Body Position
At first, we tend to hunch our bodies to pump and maintain better balance. At this point, we need to think about stretching our bodies as much as possible to make the pump more efficient.
At first, we also tend to lean our bodies back a little, but the most efficient pump is with our bodies slightly forward. This way, as we discussed, we also prevent the front heel from lifting and facilitate the natural rise of the buttocks.
It’s also highly recommended to look ahead, although in my case, I don’t see it as clearly as possible. Personally, it works better for me to look at the water, but several meters ahead. I think I tend to look more and more meters ahead. Find your balance at the point where you can look as far ahead as possible without noticing any loss of balance.
Your body and knees must be completely stretched every time you release weight from the board. Watch the videos to see if you’re hunching your back and neck, or stretching them out like the pros.
Foot Position
By now, we should be able to correct our foot position during the pump.
Look at the board position in the videos. It should be more or less flat, with slight upward and downward tendencies. Many beginners tend to ride with the board always pointing upward. This can be solved by moving one or both feet forward to center their weight.
Put your feet together slightly. When we’re starting out, we naturally move our feet far apart because it helps with balance, but putting them closer together will improve performance. Depending on your current position, it may be interesting to simply move your back foot forward (this is common for beginners). If we want to increase the power of the front foot during the pump, then it’s better to move the front foot back. In any case, it depends on your starting position, your board, your foil, your height… so it’s best to do small tests and see the results.
Of course, pump barefoot whenever the environment allows. It’ll show in the efficiency.
Pumping and Gliding
To practice these steps, it’s helpful to pump 3 or 4 times (to gain height and speed) and then simply glide for 1 or 2 seconds, then pump again to recover.
This isn’t the best technique for going far, as you’ll waste a lot of energy regaining height and speed. For that, it’s best to maintain the same relaxed rhythm. On a long ride, it would only be helpful for moments when, for some reason, you notice a wave or something that helps you, or you feel the foil is too high in the water.
But this exercise will help you get used to assuming that gliding position with your legs and body fully stretched, and the nose of the board pointing slightly upward. It’s the same position you should be in at the end of each pump.
In fact, pros maintain this fully stretched position as their normal state, only flexing slightly to pump efficiently from time to time.
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