I used to windsurf... took a day to get balance on the board.
I watch people do this pump board (also the Electric jet versions)... and it's quite logical in operation.
But I never see anyone start off in open water. I assume you pump and it will climb out of the water, with lot of effort & balance over the board... but dont know.
I expect huge effort learning curve.
Oct 10, 2026, 3:36 PM@JohnJBurnsIII the launch in the video above is quite calculated. I bet there are 100 wipeouts behind how effortlessly she did that. And for 90% of people it would be 100,000 wipeouts, if they could ever master it at all
Right.
I've only ever seen takeoff from elevation... dock, side of boat. Or with powered help (like waterskiing start and drop rope).
Older folks will be hampered from falls, swim to dock, get out, try again (tiring to say the least). Not to say younger folks will find that much easier... but fitness is assumed to be better.
The other issue is injuries can be high... falling on the foil can result in deep cuts or broken bones.
Oct 10, 2026, 3:49 PM@JohnJBurnsIII I wonder what starting out in the middle of the lake would be like. Could someone even do it? They'd need a paddle maybe. Or something with a very big hydrofoil. Imagine the effort to get it under your feet in the water then churn churn churn and lift yourself out of the water!
@benroyce @JohnJBurnsIII
A little parachute type thing and a lot of wind!
Kite boarding.
Just know that I'm saying this as someone who as an older teen got tired of water skiing... so we threw the plywood floorboard of our 20 year old used 16 ft aluminum boat into the water and proceeded to invent "boarding".
Sat on it. Kneeled, then stand... pulled behind the boat at various speeds. In the wake. Over the wake to outside.
Board was about 4 ft X 2 ft. Basic gray paint. Years in the boat. Wet then dried.
Lots of falls - especially high speed planing catching edge.
My friend had kids. They grew up to also learn "boarding".
They've taken it to unbelievable heights.
4 ft X 8 ft board. Couches with 1. 2. 3 people sitting on it. Or using 6 ft. Ladder.
None of this stuff is fastened to the board... so learned experience is what it takes.
Oct 10, 2026, 4:25 PM@JohnJBurnsIII oh that's awesome 😁
Oct 10, 2026, 3:46 PM@benroyce @JohnJBurnsIII It’s all the rage along Switzerland’s lakes and rivers. My guess is it takes a few days. 😅 I’ve seen people try and try and finally they get it and they go and go and go – and they don’t know how to turn so it’s a long swim back. 😂
Oct 10, 2026, 3:52 PMJust, you know, get the board under your feet under the water and have abs and legs of solid iron and just lift yourself out of the water in the middle of the lake, easy 😅
Oct 10, 2026, 4:17 PMI think it could be done with a specially designed hydrofoil that is very large and very light. Expensive material. It would have to be a special kind of pumpfoil designed for open water starts
Or an electric assist. Or a paddle you have to carry with you slung over your shoulder or else. If you lose it: you're stuck
And with all these caveats, it would still only be possible for very athletic people
Oct 10, 2026, 4:27 PM@benroyce @JohnJBurnsIII from watching people launch from a run, I’d say it looks impossible to launch while swimming. But I never searched for counter-proof.