Early beginner stuff...tips please.

[Johhnn]

OK, not much wind around here these days. I've got an Alpine Foil beginner/freeride wing with the surfboard style board. I can body drag really well, 3 knots, and I can get up and ride the board on both port and starboard tacks with the board on the water for about 0.5 km/0.25 mi pretty comfortably. I can go upwind like this. The wind has been light most times so I haven't been able to quite get up to speed. I expect I need about 12 knots to begin foiling. I have the Velocitek speed puck on the board and this has been very helpful to judge speed and, after the session, to look at upwind, etc.

My plan is to try to get up at low height on the foil and start going short distances and drop the board back on the water maintaining control. I'm not quite sure what to expect as I get up on the foil and this is the kind of information I'm looking for. If I do a little hop on the board as I'm planing along, will I start foiling and shoot forward at high speed? Will it be very touchy in terms of balance in pitch and roll? Is it correct that turning is accomplished by yaw more than by roll? I'd appreciate any comments.

[Hawaiis]

What model Apine is that? A picture might help.
The 4.5 is not a free ride, it is a high Aspect Ratio, high speed foil,
You turn with both yaw and roll. The easiest way that I have learned to turn a high AR foil is to turn only 15 degrees left and right like doing slalom with a car.
Gradually increase the angle, and before long you will be making a full turn.

[cglazier]

Start riding your board slowly and then increase your speed. The hydrofoil will begin to elevate you. Then do two things to keep from going too high.
1 keep your weight forward
2. depower your kite

Most beginners instinctively lean back and edge hard which is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Many of us figure that it takes 5 to 10 hours of effort to be riding in control comfortably. Have fun.

CG

[Johhnn]

Hawaii's: Thanks you. It's the 4.5. I beg to differ. I agree it is high AR, but they call it "XLP" for Extra Large Program meaning it is ok for beginners. Maybe not the easiest to learn on, but hopefully ok. The builder tells me you need about 12 knots to lift off.

cglazier: Thanks. This is what I'm doing. Even just getting going on the board in pretty light wind (12-15 mph), I have to depower drastically once I'm up. It's surprising. I go from full power to almost complete depower and then I can kind of relax and cruise along. Next time I'm out, I'll go from this point, if comfortable, and try adding a little more power and speed.

[Peter_Frank]

YES, it will be extremely touchy in terms of pitch, and you will fall right away, many times

Roll is stable as a rock, and you can not really influence the board much or at all, by putting weight on the rails, so dont do that.
The roll balance will be kept by itself, really amazing, so dont worry about it at all.

You will not be able to foil at a low height for starters, eventhough this sounds "tempting and easy".

When you get up, you will have to learn to manage the pitch/height, and this is the difficult part that for most riders takes a lot of time.

And you WILL fall, when you get up, and most likely will the foil shoot out of the water, while you plunge into the water to windward or leeward or forward - thats normal and you have to try again and again.
Use a helmet, and close your eyes and take your arms up in front of your head, so you dont get hit "wrong" by the foil - as you will most likely not have much orientation the first times.

Later you will learn to fall and know how to fall and how to avoid trouble with both the board and foil

Enjoy and have fun - it is AMAZING, especially the first short times you get up !


Dont worry about acceleration and high speed - as you wont be able to ride so long that this will be an issue

Like said before - just go out and do it.

PF

[Johhnn]

Thanks Peter. This is just the sort of information I was looking for. And I appreciate the encouragement/stoke.

[flying grandpa]

My plan is to try to get up at low height on the foil and start going short distances and drop the board back on the water maintaining control.

You have the best plan to learn foiling I've ever heard of.

This way you will spend most of your time onboard, learning new skill, and least time in water, swiming around your board.
When the foil start to lift, press the front foot immediately to force the board back onto the water.
You just made your first, 2-3 meter flight.

Let next one to be a bit longer, but stay on the safe side.

In spite of thinking what to do - have fun . It is like learning to ride a bicycle. The more you ride, the more muscle memory you get.
When in comfort , play with new moves, i.e Hawaiis suggestion to turn a bit right and left, a small slalom.
It is better to ride (you are satisfied and learning ) than to fall ( you are angry and swimming) to keep your persistence alive.
One hour session for me was the best, as we are using muscles that were not working when kitsurfing.
Best conditions to learn is flat water + steady wind.

Have fun - best advice to speed up your learning process.
Ted

[Slyde]

very useful thread. Finally got my first session yesterday after waiting more than a month for even 10 knots of breeze. Followed this advice and managed to foil a little on both tacks so I'm happy with the first steps. Main issues I had was positioning the board for starting in the small onshore wash. Wind was marginal and gusty. Definitely easier to get going when the wind was a little stronger.
Why is it that when you go to the deserted end of the beach to practice all the twin tippers decide to follow you there???

[Johhnn]

OK. I got out yesterday for 2 half hour sessions. The wind was stable and it went really well. I got up foiling for "moderate" distances on both tacks. I could even take a few seconds to appreciate the feeling now and then. It is very smooth. But mostly I was concentrating very hard on what I was doing. It is hard work. I pretty much did everything possible. I shot up really to max height on the board and, somehow, was able to keep going. I got up, slammed the board down, and kept going, board on the water. I did some out-of-control kangarooing. A couple of times I got going so fast I decided I better just hop off. Once or twice I was able to turn downwind to slow down, settle back on the water and keep going. I had some spectacular crashes (people on the beach were impressed), but nothing hurt, pretty much controlled wipeouts. Forecast is good today, so I might be able to get out again. I've got about 6 hours, so the estimate of 5-10 hours to get going seems right.

[Hawaiis]

OK. I got out yesterday for 2 half hour sessions. The wind was stable and it went really well. I got up foiling for "moderate" distances on both tacks. I could even take a few seconds to appreciate the feeling now and then. It is very smooth. But mostly I was concentrating very hard on what I was doing. It is hard work. I pretty much did everything possible. I shot up really to max height on the board and, somehow, was able to keep going. I got up, slammed the board down, and kept going, board on the water. I did some out-of-control kangarooing. A couple of times I got going so fast I decided I better just hop off. Once or twice I was able to turn downwind to slow down, settle back on the water and keep going. I had some spectacular crashes (people on the beach were impressed), but nothing hurt, pretty much controlled wipeouts. Forecast is good today, so I might be able to get out again. I've got about 6 hours, so the estimate of 5-10 hours to get going seems right.

That is an achievement considering that you started with a High Aspect Ratio Wing. Good Job.