Wing foiling is the fastest growing water sport and that is hardly surprising. The sensation of silently flying smoothly above the surface the water propelled by the wind is incredible.

Hydro foils are being utilised in many water sports. Kitesurfer,sailers, windsurfers and surfers are exploiting the low drag and high efficiency of hydro foils.

Then along comes the new sport of Wing foiling combining the harnessing of wind power, the hydrofoil and waves.

The advantages of wing foiling comes from the portability of the equipment, ease of set up and the wide variety of conditions you can foil in.

Wing foilers can wing on lakes and in the sea. In flat conditions and waves. In low and high winds.

Learning How to Wing Foil

Learning how to wing foil can be broken down into easy manageable steps. Within several lessons most people are managing to lift out of the water and glide over the surface propelled by the wind.

The first step in how to learn this sport is to understand the equipment and how it interacts with you, the wind and water.

Wing foil equipment

There are three main parts:-

The wing foil board

The sail, kite or wing

The hydro foil

How can I learn to wing foil?

The best way is to find yourself some wing foiling lessons.

Before lessons you will get a big head start by learning as much as you can about the sport. This website will give you all the information you need to get acquainted with all the kit and techniques.

What other sports will give me a head start in wing foiling?

For sail and wind control Wind Surfing would be a big help. For confidence in the water most water sports will help. Surfing, kite surfing, wind surfing, swimming etc will all speed up your learning process but are not essential. Much of the sport is skill and technique not brute strength.

Do I need to be very fit to do this sport?

Once you have the technique wing foiling is not very hard on the body. When you are up and hydro foiling the drag is little so forces on the body are light.

What are the minimum skills I will need before learning how to wing foil?

You will need to be at least an ok swimmer and be confident in the water. Good balance will speed things up.

Is the equipment expensive?

To start you will need beginner level equipment. Most people grow out of this in the first six month so there is a lot of second hand starter kit available. You will need a board, kite/wing and the hydrofoil. Second hand this will cost around 800 euros.

Can wing foil lessons be broken down into easy stages?

Yes. This is the best way to learn and avoid injury. Safety helmet and body padding should always be worn.

First you are taught the theory. Then about the equipment and set up. Safety. Carrying the equipment. How the sail works. How to stand on the board. How to recover after falling in. How to use the sail to move and steer in the water. How to gain enough speed to come up on the hydro foil. Once up on the hydro foil turning, surfing, changing foot position and many other more advanced techniques can be learned.

Once I know how to wing foil whats next?

Once you can go along the water on the hydro foil turn and come back then the fun really begins.

There are three main areas of wing foiling, these are racing, freestyle and surfing. On any given day you can combine all three of these types of wing foiling and all are amazing fun.

Racing is being the fastest along a set course. Freestyle is doing tricks like jumps and spins. Surfing is surfing waves or ripples on the sea, behind boats or wherever you can find them.

Where can I go to take some wing foil lessons?

If you live in Europe a great idea is to take some wing foiling lessons in Lanzarote. This year round sunny location has great conditions for learning to become a wing foiler.