By ASV Performance.
Generally overrated foiling tacks and jibes can become hard to master without the right tips.
Approaching these maneuvers at the right time is crucial. Make sure you can safely ride your hydrofoil without falling both upwind and downwind before even considering trying to learn these maneuvers.
In the columns below I have selected the key steps and the most effective tips to help you succeed. Make sure you are 80% with your tacks before attempt to jibe. Good luck !
Foiling Tack
Ideal conditions: 10 to 20 kts & smooth water
Preparation: with board laying on soft sand and hydrofoil dismounted, practice switching your feet. You need to be able to find your foostraps without looking.
Tips
- Approach the tack from about cross wind
- Keep two hands on the bar the whole time
- Send board into the wind the internal arm like like to create room for your head to go under your armpit
- Switch your feet before the nose of your board crosses the wind
- The kite must now be right on top of you
- As your front foot is on the new tack dive the kite and apply pressure with your back foot to keep foil engaged
Dos and Don’ts
- Don’t approach from tight upwind angle. Will be too hard to maintain speed
- Don’t switch feet too late or you’ll be sent into a 360
- Don’t lean back our you’ll do a back roll
- If your kite is still facing the old tack when you switch your feet you’ll fall back
- If your kite is already going new tack when switching the feet, you’ll be pulled forward before regain your balance on new tack
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Foiling Jibe
Ideal conditions: 8 to 15 kts & smooth water
Preparation: Practice riding toe-side in a straight line
Tips
- Avoid going in the water under-powered
- Approach the jibe going a bit deeper then cross wind
- Go at slow speed
- Before switching your feet perform a little pump on the hydrofoil like if you had to go over a chop
- Make sure your bar is all the way down in search for power and the lift you need to stay up foiling
- Be as quick as possible to switch your front feet as the foil will tend to go down. Re-applly pressure with back foot as soon as possible to keep foiling
- With feet on new tack and kite above your head downloop the kite as high as possible
- Gently incline the foil to complete the turn
- Rise kite again to be able to put back foot into the strap
Dos and Don’ts
- Don’t approach from too much downwind. You will not have enough lift from the kite
- Don’t switch feet with inclined board
- Don’t lean forward like in Formula’s jibes or you’ll sink the nose
- complete the turn as quick and tight as possible to avoid your lines to go slack
- Literally hang from the bar to have the kite take most of your weight
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Watch the video below to get a visual of what explained. Bare in mind that placing your back foot in the back strap right away is not crucial to master those maneuvers. Quick feet and kite placement are super important so don’t overlook the preparation and stay focused.
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