Tips for using smaller boards for wing foiling

I was wing foiling quite happily on my 95l Fanatic 2019 SUP foil board. For info I weigh 68kgs. I then damaged my board and it was out of action. I had been prone foil surfing on my Fanatic 2019 5’6” 50 litre board so I thought I would give that a go.

Game changer, lots of positives and some significant negatives…

Good things about a board  10 – 25 litres less than you weigh

• Really surprising how quickly you can pump a smaller board on to foil
• Can actually stay on foil in lighter winds than a bigger board as easier to pump
• More manoeuvrable
• Feels great
• Easier to carry and launch

Negatives

• Knee starting can be tricky in rough conditions
• You have to have wind. You cannot stand up and move for any length of time without some wind
• If the wind drops you have to swim home
• If it is wavey you need to knee start really quick
• If it is gusty between the waves and you have not been able to get on foil prepare for a swim

Tips

Obviously initial my fear was about getting up and going. I was able to knee start reasonably easy. 

The board sinks and some balancing gymnastics and fast wing handing skills are required but it is totally doable. 

Be ready for some frustration particularly at first and in rougher sea states. 

• Sort your leashes out. Last thing you want when you have a sequence of move to make in a very short space of time is a leash tangle.
• Figure out where the balance point of your board is when kneeling. Really help to get your knees on the balance point first time. It can be tricky to move about once you are on and have weight on your knees.
• Once you are on your knees act fast. Don’t wait about, Get the wing flying ASAP as some power in it allows you to balance and control then board.
• Some subtle power control is required to gradually lift the boards nose out of the water.  You need to be careful not to power the nose down under water. 
• When you feel comfortable get to your feet making sure they are on the centre line of the board with weight on the front foot to keep the foil down. Control that foil until you are ready to fly.

Have fun….

Learn to Wing Foil in Brighton with Lagoon Watersports