How do you do towed foiling?
Foiling is expanding into new territories. Today, it's possible to get out on the water regardless of wind or sea conditions. Towed foiling fits perfectly into this trend; it's a way to enjoy our passion even in calm conditions.
Tow-in foiling can also, in a performance-oriented way, allow access to tow-in surfing, giving you access to waves that would be impossible to reach by paddling. Therefore, learning tow-in foiling is an entry point to many new activities. Finally, when we talk about tow-in foiling, we must also talk about wake foiling. It's a rapidly growing discipline, and you don't need a large boat. A simple rigid inflatable boat with a 25hp engine can suffice.
To give you an idea of the level of accessibility to the practice, remember that towed foiling is used by most wingfoil schools to teach wing foiling .
So together we will cover all the tips and tricks to start and progress in towed foiling .
What is towed foiling?
1. The equipment
Foiling is an activity towed by a motorized boat. Therefore, a boat equipped with a tow bar is necessary.
For your personal equipment, it's important to protect yourself because foiling remains a risky activity. We recommend wearing a vest or impact vest , a helmet, and neoprene booties. Don't overestimate your abilities and be careful.
As for the board, equip yourself with a board and foil set following these recommendations:
- Don't get a foil that's too small to start with; the main idea is to learn how to do towed foiling and fly.
- If you already know how to fly wingfoil or kitefoil, take a foil that you are used to.
- Regarding the board, initially use a board with more volume than your weight; this will greatly facilitate the learning and preparation phases for getting on the board.
- Once you have progressed, you will be able to reduce the size of the board to unlock the maneuverability of the foil.
2. Safety first!
As mentioned previously, safety is paramount. It is important not to overestimate your abilities and to wear as much safety equipment as possible to avoid injuries during your tests.
The boat operator must be aware of the dangers and attentive to what is happening in front of and behind them. From a regulatory standpoint, there must always be at least two people in a towing boat: an operator and a person watching the rider behind them! Don't forget your orange flag to signal that you are towing a rider!
When choosing a spot and conditions, opt for a calm body of water free from obstacles (other users, rocks, mooring buoys, etc.). The flatter the water, the easier it will be to fly. As for conditions, find a calm, windless, and uncrowded window.
First steps on the water: how to balance properly and hold the board.
In the case of a board that floats:
- During the initial learning phase of towed foiling, it's recommended to keep your feet aligned with the board or slightly offset by placing your front foot closer to the rail on the heel side and your back foot closer to the rail, where your toes are. Maintaining balance is essential for learning quickly. To maintain good posture, look far ahead, about 5 to 10 meters. Don't look at your feet. Finally, a magic trick to lock your pelvis and straighten up over your center of gravity: squeeze your glutes to engage your abdominal muscles.
- If you don't feel comfortable starting out standing up, we recommend starting on your knees. Pick up some speed, then step up onto the board to stand.
- To properly control your foil, it's important to transfer your weight between your front and back legs rather than putting pressure on one leg or the other. To do this, hold your handle and look ahead. When standing on the board, maintain an upright posture with your torso directly above your feet.
In the case of a sinking board:
- Lower your board and position it under your feet. With your front hand, hold the handle and the front of the board, and with your other hand, hold the back. Bend your knees and maintain a tucked stance. This position resembles that of someone crouching underwater during a waterstart in wakeboarding. Maintain your balance until the boat starts moving. Once the boat starts moving, the pressure from the foil and the board will press the board against your feet. Point the nose of the board towards the surface of the water and gradually rise to the surface. As you rise, bring your other hand back to the handle and push with your legs.
- When you're on the surface of the water, the procedure is the same as with a larger board. You'll simply need to have more speed.
Managing fin power: how to control traction to maintain balance.
Once you're out of the water, your foil will lift you more and more as the boat's speed increases. This force will be even greater with larger foils (front wing). To compensate for this increasing pressure, you need to put a little more weight on your front leg. To fly horizontally, it's important that your weight equals the foil's lift. Three things are essential for this: the boat's speed (which shouldn't be high, but rather proportional to the foil's surface area and the rider's weight), foot placement, and foil placement.
The further forward your foil is positioned in the box, the greater the pressure under your front foot will be. This increases the likelihood of being ejected. The further back it is, the more control you'll have over the foil at higher speeds. However, comfort at lower speeds will be reduced.
So initially, we recommend placing your control box in the center of the US rails. Then fine-tune it according to your size, skill level, and boat speed.
Foot placement is key to maintaining balance on the board. The foil pushes upwards, and your weight presses down on the board. The rider's weight must equal the foil's thrust. Otherwise, the foil will only rise, or vice versa. Therefore, the rider's weight should be positioned roughly above the center of pressure of the front wing (about one-third of the way up the leading edge of the front wing). To compensate for excessive pressure under your front foot, move forward. To compensate for excessive pressure on your back foot, move your stance back on the board.
Need more details? Here are the steps to get on the board.
First, the objective will be to understand how the foil works
To do this, it's essential to eliminate any balance issues that could hinder your progress. Use a short mast and kneel down, maintaining good balance on the board; this will make learning easier. The lower the mast and the lower you are on the water, the easier the foil is to control.
Positioning on the board: Kneeling makes it easier to get a feel for the board and foil's balance. Position yourself in the center of the board and maintain your balance, especially as soon as the boat starts moving. Control your lateral stability by trying to distribute the pressure evenly on both knees. If your board lifts too much, apply a little more pressure to the front of your knees. If your board doesn't lift at all, shift your weight slightly onto your heels while remaining kneeling. You'll be well-balanced when you're flying horizontally over the water. Try a few flights on your knees to better master and control your foil.
Tip: Use a longer rope for your spreader bar. This will compensate for any potential loss of tension or slack in the rope.
Move from a kneeling position to a standing position.
When you can fly without any problems on your knees, it's time to stand up.
With the boat stopped, get on your knees and balance on the board.
Start the motor and as soon as the board moves forward a little, begin by placing your front foot on the board, then step up and place your back foot on the board. You have two options.
1- Place your feet in line with the longitudinal axis of the board.
2- Position your feet slightly offset from the longitudinal axis of the board (front foot offset towards the rail closest to the heels and back foot slightly further from the board's rail on the toe side).
Tip : This second solution provides a lot of stability for beginners.
Fly balanced!
Once airborne, control of your flight involves transferring your weight between your front and back legs (not applying pressure to either leg). Straighten your torso and keep your arms extended. Control the board by shifting your weight from your front to your back leg.
Tips : If you are having trouble getting the board to fly, first ask the boat to accelerate a little more; when you are in the air, it can slow down again.
Going further in practice:
1. How to accelerate smoothly:
Once you're feeling comfortable, start making turns and moving away from the boat's centerline. Use your toes or heels to change direction. This will give you better control and allow for greater acceleration.
2. Start wake foiling the boat's wake
Release the rope and try to stay in the trough of the boat's wake. Use the power of the wave (its trough) to generate lift and thus stay airborne.
3. Learn to pump
If you're starting to get the hang of foiling behind the boat, you can try loosening the handle, then letting go and pumping with the foil . This will be very useful for wing foiling.
4. Start jumping
The idea here isn't to provide a complete tutorial on towed and foil jumps; that might be the subject of a future article. The goal is simply to give a few examples of what's possible with just a few towed sessions under your belt.
The basic jump is a good starting point. The rider pushes off with their back foot to lift the foil out of the water, keeping it in the air, and lands by bringing the front wing back in first, quickly pushing down on their back foot to get the foil flying as fast as possible. It's important to try and take advantage of a spring effect, pushing the foil into the water before pushing down on the back foot to jump. The basic jump should be performed in line with the boat to avoid any lateral imbalance due to the pull.
Tip: Always maintain a setting that gives you pressure under your front foot. This helps maintain better control in all situations.
To start, we recommend the Pocket 4'0, which is a good compromise for beginners in wake foiling, especially with a 1750 S-Foil for complete beginners. It will provide ease and comfort for getting started.
For those who are a little more experienced, we recommend the Wake foil pack with the pocket 4'0 and a foil in 1190 L or 1350.
Conclusion
In conclusion, learning towed foiling is an activity worth adding to your skill set. It offers the opportunity to enjoy the sea even on windless or waveless days. But above all, it allows you to develop new skills that will be transferable to any foiling activity.
Generally speaking, every moment spent on a foil allows you to progress in different disciplines. So, what are you waiting for?
Tow-in foiling is a water sport where you're towed by a boat while equipped with a foil. The foil is a wing that lifts the board above the water, reducing drag. This activity is accessible to practitioners of water sports such as kitesurfing, surfing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, wing foiling, and more. Learning tow-in foiling allows you to experience foiling without needing a sail. You can start with sessions towed by a motorboat or using a cable ski system to experience your first flights and learn to control your trim and direction. It's an excellent stepping stone to discovering different foiling activities.