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nearly got it

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juandesooka
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nearly got it

Postby juandesooka » Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:52 am

My foil learning progression has just crossed into something towards capable...able to ride back and forth, up on foil for stretches of time, and stay upwind. YAHOO.

I did 8 or 10 sessions behind my boat, until able to ride fairly steadily. Today was 2nd day trying on the kite. I am a left foot forward surfer and have practiced that with the foil, but not right foot forward. Felt super awkward, so I only rode left forward, heelside/toeside. To start kiting I had to body drag out, ride in, repeat. Yesterday, long walk of shame, today a few walk backs and then got it.

A few thoughts:

-- definitely easier with kite, as you can control speed/power yourself. But I'd still start behind boat for learning. I wish I had forced myself to learn right foot forward there too.

-- found you could control lift on foil by sheeting in/out, but leaving kite stable...that's pretty cool.

-- kelp really really sucks...body dragging out I twice connected up, with board becoming an anchor

-- vicious wipeouts from up high....painful neck.

-- my carafino foil has some vibration while up....not sure if that's normal or just mine out of tune or damaged...I got it used

That's about it ... just stoked to have joined the club. :thumb:

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Peter_Frank
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Re: nearly got it

Postby Peter_Frank » Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:08 am

Awesome :thumb:

It is so much more difficult to find a boat around here, and I think it is more difficult too when nothing to lean on to ?

Regarding left/right foot forward, I am a bit baffled over this - as I assume you are an experienced kitesurfer so used to either directionals, OR doing tricks/jumps with both left and right foot forward ?
Can only say, that it is really important to practice with both sides very soon, as otherwise it will become a problem.
It is because you use a boat, you encounter this - as if starting with a kite you will practice both sides equally - but after a boat you use your strong side.

The advantage is though, that even though some has a very strong/weak side, it is useful on both tacks, as when you ride on your "weak" side, you will have better control during jibes/turns where your front foot dictates the direction change and balance.

Regarding any "singing" sound - it is pretty normal.
Can be both very small scratches or imperfections where your foil wings/tips are a bit damaged from the bottom - but can also be simple sound resonance from junctions or from the vortices created by the foils.

So unless it is REALLY loud and you can feel it oscillate under your feet, I would not worry about it at all :naughty:

8) PF

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Re: nearly got it

Postby Kite Rider » Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:35 am

juandesooka wrote:-- my carafino foil has some vibration while up....not sure if that's normal or just mine out of tune or damaged...I got it used
Add some tape (electrical, construction) to the trailing edge of the front wing.

Image

Image

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juandesooka
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Posts: 1193
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Gear: Ocean Rodeo wings&kites / GoFoil
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Re: nearly got it

Postby juandesooka » Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:45 pm

Thanks for the response Peter.

I am a solid intermediate kiter but have a lazy goofy foot. I can ride both ways on TT and surfboard, but have never learned to bear off downwind right foot forward or ride toeside that way, and awkward jumping that direction. Something I need to work on ... but always "next session". :oops:

[I think it is from being a surfer/snowboarder first]

Anyways, right foot forward on foil feels like the very first day over again, when it felt like my ankle was going to break on wipeouts. I need to invest a solid day on it....but having so much fun progressing the other way that it's hard to step back to the frustrating and scary beginning. But for now, oddly enough, I may be slightly more smooth and steady up on the foil toeside than heelside at the moment.

I will give that a try wind rider.


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