This weekend I headed the coast to go foiling (I normally sail on an inland lake). I hadn't given any thought to launching in the shore dump and had to wade 3/4 of the way through it before I was deep enough to do a deep water beach start so got a bit of a hammering. Once I was out it was fun in the unpredictable wind driven swell but uphauling was a real challenge so I just resorted to water starting, making sure my feet were well clear of the foil.
Any tips on how to do better next time?

Specific condition call for different strategies.
Best to look for a channel or rip and go out there.
Without knowing your angles, wind direction, surf, it's impossible to give advice that applies for your specific needs.
Of course, better to have surfing and surf sailing experience.

TroyMcClure,
Congrats on the costal route! Yes, the shore dump can be challenging and dangerous. Sometimes the best answer is not to go. Other times it's worth the work because that means there are waves to ride!

LeeD is giving you good info, before you launch you have to consider things like wind angle, current, depth and wave power. Every session is different even at the same spot. When I am in doubt I will go body surfing to figure out the depth, current and juice in the impact zone.

In general stay up wave and up current of your gear. This will help keep you from getting the gear thrown at you or getting trapped in between the bottom and your gear with the wave driving you in. The first few feet can be the most dangerous and holding you gear as high as you can can help. The next goal is to get through the impact zone as swiftly as you can! Just like in surfing it often pays to wait for calmer period between sets to then go like hell across the impact zone. If things go pear shaped ditch your gear.

Often the best approach to getting in and out is to float the board upside down and just hold onto the bottom handle. Let the rig flow down wave/current. You can hang onto the foil mast near the board if you do not have a handle. On the way out I often start doing this as soon as it's deep enough for the boom to clear the bottom. Use caution doing this when it's that shallow the wings are at head height. Once your in deeper the wings are well above you, the whole kit is down wave from you and its a very safe postion. Up to a certain wave size you can duck dive the gear this way just by driving with your legs and pushing the tail under the foam. Once you're out deep enough you can water start or uphaul. "Deep enough water" is further out in the surf because the waves suck the water out and you bump in the troughs.

CoreAS show us how at the very begining of this video. Thank you CoreAS for all you do and for posting that footage in particular!

Thanks for the video feedback utcminusfour much appreciated.

TroyMcClure, having foiled inland on lakes only before moving to Florida I can certainly understand how tricky it can be with wind foil launching.

Summer time here means the wind direction is pretty much cross onshore (more onshore than cross ) so even swimming out in 2-3 ft is a challenge. There is also almost no wind to water start on the inside, the wind has already lifted upwards from the heat of the beach.

My only option as you could see in the video is to grab the foil mast, let the rig drift downwind away from the board and swim and bounce as quick as possible while keeping an eye on the horizon. Always look to see what's coming, its better to swim back and wait if possible.

You have to swim a little bit further than calm water because as soon as you pull yourself up onto the board and grab the uphaul the waves have already pushed you in and you risk hitting the foil into the sea bed.

I use a 90/92cm mast so typically keep swimming until I'm on my tip toes, then with one big push off the bottom launch onto the board, grab the uphaul and QUICKLY get the sail up and moving forward. Practice being quick at this so it becomes second nature.

We had swell from Hurricane Larry this weekend, no wind but a beautiful swell to go play in. At times I got caught in the inside and was getting drilled, but just like with the foil, took a deep breath relaxed and kept swimming until I got into a better position.

Hello
I recover this thread because today I got into the water with my windfoiling kit in a small shore break (30 cm front). Horrible though the waves were tiny. Wavesailing in 2 meters waves is much easier, at least for me. Much worse than getting in is always getting out. It almost broke my rig on getting out. Board was turned upside down, standing finally vertically on the foil.

In order not to let the nose of the board bump on to the sail, I try to get into the water grabbing the fuselage on one hand and the boom on the other. in this way I keep the rig above water until water is higher than my waist. Then there is no more option than putting the board upside down and push hanging on to the foil. Doing the same on getting out is almost impossible for me.

Uphauling and getting into shore break are two reasons that make me think in going winging. Any advice is welcome.

If you ever see wingers launching in surf, you'll appreciate the bigger board and direct link between sail and board.
Shorter mast allows beachstarting in waist deep water. Wingers struggle with wing downwind, foil upwind, as waves pound the board into the rider, right thru the wing.
SUP surfsailing is easier.

Some great tips in this thread. I'm sailing great lakes, have been out in 1m-1.5m windswell. Onshore and short period waves which I think can be harder to get through then long period ocean waves in some cases. I also swim dragging the board upside down by the foil mast. Use a 111cm mast and try to get out to where I can't touch anymore and then some, very long swim if you don't have a pier. My best advice is to find a pier that will block most of the waves and is deep for launching. I'm lucky because the spot I usually go to blocks waves from SE and SW depending what side your launching from.

Takes a while to find good foil spots that work for you. I've gone out before on the foil and not made it past the shore break so at that point it's a self rescue to get your gear back safely and if you do make it out you damn well better have your kit dialed in because you don't want to have to go back to the beach to rig another sail.

Coming in I always detach my rig from board then swim the board in riding the waves holding it out in front of you like a flutter board(foil out of the water obviously). Then get the sail. Sometimes the current will drift it down the beach so be smart about what angle you approach the beach at coming in. My biggest fear is that a kiter will run the sail over

Thanks. I will detach the rig as soon as my foil touches the sand and try with my 65 cm mast to start sooner, but it's too small to fly on ocean swell

Anyway, the wingers can paddle like prone surf to cross the sets, though I'm not sure if they can paddle the first meters with the board upside down, the foil pointing to the sky

The wingers are more experienced than you.
Wing faces challenges just like you, there is no easy path except for more sideshore wind and windsurfing.

Another thing which can really help is a buoy outside the break. I carry a little 15lb mushroom anchor attached to some poly line and a small float. In flat water I tow it with the board out to where it's deep enough to launch, or past the break if there's surf, and moor the board there to take breaks. Also serves as a good guide for when to jibe on the way in, before it's too shallow. If you have a cranky lifeguard or harbormaster you may have to negotiate a little, but when they see how much safer it makes everyone they're usually ok with it, as long as you bring it in with you when you leave. You can swim the buoy and unrigged board out together, then swim the rig out to them and latch into the mastbase out there.