Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Kitesurfing St Kilda - up and going on the Moses foil

Session 504. Up and foiling at last!  There was a lot less people at St Kilda and the water was flatter. I was able to water start and get going on the foil first tack. I was amazed away by the speed.

I was able to get foiling on both tacks - a magic carpet ride!

Ivan tips were:
  • Keep the kite high
  • Get some speed to stabilise the foil
I noticed I had the kite too low which made the speed was difficult to control - this is a habit from kitesurfing waves where a low kite keeps pressure on your feet.

The mast climbed high on some occasions - 90cm is a long way above the water - and it wasn't always easy to get it back down. The foil broached a couple of times then the board came down fast, dug in and and I came off.

Getting the balance right is difficult - this requires significant practice.

What I learnt this session:
  • Wind speed 15 knots with my 10m kite was good, the water was fairly flat.
  • Foils are FAST.  Keep the kite high to slow the speed down.
  • My waist harness was riding up a lot.
Next session I intend to:
  • Practice micro flights to get comfortable with rising and slowing
  • Focus on keeping the kite high
  • Put my free hand forward to help shift weight forward
  • Possibly use my old seat harness
  • Possible remove the rear footstrap to make it easier to shift my rear foot forward
  • Turn (gybe) with the board on the water then ride toeside to get going in the opposite direction
  • Turn heelside with board on the water




More tips and information on kite foiling see Kitesurfing a foil board - Kitesurfing Handbook 

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