Have you just witnessed someone zipping around some waves with a surfboard 2 feet above the water while holding onto a giant inflatable wing? If so, you just witnessed the latest craze of wingfoiling – and this craze is here to stay.

Wing Foiling is the art of riding a hydrofoil board while harnessing the wind’s power via a handheld wing. If you’re not familiar with a hydrofoil, we’ll cover that in a moment.

The beauty of the sport is that you can wing foil on almost any body of water. You’re using a hydrofoil, which thanks to the physics behind it, creates lift so that you don’t need a breaking wave to move, making unbroken, open ocean swells accessible.

And if you live far away from the ocean you can still wing foil on lakes and large bodies of water thanks to the wing harnessing the wind which gives you speed and elevates the foil quickly.

What is a hydrofoil surfboard?

A hydrofoil surfboard is basically a surfboard with a hydrofoil mounted to the bottom. The hydrofoil refers to the mast, top plate, fuselage, front wing and back wing which are attached to the underside of a surfboard towards the rear and it uses similar physics to an aeroplane’s wings to generate lift to get the board up out of the water. Wings come in all shapes and sizes and are a versatile tool, which allows you to use the power of the wind when you need it and neutralise it in an instant when you don’t, giving you even more freedom and manoeuvrability during your session on the water.

The great advantage of wing foiling is that your foil board, once it’s above the water, minimises drag, increases acceleration and top speed and allows for breathtakingly agile manoeuvres. If you are new to wing foiling, a good time to have your debut in this sport would be on a day with average wind conditions (between 15 and 20 knots of wind) on a spot that is not exposed to swell. You should wait for a cross-on shore wind to avoid the risk of being blown out to sea.

We recommend that you take some lessons with the pro’s as there are huge advantages. Firstly all the gear is provided and secondly you will learn much faster! For more information on where to learn kitesurfing, wing foiling or windsurfing, please contact us and we will recommend the best option for your choice and your location.