March 21 — A Light Wind Day, But the Foundation Got Stronger

Saturday, March 21.

Originally, I had a lesson scheduled with my instructor.

But the forecast was already looking weak.
He even suggested:

“Sunday might be slightly better.”

Unfortunately, I had family plans on Sunday.

So I made the call:

“I’m going Saturday.”

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“This Should Work”… In Theory

Forecast: 4–5 m/s.

At my current stage—
riding a 6.0m wing, pumping into foil, and trying to sustain it—

that should’ve been enough.

“This should work.”

So I made the trip from Saitama to Enoshima.

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The Usual Forecast Trap

And then…

Reality.

Same pattern as always.

Weak.

Maybe 1–2 m/s, with occasional gusts around 3.

My instructor took one look and said:

“Yeah… today’s not really workable for a lesson.”

The lesson format depends on him being on foil,
circling around and giving real-time instructions via radio.

So if he can’t foil, the lesson doesn’t work.

We switched to self-training.

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The 30-Minute Battle Before Even Getting In

Even for a solo session, setup is no joke.

• Assemble the foil
• Mount it to the board
• Choose the wing
• Pump it up
• Life jacket
• Leash
• Helmet
• Water, towel

That’s about 30 minutes right there.

And now that it’s getting warmer,
Enoshima is getting crowded.

Carrying gear through tourists to the launch area?
Not exactly easy.

Finally—on the water.

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The Reality of Light Wind

Flat water. Light breeze.

Around 2 m/s.

With a 6.0m wing, that’s tough.

Unlike windsurfing, there’s no mast to support the sail.

You carry everything with your arms.

“Yeah… this is heavy.”

But I came here to ride.

So I committed.

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Full Focus on Pumping

I decided to lock in on one thing:

Pumping.

It wasn’t dead calm, so I could still move.

That’s enough.

I focused on what I’ve been learning:

• Fully pressurize the wing
• Stay centered on the board
• Don’t lean too far

Repeating, refining, over and over.

Even in weak wind—

My movement was clearly improving.

I could feel it.

“If the wind shows up, I’m getting on foil.”

That confidence was real.

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A New Problem — Left vs Right

But something else came up.

A clear difference between sides.

Starboard felt natural.

The other side?

Off.

Something wasn’t right.

• Hand position?
• Foot placement?
• Interaction with the chop?

Not fully clear yet.

But the asymmetry was obvious.

And honestly—

This kind of small imbalance could be exactly what’s holding me back from stable foiling.

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A Day Without Foiling — Still Meaningful

End of the day:

No foiling. Not even once.

Last time, I got lift.

This time—nothing.

Yeah, it was frustrating.

But realistically?

No wind = no foil.

Simple.

And what I did gain matters more:

• Better pumping mechanics
• Reconfirmation of fundamentals
• Awareness of left/right imbalance

Not flashy.

But solid progress.

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Looking Ahead

Days like this don’t feel big—

but they matter.

Give me just 1–2 m/s more wind…

and I’m confident:

I’ll be on foil.

The foundation is there.

Now it’s just about conditions lining up.

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Final Thought

It was a quiet day.

No big breakthroughs.

Just steady work.

But sometimes—

those are the days that matter most.