This detailed tutorial guides you to your first flights on a hydrofoil. It provides step by step drills to help you to learn with less chance of injury:
00:11 carrying, handling and bodydragging etc
01:13 balance, weight distribution, depowering the hydrofoil & surface riding (taxiing), and hand transitions.
06:23 short safe practice flights, ascending and descending the hydrofoil
07:55 longer hydrofoil flights and speed control
09:14 How to crash and how NOT to crash
10:07 Basic tips for the safest equipment and conditions
Eventhough one detail, the start shown having the front hand on the board, does work when using straps - but IMO using the backhand is way better, as this is how you are gonna do it anyways, when you move on to strapless, like more than one third of all kitefoilers do eventually
Eventhough one detail, the start shown having the front hand on the board, does work when using straps - but IMO using the backhand is way better, as this is how you are gonna do it anyways, when you move on to strapless, like more than one third of all kitefoilers do eventually
Peter
In my case I haven´t ditched the straps yet because my heavy foil makes it hard to edge the board (big dwarfcraft).
The only time I tried I had to hold the edge with the back hand until the kite had power enough to get going. If I let go before the board drops flat and I have to start over. I struggled even more on lighter winds.
Is there a better technique to start strapless with heavy foils? Maybe hold with front hand and downloop the kite
The idea is, that you hold the board edged with your rear hand on the tail of the board, front hand on the bar controlling the kite steering it a little back of course.
Now with your front hand you can dive the kite down aggressively, still holding the board edged (important if having a heavier foil), and when kite powers up you can pull yourself up on the board.
Peter
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