How to learn to kitefoil in the waves

[leeuwen]

Flatwater sucks, waves rocks

Although I can see where you are coming from I would say it totally depends on your riding style.
Not everyone is into wave riding.

I look at it like this:
For flat water you need to make it interesting for yourself: eg learning new tricks, boosting high or racing.
A good wave spot provides the entertainment for you…

[Onda]

As a foil beginner I would recommend to be really, really careful in ocean swell / waves. When not experienced there are many chances to get injured, even seriously injured.
Foil can be thrown at you / hitting you by waves, foil can get tangled in your lines etc. You have to get used to the sudden acceleration when you´re catching a wave with your foil, needs re-balancing your weight on the board.

I started foiling 4 seasons ago and I now feel confident in up to waist-high ocean waves (breaking waves or swell), and I now find everything flat just boring. There is actually nothing better than surf-foiling waves (maybe with the exception to surf-surfing steep waves in proper wind).
But it took me quite some time to get confident with the foil and its handling. I am very safety-oriented, though.

So my advice is: Learn on flat water until you feel very confident on your foil. Then gradually go out in very small waves, then bigger waves and so on.

[Peter_Frank]

Flatwater sucks, waves rocks

Although I can see where you are coming from I would say it totally depends on your riding style.
Not everyone is into wave riding.

I look at it like this:
For flat water you need to make it interesting for yourself: eg learning new tricks, boosting high or racing.
A good wave spot provides the entertainment for you…

Actually not so simple...

Kitefoil and wingfoil are perfect for choppy conditions, where all other boards (TT, Surfboards, Windsurf) are a PITA.
Suddenly soooo many spots opens up now, not usable before - because of foiling.

As soon as you have learned, it means nothing if it is choppy or smaller waves, it only enhances the experience, and things like jibes are easier if small waves.

Then of course, you can have a lot more fun in a bit more regular waves also - turns or 360's on the waveface
Breaking waves or soft swells, it is all fun.

My point is, it is a win win even if you dont surf the waves as such

Racers are also best off practicing in waves/chop, as these are the conditions they will meet at most contests, so those not used to that, lose.

Agree that for flat water you need to make it interesting for yourself, learning new tricks yes.
But the thing is, you can do all of this in waves too, no difference and not harder sometimes easier - because it is a foil.
So to the OP I still say he is lucky, not to have to live with flat water.

Peter

[roQer]

Update on my progress: went out today with a 12 m2 LEI. Bodydragging out of the break worked fine on second attempt. But than I got beaten my ass up handling the kite and this damn foil in the incoming swell. The wind was gusty and marginal for a quite heavy 3-strutter and I was already busy to keep the kite in the sky and my feet away from the foil.I finally ended up drifting with the kite down ashore through a swimming zone full of scared looking moms with their children. Thanks god the Frenchies are quite tolerant with regard to crazy sports activities.
Maybe a 10 m2 Soul would be better for lightwind conditions as it stays longer in the sky and has a nice pull for getting going, or not?

[bragnouff]

One of the skills you'll have to learn quickly is assessing the conditions and knowing if you can make it or not. Swell size, period, tide, gaps, direction are all super important. Gusty marginal wind, which would be no issue on a flat easy no-consequence spot, becomes really tricky in punchy waves, and even more so in very onshore winds. Eventually, with refined skills, there will be more days where you can go out, but that are still out of reach with your current skills. Just have to accept that and wait for the right days. (even if trying to go out in conditions out of your skillset is a way to learn some things, the hard way). From my experience around Seignosse, there are many times where it's too big for the amount of wind there is, and finding alternate sheltered location would be sensible option.

When you bodydrag out, don't hesitate to keep going for longer, it's always better to have a large safety buffer, just in case a bigger set comes in, or you drift a bit before your waterstart. You want to be way outside of breaking waves.

In terms of kite, if it's at the point where it doesn't really stay in the air, then dealing with waves will make this much harder. I've replaced my 12m LEI with a 8m Peak, and it made my life much easier in terms of going out in onshore waves, knowing that the kite will stay in the air even if a wave pushes me back a bit. Soul 10 would be good too.

[Flyboy]

Update on my progress: went out today with a 12 m2 LEI. Bodydragging out of the break worked fine on second attempt. But than I got beaten my ass up handling the kite and this damn foil in the incoming swell. The wind was gusty and marginal for a quite heavy 3-strutter and I was already busy to keep the kite in the sky and my feet away from the foil.I finally ended up drifting with the kite down ashore through a swimming zone full of scared looking moms with their children. Thanks god the Frenchies are quite tolerant with regard to crazy sports activities.
Maybe a 10 m2 Soul would be better for lightwind conditions as it stays longer in the sky and has a nice pull for getting going, or not?

Well ... the other thing to bear in mind is when you're learning to foil you want to do it in a decent amount of wind, not "gusty and marginal" wind with a 12m kite. This is especially true if you're having to deal with choppy water/swells. There's enough to figure out already without adding keeping a big kite in the air in light winds. You really should be aiming for 14/15 knots ideally, so that keeping the kite in the air while you're struggling with the foil doesn't require too much attention. All my early, failed attempts to foil were a result of trying to go out in too light wind ... and I would guess the same thing would be true for most people learning to kite foil.