5 tips for getting started with Downwind Foiling

To get started in SUP foil downwind, first learn to take off on flat water, by synchronizing your paddle strokes with the board's pumping. Then practice on 100-meter runs, and gradually extend them: 500 meters, 1 km, then 5 to 6 km. Start with a larger front wing, manage your energy between attempts, and carry a parawing on your back so you can head back in. What is the goal of this pathway? Going from your first paddle takeoffs to real downwind runs of several kilometers, safely. SUP foil downwind means riding downwind on the swell with a board, a foil and a paddle, without a wing to pull you. It is the purest form of downwind, and the most demanding. What are the prerequisites for SUP foil downwind? Being able to paddle efficiently on a SUP foil board, going straight. Ideally, knowing how to do a flat start, that is, taking off on flat water, with no waves. It is not mandatory, but it makes the rest much easier. If you don't have it yet, it is the first step of this pathway. Knowing your spot, its currents and its exit points. What equipment for SUP foil downwind? Item Our advice for beginners Board A DW 8'3 V2 in 20 inches: its length makes the paddle start easier. The DW 7'2, in 20 or 22 inches, is still possible but harder to get going. Front wing A high-aspect UHA wing, rather large for beginners: 1260 cm², up to 1500 in weak swell Mast 70 to 85 cm Paddle At least 60% carbon, like our 60% carbon paddle Safety Leash, impact vest, helmet, waterproof phone, and ideally a parawing on your back Tip 1: how to learn to take off on flat water? The first exercise is the flat start. The key is synchronizing the paddle and the board's pumping: Paddle to build speed. Once you have enough horizontal speed, start pumping with the foil. Keep paddling in rhythm with the pumping: the coordination of both is what makes you take off. Once in the air, maintain the flight. For this learning phase, use a larger front wing: it lifts earlier and is more forgiving. Tip 2: how to succeed in your first starts on the swell? Next, move on to small bumps, over short distances. You will then need more wind, and ideally a spot where the wind and the swell are parallel to the coast. The 100-meter exercise: walk back up the beach, ride down 100 meters, and repeat. The goal is to coordinate the swell, the paddle and the board's pumping to take flight over those 100 meters. Tip 3: how to spot the right bump? Bumps are visible on the water. Watch the swell: you can see a small set coming, a wave train a bit bigger than the others. That is your cue, you know it is about to arrive. Bumps generally come in sets of 2, 3 or 4. Aim for the biggest one to get maximum power. When it arrives, be as explosive as possible: you have 2 to 3 seconds to give everything. If you time your paddle stroke with the slope, you will have enough power to take off. Tip 4: what to do with the paddle once in flight? Keep it in one hand: it helps you balance. Between wave trains, give a stroke from time to time to restart. When you pump to stay in flight, you can also add a few paddle strokes to help. Tip 5: how to progressively extend your downwind runs? Increase the distance step by step, and only move to the next one once the previous one is mastered: Step Distance To move on to the next step 1 Flat start You take off on flat water 2 100 meters You take off almost every time 3 500 meters You succeed 2 to 3 times in a row 4 1 km You succeed 2 to 3 times in a row 5 5 to 6 km Then keep increasing the distances The safety that changes everything: carry a parawing on your back. Since there is wind, if you can no longer take off or you are tired, you launch the wing and head back in. Our full method: downwind parawing. How to set up your foil to take off more easily? Move the foil back a little on the board: it lifts less quickly, and you build more horizontal speed before taking off. Add angle to the stabilizer with a shim: the foil lifts more and flies more easily at low speed. What conditions for starting SUP foil downwind? Wind: for paddling, count on at least 20 knots. You can start from 15 knots, but that is the absolute minimum and it becomes very technical. Without a formed swell, it is impossible to stay on the bumps. Wind parallel to the coast, with the swell in the same direction. Never offshore wind, which takes you out to sea. A short wind swell, raised by the day's wind, rather than a big ocean swell, which is too fast to ride. A quiet spot: stay away from other riders to avoid collisions. What mistakes to avoid when starting SUP foil downwind? Poorly coordinating the paddle and the board's pumping. Their synchronization is what makes you take off. Not recovering between attempts. Your energy works like a turbo, with refill cartridges: if you burn it all at once, you won't be able to restart right away. Allow yourself a recovery time. Poorly setting up your foil. A foil set too far forward lifts the board too early, before you have built enough speed. Extending distances too quickly, without having mastered the previous step. Going out without safety, without telling anyone or without a way back if you can no longer take off. How do you know if you are ready for the next step? Distance is what validates your progress. Over 100 meters, if you take off almost every time, move on to 500 meters. Over 500 meters, if you succeed 2 to 3 times in a row, move on to 1 km. And so on. All the dedicated gear is in our downwind collection. A word from Bruno Sroka In SUP foil downwind, everything comes down to synchronizing the paddle with the board's pumping. And your energy is a turbo: if you burn it all at once, you'll have nothing left for the next bump. Start with 100 meters, and only extend when you take off every time. Bruno Sroka, three-time world champion, four-time European champion and three-time French champion in kitesurfing. Kitesurfing crossing of Cape Horn (2008), English Channel record (2012), 444 km (240 nautical miles) France-Ireland crossing in 16 h 40 (2013). Former PE teacher, founder of SROKA Company, a Breton brand of foil, wing foil, SUP and parawing. Designer of the PushBar System® with Gaël Contal, SROKA ambassador and originator of the idea behind sheet in / sheet out (sheeting). Frequently asked questions about SUP foil downwind Do you need to know how to do a flat start to begin SUP foil downwind? It is not mandatory, but it makes things much easier. It is the first step of the pathway: taking off on flat water by synchronizing the paddle and the pumping. Which board for SUP foil downwind? A DW 8'3 V2 in 20 inches: its length makes the paddle start easier. The DW 7'2 also works, but it is harder to get going. Which front wing for downwind with a paddle? A rather large UHA wing, from 1260 cm², up to 1500 in weak swell, with a mast of 70 to 85 cm. How much wind for SUP foil downwind? At least 20 knots, with wind parallel to the coast and the swell in the same direction. From 15 knots, it is possible but very technical. What to do with the paddle once in flight? Keep it in one hand to balance, and give a stroke from time to time to restart between wave trains. What distance for a first downwind with a paddle? Start with 100-meter runs, then 500 meters, 1 km and 5 to 6 km. Move to the next step when you succeed at the current one 2 to 3 times in a row. Why carry a parawing in SUP foil downwind? It is a safety measure: if you are tired or can no longer take off, you launch the wing and head back in using the wind.