75 cms mast

[mar menor]

Hi,am just about to start my foiling 'journey'. Have a shinn jackson and P foil,9 hyperlink,12 and 9 LF Solos.I live next to the Mar Menor,a huge salt water 'lagoon' in Spain,fairly shallow near the shores,with small chop unless its 20kts plus and even then it's a pretty flat water spot.Question is do I really need a longer mast than 75,as this would mean less height from crashes and less body dragging do get to deeper water?
TIA

[ap888]

Longer mast one can lean into a carve or get closer to water to go fast if desired also more of a foil experience with a longer mast magic carpet feeling...

[mar menor]

Thanks,however as a beginner 'carving' and to 'go fast' won't be priorities.Won't I get the magic carpet feeling once on the foil irrespective of height?

[DukeSilver]

Thanks,however as a beginner 'carving' and to 'go fast' won't be priorities.Won't I get the magic carpet feeling once on the foil irrespective of height?

A 75cm mast will be absolutely fine for you. I learned on a 60cm mast then used a slightly longer 78cm mast for about a year due to water depth in my location. at the time. You'll still have a ton of fun and get the foiling feeling. However, once you move to a longer mast, you'll enjoy it much more - because it's easier (once you know how to foil).

[Windigo1]

I learned on the same foil with the 60cm mast and it was fine for flat water. When you ride in waves the longer mast is needed because your wing can come out of the water when you are leaving a big wave and hitting the lower part of the next wave. That's a great setup for learning most people can ride the Shinn foil within a few hours.

[mar menor]

No waves here ,so that should makes things easier (or more accurately ,less difficult ) I have a 60cms for the initial learning stage,at what point do I move to a longer mast?
Also, someone suggested (think it was Gunnar ) use mast only,without wing, to learn boardstarts?

[mar menor]

everywhere on the picture above is maximum chest deep

[SonnyRider]

A 70 will suit you well there. Chest high water is needed for 80cm+ masts. Anything less and you'll be catching the wing during your learning.

A 60 will be good for starting and probably suit for your first few months, then size up to the 70

I have friends who have a place out there and have visited a couple of times. Not kited there, but have seen a few locals foiling.

Do they not have jellyfish nets anymore?

[mar menor]

No jelly fish nets,but a few fishing nets,but not in the best kite locations.Getting into foiling as we get a lot of wind in the 8-16 kts range particularly when it's hot (even in Feb we had 20c many days.Med is only 5mins away so good option for surfboard when it is windy (this wednesday 25+) So summer hydrofoil,winter surfboard,the latter hopefully useful skill transfer eg gybing/tacking

[Peter_Frank]

I think a 75 cm will be perfect, as it is so short that you can learn on it, and so short that you can ride in you "low" area, and still so long that you can have lots of fun doing all tricks and jumping, and you get the "Foil face" like everybody up flying for the first times

So you dont have to change from short to long mast, like many have to 50-60 cm for fastest learning and then 90-110 cm for general use when "normal" deeper water.

Peter