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Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

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slowboat
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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby slowboat » Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:33 pm

Laughingman wrote:
Fri Apr 20, 2018 2:12 pm
Peter_Frank wrote:
Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:42 pm
Interesting thoughts here...

But one thing where I dont agree - I dont find the shorter masts more agile at all, on the contrary...
WHEN up and flying that is :thumb:
8) PF
Well I think it would be fair to point out that surfers on hydrofoils prefer the shorter mast and if they are not agile I not sure who would be?
Surfers on foils do use shorter masts but it is not for increased agility, it is a necessity. Prone surfing or SUP surfing with a long mast is just not practical. For kiters however, in real waves, longer masts are preferred.

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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby jkrug » Sat May 19, 2018 4:23 pm

i actually find the shorter mast is harder because there is less room for error. I learned on a long mast with a beginner type wing (LF Rocket setup), but then got Impulse Wing with shorter mast. I find touching down with the board is much more likely with the shorter mast, and that seems to make sense given the fact there's less distance between my board and the water now. So I find it more challenging, not less, with the shorter mast. It's like I have to be more precise with the shorter mast. This is good and bad...good because it makes me more precise, bad because i always have to be more precise! i suppose (and hope) practice will alleviate that. But the points here that shorter masts are generally a stepping stone to longer ones seems a bit off to me (i'm not referring to things like the Flight school, where real short masts are a benefit in initial learning). They're just different.

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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat May 19, 2018 4:46 pm

My very thoughts too jkrug :thumb:

8) PF

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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby galewarning » Sat May 19, 2018 5:48 pm

Short masts are great for shallow areas, like all along the Laguna Madre of the Texas coast. Masts much longer than 60 cm are impractical for shallows. And yes, you have to be more precise with a shorter mast, but when you aren't precise and breech, it's easier to reset the foil and not pearl. That said, I like "short" being about 60 cm [24"]. The really short baby-step trainer masts, about 40 cm [15"], are so short that they ventilate almost as soon as you lift off the water. BTW, I'm still floundering at the not ready for full length ability for deep water... Need a few more sessions on the 60 cm...

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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby Big Wally » Sat May 19, 2018 7:17 pm

With that said then how come I had zero trouble riding the short mast (18 inches LF) all over the Ocean with very little effort. Then switch to a Long mast getting up and just riding the Board flat on the water has been frustrating to say the least ??

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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby jkrug » Sat May 19, 2018 8:18 pm

that's why i said i wasn't talking about the 'real short masts'. imagine the ease of riding a 1 inch mast. but we're talking approximately 60cm vs 90cm here, i think. when i first learnt (and believe me, i still consider myself a beginner after 6 months under my belt), i went from 18 inch mast (1 day) to 24 inch mast (3 days), to 39 inch mast (many, many days), all with footstraps. It was harder at each step, but even then i noticed i was riding mostly my board (not the foil) on those shorter masts. and when riding on the foil, touching down often. i was just trying to get the feel of things, and those more experienced told me to just learn that way, keeping the nose down. after finally feeling a bit comfortable on the 39 inch and rarely touching down, i took my straps off and had a hell of a time learning to start strapless...but practice made it happen. then i got a surf style wing with the 24 inch mast. and now i'm touching down again! so that's what i meant. for me, i want to be proficient with big and short masts. btw, i tried my surf wings with the 39 inch mast one day, and i couldn't even get up. conditions were terrible, and i haven't tried it since, but i will, and i know it'll be another challenge. one thing helps me with takeoff...send the kite the opposite direction i'm about to go in. i do that to get myself a bit out of the water, then i quickly send it back forward. this gets me pointing downwind properly on take-off and seems to slow the process down, in a good way.

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Re: Going from Short Mast to Long mast Advice

Postby Big Wally » Sat May 19, 2018 10:17 pm

Great tip JK! I’ll dive the kite that way.


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