LE MAGAZINESurf Foil: The Ultimate SROKA Guide to Choosing Your Equipment and Foiling on Waves
Surfing foil has revolutionized the world of surfing, offering a unique sensation of gliding and flying above the water. But choosing the right equipment can be complex. SROKA Company, with the expertise of board sports expert Bruno SROKA (triple world kitesurfing champion), guides you step by step to find the perfect board and foil for surfing foil and enjoy an unforgettable experience.
What is surfing Foil and why choose this sport?
1.1. The Surfing Revolution:
Surfing foil is a discipline that uses a Foil attached to the underside of a board to enable the rider to rise above the surface of the water, creating a sensation of “flight”. This innovation opens up new perspectives, enabling riders to surf smaller, softer waves, and to extend their glide ad infinitum. As you progress, you’ll find that Surf Foil is just as sporty as surfing, and a great cardio workout. It’s also the perfect way to go surfing at Downwind (on a SurfFoil or SUPfoil) or on a surf-tow with a foil.
1.2. Unique Sensations:
- Infinite glide: foil eliminates friction between the board and the water, offering a smooth, silent glide and the ability to reconnect wave after wave.
- Speed and maneuverability: The foil surfboard allows you to reach high speeds and make tight turns on microscopic waves. It’s a fearsome efficiency.
- Accessibility: It lets you surf less powerful waves, ride waves where no other surfer can go, and practice in more varied conditions. It’s the ultimate weapon for summer micro-waves.
1.3. Why SROKA Company is your ally:
- SROKA Company has been developing surfboards foil for over 5 years, offering a complete range of boards and foils designed for performance but also for beginners and those looking for accessibility.
- Our expertise and our passion for board sports guarantee you quality equipment, adapted to your level and your needs.
The Different Types of Surf Foil: Find Your Style
2.1. Pure Surf Foil:
- Description: This practice focuses mainly on using swell and wave power to generate speed and perform maneuvers similar to traditional surfing (carving, cutback). The big difference is that, with a little technique, you can go back to the peak without rowing, but pumping. We generally use foils with front fins around 1000 -1200 cm2. The bigger the swell, the smaller the front fin to maximize control and speed. The smaller the swell, the greater the surface area of the front fin of the Surf foil to fly more easily and stay in the air longer.
- Recommended SROKA equipment: We have two specific types of boards Surf foil. The Elite SW range comes in three sizes. The SW 44 in 32L, the SW50 in 40L and the SW56 in 50L. The longer the board, the earlier it will start, but the less it will turn. A smaller board will turn more radically, but leave a little less early. Then we have the Fast Flyer 4’6 in 38L. A great board for beginners foil. At foil, we recommend the HA range in 1190 L for beginners, a good compromise between power and glide that will enable you to make your first moves. If you’re looking for greater efficiency, we recommend the UHA range, which will optimize pumping and make you more efficient. Then there’s the question of whether to use foil in carbon or aluminium. The foil S-foil in aluminium is more economical but a little heavier, while the carbon version of the Elite range in 14 mm is more efficient and more responsive.
2.2. Prone Foil:
- Description: Prone foil consists of riding long distances following the direction of the wind, using the swell to generate speed and glide. You start on a wave and pick up the swell trains from the open sea.
- Recommended SROKA equipment: The 5’6 SW or will be the most suitable for this type of condition. It’ll give you an easy glide so you can fly like a bird.
How to choose your surfboard Foil: The SROKA Guide
3.1. Size and Volume:
- Description: This versatile practice combines elements of surfing foil and downwind foil, allowing you to enjoy the ride on the waves and cover moderate distances.
- Recommended SROKA equipment: For beginners or those on a tight budget, we recommend the Fast flyer 4’6 board, which will enable you to make rapid progress at a low price. For the more experienced, we recommend the SW range. Those looking for an easy glide, or heavier weights, we recommend the SW 5’6, for medium sizes the SW 5’0 and for small sizes or experts, we recommend the SW4’4.
3.2. The Shape:
- Outline: The board’s overall shape influences its handling and speed. A straighter outline offers more stability and better glide when paddling, while a more curved outline makes it easier to turn. SROKA boards are designed with optimized outlines to suit your level.
- Rocker: The rocker (curvature of the hull) influences the board’s ability to start planing early and to turn. A more pronounced rocker facilitates tight turns, while a flatter rocker favors speed and thus takeoff, but on very hollow waves will be more complicated to manage.
- Tail: The shape of the tail plays a role in handling. A square tail offers more stability but will turn less so that the board’s tail can touch the water on tight turns, while a pinched, narrower tail facilitates tight turns without the board touching the water.
3.3. Construction and Materials :
- EPS and fiberglass: A lightweight, responsive construction, ideal for beginners and intermediate riders. But more fragile.
- Carbon: A more rigid and solid construction, offering maximum performance for experienced riders. SROKA boards in the Elite SW range use high-quality materials for optimum durability and performance. Maximum stiffness, strength and performance.
How to choose your Foil: SROKA expertise
4.1. The Front Wing:
- Surface: A larger front kite offers more lift and easier take-off, ideal for beginners and soft waves. A smaller front wing offers more speed and maneuverability, suitable for experienced riders and more powerful waves.
- Aspect ratio: a low aspect front wing offers more handling and a lot of stability, while a high aspect front fender offers more glide and speed but will turn less tightly.
- Profile: The profile is the key to the performance of a foil. It influences the lift of the foil, its speed and maneuverability. SROKA foils are designed with different profiles for different levels, and are optimized for every riding style.
4.2. The Stabilizer:
- The stabilizer controls the stability and maneuverability of the foil. A smaller stabilizer offers more maneuverability and responsiveness, while a larger stabilizer offers more stability, but will be easier for beginners.
4.3. The Mast:
- Mast length influences flying height and handling. A shorter mast is easier to control, while a longer mast allows you to get through chop better. For surfing foil, a mast between 70 and 80 cm is perfect.
4.4. The fuselage :
- Fuselage length influences stability and handling. A shorter fuselage offers more maneuverability and less longitudinal stability, so it’s easier to make it oscillate when pumping, while a longer fuselage offers more stability.
Choose foil according to spot and conditions
Choose your spotlight carefully. It will vary according to your foil. It is imperative to leave a safety margin with the bottom under foil.
Ask the locals, or take a close look at the water. Waves that break very close to the shore will be more complicated to get up and out quickly. Waves far from the shore will be easier and allow you to optimize your surfing time. De-programme the way you think about your spot, just like in surfing. You don’t need a wave that breaks, you don’t need a big wave, instead look for all the waves that nobody wants (soft, that break and reform, a ripple…).
The spot doesn’t need big wave conditions. That’s the advantage of Surf-Foil: you can get up on a wave with a gentle slope and a height of less than 60 cm. Depending on the spot, you may be able (if your technique allows) to start directly from the beach, and reach the peak using the beach start pumping technique.
In all cases, a spot that is not too busy is the best option.
How does Foil work?
Do you dream of surfing the swell away from the crowded playgrounds? At SROKA Company, freeride surfingFoil is one of our passions. Our aim is to share it with you, through equipment we’re happy to develop and use ourselves, without being overpriced, through this article.
We’ve got the answers to all the questions you may have when choosing your Foil!
- How does Foil work?
- What makes up Foil de Surf?
- How do you choose your foil according to your level of practice?
- How to choose your surfboard Foil
- How to choose your Surf Foil according to the spot?
- In a nutshell…
SROKA Company offers you a complete range of boards and foils designed for all levels and styles of riding. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you’ll find the ideal equipment to experience unique sensations and push your limits.
If you have any further questions, or if you have any other requests, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
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