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snalberski said..
This thread is timely. I'm into my second season of foil boarding and am completely at ease with the board and have progressed as far as duck tacks and am now moving to boosting and back rolls. The boys/nay sayers down at my local have all watched me from my first session onward. I take my foilboard down every session and either have a full foilboard session or a 50/50 tt/fb.
Every time I arrive at the beach with my foilboard the response is 'your not foiling today are you?'... 'you wont need that today'...
or some similar comment that indicates that they think foiling is only appropriate in marginal conditions.
Not one of them has ever ridden a foilboard an it amazes me that they think they know more about it than me, especially when they can clearly see me
flying with no difficulties in 20knts with a 10m kite.
When it gets to 15/16 knts and they are all struggling and at best having a totally unsatifying session, I am completely flying at any upwind angle I desire.
I usually smile to myself but laugh out load when they start to congregate on the beach saying things like 'it just needs a couple more knts"
Snap out of it hat wankers.
It's true you've made some progress and you're a good example of how determination eventually always pays off. But...making progress doesn't always mean you progress in the right direction.
Just like you've been learning to ride a twin tip overpowered, you've done the same with foiling. Even though you can now ride the foil, you have yet to learn the correct technique of edging the foil instead of riding it flat with the bar sheeted so far out. When you learned your first runs you were always going downwind in an effort to reduce your speed from being so overpowered.
It's now nearly impossible to learn to edge your foil and learn the correct stance unless you start downsizing by at least 3-4m of kite size.
Lots of race foilers ride overpowered but with a very specific purpose: to get some insane speeds and they can edge the foil hard with 10-12m powerful foil kites in 15-20 knots (i.e. Red Bull Race)...scary stuff, even for me. You're obviously not into racing, so in that wind range you should be using kites smaller than 10m, which would eventually vastly improve your technique.
The fact that you can't get going on your foil in 12 knots with a 12m kite is a good indicator that your technique needs improvement. In 12 knots+, I actually find my 12m to be overpowered and I'd rather use the 9m.
Plenty of lighter riders like yourself are enjoying great sessions and boosting in 15-18 knots on twin tips with kites around 12m. Absolutely no harm in going foiling in those winds, but with a 12m kite that's an overkill unless you want to break speed records or break yourself.
Christian