I windsurf, ride short boards and long boards. I wakeboard and waterski.

I like trying new things. I tried kite surfing (not my thing) tried SUP (too slow) tried foil windsurfing (feels disconnected)

I was just in Hawaii last week and saw surfboard foiling - They call it prone foiling. So i got myself a lesson in Hawaii with Jeff Chang behind his jet ski. (look him up at wetfeethawaii.com/index.html )

The Hawaiian shops that sell them recommend learning behind a jet ski so you can get a feeling of how to fly the board. It is very unstable compared with a surfboard. In surf this would take months. Behind a Jet ski it takes hours. This video is my first 1.5 hour lesson.

How does it feel? Really smooth.

The take off needs to be in mushy white water. I tried this. its true. All of experts i spoke with say this. You just can't take off in the same place as a short board.

There are two really appealing things about this new sport:
1. It feels really greeeeeat
2. I can surf away from the crowds

For the haters out there. Try it. Then decide. It's not surf board. The feeling is very different. Very smooth.

So i tried to buy one in Hawaii. Every shop is sold out with a waiting list. Naish told me they demand is 10 times more than they predicted and they can't keep up.

interesting

looking looking

as a matter of interest where/what type of waves would you ride it in, ie away from the crowds

Ok, looks fun. So how hard is it to paddle one of these things back out after you've ridden a wave. I imagine dragging that enormous keel and wing through the water isn't easy. Is the jet ski tow in an ongoing necessity, if you're not Kai Lenny

A badly mounted foil can be worse than paddling a leg rope full of seaweed but as long as you can get a short board with almost no tail rocker, a well mounted wing doesn't drag as much as you'd think.
I've stepped down to a 5' prone board, and the input you can put into the foil makes a big improvement from my 6'. Can't speak to those pizza box size boards . Really can't imagine they are much fun to paddle the miles back to the lineup, so maybe they do have mates with jet skis.
Prone foil boards have the luxury of just needing to be good board to paddle into waves - template, rails and rocker don't count above water. There's no substitute for litres, paddle fitness and a quick transition to feet on takeoff. But there's also no crime doing foamie gutslide takeoffs either , since you'll fly past the white water in seconds!

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bolgo said..
interesting

looking looking

as a matter of interest where/what type of waves would you ride it in, ie away from the crowds

I'll be looking for fat waves that crumble at the top but don't fully break. Eg. In a river mouth or bar.

Definately don't want a steep face with a critical take off. This is where I would use my short board.

You know those waves that pitter out and you find yourself pumping on your mal in the hope the wave rears up but never does.