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 😁