Hydrofoil F.A.Q. 
11/26/1999

1) What brands of hydrofoils are available?

The two brands are Sky Ski (http://www.skyski.com) and Air Chair (http://www.airchair.com). The Air Chair was redesigned in 1999, so there are also "old" Air Chairs and "new" Air Chairs. Both models are still available for sale.

2) What are the differences between an Air Chair and a Sky Ski?

The major differences are in the foils and seats.

The front hydrofoil wing on the Sky Ski is larger and flat with huge winglets. The Air Chair front hydrofoil wing has a two stage bend and smaller winglets.  The rear wing on the Sky Ski is flat. The 99 Air Chair comes with two rear wings. One is for beginners, one for advanced riders or can be turned around for Pro riders. The rear wing for advanced & Pro riders is curved and provides quicker response on jumps, but tends to be harder to control.

The t-bars (the vertical part of the foil that holds the wings) are mounted very differently. The Sky Ski is sandwiched between the two sides of the seat support, with a pin to prevent accidental separation.  Air Chair uses a dual taper fit with a wing nut on top and a pin to prevent accidental separation (some people report that
the wing nut doesn't work very well).

Sky Ski manufacturers the hydrofoils from a sand casting. Air Chair uses a hard tooled mold. Both look incredibly good these days.

The Sky Ski has a thickly padded seat, while the padding on the Air Chair is a thin molded pad. The Sky Ski is also available with a Shock Tower (see http://www.skyski.com/htmfiles/prod1b.htm). The Shock Tower has a mountain-bike style shock absorber which provides softer landings from high jumps and is easier on the back. Some people swear by it, and others do not like the way it feels when taking off.

The top deck of the Sky Ski ski is aluminum. Air Chair allows you to provide your own fabric to create a custom look for the ski.

3) Why should I buy one over the other?

If you can, try to ride both and see which you prefer. Many dealers will let you try before buying, and some places offer rentals. If you see someone riding one, just ask, and most hydrofoilers will be happy to let you try it out.

Many people are passionate that the one they ride is the better choice. Talk to a few people if you can, and see why they prefer their brand. See if the features they like apply to you.

4) Where can I buy one? (US and other countries)

For Sky Ski, you can use secure online ordering at http://www.skyski.com, or check their dealer list at
http://www.skyski.com/htmfiles/cat2.htm.

Air Chair provides a print-and-mail online catalog at http://www.airchair.com/catalog/index.html.

Air Chair has a list of international distributors at http://www.airchair.com/international_distributors.html

5) How do I learn to jump? What about more advanced tricks?

Air Chair has a trick list at http://www.airchair.com/tricks.html

Sky Ski has a trick list at http://www.skyski.com/htmfiles/trick8.htm. Many of the tricks provide
instructions and/or photos.

It is very helpful if you can ride with an experienced foiler, however, if you can't, practice often and ask questions on the email list (see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hydrofoil) to learn more. Also, see question 6.

6) What newsletters / videos / email lists / web sites are available for me to learn more?

THE newsletter of hydrofoiling is Flight (see http://www.flightworlds.com/).

There are several videos available. Beginning Hydrofoiling and Advanced Hydrofoiling are instructional videos available at http://www.telusplanet.net/public/jostan/Jostanfront/Pages/index.html

That site also has a video of the Great Canadian Fly-In.

These videos and more are also available at http://www.flightworlds.com/

For the email list, see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hydrofoil

Also, see http://www.airchair.com and http://www.skyski.com

7) Where can I get lessons?

Mike Mack's Ski School on the Parker Strip in Arizona seems to be the consensus best. Call 520-667-4399 or email mikemack@redrivernet.com

The Skiing Center near Orlando, Florida can be reached at 407-521-0512 or pkfleck@aol.com or http://www.intensitysports.com/theskiingcenter

Geno Yauchler's Haven in Lakeland, Florida can be reached at 941-686-5597 or angeleeno@aol.com

California Boarders can be reached at 707-255-8141 or 707-567-2270 or calboarders@juno.com

8) Safety equipment. What do I need and where can I get it?

For a vest, you need something with lots of padding to cushion you on falls. Many people like the Extreme MBT vest available at http://www.skilimited.com or http://www.bartswatersports.com . Other popular vests are the neoprene vests made by HO Sports, O'Neill,  & Skiwarm available at any ski shop.

A helmet is a must if attempting inverts, and a good idea any time. The most popular helmet is the Gath helmet available at http://www.murrays.com/01/gath.html

Ankle straps are a good idea when learning to go inverted. They prevent your feet from pulling out of the bindings when under-rotating a gainer, which could be dangerous. See http://www.airjunky.com/products.htm

It is also very important to use a non-stretch rope. Not only does it make for a better ride, it is much safer for the passengers in the boat. Nobody wants a handle zinging back at the boat. The Yellowjacket rope by Accurate Line. Available at most waterski shops.

Other popular equipment includes: The Cinch Max belt (http://www.cinchkneeboard.com), a padded, double locking velcro belt that replaces your old belt.

The Masterline trick release (http://www.masterlineusa.com / 407-656-1133)

The Air Boom hydrofoil tower rack. (http://www.airboom.com / 909-244-4526)

If you don't have a ski shop near you, the waterski catalog cater to all your boating needs:

Overtons (http://www.overtons.com / 800-334-6541),
Barts Watersports (http://www.bartswatersports.com / 800-348-5016)
Ski Limited (http://www.skilimited.com / 800-477-4040)

9) What are the advantages / disadvantages of a Shock Tower? Radial wings? Traxx seat pads? Drysuits?

For information of the Sky Ski Shock Tower, see http://www.skyski.com/htmfiles/prod1b.htm

The Shock Tower allows the rider to jump higher and land softer. The main downside is the cost, though there are some slight adjustments that need to be made when switching to riders of a different weight.

Radial wings fly differently than flat wings. Some say that the landings are softer. They definitely go bigger. Others say their hard to control & tend to fly somewhat erratic.

Traxx Seat pads help prevent the rider from sliding off the seat (See http://www.airjunky.com/products.htm) a sometimes common thing when learning to jump or get inverted.

Drysuits allow you to ride in colder temperatures. In many areas, riders can ski year-round. For a good hydrofoil drysuit, visit http://www.wileyski.com

10) How do I find other riders in my area?

Probably the easiest way is to ask on the hydrofoil discussion list. You can also go to http://www.wakecentral.com and check out the online rolodex to see if anyone is in your area. If that fails, go
out and ride, and other hydrofoilers will probably notice you. If there are none, ride by some wakeboarders, and they'll probably be very interested, especially if you can do any inverted tricks.

11) What are fly-ins and where can I find out about the next one?

Fly-Ins are where a group of riders join together in one place to ride with one another. There were fly-ins in Canada, Texas, and Arizona in 1999 and more are planned for 2000. You can learn more about the fly-ins from Flight, or go to http://www.airjunky.com/events.htm. Of course, you can always ask on the email list
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hydrofoil).
 

12) How do I know if I need to shim my foil and how do I do it?

When riding, you want to have your back vertical. If you are leaning forward while flying the foil level, you need to shim the back of the rear blade to reduce the lift. A dime makes a good shim. If you have trouble getting the ski off the water, you need to shim the front of the rear blade with a dime. Make sure you are sitting on the seat with your backside aligned with the back of the rear seat before making any adjustments.

13) Why should I polish my foil, and how do I do it?

There are two good reasons to polish your foil. First, it looks much better when polished. More importantly, it reduces the drag through the water, meaning your arms will not get tired as quickly, and you can improve the speed and height of your jumps. Visit http://www.coldlake.com/hydrofoil/cooltips.htm for one method of polishing your foil. You can also use Mothers Aluminum Polish (available at automotive stores) or Flitz (see http://www.flitz.com).For a more professional looking shine, you can install an 8" buffing wheel on a bench grinder with at least 1/2 horse motor. Use brown or green rouge & polish each foil component individually. The shine is unbeatable but usually only for more experienced users.

Other methods are to use a 6" buffing wheel on a 4" mini grinder and a white diamond polishing stick or to use a hand polishing compound like Mothers, NeverDull or Flitz.

14) Where can I find used foils / equipment available?


Brought to you by: