I've been paddleboarding for several years now and im looking to step up to foiling or kitesurfing. I don't have experience with either. After watching your video it sounds like my best bet might be to use my iSUP, purchase an additional fin and look for a sail on the secondary market. I'm 5 11 tall, 190lbs, is there a particular size sail you recommend? Any help is greatly appreciated

Do you think it will pump up an excursion 5 boat?

Kooks

Unfortunetly Ocean Rodeo is closed down.

so how big of a wing do you need?

Rarely watched so much BS in one viewing.

Great tip thanks for sharing 👍🏄🏼‍♂️

Thank you for the great video. Inflatable boards more and more popular 👍

Very helpful thank you!

I'm a beginner wingfoiler coming from a windsurfing and surfing background. I had no foiling background. I took one lesson being pulled behind a boat on a beginner wingfoil board. It helped me to get a "feel" for what being up on foil was like and some idea of weight/hip shifting forces. But aside from that initial "feel" actual wingfoiling is totally different. I'm a little torn about whether it was worth it because it was so expensive in my area. I was getting up on foil almost from the start, but I was climbing too fast for my skill level. I then moved the mast back 1/2" and that was a game changer and I immediately felt comfortable on foil. If you're struggling foiling you might want to experiment with mast position. Small changes make a big difference!

I would really enjoy to surf harnass free or will this be necessary in stronger winds?

Thx looking forward for first session and hopefully Jimmy Lewis is still shaping great boards👍

fin

Next time I get skunked at my local spot I'll be grateful I didn't have to travel to Aruba for it. A sobering look at traveling for wind. Thanks.

I think you're right on on all points. At 71 years and 60 kilos, I'm windfoiling on a 6.5 m sail in 5-10 knots and winging when it's over 10 and steady on a 5m wing. I live in a place where light winds are somewhat frequent but breezy days do come along. I've found high wind windfoiling to be less fun and fairly strenuous so the wing is a great way for me to enjoy windier days. Another thoughtful video, thanks.

Well explained. I'm learning to wing after windsurfing for many years and windfoiling for a few more. This was useful and unique instruction on the hardest part of learning to wingfoil. Thanks.

Good video Ben😎🇲🇽

For inland wingfoilers, I guess it’s hard to find good wingfoiling places. I can totally understand your pain of traffic hazards

Nice, thanks for the scout.

I have also found that having the foil position too far back has made it difficult to get up and stay on the foil. I have moved mine about 2 to 3 cm forward and the board is coming up easily (and faster). I had it back to keep from the board from jumping but I am adjusting better to the climb now.

Been practicing your technique....really helped on my twitchy board.

Great stuff!

Congratulations, one of the very few videos on KZfaq that talks about the very important problem of how to position the wing in relation to the apparent wind. Thank you!

I've windsurfed for many years and has taken a very long time to get good at it and very demanding. Now windfoiling and wingfoiling I find its less effort on the windfoil, possibly because I use a harness and maybe more relaxed on the windfoil. The BIG advantage for me is the wing, its less faff and you don't need as much kit and it don't take up much room, this is great. The downside of all the sports, its bloody expensive to buy the kit, but the wind is free, LOL.

I hope you get to try Kanaha soon. Don't bring a wetsuit. :)

Nice video. I've been windsurfing foiling for a few months now after doing a lot of regular windsurfing for a few years. I noticed the wing foilers are often not going for a session in light winds or very strong winds, compared to me going in any winds from light to very strong winds as a windsurf foiler. However, that may be just due to personal preferences or the type of foil they use. The wingers seem to like 15-25 kts best, and anything less or more is iffy, where I'm having fun with 10-35 kts windfoiling (switching sails). I'm typically taking advantage of being able to switch from foil to fin at around 20 kts plus to get some higher top speeds! For now, wingfoiling is not interesting enough to me due to the very low speeds. Windfoiling is definitely more physically challenging, especially if you are not well matched with your harness / harness lines, but I take that as a plus, being young(er) and enjoying the physical workout. On my 5.2 or 4.2 sail, with or without the harness, the physical part is not too difficult, but on a 7.5 or 8.5 sail, it is. For the basics, windfoiling seems more technically challenging than wingfoiling as well, or it could be my lack of skill, but after a few months I'm easily able to go fast or slow and stay on the foil (with footstraps, harness), but jibing or tacking fully on the foil is still not happening. If you start adding jumps or tricks, winging may be just as or more challenging, but on the basics, it seems easier. However, being sort of hooked on the feeling already with windsurfing, I don't mind some frustration to eventually get all the basic skills of windfoiling. Overall, the feeling of foiling is just a unique one, so I would recommend anyone to try it no matter if it's windfoiling, wingfoiling, kite foiling, or whatever.

Great thoughts. I would add a couple things from my experience 1) Windfoiling is way less strenuous than windsurfing and if you know how to waterstart getting going is much easier than winging and if you have enough wind to waterstart you just hook in and go no pumping. I now windfoil rather than windsurf unless it is a perfect windsurf day as you never stop moving and fly through all the jibes. 2) I found learning jibes and windfoiling was much easier once I removed the foot straps. Foot straps do have many advantages but other than foot placement (there are other aids if you need them) I don't see the benefit when learning. You can add them once you get jibing figued out. Finally I believe the two are more the same than different and everyone should try foiling. I also agree that if you have a windsurfing background getting on foil is much quicker on a windfoil, in the right condition with the right equipment (no straps) it is usually the first session.

👍 good analysis and breakdown here, Ben. Appreciate that you make these informative videos. Thanks, Dmitri

As surfer for 30 years this start and stance makes sense!! I’ve tried the ‘tripod’ start, can sometimes get up with knee start but can’t wait to try this! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom 🙂👍

I agree if you compare on flat water. But as soon as you ride on swell, winging is an other world. The pure sensation of gliding is totally addicting.

I quite share your point of view except for the fact that I don't think windfoil is more physical if you use a harness. And getting the sail out the water is not such a big deal when you have a good technique. I don't wingfoil but when I see all these poor guys on their knees trying to stand up I don't think I would enjoy that specially in choppy water. However I do think that windfoiling must be a nice sport to practice. 😊 A pro for wingfoiling might be that it seems to me that you might don't have to change gear as quickly as you do than when you're windfoiling. 😊

Good thoughts - what about wind range - I never really found much difference between take off when wind foiling than using a 7.5 or 8.0 and a fin. Probably because I wasn’t good enough😂. I’m fairly confident that even as an early beginner I can get going on the wing in less than 15. Also in typical inland 0 15 35 mph conditions I think the wing is easier to handle? Thoughts?

Well said and you mentioned location at the beginning of your video. I think location is a key factor in choosing the best option. I sail in the Tampa Bay area so we have the conditions for both wing and wind foiling. What I see in our community amongst the experienced windsurfers is winging is preferred if you want to wave foil and wind foiling is preferred if you prefer freeride foiling. As you mentioned and I agree 100% if one has no windsurfing experience the best option is wing foiling. We also have a large kiting community and they appear to prefer wing foiling vs kite foiling. I’m not a kiter but this appears to be the trend in our area. Great stuff and enjoy. I’m an experienced windsurfer and wind foiler. Like you I like the option of doing what we call a double when the wind picks up and switching to a fin. 🤙🏼

AWKWA: Thank you so much for all the information on Hood River. This July (2024) will be my first trip to Hood River. I will be there for six days of winging. Your travel vlog is going to be very helpfull for me. One question though, do you have any suggestions on accomidations?

Which reservoir in AZ is this?

That sounds smart, I will try it!

Many of the wing foiling beginner videos are failing to state how one maintain foiling during the initial phase when one is up. Going downwind is good for initial takeoff, but there is a correction after one is up in the air. For me moving my hip wasn’t really making it. I feel like I need to go upwind. I am basically looking for clear guidance in this regard but I still can’t find it.

when I place my weight onto my toes and the front of the board I feel like the wing itself is pulling me over the board...do I need to offset this effect by using heel pressure

Agreed Ben, bargains are only bargains if they can be converted into use, and it is easier to learn in a wider board.

Thank you! Nice video

good one thanks

Great tips, I think I bought the wrong size board as a beginner. Mine is 25l over my body weight. Finding it really hard to stay on any slight weight shift and the board either nose dives or bucks me off the back of the board. I still haven’t got on to foil.

Great. Thanks

Really great tips. Im sure this will help a lot of people out.

Great tips!

HI I´am Michael (sorry i am Natural german speaking). I started wind foiling three years ago. Back then with the Fanatic Stingray 125 HRS, after one season I switched to the 130 LTD. My tips, which I also passed on to the buyer of my 125 Stingray, are: straps to the outside, which I also discussed with Daniel Äberle from Duotone. Sail mast always in the middle. Two fingers width forward when sailing a sail smaller than 6.0. The foil mast far back under the rear straps, important you have to stand above the mast. This looks right on you. Flying: always put in the front straps first, whether you want to use the back straps is up to you. I always ride with my feet in the back straps as soon as I fly. There are so many false instructions out there. The harness lines should ideally be adjustable, short on all maneuvers except for downwind, where they need to be longer. If you are quickly on downwind, take your back foot out of the loop and place it in the middle of the loops to stabilize it. If you have any Question, please let me knew.

In regular windsurf you can’t get in the footstraps without hooking in the harness. As you really need to have that harness position to push correctly on the board with the feets and then move your feets back to the rail.

My tip for the foot straps is to get in the back one first, just as you get going. Then, just before you start planing, get in the front one and start flying 😁

long harnes lines

remove back foot straps