So let me get this straight. You are heading back to the beach with the swell coming in from behind you?

Are you going slower than the swell or faster?

Does it take you over?


If its back to the beach with random unexplained crashes you are most likely venting the rear wing out the back of a swell or chop/swell combo than you cant see. Ride the foil deeper is the answer. Also if you are going slow and the swell is overtaking you and catching you unaware, go faster and that way you will overtake the swell and be able to see the what is coming next and be able to pitch the foil accordingly.


If you are riding out through the swell slice straight through any chop but absorb the ground swell with your legs pumping up and down like a bmx rider riding a rhythm section

Whenever I have had any following swell, I can typically feel it coming in from behind (small acceleration and lift) and I find I need to drive the nose of the board down a bit to accelerate onto the wave. Once I have a correct amount of speed relative to the wave and I can then drive out in front of the wave and start to carve along the wave.

When I'm going downwind , I usually over take the swells at speed. As I come up the back of the wave, foil wants to lift, and have to compensate with CG forward , As I crest and start down the face I'm neutral, then as I reach bottom I have your weight back a bit so as to not nose dive. Sometimes screaming down the face I have to keep weight forward due to high speed.

Going out the wave passes under so much faster. So it's more like riding a snowboard over a mogul. Bend knees to keep body from going up and down , keeping foil in water. There may be CG compensation , but it happens so fast it's intuitive.

djdojo said..
Having a decent following swell and riding it at the right angle for maximum speed with minimum input from the kite is one of the joys of freeride foiling. Getting used to weighting your front foot and pointing the nose down as you "drop in" and accelerate takes a little bit of time and balls, but once you get it, it's a sweet sweet feeling.

Thanks.