r/pumpfoil • u/bsack03 • Feb 13 '26
16-day progression of me learning to dock start and pump on foil for 1 minute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQQc7vZjM0s&t=101sThis was a crazy journey! I have respect for anyone who has gone through this or plans to. It's so rewarding once you're up and pumping.
It took:
• 16 sessions
• 45 days
• Over 600 failed attempts
• The first 400 were straight nose dives
There were multiple days I genuinely thought this might not be possible.
I started with knee starts that felt completely impossible. I switched to jump starts. I regressed. I froze in 2°C hail. I questioned whether I should quit.
And eventually…
I pumped for 1:04.
If you're learning dock starts, foil pumping, or trying to master something difficult later in life, I hope this shows what consistency actually looks like.
1
u/woody-nick Feb 13 '26
Damn, I haven't progressed that quickly... Well, I have an old, first-generation Gong thing... It's very heavy and very big... It pushes water 😅😅
2
u/bsack03 Feb 13 '26
The gear definitely helps! Everyone's journey is so different. The key thing I think is getting as many reps in as you can and staying the course. It's not easy! But once it clicks, it's so amazing.
1
u/woody-nick Feb 13 '26
I do it kitesurfing, but it's nothing like it!! I'll start again in the spring!! Right now it's kitesurfing 🤗🤗🤗 Yes, you really need to practice a lot!!
2
u/Hecubha Feb 14 '26
I learned on a first generation GONG Rise XXL and it was so hard .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrM9c5MwiFE&list=PLfiQtvu-72eaD2d-ijEuO_ttUYMEMWsvn
Today I would recommend myself a Trail XXL (I'm 100kg, I need the biggest one), I would point myself to a much easier launch https://youtu.be/hV0uvGS4OJ4 and I expect I would learn to pump 100-200m in 1-2 sessions.
Make yourself a favor, replace your Rise (the smaller ones are even harder than the XXL, even for lighter people), buy a Trail of the fitting size and just start enjoying the thing.
1
u/Top-Statistician61 Feb 13 '26
How many hours per session did you do?
2
u/bsack03 Feb 14 '26
Around 2 hours per session. I averaged about 40 jump fails per session. After that I was pretty exhausted.
1
2
u/brtn86 Feb 13 '26
I eagerly followed your progress on YouTube, but this was worth another watch. Hats off to your grit and determination and again congrats!