This tutorial explains sitting down while foiling.
Ride with medium speed, heading slightly upwind to keep line tension.
Raise your kite slightly.
A higher kite makes sitting down more forgiving.
Reach your front hand down to where the front strap is located.
Holding here will help you control and guide the board as you sit.
With the front hand on the board you can remove the front foot.
Then quickly lift the back foot and you will drop.
At the same time bring in the bar a little so the kite holds some of your weight.
Try to sit with your front leg just behind the front straps, and your back just above
the heelside rail.
Lean your shoulders back heelside a little to maintain your upwind course.
Let’s look at that riding the other way.
Make your first attempts with low height and slow speed to reduce risks.
With this low and slow version you will certainly touch down on the water, but it’s good practice
at getting into sitting position.
As you build confidence gradually increase foiling speed and you will feel the foil lifting
much more.
How you apply weight between the nose and tail is critical for managing your foiling
height.
If you sit down too close to the nose, the foil will descend immediately.
If you sit down too close to the tail, the foil will ascend immediately.
You need to find a sitting position for you that keeps you level.
Generally this will be with your hips just behind the front straps.
You can also adjust nose-tail weight distribution while seated.
If you lean towards the tail you will ascend.
If you lean towards the nose you will descend.
You should learn to manage your height like this.
How you apply weight between the toeside rail and heelside rail is also critical.
If you lean your chest forward, or sit a bit closer to the toeside rail, you will bank
downwind as soon as you sit.
If you lean back too far, or sit beyond the heelside rail, you will turn sharply upwind.
Generally, to keep your original course, riding slightly upwind, you sit with your back in
line with the heelside rail and lean your shoulders back towards heelside a little.
You can adjust course using heel toe weight shifting.
Leaning towards the toeside rail a little will turn downwind.
Leaning towards the heelside rail a little will turn upwind.
Now we’ll look at standing back up.
For your first attempts descend to a taxi first.
To prepare, steer the kite up a little to 11 or 1 o’clock.
You then tuck in the back leg and place your back foot near the tail of the board.
You can then lift yourself by pressing with the back foot and the front hand.
It also helps to pull in the bar a little so the kite holds some of your weight.
As you lift yourself, you can replace your front hand with your front foot.
You should then be left with good weight distribution to control your foil.
You may find this trick easier without straps.
Thanks for watching and safe kite foiling.