Hey Foilers
Im after some hints about kite inputs to jibe a fast foil.
I started leaning on a fast foil and it was super scary - never even tried to jibe !!
After a tune up by a friend I bought a Zeeko Spitfire with the big wings (xxlw) - what an amazing difference !! I can now ride natural and goofy and toe side both sides and jibe - figure of 8 is where Im having fun atm.
However - yesterday I changed out the spitfire fusilage for the Carver wing fuse (2 bolts - how easy is that!!) - its so much faster but I can now ride it both ways and toes side - woo hoo !!
BUT - with the Carver its fast !! Does anyone have any tips for kite inputs when going fast on a jibe - is it 'float the kite' around ? or throw the kite and try to follow it? Either way its ballsy compared to the slower wing !!
Any ideas are most welcome!

Enter the turn with speed,kite up to twelve and bar in,when u feel the lift quickly do ur foot change in one quick move and at the same time down loop the kite to exit the turn,good look,took me thousands of failed attempts before finally mastering it,just keep at it and it will feel rite ??

If I am downlooping on a jibe, i turn before I downloop the kite, so it follows me. If i am doing a normal jibe, turn the kite first and follow it.

^^^ What bigtone said. Really different sequence depending on whether you'll be downlooping or just bringing the kite over the top.

In lighter winds, if you're bringing the kite over the top, it can help to steer the board a little upwind just before you start steering the kite up, and then initiate the carve as hard as possible just as you start to turn the kite through the zenith of its arc. Then the kite should already be heading down towards the water by the point of minimum line-tension - when you're heading straight downwind. This all helps maintain line tension, and therefore control of the kite. You need to carve tight enough to steer the kite back to a horizontal path before it hits the water. It's a great feeling when you time it all right, maintaining speed and line tension through the whole gybe.

I've been on a carver, with the carbon mast and fuse, since my 4th or 5th foiling session (nearly two years). In the scheme of things they're not that fast, you'll find the max-out point soon enough and get comfortable with it. That said, I still remember the sense of dread I had accelerating downwind and down swell when I started. It felt like the speed would never top-out and that I was definitely going to die! Now my favourite sessions are the 25-30 knot days and the bigger, steeper, faster downwind runs they bring.

I think there is a whole new generation of foilers going straight to the big Surf foils that maybe missing out on a range of skills that is both challenging and extremely rewarding, that goes with the learning curve associated with the faster less draggy Freeride wings.

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RAL INN said..
I think there is a whole new generation of foilers going straight to the big Surf foils that maybe missing out on a range of skills that is both challenging and extremely rewarding, that goes with the learning curve associated with the faster less draggy Freeride wings.

I wonder if it's easier/faster learning to go big to small wings...