Postby ChristoffM » Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:32 pm
Different stokes for different folks. Some people like sailing, some like kiteboarding, some like sky diving. Most kiteboarders would probably like all teh outdoor sports whether graceful as sailing or adrenalin pumping like skydiving. Hydrofoiling is definitely more towards the sailing end of the spectrum for me and I enjoy that very much.
I kid you when I say that I prefer 10 knots over 20 knot winds these days.
I have been foiling exclusively for the last 3 months or so (since the season ended in Cape Town).
We got some strong South East winds here in Cape Town this week (unusual for winter) and my normal direction felt so powerless in the waves (like the wave had no energy). And it felt like I had to waste so much of my session just riding upwind to get back to surf another wave. And the chop on the water felt so much worse than I remember.
With the hydrofoil, you really feel the wave's energy which is something I love. You choose what waves you want to ride (5 km upwind or downwind no problem- just go there quickly). You get back upwind after riding a wave very quickly, most often in one tack. In light wind days the wave faces are so much cleaner, and then you also have all the waves all to yourself, even at a (normally) crowded place like Cape Town.
Mind you, if hydrofoiling was as popular as directional boards are today, it would be dangerous to kite at a crowded place like Cape Town. Sharp razors whizzing past everywhere(mind you, they are silent and you won hear them coming). No, don't buy hydrofoils! They are expensive, difficult, take time to set up, take time to walk into the sea to deep enough water, they are dangerous and did I say difficult? Rather get a SUP, they are too slow to steal any of my waves and will give you a better workout.