He managed to dock start on his first try and did the 1 Minute Wakethief challenge in his second try...! But he's not invincible, he's struggling with the parawing... at least that... Summary In this episode of the Up on Foil podcast, hosts Gaël and Matt welcome Dave West, an accomplished foiler from Australia. The conversation explores their personal journeys in foiling, the evolution of techniques, and the balance between family life and pursuing a passion for water sports. They discuss the challenges of monetizing hobbies, the impact of YouTube on their foiling experiences, and the intricacies of learning to read waves and energy while foiling. Dave shares insights on power winging and offers advice for aspiring foilers, emphasizing the importance of understanding the dynamics of waves and foiling equipment. In this conversation, Dave West shares insights on foiling dynamics, the importance of mass height management, and the challenges of racing. He discusses the significance of foil design and breachability, as well as the balance between family, work, and foiling. The conversation also touches on the evolution of content creation in the foiling community, the risks associated with spearfishing, and the importance of training and setting goals for improvement in performance. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Backgrounds 03:00 Foiling Journeys and Experiences 06:02 The Evolution of Foiling Techniques 08:57 Balancing Foiling and Family Life 11:54 Monetizing Foiling Passion 14:54 YouTube Journey and Content Creation 18:00 Challenges in Power Winging 20:50 Learning to Read Waves and Energy 23:59 Final Thoughts and Advice 32:59 Understanding Foil Dynamics 34:52 The Importance of Mass Height Management 36:39 Foil Design and Breachability 38:35 Choosing the Right Foil for Conditions 40:12 The Challenges of Racing and Mistakes 42:44 Balancing Family, Work, and Foiling 45:10 Navigating the Business Side of Foiling 46:50 The Evolution of Content Creation 47:41 Life in Australia and Travel Challenges 49:09 The Risks of Spearfishing 50:45 Finding Joy in Foiling 53:00 Training and Fitness for Foiling 55:44 Cross Training and Improving Performance 58:50 Setting Goals and Competing 01:00:15 Connecting with the Community…