I often seem to be riding low despite continually telling myself for the last 1-2 years to get higher on the mast. Part of it is being a conservative rider, but as a heavier rider (100kg) it really hurts my glide in waves as well as lower general speed and of course that limits your riding skills.

Things i've been working on...
- feel surface bobbles on the foil when you get high enough
- when getting on a wave or swell, do a small pump up to boost my height
- look down at foil to see how low/high in the water it is

Another tip i saw was getting a long enough board leash so it drags in the water when you're too low, so you get direct feedback to move higher.

What's worked for you?

I have gotten to the point where i can feel when I am in the efficient zone ( height) without relying so much on a visual or breaching point noise. Speed is unlocked and the foil feels loose. The hard part is staying there.

I had the same issue and somehow it felt scary to hover "really" high above the water.
I fixxed it by going from an 90cm Cedrus mast to an 80cm AFS mast,
Going shorter is another way to have less mast in the water😜.

Riding once in a whil in clear water also helps, then you can look below and see how much there is still in. Unfortunally that is in my case only in holidays because the visibility at my home spots is very low.

kiwiupover said..

BWalnut said..
How long is your mast?

86.5cm (i was on a 93.5cm for a while, and the 86cm mast seems to have helped, but still more room to get higher)

I ride a 75cm in all conditions. I played with trying to stay high on the mast but with the way I ride, I prefer a shorter mast that allows a dynamic riding experience that contours the water. I've found that to be a far more natural way for me to ride swell. All the new foils breach great and super stiff masts handle these breaches great as well. Most would argue 75cm is pretty short and I'd agree that 80cm is sufficient for most, but when I ride an 85cm, I'm a full on kook again.

I ride a 75cm in all conditions. I played with trying to stay high on the mast but with the way I ride, I prefer a shorter mast that allows a dynamic riding experience that contours the water. I've found that to be a far more natural way for me to ride swell. All the new foils breach great and super stiff masts handle these breaches great as well. Most would argue 75cm is pretty short and I'd agree that 80cm is sufficient for most, but when I ride an 85cm, I'm a full on kook again.

Nothing but advantages to shorter masts in my mind as well. Especially the heavier you are. You will always have less mast underwater, it will be stiffer and it will be a tiny bit lighter (also cheaper). It takes some practice as mentioned but these days the 78cm One mast is the longest I use, even going upwind in junky 4 meter swell. Unless you're racing, don't see the need.

I think foiling in waves or swell is such a dynamic sport it's pretty rare you can set a height & stay with it. I have watched numerous video tutorials where they emphasize staying high on the mast when after watching them, in reality they themselves are riding high only a fraction of the time. I can certainly feel the difference when I'm high on the mast but sustaining it is like living on a razors edge.

Ask a friend to record your ride. Watching yourself later often reveals surprises — I discovered I was riding lower than I thought. Pay close attention to how your board sits relative to the water surface. That visual feedback helps you fine‑tune your stance and adjust your lift for smoother, more controlled foiling.

To help me ride higher I got a 60 cm cable for my Fusion foil drive. So at prop cavitation I would be about 65 cm above the water which I can now do consistently on flat water.

Great footage, and nice calm and smooth and careful riding. I would suggest to practice more active riding, doing lots of silly turns and what not, and perhaps to add some speed as well. Making rapid turns and deliberately breaching the wing tips teaches you a lot about how the foil behaves in different conditions. Riding high on mast in such chaotic water conditions (like you have there) involves having a quick reaction time and being ready to make super quick adjustments every now and then. Easier to learn on flat water and in spots where there are clean ground swell lines instead of irregular wind chop.

By making turns I did not necessarily mean making manoeuvres or turning around, just don't settle on riding in a straight line too often, practice some silly wiggles whenever you can. Something like: