I found an Air Chair for sale for a pretty good price. I haven't gotten a response yet as to model or year. <BR>Do any of yall know the difference between an Air Chair and a Sky Ski? <BR>will the Air Chair be easy to learn on? <BR>Any advice will help <BR>thanks

You can pick up an air chair cheaper than you can a sky ski. IMO the Sky Ski is the only way to go if you plan on advancing past the entry level. Either foil will be fine for a beginner, but the air chair will hold you back in the long run. You can upgrage parts on a sky ski much easier than the air chair, and the sky ski will have a better resale value down the road if you end up not sticking with it. I rode both when I was learning and wouldn't suggest one over the other because as a beginner you can't even come close to riding either of them to thier limit. I would take my earlier comments into consideration before picking one up though. Go to foilfreaks.com and google other hydrofoil sites. You'll be lucky if you find anyone riding an Air Chair. Foilfreaks.com has a classified secion as well. Poke around there and I bet you find a Sky Ski pro for sale reasonably priced. I can do all the same tricks on a pro than I can on the LE38.....but not nearly as high. <BR> <BR>Caution: Most people who get hooked on the Sky Ski end up buying the higher performance expensive ones.

thanks Brian

Check foilforum.com for more info on foiling.

I second the Skyski comment. IMO, Airchairs are junk. I've been on both, Skyski is the only way to go. <BR> <BR>Also, buy the best one you can afford. Once you get the hang of it, you'll just want a better one.

I've got a newer style AirChair and the construction and finish are excellent. I've ridden the older versions and the current version is much better. I have not ridden the SkySki but It was easy for me to demo the AirChair and I am really happy with the performance. Mine has a curved front foil, two rear foils, and adjustment wedges. <BR>I am not an expert but I can tell you that it is easy to ride and control and my wife, 11 year old daughter, and fat gray haired me all found it easy to get comfortable on. The older one did not respond nearly as well and was tougher to learn on, as well as less fun. I've also ridden a 5 year old version. I'd recommend getting a new one unless and old version was really cheap.

The only AC I would even mess with is one made &amp; sold by Geno. The GY38 is a nice riding foil. Anything else you will sell or trade in on a SkySki in a year or so. <BR> <BR>Check out FoilForum.com or the <a href="http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Hydrofoil/" target="_blank">AirJunky Hydrofoil Yahoo group.</a> Better yet, go to an event. You will find like 80 riders out of 100 are on a SkySki. 15 will be on a FoilTech &amp; 5 on an AirChair.

Hey Cliff - I am local to you and ride JP occasionally. I have also been on DWB for 5 years or so and converted to foiling around 2 years ago. <BR> <BR>Send me a message if you would like to get together and give it a try! I could also bring it out to Arlington one evening or weekend. <BR> <BR>Michael <BR><a href="mailto:jmc2cc@yahoo.com">jmc2cc@yahoo.com</a>

I'm looking for a used, reasonably priced air chair or sky ski in the greater Seattle area.

Just tried an Air Chair for the first time this weekend. I got up twice for a total of about 20 seconds. Fun as heck, but just couldn't get the balance down. I'm sure I'll get there though. I think I may have even caught the bug even in that brief 20 seconds. It's unreal once you're up.

wow Michael, thanks <BR>I will be sure to take you up on that offer!

Sky Ski is the only way to go!

Sky Ski

Spend the extra money and get an Sky Ski instead of an Air Chair. You will be ahead of the learning curve if you do. Much easier and forgiving to ride. You can find used ones here in the classified section: <BR>foilforum.com

Taught a newbie how to ride this weekend with some home made training wheels. The guy was getting up first pull &amp; every pull at like 5 or 6 mph. So he was concentrating on learning to fly &amp; steer almost from the get go. Really sped up the learning curve a LOT! <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/711355.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/711356.jpg" alt="Upload">

Cool Bill. Are you using the post bolts to hold the brace for the rear of the skis?

I have always been intrigued by these foils. Is it hard to learn coming from a wake background? How painful is the learning curve? Seems like wrecking while being strapped in and seated in a air chair would be kind of like a head on collision in a car with just your lap belt on - No chance to reposition your body for a less traumatic entry.

Yea, I need to get a good picture of the top so you can see how it's secured in place. Basically the bracket in the back is a piece of 2"x2" aluminum angle with two notches in it. You loosen the seat bolts, slide the angle between the seat &amp; board &amp; then retighten it all. Very simple &amp; worked amazingly well. <BR> <BR>As for being strapped in, look at it this way, if you come off it, it can come back &amp; hit you. Just like a car accident......or a wakeboard for that matter. <BR> <BR>The learning curve is different for everyone. Took me a long time to get it. But once I learned to fly it, I progressed pretty fast into jumps &amp; inverts.

I think everyone who has ever learned to fly a foil has had their share of hard faceplants, but the pain is worth it once you learn to fly. I personally have seen stars several times, but you shake it off and go after it again. <BR>}}I guess the pain is part of the process....

I fly around just fine and I've never seen stars....then again I don't really jump yet. For the most part, it is really lots and lots of water up the nose at the first. <BR> <BR>Get the Sky Ski <BR> <BR>Bakes

For me, I have always felt the crashes on my sky ski are less painful. I think the hydrofoil usually slows me down before I hit the water. I was riding my wakeboard a couple weeks ago, caught an edge and body planted. That was painful. Crashing on my foil, I usually just catch the front of the ski and dive, or fall sideways and get a mouth/nose full of water. I am only jumping 2 feet out of the water or so, I am sure I will crash good when I start to go bigger.

I really stuggle with jumps. I think I tend to try to push down with my feet, because I can get the air, but either nose in on the landing or half flip. Can't seem to get around that. <BR>Never rode a skyski, riding an air chair, so can't put my opinion in on that. <BR> <BR>What I do love is that you can hydrofoil in rough water, where it's tough to do anything else.

Sounds like your "stomping on the brakes" Chris. It's a panic situation. Gotta get past that. Once you do, then they come along nicely. <BR> <BR>Cut out away from the wake. Rock back, lifting on your feet slightly, hold the handle right on your knees, elbows bent, and hold that leaned back body position till you land. Landing on your back is almost always better than a faceplant. <BR> <BR>Once you can the little bunny hops, try doing it at the wake with a little cut. It's a timing thing but your trying to get the front wing to exit right on the lip of the wake. When you time it right, you will be surprised how much air you get. <BR> <BR>Oh, and hook up with riders in your area. You will learn more in a few rides than you will on your own.

yeah that's exactly what I'm doing, and no matter how hard I try I continue to do it. Not fun wrecks! <BR>Thanks, for the advise. One thing, I think it starts when I first jump. It's like I try and olli, like on my wakeboard. I od a little push down, then come out of the water already nose down

Just noticed your in the Denver area. The Hydrofoil Nationals are in 3 weeks at Lake Water Valley in Windsor, CO. <a href="http://www.foilforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1886&amp;highlight=nationals" target="_blank">You can find more info here</a>. The best talent in the world will be there, not to mention loads of other riders to hook up with, so you can make it. <BR> <BR>Plus the <a href="http://www.foilforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1393&amp;highlight=freedom+fighte rs" target="_blank">Freedom Fighters Invitational</a> is being held this weekend in Grand Junction. Should be a good show there if you don't have other 4th of July plans.