look at their super sharp wings and then look at the much more rounded wings and wonder which one will hurt less in a jackknife? Maybe I am being a big baby. I know that thin will go a lot faster and glide better but how to find a balance of injury risk to performance?
Absolutely.

I've been wearing shin guards, and even bought one for use on my right fore arm. Helmets are a good idea. Impact vest can help.

I prefer more rounded edge foils. Thin foils don't have to have knife edges. But even a rounded edge will hurt and leave a mark. I've got a few on my shin, hence shin guards.

If you are really pushing it, I think you are going to get hurt on a twin tip eventually. Ribs and knees mostly.

And to really go high you have to have wind and as much kite as you can hold onto. So I believe that is generally more dangerous than a dinky kite for foiling and has less long term impact on your body from repetitive stress.

I simply gave up big air twin tip riding and kite loops as it was just too hard on me. Sucks getting old.

So yes, i think there is a greater chance of getting cut with a foil but less of a chance of some other types of injuries.

so yes, I would get a more rounded edge wing and get on with it

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jumptheshark
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby jumptheshark » Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:29 pm

Dude... shin guards !?

Learned on a full length mast, small wing heavy set up 5 years ago and have done little other than foil ever since. Plenty of mystery bruises over that time mostly I suspect from water impacts. Have hit the foil a few times and felt happy to have been in a wetsuit. So far no stitches.

I am very focused on strapless airs and probably jump between 10 and 30 times a session. 90 sessions last year, average of about 70 the previous few years.

This past season I was starting to jump quite a bit higher and farther than previous years and loop the kite almost every time. Had 2 clumsy crashes last fall that left me with decent bruises and a good scrape up the ulna. Broke the skin through a winter wetsuit. I'm aware its only a matter of time, but I'm also soooooooo much better as avoiding foil impacts than I was 4 years ago, so yes, there is risk, but there is also a learning curve.

I wear a helmet and impact vest. I wear thicker wetsuits for longer in the season foiling, but that has more to do with temp than padding.

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purdyd
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby purdyd » Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:19 pm

jumptheshark wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:29 pm
Dude... shin guards !?
absolutely and put them on your forearm like gauntlets underneath your wetsuit. Protect your ulna.

After the second time I drew blood on my shin, I stopped by a sports store and bought shin guards.

I have a friend who is using shoe insoles.

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edt
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby edt » Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:21 pm

Absolutely hydrofoils can get you hurt. I think it's like anything else. Because they are more dangerous people tend to be more careful. While on the twintip we take more risks so at the end of the day it kind of balances out.

papasmerf
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby papasmerf » Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:11 pm

tkaraszewski wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:07 pm
Mike's Lab + my foot the other day:
Image

It's not really that bad, I didn't get stitches, but I'm also not too worried about scars on my ankle.
gah!!!! ouch!

you know, stitches also close up the wound to keep infection out,,,, not just for scars. hope you are fine

papasmerf
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby papasmerf » Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:19 pm

purdyd wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:02 pm
papasmerf wrote:
Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:45 pm
I’m sure a lot of folks on here have watched the rise and fall of all the wind sports. Has anyone noticed a higher incidence of injuries with hydrofoils? A friend just got some stitches and he is one of the best Kiter’s I know. He never got hurt in 15 years of kiting like a maniac on a twin tip. Had a helmet but the foil got him just under it.

Does anyone else look at their super sharp wings and then look at the much more rounded wings and wonder which one will hurt less in a jackknife? Maybe I am being a big baby. I know that thin will go a lot faster and glide better but how to find a balance of injury risk to performance?
Absolutely.

I've been wearing shin guards, and even bought one for use on my right fore arm. Helmets are a good idea. Impact vest can help.

I prefer more rounded edge foils. Thin foils don't have to have knife edges. But even a rounded edge will hurt and leave a mark. I've got a few on my shin, hence shin guards.

If you are really pushing it, I think you are going to get hurt on a twin tip eventually. Ribs and knees mostly.

And to really go high you have to have wind and as much kite as you can hold onto. So I believe that is generally more dangerous than a dinky kite for foiling and has less long term impact on your body from repetitive stress.

I simply gave up big air twin tip riding and kite loops as it was just too hard on me. Sucks getting old.

So yes, i think there is a greater chance of getting cut with a foil but less of a chance of some other types of injuries.

so yes, I would get a more rounded edge wing and get on with it
i've tried some mt biking shin guards and then some kickboxing guards,, neither worked worth a shit. so mostly just going without,

still kind of looking for the perfect set up. i want to use a lacrosse helmet believe it or not but those faceguards don't lift up, so i can't get my glasses on under it.

the other day i had an arguement with my foil and my left foot impacted it a just a little bit,,,, drew a little blood thru 8mm booties that even have rubber stuff on the outside. and fortunately just left a bruise,,, i was worried till the next morning but no problem kiting again. still, i constantly look around for new stuff and also am always looking for new ways to train myself to wreck "properly"

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purdyd
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Re: Stitches and hydrofoils

Postby purdyd » Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:24 pm

I can assure you these do work. Slide them under your wetsuit. Shin and/or forearm. As far as I can tell my reaction is to block with my shin and forearm when something comes at me. I protect my body and head by instinct.

I admit I don’t wear them on my forearms anymore but I’d do go through a spell with two nice marks on my arm, I will protect my head with my outside of my forearm. Which is a lot better than getting the board or foil in the face.

For some it might be their feet that needs protecting or body
F6E2664C-D7F8-4889-940E-DCF3B61491CC.jpeg
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