Getting up On Weight = Volume Board

[Lamilu]

New to the sport…
I way 110 kg bought a 112 liters Reedin…
The rails are thick and slippery…couldnt grab them and the wing front handle at the same time.
Could sit and lay down, but just couldnt find an equilibrium on knees stinkbug style.
Is there a preferable tecknique to get up on board when weight=volume?
Thanks…

[Boston kiter]

New to the sport…
I way 110 kg bought a 112 liters Reedin…
The rails are thick and slippery…couldnt grab them and the wing front handle at the same time.
Could sit and lay down, but just couldnt find an equilibrium on knees stinkbug style.
Is there a preferable tecknique to get up on board when weight=volume?
Thanks…

If you had a kite you could get up easily on a 20ltr board.

[consumer]

How choppy is it? It’s easiest to use the ‘stink bug ‘ method with the board aimed downwind or aiming the nose with the direction of chop . You can use the wing to stabilize - once you get to your knees you have a split second to grab the back handle and then use the wing / wing tip as a fulcrum to stabilize you on the board.

[Peter_Frank]

What you experience is pretty normal.

You took the "short track" and aimed for a really small board, as your first board (thats okay, it just has its costs....)

Many of us, learning on bigger boards, have found the same difficulties when going small.

Just in a "pleasant" rate, as we have simply downsized slowly while we progress, so only going smaller when we could feel the board was too big.

You jumped straight to the goal - weight equal volume as most use when experienced, so of course you will suffer dramatically when learning.

I dont see any recommendations besides practice practice practice - OR, borrow/get a bigger board and you will learn superfast.

Peter

[Lamilu]

I do kitefoil on a 20 liters Board...
But heard people that refuse to stay on knees...
That there are other techniques...
And wonder if there is a more apropriare technique when weight = volume...

[Peter_Frank]

Hmmm, I don't think there are any shortcuts but practice and hard work

If you refuse to learn on a bigger board.

Peter

[airsail]

My latest board had a gloss finish, made it difficult to get going as I often slipped off. Gave it a rub down with 400 wet and dry, no problem now. It is an experimental custom board, light weight so I wasn’t worried making it a bit lighter. It’s minus 6lts to body weight.

Sounds like you have a few problems going forward, maybe you could borrow a larger board until yo become more skilled. I stayed on +15ltrs for about 12 months, that was after learning on a +40.

[jakemoore]

Weight = volume is a very tough size in chop. I also found a big floater board very difficult get on top of even in very small chop. In flat water climbing on the big board and then going to knees is accessible.

I actually had better luck with weight -20% and lots of wing power to learn the stinkbug starts in chop. Now riding with more normal power and a board just under weight so its just 1-2 cm below the surface.

But still its hard and its going to be hard. For me it took several sessions of grinding through attempts to start.

The number 1 best thing you can do is find a flat water spot and the number 2 is to use the bigger board at that spot.

[Trent hink]

The guys I see trying to start low-volume wing boards start sitting on the board with their legs in the water up until they get the board moving a little. Sort of like the way surfers sit on their board when waiting for a set.

I have recently seen guys water starting in the same fashion we used to use with "sinker" windsurfing boards, but I believe you need a lower volume board and a considerable amount of wind to make that method work.

Disclaimer: I've only briefly attempted wing foiling, and am waiting for the gear to improve, but I find it very interesting sport and I try to observe people who are doing it successfully.

[JakeFarley]

If there is chop, the winds are usually good (at least where I ride), except if the wind comes off of land and is up and down. If the wind lulls to 10 knots or less, I usually wait until it picks up to get up on the board. Once I get kneeling on the board I bring the wing up as quickly as possible to get the stability from it and the forward motion of the board/mast/hydrofoil. My last two sessions were in dirty winds, so I waited for the winds to pick up before attempting to get up on the board (I don't really like doing that, especially since my spot has a lot of sharks ).

BTW I weigh 93 kg with a 110l board. Plus I use a waterski vest which probably adds a kg or so to my weight once it gets wet.