How to get started with Wing Foiling?

Wing foiling is a new and rapidly growing discipline that attracts more and more watersports enthusiasts. Here are some reasons why you should consider getting into wing foiling:

• Unique sensations: Wing foiling offers exceptional gliding and flying sensations. By flying above the water, you will experience a feeling of freedom and weightlessness, combined with the fluidity of navigation.
• Accessibility: Wing foiling is easier to learn than other watersports such as kitesurfing or windsurfing. Thanks to the foil's lift and the wing's stability, beginners can quickly get their bearings, progress, and enjoy themselves from the very first sessions.
• Versatility: Wing foiling can be practiced in various wind conditions and bodies of water. Whether you are sailing on a lake, at sea, or even on wave spots, wing foiling offers incredible versatility to explore new horizons and adapt to the day's water conditions.
• Physical condition: Wing foiling engages the whole body, providing excellent cardiovascular training and strengthening the body's muscles, especially the legs, arms, and abs. It's a complete sport that will keep you fit while having fun on the water.

In short, starting wing foiling will allow you to discover new sensations, enjoy nature, take on new challenges, and experience moments of pure pleasure on the water. Whether you are a beginner or already a watersports enthusiast, wing foiling offers a unique experience that deserves to be explored.

Wing Foiling involves different elements, to get you on the water as easily as possible without risking damage to your equipment, we recommend the following method:

1. Prepare your Wing Foil board: assemble your hydrofoil and fix it to your board, attach your leash to the board.
2. Place it near the water: once the board and foil are assembled, bring them close to where you want to get into the water.
3. Get dressed: and prepare as if you were going straight into the water.
4. Inflate your wing: the wing has a strong wind resistance, which is why we only recommend inflating it just before getting into the water. We recommend inflating it sheltered from the wind and, if possible, attaching it to an object to avoid any risk of it flying away. As soon as the wing is inflated, immediately attach the wing leash to your wrist. Avoid abrasion on sand or asphalt.
5. Join your Wing Foil board: carry the wing by the handle, placing the leading edge facing the wind to make it neutral to the wind and easy to carry. Once you are close to the water with your wing and Wing Foil board, attach your board leash.
6. Carry your equipment to the water: since you placed your Wing Foil board near the water, you only have a few meters to walk while carrying both the board and the wing. Be careful to always carry your board on the windward side and your wing downwind to avoid the risk of the wing catching the wind and damaging itself on the foil.

Discover the SROKA Wing Foil Range

A key step for starting Wing Foiling and beginning to enjoy Wing Foiling, taking off in Wing Foiling is not very complicated but requires the right approach. Find our tips and illustrated comments below to achieve it from your first session.

First of all, sit on the board and turn the wing the right way up. Sitting astride will give you more stability to manipulate your wing. To turn it easily, move your hands to the leading edge and grab the wing near one of the ends. At that moment, flip the wing to position it correctly. If you are comfortable, you can do this kneeling on the board.

The first step is to kneel on your board while holding the wing (the right way) with the handles provided for this purpose. The goal is then to position the wing above your head so that the ends of the wing do not touch the water. Keep your board perpendicular to the wind. Position your wing well above your head horizontally. Once your two hands have grabbed the handles, the objective is to control the power of the wing and its reaction to the wind and to find a stable position on the board. Once you are stable and have good control of the wing, you can orient it to catch the wind better by pulling more on the back hand to move your Wing Foil board forward. Tips from Bruno SROKA "When I pull on the back hand, I gain power, I accelerate; when I release the back hand, the wing catches less wind and I slow down."

To move to the second step, you need sufficient speed. To accelerate, pull on your back hand so that the wind enters the wing. (Keep your front hand more or less extended). Once you have enough speed to stabilize, you can start to get on the board by starting with your front foot, which you place in the center of the board (along the longitudinal axis). This allows you to stand up in two stages while maintaining your balance.

You can then proceed to the third step: getting on the board by placing your back foot above the Foil this time. It is essential to be well balanced on the board. We recommend positioning the back foot above the mast, with good foot placement: the back foot should be centered on the board and ideally located directly above the mast. The front foot is spaced about shoulder-width apart and is slightly offset (from the longitudinal axis) forward.

Bruno SROKA's tips: "If you have some stability problems, slightly shift your back foot downwind and your front foot upwind of the longitudinal axis. This will allow you to be more stable on the board if the water surface unbalances you.

By pressing on your toes, the board will bear away (head downwind), if I press on my heels, the board will head upwind. »

We advise you to first keep the wing relatively above your head in a position close to neutral power to balance on the board, then allow yourself to lower your wing further in front of you and stand in opposition to the wing. And sheet in on the back hand to accelerate.

The fourth step is takeoff. Like an airplane, you need to generate enough speed to accelerate and thus create lift on your foil to take off. Bear slightly downwind and pull (sheet in) on your back hand to gain more speed. To accelerate faster, you can perform a "pumping" motion with both hands to gain more power and accelerate more. If you have gained enough speed, the foil will take off almost by itself and smoothly. Help it by lightly pressing on your back foot to lift the board out of the water.

Bruno SROKA's tips: "The key is your speed; if you don't have enough speed, you won't be able to take off. So, first concentrate on keeping the board in the water and continuing to accelerate."

In flight, a feeling of lightness will be your first sensation. Your stance on the board must be gentle and without sudden movements. Transferring weight to the back leg makes the foil rise, and re-transferring it to the front leg makes the foil descend. It is important to stay upright and keep your center of gravity above the foil without making sudden movements to avoid falling.

For practitioners with more of a surfing and/or surf foil background than windsurfing or kitesurfing, it can be complicated to navigate using both foot positions (goofy and regular stances). It is possible, as shown in the photo opposite, to sail with your back to the sail in one direction and facing the sail in the other. This has the advantage of ensuring good control of the board and foil but has the major disadvantage of making upwind travel much harder (this involves a torsion of the body between the axis of the legs and shoulders). We recommend training to change position to be able to go upwind more efficiently and switch back to your most comfortable stance at each turn.

When it comes to choosing a brand for wingfoiling, opting for quality equipment is essential. It's important to consider that price doesn't always guarantee quality. At Sroka Company, we constantly strive for the best quality at the best price. Our commitment to quality is reflected in each of our products, with meticulous attention to detail, durability, and performance.

Choosing quality equipment for wingfoiling offers many advantages. It ensures better stability, increased responsiveness, a longer lifespan, and a more enjoyable gliding experience. The quality of the equipment also influences the safety and confidence you feel when you're on the water, which is essential to fully enjoy this discipline.

But above all, it allows you to progress quickly. Unfortunately, not all equipment is created equal, and your progression will be greatly determined by your choice of equipment. Opting for quality equipment will give you the best learning experience.

When you choose Sroka Company, you can trust the quality of our equipment and our commitment to offering you the best value for money. Bruno SROKA, three-time kitesurfing world champion, tests all products and is fully involved in product development. We are passionate about wingfoiling and want to share this passion with you by offering products that meet your highest expectations.

Like any watersport, Wing Foil has a technical side that makes the choice of equipment very important. This technicality is amplified by the fact that Wing Foil utilizes both wind energy from the Wing and swell energy from the hydrofoil.

The hydrofoil consists of a mast, a fuselage, a front wing, and a stabilizer. The length of the mast has a real impact on how you ride: a shorter mast is more reassuring and easier for beginners, but a longer mast allows for more height and helps avoid touching the surface. The most influential parameter of the foil is the front wing: its profile, surface area, thickness, as well as its length and width, strongly influence the lift and behavior of the wing (speed, stability, and maneuverability).

The Foil board used for Wing Foil can vary depending on the rider's size and skill level. However, we strongly recommend starting with a stable Wing Foil board (between 105 and 120 L) to be able to focus more on wing handling and foil management rather than balance during the initial stages.

The Wing is a sail specifically designed for Wing Foil. It can also be used on a SUP board without a foil for initiation, or with a mountain board-type skateboard (medium wind) or carver (light wind). There are different sizes, constructions, and shapes of Wings. The size of a Wing is measured by its surface area: 3m – 4m – 5m – 6m – 7m. A Wing equipped with a boom will be easy to handle but more cumbersome than a Wing with handles. Finally, the thickness and shape of the leading edge impact the rigidity of the wing, its performance, and its maneuverability. A thick leading edge will generate a lot of power but will be slower and heavier.

OUR ADVICE: the choice of Wing is very important since it is the "engine" of your Wing Foil. There are two trends in wing construction: those that are very light but poorly reinforced and therefore not very durable over time (wings are very fragile), and those that are a little heavier with reinforcements but more durable and resistant to impacts. Then: it is more interesting to invest in 2 Wing sizes to cover a wider range of use than in 1 Wing and 2 front foil wings.

What speed in wingfoiling?

In general, the average navigation speed in wingfoiling is around 20 knots. This is a comfortable and enjoyable speed to experience the sensations of gliding and freedom on the water. However, with good progression and experience, it is entirely possible to reach higher speeds, around 25 knots or even more. This increased speed is generally achieved by the most advanced riders, who perfectly master their technique and fully exploit the potential of their equipment. But it is still important to note that it is not speed that determines the rider's level; in fact, it depends on several variables such as weather conditions, the type of body of water, and the equipment.

Kitesurf or wing foil?

The choice between kitesurfing and wingfoiling depends on personal preferences and the sensations sought. Kitesurfing offers thrilling sensations thanks to the power of the kite, but ideal conditions are rarer. Moreover, kitesurfing requires more complex equipment setup and more space to launch the kite. In contrast, wingfoiling offers unique sensations by flying above the water rather than gliding on its surface. Wingfoiling is also more practical, as it can be practiced more frequently in various conditions and spots. Although it may be less fast than kitesurfing, wingfoiling offers an immersive navigation experience and unique sensations. The choice between kitesurfing and wingfoiling will therefore depend on individual preferences and the desire to experience intense occasional sensations or a more regular and versatile practice.

Wing Foil is a Free-ride sport where pleasure is maximized by minimizing equipment. Easy to prepare, it's pure pleasure. We don't look for speed or jump height, but the sensation of gliding on water and wind swell, alone or with friends, without any hassle. It's a 100% fun sport made for those who want to always have a smile on the water.

Bruno SROKA's tips: 

• Start on flat water, sheltered from swell, and never with offshore wind.
• Don't overestimate yourself. If the conditions are not suitable for starting, don't go.
• Buy equipment adapted to your level, size, and location of practice
• Be mindful of other practitioners. Over time, you will increasingly go upwind and downwind, and sometimes with the wing, you have a loss of visibility, so make sure there's no one downwind when you start surfing the waves
• Start with a large front wing; it's more stable, a bit slower, and allows you to fly in lighter wind conditions quickly and without getting hurt
• Choose your equipment carefully. It's better to invest in a 4m wing and a foil with two front wing options to optimize the wind range and save money

Need help, do not hesitate to contact us at 02 98 32 53 69 or at contact@srokacompany.com