Nice score Averagejoe. That's going to make the learning curve super short. Lots of on foil time with a big wing and big foil.
Here's what you have to look forward too.
Here's what you have to look forward too.
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DIY kit?
- Thread starter PRCD
- Start date
What did you end up doing prcd? A few thoughts...
I am all for building boards. Foilboards are super low tech compared to surf. Especially winging at early stages. It's a barge. But in learning stage, to isolate variables, get a cheap 2nd hand learner board. It's not like early day, now there's lots of old gear around. Beginners use it a season then pass it on to next noob for what they paid.
Winging is easiest wind sport to learn but there is still some learning curve. A skateboard in a windy parking lot is excellent to.learn wing handling and need a lot less wind. If you have no foil experience, 1 hour behind a boat is worth 10 to 20 hours flailing on water (more for surf foil than wing).
Wind sports are a game changer for surfers, takes a shotty thing and makes it magic. But it is humbling and requires going with the flow. I have now seen a dozen surf buddies fail because insisted on doing it their own way, being the lone wolf surfer who knows best. It doesn't work. Sailors do what they do because it maximizes probability for success...whichbincludes gear choices, methods, and locations.
Spots is the biggie. Surfers figure their local is fine because it's blown out every day. If people are not sailing there it's likely not windy enough. Wind chasers congregate not because they're lonely kooks but because that spot has best chance of wind, after 100s or 1000s of tries and fails elsewhere. The sad reality....wind chasing requires a lot of driving. Our crew regularly drives 1 to 2 hours to get to optimal spot on any given wind call.
DO IT. You will be stoked. But getbused to tasty humble pie...sooner you accept that, smoother it'll go
I am all for building boards. Foilboards are super low tech compared to surf. Especially winging at early stages. It's a barge. But in learning stage, to isolate variables, get a cheap 2nd hand learner board. It's not like early day, now there's lots of old gear around. Beginners use it a season then pass it on to next noob for what they paid.
Winging is easiest wind sport to learn but there is still some learning curve. A skateboard in a windy parking lot is excellent to.learn wing handling and need a lot less wind. If you have no foil experience, 1 hour behind a boat is worth 10 to 20 hours flailing on water (more for surf foil than wing).
Wind sports are a game changer for surfers, takes a shotty thing and makes it magic. But it is humbling and requires going with the flow. I have now seen a dozen surf buddies fail because insisted on doing it their own way, being the lone wolf surfer who knows best. It doesn't work. Sailors do what they do because it maximizes probability for success...whichbincludes gear choices, methods, and locations.
Spots is the biggie. Surfers figure their local is fine because it's blown out every day. If people are not sailing there it's likely not windy enough. Wind chasers congregate not because they're lonely kooks but because that spot has best chance of wind, after 100s or 1000s of tries and fails elsewhere. The sad reality....wind chasing requires a lot of driving. Our crew regularly drives 1 to 2 hours to get to optimal spot on any given wind call.
DO IT. You will be stoked. But getbused to tasty humble pie...sooner you accept that, smoother it'll go
I’m going to take a lesson. The guy has light wind gear. I’d like to try behind a boat but I don’t know anyone with one and I don’t want to buy a bunch of expensive gear to try it.
When I was in MN, a bunch of the kite foil guys got wings and were cruising the parking lots of the launches on big skateboards. Those guys knew what was up.
I agree with everything in your post. Once I got into kitesurfing, regular surfing took a back seat during kite season - pretty much March - October. I really enjoy the sailing aspect. The sensation of speed. Speed on a kitesurf board usually means chop and chop beats the sh!t out of my legs after awhile. Then I started on kite foil and I actually wanted to slow it down some. I felt a little out of control. I think the wing is going to be the ticket.
I usually have to drive 45 minutes to my preferred spot. There is a spot right down the street from my house that gets wind, but it’s almost straight onshore and there’s a huge kelp bed a little downwind from the first reach, so if you don’t make it past the kelp you’re fvkd - ask me how I know. I’ve seen a few guys winging. Once you know what you’re doing on a wing, you can get straight upwind. Then, out past the kelp, it’s literally smooth sailing.
Wingers tend to stay in dominant surf stance when wave riding, so it's good to practice not changing your feet on skateboard, turn and ride toeside instead. With fairly loose trucks, should be able to smoothly turn, change with position and go the other way. Practice the wing movement on grass first, walking through the turns, pretty simple but does take some getting used to at start.
The key to turning, on land or water, is to first turn straight downwind with only one hand on wing (front strap or top strap on leading edge), let it luff (float in wind with no power), and then re-engage with back hand to get a little power, then turn the way you want to go. That is also the key to wave riding...downwind in the swell, then turn to toeside down the line, then cut back to heelside, down the line the other way, top turn bottom turn cutback combo, rinse n repeat.
Strange thing about skate wing is that a tack (upwind turn) is an advanced move on water, but on skate it comes really easy...great way to learn it.
Practicing riding switch would be good on skateboard too, if you're fairly proficient at it skating without a wing. I'd be too chicken, as falling on concrete hurts. But having some skill on wrong foot forward can really help if you're in a location where you don't have enough downwind area....as that's the weak link that causes people to end up way down wind, which wrecks your session....endless walks of shame until you learn to hold position.
Skate wing: wear pads! especially wrist guards
From what you said...I think you'll love winging. Except in kelp....So. Very. Bad. At least with a kite you can body drag over with board upside down...with wing you're hooped.
I think wing has some pros and cons compared to kiting...each may be ideal on different days...so ideally do both! But I doubt you'll kitefoil much any more, that itch will be scatched with wing. But the kite surf slashes and the twintip jumping, I miss both and gotta get back on it.
Tacking is pretty advanced. Gibe would come first.
My kit is complete. Found a used F-One 5’10 110L board, Takoon 4m & 5M and the Axis foil. Of course, the wind forecast is lackluster for the beginner spots…
Here are a couple beginner videos I think are pretty helpful
It didn’t let me post the actual link…
i have to do everything the hard way. It’s just who I am haha.
Did you buy all this stuff new or used? I think I need a 135L downwind boar for starters .
facebook group.
Also a 3 month wait for a lesson? Try Josh at foilshop.com Or even one of the efoil lesson guys on craigslist.
I got the board and foil used. Wings new. Your volume sounds right but the downwind boards seem narrower and less stable than the freeride boards. Based on your size, I would try to get a used F-One SUP foil board to start.
I learned kite surfing the hard way, mostly because the drive to beginner spots was twice as long as the drive to Waddell. There were pros and cons.
Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to learning wind sports. Take your time and have fun with the process.
I've got an eFoil lesson lined up. How big a wing? I haven't seen greater than 11 knots wind in the past month. I'd like to get something for that + practicing on land and on a skateboard, hopefully all in the same wing.
11kt is doable with 6m and bigger foil, once you're skilled. As a beginner, you want more power, being under powered sucks...so you'll want a 7m or 8m if that's your regular wind speed. For skateboard, you could use 4m in 11kt, very little drag, don't need much wind, and can quickly have too much wind unless you like going really fast.
Thanks. I think I'll just get an 8m and for the land practice I'll do it in lower winds and sheet out a lot. I have gotten road rash skating downhill and am not looking to repeat that.11kt is doable with 6m and bigger foil, once you're skilled. As a beginner, you want more power, being under powered sucks...so you'll want a 7m or 8m if that's your regular wind speed. For skateboard, you could use 4m in 11kt, very little drag, don't need much wind, and can quickly have too much wind unless you like going really fast.
Used Wing Hydrofoil Gear - MACkite Boardsports Center
Used winging gear at affordable prices, available at MACkite Boardsports Center.
www.mackiteboarding.com
Buy that. You won't feel as bad scraping it on concrete. 8M wings are very wide (and expensive). I don't like them personally. I drag wingtips to often. They do help in under 15 MPH wind though.
Yep, that's fair warning about big wings for light winds. Many (possibly most) wingers would prefer to quit than ride in situations that require a wing this big. It really does present some difficult logistics that can kinda wreck aspects of what makes it fun....big heavy wing to maneuver while wave riding, constant wipeouts due to catching wingtips, or maybe worst of all, the big wing makes it possible to attempt to ride in super marginal conditions that inevitably lead to long slogs and swims. Plus there's typically no wind swell to play in when winds are light anyway.Used Wing Hydrofoil Gear - MACkite Boardsports Center
Used winging gear at affordable prices, available at MACkite Boardsports Center.
Buy that. You won't feel as bad scraping it on concrete. 8M wings are very wide (and expensive). I don't like them personally. I drag wingtips to often. They do help in under 15 MPH wind though.
I have a high power 6m as my low end and have had a 7m, but for specialty reasons: when it's 12kt and there's good surf, I want to be able to wing it with some power to spare. WIthout surf and just for light wind playing around, it might not be worth the effort. As Hdip suggests: find a cheap gen1 6m, bang it up while learning, then upgrade later, that's the best bet. Above all: go to your local spot, observe what the experienced people are doing and copy them. That will shave months off of a very frustrating learning curve. Though I get the sense that's not how you roll ... and I have seen how the surfer DIY attitude plays out in wind sports over and over, it's the same butt kicking you'll get, just varies if quicker or extended ;-)
I don't think you'd ever use an 8m with a skateboard, as it's not needed. While learning, tape up wing ends to avoid scraping it on the pavement. If you feel start to feel overpowered skating, be quick to let the wing luff on the front handle and glide it out vs hanging on and getting pulled over....pavement is a lot harder than water.
had my first water session in 15-20kt wind on a flat water lake. spent most of the time taxing on my knees, trying to stay upwind. several attempts to get to my feet that ended in splash landings. got some good pointers from the guys i went with who are pretty far ahead of me.
sore as a mf today ahaha
can't wait to get back out there
sore as a mf today ahaha
can't wait to get back out there