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another unusual development in hydrofoiling, sore feet

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papasmerf
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another unusual development in hydrofoiling, sore feet

Postby papasmerf » Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:57 am

so as i progress and find my groove,,, right now i like doing the downwind carving sessions,, it is very much like snowboarding to me. in my mind i am carving very hard, i really lean over and go at speed. suprisingly,,, the centrifugal force puts a lot more force on my feet,,,and i find my feet getting very sore,, especially when i keep them in the same spot on the board. i put on some of the typical foam padding, diamond shapped,,, didn't help. i tried to put some cushion like shoe soles in my booties,,, didn't seem to help,, my feet are actually going numb out there.

i am 56,, no feet problems that i know of,,, never had any when twin tipping.

any one else in my age group that has a similiar style,,,, does this happen. has anyone come up with a great fix?

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Re: another unusual development in hydrofoiling, sore feet

Postby Matteo V » Mon Apr 05, 2021 10:30 am

I have the same problem. For me, it also happens with flatwater SUP.

The cause is "not moving your feet". I am not sure if it is software (brain) or hardware (physiology), but it seems that our feet need to move when supporting our body weight. More specifically, there seems to be a comforting effect to a changing load on our feet, and a discomforting effect to an unchanging load on our feet.

On a TT kiteboard or a snowboard, we actually change the load on our feet by major shifts in body weight from foot to back foot to heel pressure to toe pressure. But on an SUP in flat water, or when hydrofoilling without a foot switch after jibing, your feet move so little and only extremely subtle weight shifts occur, that it is no different than standing absoutely still.

You can also observe/feel this phenomenon if you try to stand still on the ground without any movement other than the tiniest balance inputs. You can also watch "greeters" at the supermarket whose job it is to stand in one place near the front door. If you watch closely, they never stand still without shifting their weight from one leg to the other, or just pace around in a small area. This issue is also obviously known as "anti fatiuge" floor mats are usually provided to them. But even so, I most often observe that the mat is empty, while the greeter is moving about.

I am guessing this is a studied, or at least acknowledged, phenomenon.

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purdyd
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Re: another unusual development in hydrofoiling, sore feet

Postby purdyd » Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:20 am

Move your feet

Wiggle them, shuffle them

But what really solves it is to swap them often

I’ve actually found really soft or sticky pads make it worse since it is harder to slide your feet.

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jumptheshark
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Re: another unusual development in hydrofoiling, sore feet

Postby jumptheshark » Mon Apr 05, 2021 12:03 pm

I remember feeling like I was cemented to the board for a good year. Once you learn to move easily it gets better.

Try to pick up your arches from time to time and not let them totally collapse (which is really common for the back foot in surf stance).

Maintaining ankle and foot architecture is key to standing motionless for extended periods. It’s pretty challenging barefoot while concentrating on kiting and carving and best formed as a habit so work on it at various times throughout your day to develop awareness. It will serve you well outside of just kiting.

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NYKiter
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Re: another unusual development in hydrofoiling, sore feet

Postby NYKiter » Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:51 am

Big time....3 sessions in a row...ouchy....especially in light winds where you work for the juice.....


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