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help with turns

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simonsays
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Re: help with turns

Postby simonsays » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:49 pm

You are getting great advice here, so I can only chime in with what worked for me. After many painful head shots to the water and inverted lines, a friend suggested I try looping and that was when I started getting consistent results. Scary at first - for me at least up on the foil - but riding a little downwind helps a lot. I find looping turns allows me to have a more consistent pull throughout the gybe, but I loop a lot when on a surfboard. My only other tip would be that you do at least a 2:1 ratio on your weaker side. Enjoy the journey!

glfmkg
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Re: help with turns

Postby glfmkg » Mon Sep 26, 2022 9:48 pm

Here is an update for all you and those who are learning like me :-)

So after 26 sessions on my foil since my first time in the water, I can now turn heel to toe side (both ways) and stay on toe side and S back from toe side to hill side.

Some comments:
- for whatever reason I find it easier to turn on my weak side - not sure why, but it feel better to turn from hill to toe on my weak stance
- however, I find it easier to turn from toe to hill side on my strong stance
- I can now turn about 70% of the attempts and complete several tacks before falling off the board (my record was yesterday with 8 long tacks) - magical!

What worked for me:

- I spent sometime on a surfboard where I was practicing a lot of the same maneuvers but without a massive foil under (I'm a surfer, so it was natural to kite with a surfboard for me - total stoke!)

- I started to wear a mountain biking full face helmet and my confidence sending the kite around and wiping the foil increase by 10 fold! - this was suggested by my wife!

- I was not starting the turn correctly - I was sending the kite super late - I now send the kite first and then turn the foil - foil now is straight downwind when the kite is at 12 - that made a huge difference in line tension and gave me stability with two hands always in the bar.

- I was not sending the kite aggressively enough to the other side of the window - I know after I have the kite at 12 and board pointing downwind, crank the bar in the new side of the window - I was super scared to do this, but it really makes things a lot easier than sending it slow and try to balance with no tension on the lines.

- I was not turning the foil fast enough, so basically going too much downwind and slacking the lines - something clicked that made me really commit and all the sudden line tension was there

- on toe side riding, it helped a lot not to go right away closer to wind, and keep the kite high - once I got comfortable with the new course, I started to lean more into the foil on toe side and now I can go upwind without a sweat!

I'm super happy with progress, however I still need a lot more practice to master this. The last 2 sessions everything did come together and yes I have watched the "Progression" video "First Gybes - Off the Foil" a 1000 times! Worth every penny!

My plan is to dial down this first and then start working on foot switches, which I'm sure it will need a lot of work :-)

Any feedback is always greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
G.

glfmkg
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Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:16 pm
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Weight: 220
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Squamish, BC
Nitinaht Lake, BC, Vancouver Island
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Style: Freestyle, Big Air, Foiling
Gear: Kites:
Airush Ultra 7m, 9m, 12m, 14m
Airush Wave 7m
Airush Lift 9m
Naish Pivot 12m
OR Rise A-Series 12m

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North Atmos 141
Ocean Rodeo Mako 165
Cabrinha Spectrum 144
Moses T65 Foling Board with a 633W front wing
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Re: help with turns

Postby glfmkg » Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:58 pm

Here is a short video of my 27th session and a gybe on my 'weak' stance 🙌 suggestions are welcomed please!



Thanks
G

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Kamikuza
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Re: help with turns

Postby Kamikuza » Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:00 am

glfmkg wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:58 pm
Here is a short video of my 27th session and a gybe on my 'weak' stance 🙌 suggestions are welcomed please!



Thanks
G
You're doing better than me if you can turn heel to toe both ways :D

glfmkg
Medium Poster
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:16 pm
Kiting since: 2019
Weight: 220
Local Beach: White Rock, BC, Canada
Favorite Beaches: White Rock, BC
Squamish, BC
Nitinaht Lake, BC, Vancouver Island
Crescent Beach, BC
Boundary Bay, BC
Tsawwassen, BC
Nanaimo, BC
Style: Freestyle, Big Air, Foiling
Gear: Kites:
Airush Ultra 7m, 9m, 12m, 14m
Airush Wave 7m
Airush Lift 9m
Naish Pivot 12m
OR Rise A-Series 12m

Boards:
North Atmos 141
Ocean Rodeo Mako 165
Cabrinha Spectrum 144
Moses T65 Foling Board with a 633W front wing
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Has thanked: 48 times
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Re: help with turns

Postby glfmkg » Sun Oct 02, 2022 4:29 pm

Kamikuza wrote:
Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:00 am
glfmkg wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:58 pm
Here is a short video of my 27th session and a gybe on my 'weak' stance 🙌 suggestions are welcomed please!



Thanks
G
You're doing better than me if you can turn heel to toe both ways :D
Thanks brother, yes i can turn both ways. My strong stance is more consistent for sure! Overall learning to foil is a humbling experience! Lol

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Kamikuza
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Re: help with turns

Postby Kamikuza » Tue Oct 04, 2022 11:56 am

glfmkg wrote:
Sun Oct 02, 2022 4:29 pm
Kamikuza wrote:
Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:00 am
glfmkg wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:58 pm
Here is a short video of my 27th session and a gybe on my 'weak' stance 🙌 suggestions are welcomed please!



Thanks
G
You're doing better than me if you can turn heel to toe both ways :D
Thanks brother, yes i can turn both ways. My strong stance is more consistent for sure! Overall learning to foil is a humbling experience! Lol
I gave up being ambidextrous and went with getting good enough on my strong side.

It's weird -- I can do it on a surfboard so easily I struggle to remember which was is natural for me... but poorly on a TT and almost not at all on a foil :o

glfmkg
Medium Poster
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:16 pm
Kiting since: 2019
Weight: 220
Local Beach: White Rock, BC, Canada
Favorite Beaches: White Rock, BC
Squamish, BC
Nitinaht Lake, BC, Vancouver Island
Crescent Beach, BC
Boundary Bay, BC
Tsawwassen, BC
Nanaimo, BC
Style: Freestyle, Big Air, Foiling
Gear: Kites:
Airush Ultra 7m, 9m, 12m, 14m
Airush Wave 7m
Airush Lift 9m
Naish Pivot 12m
OR Rise A-Series 12m

Boards:
North Atmos 141
Ocean Rodeo Mako 165
Cabrinha Spectrum 144
Moses T65 Foling Board with a 633W front wing
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Has thanked: 48 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: help with turns

Postby glfmkg » Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:06 pm

Here is a few more thoughts for those in the same process of learning:

In lighter winds I find way easier to loop the kite while gybing heel to toe and toe to heel; here is a full video of both (weak and strong stance gybes):





The key for me was really to commit to a downwind course while looping the kite and immediately turn to not loose tension on the lines. It really feels like a scary thing to do with kite on a foil, but I found it very easy actually, a lot easier than kite over the top in lighter winds. When the wind picked up, looping and overpowered kite was a bit sketchy, so kite over the top that the trick here.

It took 32 sessions to get where I am, basically I can now gybe on my weak and strong stance consistently without falling either by looping the kite or sending the kite over the top - I can pretty much go anywhere I want with the foil (even toe side in heavy kite traffic)

I was hoping to start foot switches this past weekend, but honesly I though I needed more practice to really dial in the turns. Foot switches will be next!

rnelias
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Re: help with turns

Postby rnelias » Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:55 pm

glfmkg wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:58 pm
Here is a short video of my 27th session and a gybe on my 'weak' stance 🙌 suggestions are welcomed please!



Thanks
G
the dog paying attention on you is the best :D

is it yours?

I'm now mastering gybes on both sides and all possible switch foot (2 on both sides). For me, it's more confortable to gybe using downloops than just changing kite direction but when the wind is too strong, I avoid the downloops.

Here's a recenty ride. The video is long but can is easy to skip to the gybes's sections.


rnelias
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Barra da Tijuca, RJ
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Re: help with turns

Postby rnelias » Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:57 pm

Kamikuza wrote:
Tue Oct 04, 2022 11:56 am
I gave up being ambidextrous and went with getting good enough on my strong side.

It's weird -- I can do it on a surfboard so easily I struggle to remember which was is natural for me... but poorly on a TT and almost not at all on a foil :o
if you force, your brain will learn somehow... I'm still improving to switch foot on my weak stance and it's working (I'm regular).

glfmkg
Medium Poster
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:16 pm
Kiting since: 2019
Weight: 220
Local Beach: White Rock, BC, Canada
Favorite Beaches: White Rock, BC
Squamish, BC
Nitinaht Lake, BC, Vancouver Island
Crescent Beach, BC
Boundary Bay, BC
Tsawwassen, BC
Nanaimo, BC
Style: Freestyle, Big Air, Foiling
Gear: Kites:
Airush Ultra 7m, 9m, 12m, 14m
Airush Wave 7m
Airush Lift 9m
Naish Pivot 12m
OR Rise A-Series 12m

Boards:
North Atmos 141
Ocean Rodeo Mako 165
Cabrinha Spectrum 144
Moses T65 Foling Board with a 633W front wing
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Has thanked: 48 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: help with turns

Postby glfmkg » Tue Oct 11, 2022 6:52 pm

rnelias wrote:
Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:55 pm
glfmkg wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 7:58 pm
Here is a short video of my 27th session and a gybe on my 'weak' stance 🙌 suggestions are welcomed please!



Thanks
G
the dog paying attention on you is the best :D

is it yours?

I'm now mastering gybes on both sides and all possible switch foot (2 on both sides). For me, it's more confortable to gybe using downloops than just changing kite direction but when the wind is too strong, I avoid the downloops.

Here's a recenty ride. The video is long but can is easy to skip to the gybes's sections.

Wow I really love that camera angle!, you can really see your footwork! Well done! Man looks like you have mastered even in bigger waves here!

Yes the two German shepherds are mine and they constantly look for me when I'm in the water! they never stop lol, they don't rest until I'm back on shore :-)

What mount are you using for your video? Also how do you add the course and speed, etc?

Cheers and thanks for sharing!
G.


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