Very Tempting: LF Foil Fish package, now <$1,300

[mcfly777]

and no booties with straps (at least not the LF straps which i have experience with, even loose). In the first 2 weeks I tweaked both ankles with only the front strap. If you wear booties, go for a front foot hook. If you insist on using straps with booties, have a low threshold to bail.

Leo

[pabloarce]

Sweet! Thanks everyone for your replies. I will probably give Alameda a try (I agree with not learning at Crissy, which is why I asked even though that would be the easiest for me). I usually wear a helmet and a wetsuit - will look into impact vest as an additional safety.

Looking forward to getting on the water (and eventually above the water... Hopefully with no major damage).

[wvickers]

Consider the Happy Foil instead. The LF Happy Foil is only a few dollars more. The medium aspect wings and long fuselage are still easy to learn on but it's a faster foil than the Fish. The Happy Foil board has more volume which will be easier than the Fish for progression. High volume in the board will help in the beginning stages. And the Happy Foil board has big wide straps so makes ankle injuries less of a concern. The medium aspect wing will go upwind well and cavitates less near the surface than the lower aspect wing on the Fish.
With the Happy Foil, you can swap out the medium aspect wing to the low aspect wing from the Fish. The low aspect wing is nice to use in surf and swell where speed is less of an issue than carving. The lower speed of the low aspect wing is ideally suited for riding the face of waves. So, it somewhat depends on what your interests are. If surf is something that makes one happy, then the Happy Foil board is also a better idea since it pearls less and you can take off the foil and put on quad fins and use the board for surfing small to medium wave.
I started with the Taaroa Sword 2 and had stalled progression and inability to consistently foil. Possibly this was due to 52 yrs of age, but I grew fearful of foiling due to the speeds, ankle injury, and sharpness of the trailing edge i.e had 8 stitches in a finger and several lacerations. The Sword was stolen out of my car, so I bought the Happy Foil on impulse. Was upset about losing the Sword, but with the Happy Foil I FINALLY progressed to riding both tacks, foiling thru gybes, toe side, and am now working on foiling tacks. Fell in love with foiling. So, I am an advocate of foil progression, at least for someone my age.
Liquid Force and Slingshot boards and foils you can progress with. And there are several other companies that now allow swapping out the wings, but the price point of both Liquid Force foils makes it easier. The reality is not everyone can learn to foil on a race foil. And even fewer have the desire to race and/or the resources to purchase a quiver of ram air kites. The sword does have good stability once up on foil, but the speeds and sharpness of the foil can make progression painfully slow.
I'm just a kiter. Not a dealer. I have had the LF Happy Foil for 6 months and still Happy with it