WING: HOW TO DUCK JIBE TO SWITCH !!! // ENG

The Duck Jibe in Wing foil is very similar to that in Windsurfing.

There are two main ways to jibe in Wing depending on whether you jibe before or after passing through the wind axis.

The simplest is to jibe on your natural stance, goofy or regular. Depending on the edge you are on, you will either do a duck jibe to switch (this is the simplest because you attack from the front), or a switch to duck jibe on the other side. While knowing that becoming symmetrical will be a long and complicated exercise.
But soon you will know how to do all four jibes perfectly by working on symmetry.

The first thing to do is to look around to avoid an accident either by looking out of the window, or by moving the Wing backwards to see the trajectory in front of the leading edge, or by putting the Wing up like an umbrella.

You should also check the wind strength and wind axis before entering the maneuver.
It is fundamental to help each other to maximize success: waiting for the slack if you are overpowered, or the opposite, can change everything compared to a blind engagement. A little wave or chop that pushes you into the turn will be a big help.

To switch on a Foil, you have to do a little pumping (an impulse) that will make the Foil go up while you have both feet in front. This will prevent you from touching the water again.

The most natural way is probably to switch at the end of the maneuver and to attack facing the turn.

The passage of the Wing is very natural, your hands go up the handles smoothly and the Wing pivots by itself. The only thing to avoid is to pass the Wing under the Board by deflecting it. So, don't make the turn too long, tighten it up at the end of the move. The downwind passage should be as short as possible, except the beginners' fault is to block the downwind passage due to lack of speed and engagement. Your turn should look more like a rounded L than a C. And attack with the Wing, then umbrella it before the downwind.

The keys to the Wing Foil Duck Jibe are :
- Check before the maneuver that your trajectory does not cause a collision.
- Have speed to get solid support, which will make your jibe easier.
- Before starting your turn, you must straighten up to go from a counter-jibe to a jibe.
- To switch your feet with as much balance as possible, lay the Board as flat as possible and use the kite like an umbrella.
- Begin your turn by leaning lightly on the Wing with your back hand.
- Half way through the turn, let go of the front hand and place it behind the back hand. The Wing will pivot naturally and position itself on the opposite side.
- As the tail wind passes, grab the front handle with your old rear hand.

Tip: Pass the Wing just before reaching the downwind to boost the tilt of your Wing and send it towards the new tack before it goes against it. This is very true with big Wings in light wind.