my learning progession on a hydrofoil

[borist]

The only problem with my progression is the number of hours I have done… almost 300 hours of foiling in 20 months…

Are you saying that you feel you're progressing too slowly? If so, relax. I have the same feeling. I'm sure you are lot more in tune with your foil now. Probably improved low speed handling a lot or can recover from situations that led to crash before and so on. In other words, you are still improving, just that some progression is not that obvious.

[OzBungy]

I feel that I have pushed through a plateau and I am progressing again.

The thing that I was doing wrong was obsessing about foot position and pressing down on feet and legs to trim. This worked to an extent but I felt precarious and unable to push hard.

The big change is that I now think about body weight and centre of gravity. Simplistically, all I have done is move my shoulders forward to trim. I now feel much more stable and can ride with a lot more aggression. The fear of falling is mostly gone and I can try all sorts of new things without worrying about crashing and having to start again.

This has opened me up to riding fully in the straps, jumping, carving harder gybes, and some quite decent foiling gybe attempts (made 3 so far). Because I don't need to think about the board and foil so much I am now free to concentrate on kite handling so the odd timing mistakes I was making are also reduced.

There is one other thing that has helped me, but might not be for everyone. I stopped wearing a helmet. I was getting a lot of discomfort and some pain when crashing while wearing a helmet. It reached a stage that I was afraid to crash because of the pain. Now if I crash it just makes a splash. It is so much more comfortable.

[plummet]

Yeah. I second that upper body C of g Shift thing. That's what help me break through to. Sounds like your abit more advanced than me. I'm still sorting jybes. Getting there. I'll be super stoked when I can jybe every time without crashing!.

[meteo]

The only problem with my progression is the number of hours I have done… almost 300 hours of foiling in 20 months…

Are you saying that you feel you're progressing too slowly? If so, relax. I have the same feeling. I'm sure you are lot more in tune with your foil now. Probably improved low speed handling a lot or can recover from situations that led to crash before and so on. In other words, you are still improving, just that some progression is not that obvious.

Yes!!!! I think my progression is « slow »… I did my first aerial jibe with feet change one year ago… and only now… can I say that some of them are smooth… But today I got the ultimate compliment… A beginner foiler told me that he liked watching me ride because I make it look elegant and easy… Yessssss!

But fundamentally, my progression is slowed down by my “fear” of crashing… I imagine being in my 20’s again, probably I’d be more “daring” and progress faster… but then, I would have to work, and could not get in 300 hours of foiling into 1,7 years…

[plummet]

The only problem with my progression is the number of hours I have done… almost 300 hours of foiling in 20 months…

Are you saying that you feel you're progressing too slowly? If so, relax. I have the same feeling. I'm sure you are lot more in tune with your foil now. Probably improved low speed handling a lot or can recover from situations that led to crash before and so on. In other words, you are still improving, just that some progression is not that obvious.

Yes!!!! I think my progression is « slow »… I did my first aerial jibe with feet change one year ago… and only now… can I say that some of them are smooth… But today I got the ultimate compliment… A beginner foiler told me that he liked watching me ride because I make it look elegant and easy… Yessssss!

But fundamentally, my progression is slowed down by my “fear” of crashing… I imagine being in my 20’s again, probably I’d be more “daring” and progress faster… but then, I would have to work, and could not get in 300 hours of foiling into 1,7 years…

Well there's no rush. Go out and ride! have fun. You don't need to progress every session!

On a side note. I'm finding each stage of significant progression seems incredibly difficult and almost impossible of the HF. You seem do bash away for sessions not getting anywhere, And then boom. A break through and what was incredibly difficult quickly becomes easy.

Did my first jybes on the open ocean today. 1.5m swell and 15-25 knots. Man I was stoked. I called it a successful jybe if I could get around without my arse getting wet! When I can confidently jybe on each tack my grin factor will be huge!

In a distant furture I can see that foiling jybes will be the way for open ocean chop and swell. Then I would need to worry what the surface condition is like. At the I have to look for and time the jybe for a bit of less bumpy sea.

Also attempted some toeside on my bad side as well today. Missing some skin on my shin as a result! No sure I even want to bother with badside toeside...... But I might need the skill for better jybeing????

[Kamikuza]

Yeah, I've pussied out of riding toe side goofy--heel side either way is fine, though. I can foiling gybe heel to toe and toe to heel natural, and surface switch feet both ways so I've been enjoying the heck out of that. When the weather is more clement and I have more energy I might work on my weak points

Try water starting to toe side?

[meteo]

That's exactly what I mean by slow progression... I have never tried riding toe-side on my bad side... I do it perfectly on both sides on a TT, but did not even try it (in 300 hours) on my foil.... I always change my feet in the same direction... that is from toe-side to heel after a jibe and heel to toe-side before my jibe. My reasonning here, is that I should get it right on my good side before foing for it on my bad side... But now, I am getting good enough on my "good" side to start considering trying it on my bad side... but I have only 5 days left... then back to winter (long blade ice skating) for the nex two months.

[abel]

Try water starting to toe side?

Huh?
Can you pls. elaborate

[plummet]

Try water starting to toe side?

Huh?
Can you pls. elaborate

I can water start toeside on my good side. Haven't tried it on my bad side.

[Kamikuza]

That's exactly what I mean by slow progression... I have never tried riding toe-side on my bad side... I do it perfectly on both sides on a TT, but did not even try it (in 300 hours) on my foil.... I always change my feet in the same direction... that is from toe-side to heel after a jibe and heel to toe-side before my jibe. My reasonning here, is that I should get it right on my good side before foing for it on my bad side... But now, I am getting good enough on my "good" side to start considering trying it on my bad side... but I have only 5 days left... then back to winter (long blade ice skating) for the nex two months.

It's only recently that I've been able to ride toeside on a TT at all, I think due to being able to do it first on the directional...and the Dynabar. Can do it goofy on the directional but not at all on the TT