I’ve read through some threads and have picked out some good info in regards to enhancing one’s pump game. One question I have is this:
How do I get back higher on the mast once I’m already too low and starting to slap the water one the down strokes? It seems, once I’m at a certain speed, I start sinking a bit and can’t climb back up.
Thanks for your wisdom!
Kai
AKA Grave digging. Some foils do it better than others.
Moving your back foot back behind the mast will make it easier to gain height for a couple pumps. Then move it forward to a more efficient position.
Good call! I will try that next time. I am on the gofoil v2 mast so my foot is in front of the mast to start with. I’ll slide that baby back next time I start grave digging.
Thanks!
When the board hits while you still have some speed (and with the right foil like Hdip says) you can sometimes recover. Engage beast-mode. What works for me: right after the first hit i do one short light tap to try gain speed (pushing too hard at low speed just stalls the foil especially at 95kg) while keeping upper body low. The immediately after, on the next tap i extend more and near the top of the pump stroke, i do an ollie/box jump off the toes that raises knees and gives the foil more height.
Then on the decent, more high frequency taps to build speed. Important throughout is to keep board level and slightly nose down. Nose up is when you loose speed… At this point you can also try praying for a backwash wave or ground effect…
Nose up (in micro amounts) = gains height & loses speed
Nose down (in micro amounts) = gains speed & loses height
Balance, pitch control & mast height awareness comes with hundreds of hours of flight time. It’s the never ending journey 
Different boards stick to the water more than others too. I think rounded tails without a release edge don’t allow the water to release, but suck it up into the air, quickly showing you down.
One of the key parts of “gravedigging” I’ve found is to get as light as you can on the board to let it climb. Easy to focus on pumping hard to gain speed back and forget you need to unweight to let the foil climb without stalling
These suggestions are killer y’all! Thanks so much. I can’t wait to get back out there and put all these tips to work.
Many thanks!