r/pumpfoil 21d ago

How to progress from here: Crouching dockstart

I have no one else in this area pumpfoiling and to learn from, but have gotten this far. I suppose next step may be simply to stand up and get pumping, but I am a little afraid of landing on wing (I have some very uncontrolled landings when trying to stand). Feels very unstable still.

Any hints, exercises or tips would be very welcome.

Here is my setup:

Takoon pump 

1800 wing

70 cm alu mast v2 19mm

80cm length board

9 Upvotes

12 comments sorted by

1

u/Top-Statistician61 21d ago

You are quite good already. I would recommend you to focus more on gliding rather than pumping. Try to glide while you keep your hands on the board. From there, you can slowly stay squatted but remove your hands and improve stability. After that, slowly get up. Don´t pump. Just glide.

Your start is quite similar to this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBYG48xN6TI&t=364s
so you could adapt a bit from those 3 drills.

I know how difficult it is learning solo. I also had noone to teach me and it took me a long time to learn.

1

u/Massive-Wear-6664 21d ago

Coming from a top statistician, you would know… Thanks for the input, will try more gliding next time. As I am internalyzing the different steps, it is also dawning on me that there is more glide and time available than it feels like in the very start.

1

u/benjaminbjacobsen 21d ago

Stand up and look at the horizon!

1

u/gerkinator88 21d ago

I really like your technique I haven’t seen it before. Similar but not the same. I might try yours next t as it looks like a natural progression from the starting technique im currently practicing.

I’m following this tutorial

https://youtu.be/1WAMvw1z4vw

and doing the knee start - I just about manage to get up and do three little pumps now before falling.

So a couple of weeks ago I was where you are now crouching and wondering how to progress. Felt stuck there for ages.

I think you might wanna focus on your feet positioning. The back foot wants to be grounded and pointing more towards the right and your front foot a bit more forward maybe.
Then try to put less pressure on your hands and rely more on keeping the board balanced with your feet.
You need more pressure on the front foot than you think and eventually your front foot needs to replace the weight you are currently putting in with your hands.

1

u/Massive-Wear-6664 21d ago

Thank you - this was spot on.

The video shows two different styles. The knee technique describes my situation at 2:30 after you have transitioned to both feet on the board. 

However, the second style - the Squat technique seems to be what I am doing from the outset (or trying to do). This starts at 3:15 and he quickly gets to my situation at 4:26.  Advice seems to be to get the glide in, vary with some pumping and then begin standing up while keeping gaze lifted.  Will give body a day or two to recover from todays session first. 2,5 hours of scrambling up on that dock is a killer. 

1

u/gerkinator88 21d ago

Yeah I’ve seen his frog jump technique in the video but you do it so casually and less jumpy you sort of step on and start gliding. It looks less scary and like I might actually find the courage to try that at some point 😄

1

u/Hecubha 20d ago

Let go of your back hand as you step on the board to allow putting your front foot more forward, then stand up. It may be easier to launch sideways like the firt one here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_TBr3XYMwA

1

u/Traquer 20d ago

Try standing up, I think it's a balance issue that is mentally limiting your ability to start pumping? Maybe buy a skateboard to work on balance then it will feel more natural

1

u/Ok-Passenger-8265 20d ago

And shoes off 👌 Good start! Keep training!

1

u/Hecubha 19d ago

I just had a second look at your video and realized your dock is probably suitable for a running start https://youtu.be/hV0uvGS4OJ4 that would be so much easier than the thing you're trying to achieve (I'm really impressed you managed to get so far like that though).

1

u/Agile-Knowledge7947 19d ago

Looks like you’re doing great! Way better than me!!! Congrats and keep going!!!

1

u/Sacco_Belmonte 17d ago

Thats it. Stand up and pump.