Tips for learning to ride toeside

[RichR2]

I'm confidently riding on all points of sailing and have been working on heelside to toeside turns. I can fly round without touching down but once on toeside it all falls apart. I know that practice makes perfect and that I will get there but are there any tips anyone can offer that helped them to crack toeside riding. Thanks.

[jaros]

As soon as you turn, ride into the wind to keep the tension in the lines. And practise, practise, practise...

[Peter_Frank]

The smaller the kite (less powered), the easier, as long as it isnt so small you can barely foil, then it become tricky again.

Some prefer to use a harness with a sliding hook to be able to twist more upwind (I dont like it, got one but dont like the sloppy feel eventhough it in theory might help with my "stiff" old body) so can also help.

Keep the kite high so it wont run away with you even when going lower toeside than heelside (we all do that, go lower and less efficent)

Dont downloop the kite - fly it up and over so you wont get the high speed acceleration at the wrong times and end up with kite low.

As said - practise practise practise so you learn to have the kite at the right place at the right time, and you can ride any course toeside: upwind, halfwind, broad reach, deep downwind

Peter

[Foil]

welcome to the "hitting the wall"
it took me ages to break through the wall,
I was the same as you, getting round then argh splash or flying out of control downwind and then splash.
The main thing that worked for me was to keep the kite high as I twist/spin the board round and at the same time throw out your leading arm whilst leaning into the turn at the same time balancing things out by gently pulling in the power with your kite arm which will be feeling for the correct amount of power to gently ease away upwind on toeside, having the kite depowered helped a lot, and still does to really get tight angles and ovoid any pulling downwind.
flying the kite over the top was hard in light airs, underloops helped when the wind was light, but be ready to reloop if you touch down or quickly sine the kite to get back off the surface then shoot that leading arm back out and fly upwind like a pro.
I use a seat harness and found a sliding rope connection helped a lot, but I have my harness pulled in really tight so it never moves, some have a looser harness which gives a bit more sideways movement for toeside,
a sloppy harness with a rope slider must give even more twist ability, perhaps too much.

[RichR2]

Thanks guys, useful stuff to consider. I guess it's like all things foiling...practice, practice and even more practice 🤪

[haare]

Break it in parts:
1 learn to waterstart directly to toeside. This is useful and easier than heel to toe side turn.
2 learn to ride board on water toeside (it helps if you use bigger kite than usual)
3 learn to foil downwind (for me going slightly downwind made toeside easier)
4 learn to go upwind toeside.
5 learn first toeside to heel turn. This is usually easier, because heel is your "stronger" side.
6 Learn heel to toeside turn.

[GCKiter]

Visualize your body being an extension of the mast and always carry enough speed through the turn

[Craz Z]

I agree with all the tips so far.

If your not using a slider rope harness get one.
Next is a couple of things like others said downwind is where the turns can happen at a moderately slower speed. go down wind kite high and slowly maneuver it to the new direction of toeside if you can go straight downwind without stalling and outruning your kite you won't even notice you are turning riding flat then all you have to do is ease into the toe.

I noticed when railing upwind the kite is generating its own power and when letting off to try the turn you are outrunning the kite super fast to where you lose speed, touch down, and the kite is stalling. One way to stop this is timing in a down loop on the turn. Its tricky at first but once you get it it keeps your speed up and turning to toe is really easy. practice on a directional if not comfortable on foil.

You have to commit to the toe to make it happen and try to not upwind aggresively at first if you need to take a level tack or even downwind slightly just feel the toe! At first keep level and practice staying in control then start to lean more into it for upwind performance.

Another big tip is like others said if your not efficient with your kites you need to keep practicing to get to the smallest size you can this really makes it simple as its not constantly trying to pull you off axis.

I think one of the hardest bad habits to break for foiling is the fear of "going downwind" if your a veteran of kiting you know all to well what happens when you go downwind "walk of shame time" on traditional twins and directionals. You have to wrap your head around who cares i can make it a mile upwind in one tack mentality. once you break this thought process alot of the wall will begin to crumble.

The only fear a foiler should have is if the water turns to glass.

[tegirinenashi]

If you can do the turn, then you are on the stage which is quite similar to progressing from riding heel side board-on-the-water to flying. Just try riding toe side with board on the water for some time and flying would click in the same way as it did with heel side. This is where I disagree with others who advise smaller kite, because you need to be little more powered with board on the water.

If you fall before that - that is sometime during the turn - then perhaps several sessions dialing this transition and toeside riding on surfboard would help?

[Peter_Frank]

If you can do the turn, then you are on the stage which is quite similar to progressing from riding heel side board-on-the-water to flying. Just try riding toe side with board on the water for some time and flying would click in the same way as it did with heel side. This is where I disagree with others who advise smaller kite, because you need to be little more powered with board on the water.

If you fall before that - that is sometime during the turn - then perhaps several sessions dialing this transition and toeside riding on surfboard would help?

But board on the water is probably NO problem for RichR2 as this is how we are used to riding powered on TTs or Waveboards, so I am not in doubt he can do this easily...

Whereas on a hydrofoil he will for starters not be able to point very high toeside, so if too much kite it is impossible IMO, and overall, a smaller well chosen size is so much better.

I can not see any reason why you should practise board on the water?

As it would just be like you are used to on your other boards...

Whereas it is when foiling and getting too much apparent wind you can not "resist" nor control things when toeside, so things get tricky and eventually a crash - and here a well balanced not too big kite will help you hugely IMO.

PF