My nephew asked me how my wing foiling in the waves is going, I responded suppressing jumps and chasing bumps. Should have added dodging white sharks.
Sailing by myself, always aware of self rescue and don't push it.
How do others approach solo winging in their mid fifties?

I am mid sixties and just love it. You have plenty of juice left in the tank.

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goggo said..
My nephew asked me how my wing foiling in the waves is going, I responded suppressing jumps and chasing bumps. Should have added dodging white sharks.
Sailing by myself, always aware of self rescue and don't push it.
How do others approach solo winging in their mid fifties?

I would suggest not surppressing those urge to jumps mate

Feeling the same way and feeling slightly stupid every time I go out a half mile off shore with exactly no one around wearing a shorty. For some reason I still think I am immortal even though I know better.

One piece of gear that should be at the top of the list should be a VHF radio. I promise next time I go ocean side I will bring it (somehow... ). I also need to buy a crash vest (with some floatation). And I need to bring myself to wear the helmet that I bought myself for Xmas.

Maybe if I make the promise here I will actually keep it.

For launch and return to the same spot while solo:
Impact vest, helmet, leashes on everything, brightly colored gear and a contact with my location, a photo of the exact gear I am riding that session (so rescue know exactly what they are looking for) and a clear timeline for when I should be back and when to call emergency services. Chose a +10l board specifically for the improved self recovery over a sinker - better paddling if the wing is lost, can still sail marginally upwind even in 2 knots otherwise.

Working into some solo downwind. Helmet again. Key piece here is the Vaikobi V3 vest. Have a phone in the vaikobi soft case, sharing my position to my driver (wife) via Google maps so she can worry slightly less. And be at the take out already when I arrive. Additionally have an epirb, hand flare, shoulder mounted strobe, some zip ties, etc. I just picked up a tourniquet to add to the kit, response time to an epirb in my area is typically 20 to 30min, bleeding out from a nasty gash seems like one of the biggest risks to not making rescue that I can easily carry good prevention for.

Edit: do want to add a vhf with gps, one button dsc mand overboard calling, and some basic Nav capabilities as backup to the phone. Having a hard time figuring out a good way of carrying it accessibly but out of the way for winging.

Check wind forecast. Check local conditions - currents, sand backs etc. Don't go out in offshore stuff. I have a 120L board to float/paddle home on. Applewatch with sim for emergency calls. Helmet. Impact vest. Board and wing leashes.

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crashflow said..
Feeling the same way and feeling slightly stupid every time I go out a half mile off shore with exactly no one around wearing a shorty. For some reason I still think I am immortal even though I know better.

One piece of gear that should be at the top of the list should be a VHF radio. I promise next time I go ocean side I will bring it (somehow... ). I also need to buy a crash vest (with some floatation). And I need to bring myself to wear the helmet that I bought myself for Xmas.

Maybe if I make the promise here I will actually keep it.

Helmet is easy for me, had a skin cancer cut from the top of my ear. Winter here, keeps my head warm and rarely see anyone to tell me I look stupid.
Not going to bother with epirb, VHF etc as have already been resuced mid-pacific, so have used my fair share of the budget.

Don't fight it. Start w little bunny hops. Coming from windsurfing, it's a very familiar feeling and the mechanics are the same. Landings are much softer though. At 62 I will admit I'm hesitant about any jump w the foil over my head. I've wanted to forward loop but it doesn't look like the mechanics are the same. Anyone have any input on that?

A good friend of mine in her 60s tells me, at this point in her life. her trick is "staying on the water." I love that.

At soon to be 52, I'm much more inclined to sail with others. I also have no desire to do jumps that result with the foil over my head but windsurf style jumps are a blast. Like others have said, they're a lot easier than you would think and you do land softer.

The one addition I made to safer gear was an apple watch with cell service. I also wear an impact vest on days with bigger swell or if I'm out at a distance that would be a long swim if everything went really badly.

Good to see a bunch of others staying active. I watched a friend in his 70s boost a big air the other day on a kite and felt inspired.

Oh. and I've started making myself do yoga.

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crashflow said..
For some reason I still think I am immortal even though I know better.

How do you know you aren,t till proven otherwise
Being aware of what can be wrong and prepare isn't a bad thing but there can always happen things unforeseen. don,t let it ruin the fun.Besides:

That would make a good t-shirt. "Immortal until proven otherwise."

OK so I was thinking of riding some flat water and jumping without the board. Then adding the back foot strap and getting used to that, then some small jumps?

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goggo said..
OK so I was thinking of riding some flat water and jumping without the board. Then adding the back foot strap and getting used to that, then some small jumps?

suggest to jump together with the board mate

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stanley71 said..

goggo said..
OK so I was thinking of riding some flat water and jumping without the board. Then adding the back foot strap and getting used to that, then some small jumps?

suggest to jump together with the board mate

No leg rope to board, can body drag ok.

Just started chop hopping.
With a bit of a windsurf background they feel very easy to pop and soft to land as others have commented.

They are a TON of fun :)
Big bonus: they clear seaweed 90% of the time.

Biggest drawback for me is having to use straps...the back foot position bugs me and i miss the strapless freedom.But worth it overall.

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Shlogger said..
Don't fight it. Start w little bunny hops. Coming from windsurfing, it's a very familiar feeling and the mechanics are the same. Landings are much softer though. At 62 I will admit I'm hesitant about any jump w the foil over my head. I've wanted to forward loop but it doesn't look like the mechanics are the same. Anyone have any input on that?

Learn to jump on both tacks, - i can jump about the same both tacks windsurfing but winging a bit rusty onstarboard natural tack jumps.
Yes, forward loops. is it the same mechanics?- it is something i really want to try but worried that there want be that forward whip to start the rotation...