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Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

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Zeeko
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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby Zeeko » Mon Sep 10, 2012 4:45 pm

Hi,

I ride and develop foils for around 4years now.
Learning foil take some sessions (I expect 3-4days) to manage well the foil.
The main target is to manage the balance of your center of gravity to control the foil
For that the best is to pratice with a production foil and maybe only one strap for the front foot.

First trials, you should learn to glide without using the foil effect to control the leverage of the foil.

After that it takes some trials to find the best balance on the foil.
I'm jsut back from the french racing championship and finish 2nd of the Open Categorie, riding the ZEEKO Makaira foil, but strapless to have the maximum of freedom!

One pic here (foil is production one Makaira)
Image

Here in France: the 8 first riders used a foilboard,
On the internationals contest, foils are forbidden. Please push to introduce foil on racing contests!!!!


Image

short video about how to use it:
https://vimeo.com/44401071
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/44401071[/vimeo]

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Bille
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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby Bille » Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:03 pm

Zeeko --

You developed this foil ; then went out and got a # 2 in competition ?
THAT is Really COOL !!

Your foil looks to be quite High AR compared to others ; it probably does well
at Low speeds also ?

The pitch dampening looks like it should be good because the tail section is
back quite far in relation to the front foil ?

As stated before , i have No other option than to ride Strapped ; this will explain why :


http://www.thekiteboarder.com/wordpress ... lly-floyd/

Bille Floyd

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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby lbatbeach » Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:40 pm

Count me in. My wife bought me a custom foil built my MHL Customs just down the beach here in Puerto Rico. Beautiful piece of craftmanship. Havent tried it yet as we are full on into hurricane swell and no wind. She gave it to me down here but my plan is to use it back in Delaware (mid Atlantic coast US) since we have nice thermals and virtually no surf in summer. Plus no reef to negotiate. Should be really fun and will get me back on the water when I havent been in similar conditions. :thumb:

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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby KiteboardingTampaBay » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:08 am

Great thread!
It sparked a little interest in Foil boards for me, and I haven't seen the first negative comment- a rare thing for this place.
Let's keep it going.
Billie-
If you send me an email, or gimmie a shout by phone, I'd like to see if I could help you get a board through the adaptive sports division of our organization. (my PM doesn't work on here for 4 years or so) Get in touch and we'll make it happen. :thumb:

I have seen some other strapless foil vids where the guy did some sweet upwind turns. Will post it if I find it.

Steve
(813) 389-3683
info -at- actionsportsfoundation.+org

Zeeko
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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby Zeeko » Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:00 am

Billie,

our foil is one with High AR front fin. Our target is to use a small size front fin, and high AR allows to create a lot of power.
To control the power, we reduced the area of the fin.
For example a carafino front fin is around 0,75m², our is 0,5m². This make a foil very nice in light wind but very fast on the water too (because of no drag).
To control in high speed and high wind the foil, we use a wide distance between the front and the back fin.
This make the foil very easy to use not too agressive.
After 5 minutes, you can go very fast and ride upwind like hell if you are used with foil riding.

Our foil is 100% High modulus carbon and the weight is only 2,4Kg with a maximum of rigidity.
Hope you can have a try with.
Ride easy,

Nicolas

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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby KiteboardingTampaBay » Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:35 am

Based on what Gunnar said earlier, a shorter main mast makes it more forgiving for beginners. What is the average length, and what would be the (absolute) shortest length mast used? Would one that is 2 feet long or shorter be effective, or does it need to be 4' long because of ____?
I ride knee to waist deep water far more often than not and don't want to walk it out 1/2 mile offshore to ride it. :D

Does the size of the foil change or stay the same with the length of the mast?

Are the mast and foil set at any special angles to each other, or are they parallel?

If this is proprietary info, I understand completely, however, sharing some tips would most certainly reduce my shaper's carbon footprint. In fact, you would be doing a noble deed for the planet. :P

www.kiteboardingtampabay.com

Zeeko
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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby Zeeko » Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:47 am

I agree about the short mast for learning, but after some hours of use, you should love the longer mast as it has different advantages:
1- in choppy conditions: longer is the mast and less you have to change your balance to pass the chops
2- better upwind ability
3- less contact of the board with the water: when you ride upwind, the mast is not vertical but with an angle from the horizontal plan, then with a short mast make you will touch more often the water and loose your glide.
4- Long mast allows to have the fins more deep in the water: more deep = more water pressure on the fins, then more performance and control.

To summarize for me: short mast is perfect for school for the first trials, but after some hours, definitely long mast are more confortable and performant.

About the differents angles, for sure this is proprietary infos, but the most important is that the angles are defined by your fins, their profils, their areas, etc...
this is one tuning you should make when you develop a foil.
With our production foil, there is no possible tuning, you have nothing to change or trim as we did the work to find the best trimming.

One last info, as I'm quiet trained with foils, you have to understand that this is a real new sport, with the incredible upwind ability, the effortless upwind, the silence when you ride. You enter in a new world of sensation.
When you arrive in your favorite spot you know you can ride everywhere on it: goind upwind, downwind. This is fantastic! Listen your IPOD on the water, and discuss with your friends as there is no noises!

Regards,

Nicolas

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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby Zeeko » Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:49 am

Hi Billie, just looks your pics, that is very awesome,
congrat to ride like this,
I understand now why the straps!
for me the best is to ride then with only 2 straps one in front one backside. Some riders use 2 straps on front, but no need.

Regards,

Nicolas

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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby gmb13 » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:15 am

Hi Billie,

I agree with Nicolas. 2 Straps is enough. I think you cannot change your feet in the straps anyways and will be riding it back in toeside anyways correct?

--
Gunnar

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Re: Is it Hard to learn how to ride a Hydrofoil ?

Postby tautologies » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:40 am

gmb13 wrote:Hi Billie,

I agree with Nicolas. 2 Straps is enough. I think you cannot change your feet in the straps anyways and will be riding it back in toeside anyways correct?

--
Gunnar
no you can easily switch on the boards. :-)


I would HIGHLY discourage having only one strap. That is a recipe for disaster. No straps fine...two straps fine...one strap = disaster.

The having lower mast height advantages only advantage is if you fall. I don't think that is argument enough to buy a shorter mast. I would get the normal one, and plan on taking it slow.

I really like the idea of trying a high AR foil, but even on a a low AR the upwind ability is uncanny. My low ar foil seems to not be as good at going fast...but I have not ridden it enough to say for sure if it is the foil or me who is to fault (which leads me to conclude with me for now).


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