Wing Foil Tutorial: How to Get Started with Wing Foil?

Wing foil is more accessible than you might think. In this complete wing foil tutorial you'll find everything you need to get started: choosing the right gear (a voluminous board, a stable foil, a wing suited to your size), practicing in good conditions (sideshore wind, 15-20 knots, a sheltered spot), and mastering the key steps of takeoff. Plan on a few sessions before you feel comfortable on the water, and far fewer if you already practice a glide sport. What is Wing Foil? The Wing Foil is the latest addition to water glide sports. It involves handling a wing held in both hands (the "wing") combined with a hydrofoil mounted on a short SUP board. It's a practice halfway between wind foil, kite foil and SUP Foil. The advantage of wing foil is that it lets you move with maximum freedom on any body of water, using the energy of the wind and the swell. The wing provides maneuverability and makes takeoff on the foil easier thanks to a constant force (the wind). This sets it apart from downwind SUP foil, which only uses the energy of the swell. Thanks to the lightness and mobility of the wing, you can alternate between the two approaches within a single session: sail upwind by tacking first, then run downwind as in Downwind SUP Foil afterward, for example. It's a very playful discipline that refocuses the rider on their own sensations, with no comparison to others. The hydrofoil lets you lift off above the water and surf above the surface. Wing Foil is practiced on a short but wide and thick (voluminous) stand up paddle board, allowing the rider to get up quickly. It can be practiced in any wind direction, but it is more interesting downwind, with a crosswind. It is also possible to practice Wing Foil in waves, and to use the lift of the wing to work your way back out past the break. Choose your Wing Foil package WINGFOIL - Dreamy session in Mauritius Why take up wing foil? Wing foil is a new discipline that is booming and attracting more and more water sports enthusiasts. Here are a few reasons why you should consider taking up wing foil: Immediate sensations: Wing foil offers exceptional glide and flying sensations. Flying above the water, you'll feel a sense of freedom and weightlessness, combined with the fluidity of sailing. Accessibility: Wing foil is easier to learn than other water sports such as kitesurfing or windsurfing. Thanks to the lift of the foil and the stability of the wing, beginners can quickly find their footing, progress and have fun from the very first sessions. Great versatility: Wing foil can be practiced in a wide range of wind and water conditions. Whether you're sailing on a lake, at sea or even on wave spots, wing foil offers incredible versatility for exploring new horizons and adapting to the conditions of the day. Complete sport: Wing foil works the whole body, providing excellent cardiovascular training and strengthening the 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, taking up wing foil will let you discover new sensations, enjoy nature, take on new challenges and experience moments of pure pleasure on the water. Whether you're a beginner or already a water sports enthusiast, wing foil offers a unique experience worth exploring. Who can do wing foil? Wing foil is accessible to a broad audience, from beginners to experienced riders. It appeals to water sports enthusiasts looking for new sensations. Whether you're into surfing, kitesurfing or stand up paddle, you can get started with wing foil. However, it is recommended to have a certain command of balance and good physical condition to fully enjoy this discipline. How to get started with Wing Foil? This wing foil tutorial walks you through the basics step by step. Here are the essential steps to follow: Take lessons or find a mentor: It is recommended to take lessons from a wing foil school, a shop, or to find an experienced mentor who can guide you and give you valuable advice. This will let you learn the technical basics and acquire good habits from the start. Choose the right gear: To start, it is essential to choose the right equipment: opt for gear suited to beginners that will also let you progress. It is also necessary to take your size into account when choosing your gear. Later in this article, we explain which wing foil equipment to choose based on your size, your goals and your level. Choose a suitable spot: Select a spot with moderate wind conditions and a sufficiently flat, open body of water. Avoid crowded areas and make sure you have enough space to maneuver safely. Progress step by step: Start by getting used to the board and the wing while sailing near the beach. Once comfortable, try to lift off by gaining speed on flat water: it is horizontal speed that lifts the foil, pumping comes later. Practice regularly to improve your balance and control of the foil. Stay safe: Wear a life jacket and use a leash to attach your wing to your wrist. Check the weather conditions before heading out on a session and always follow the safety rules in force. In what conditions should you practice Wing Foil? We recommend starting Wing Foil in moderate wind conditions at a spot sheltered from the swell (between 15 and 20 knots sustained). It is simpler to start with a sideshore wind so you don't risk being carried out to sea without being able to return (offshore wind) or being constantly pushed back to shore by the wind (onshore wind). Be careful when choosing your spot to avoid floating seaweed, which prevents the hydrofoil from working properly, as well as any other floating objects. We also recommend bay-shaped spots. That way, if you drift away, you can always reach the coast and walk back with your gear. Finally, it is ideal to start in water where you can stand but deep enough that the hydrofoil doesn't touch the bottom. An experienced rider of average build, weighing 80 kg, can later sail Wing Foil in a wind range from 8-10 knots to 40 knots. Preparing your Wing Foil gear to get started in wing! The Wing Foil setup includes several elements. To get into the water as easily as possible without risking damage to your gear, we recommend the following method: Prepare your Wing Foil board: assemble your hydrofoil and attach it to your board, then attach your leash to the board. Set it down near the water: once the board and foil are assembled, bring them close to the spot where you want to enter the water. Get dressed: and prepare yourself as if you were about to get into the water right away. Inflate your wing: the wing catches a lot of wind, so we recommend inflating it only just before getting into the water. Inflate it out of the wind and, if possible, tie it to an object to avoid any risk of it taking off. As soon as the wing is inflated, immediately attach the wing leash to your wrist. Avoid abrasion on sand or asphalt. Head to your Wing Foil board: carry the wing by the handle, placing the leading edge facing the wind so it is 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. Carry your gear to the water: since you set your Wing Foil board down close to the water, you only have a few meters to go, carrying both the board and the wing. Always carry your board on the windward side and your wing on the leeward side so the wing doesn't catch the wind and get damaged on the foil. Discover the SROKA Wing Foil range Which foil for a beginner? For wing foil beginners, it is essential to choose a foil offering enough lift and stability to learn and progress quickly. At Sroka Company, we strongly recommend our beginner foil from the Progress range, with the 1750 cm² front wing, for novices of average build weighing 80 kg. If you weigh more than 90 kg, we recommend choosing the 2000 cm² front wing. Conversely, for riders under 70 kg, go for a 1500 cm² front wing. With its large lift surface, a beginner foil allows easy takeoff and optimal balance in flight, which makes learning your first wing foil flights easier. However, don't be fooled by its beginner look: the Progress 1750 foil is also designed to help you progress quickly. Its versatility will also let you get started with dockstart and venture into small waves. By choosing the Progress 1750 from Sroka, you opt for ease of learning, stability, progression and a wing foil learning experience in complete peace of mind. How to takeoff in wing foil? Takeoff is a key step to get started in Wing Foil and enjoy it. Takeoff in Wing Foil isn't very complicated, but it does require doing it the right way. Find our tips and illustrated comments below to achieve it from your very first session. Step 1: Kneeling position First of all, sit on the board and turn the wing the right way round. Sitting astride gives you more stability to handle your wing. To flip it easily, move your hands to the leading edge and grab the wing near one of its ends. At that point, turn the wing so it is positioned the right way. If you feel comfortable, you can do this while kneeling on the board. The first step is to kneel on your board while holding the wing (the right way round) by the handles provided for this purpose. Then position the wing above your head so the ends of the wing don't touch the water. Keep your board perpendicular to the wind. Position your wing horizontally above your head. Once both hands have grabbed the handles, the goal 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 in control of the wing, you can steer it to catch the wind better by pulling more on your back hand to move your Wing Foil board forward. Bruno Sroka's tip: "When I pull on my back hand, I gain power and accelerate; when I release my back hand, the wing catches less wind and I slow down." Step 2: Acceleration and lifting the front foot To move on to the second step, you need enough speed. To accelerate, pull on your back hand so the wind fills the wing. (Keep your front hand more or less extended.) Once you have enough speed to stabilize, you can start standing up on the board by placing your front foot slightly offset to one side of the board's centerline. Simple reference: standing on a 2 cm wide beam is much harder than on a 20 cm wide beam. Both feet on the centerline is the 2 cm beam. This lets you stand up in two stages while maintaining your balance. Step 3: Placing your feet while standing You can then move on to the third step: placing the back foot. To start, don't place it above the mast: shift it slightly leeward, relative to your front foot, to keep your center of gravity in line with the board. The front foot remains slightly offset to the other side, and your feet are spaced shoulder-width apart. It is essential to be well balanced on the board. Bruno Sroka's tip: "Pressing on the balls of your feet, the board bears off and turns downwind; pressing on your heels, it turns upwind." We initially recommend keeping the wing fairly above your head, in a position close to neutral power, to balance on the board. Then lower your wing further in front of you and lean back against it, then trim on your back hand to accelerate. Step 4: Takeoff 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. Lower yourself slightly toward the wind and pull (trim) on your back hand to gain more speed. To accelerate harder, you can perform a "pumping" motion with both hands to gain more power and speed up further. If you have built up enough speed, the foil will lift almost on its own and smoothly. Do not press on the back foot: like an Airbus A380 on the runway, it is horizontal speed that creates lift on the front wing. At most, a very slight weight transfer to the back leg. A firm press makes the foil rise suddenly, and the board drops back down. Like an airplane, a foil without enough horizontal speed is unstable: you lose control of your trajectory. If you porpoise, meaning the board dives like a dolphin, move your foil back 2 to 4 cm on its tracks. You will take off a little earlier, but with more speed, and the flight will be much easier to control. Bruno Sroka's tip: "The key is your speed. If you don't have enough speed, you won't be able to take off. So first focus on keeping the board in the water, and keep accelerating." In flight, a feeling of lightness will be your first sensation. Your pressure on the board should be gentle and without sudden movements. Shifting weight to the back leg raises the foil, and shifting it back to the front leg lowers the foil. It is important to stay upright and keep your center of gravity above the foil without making sudden movements to avoid falling. The windsup + Wing package for families To learn how to handle a wing with ease, we offer a SUP adapted for sailing (a rear fin plus a central fin to prevent drifting leeward) and a wing. It's the best way to discover sailing safely, with the whole family. Click here for more information on the Windsup inflatable + 3.3m or 4m wing package What is the WingSUP ? For surfers: For riders with a background in surfing and/or surf foil rather than windsurfing or kitesurfing, it can be difficult to sail using both foot positions (goofy and regular stances). As shown in the photo opposite, it is possible 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 its major drawback is that it makes upwind sailing much harder (it requires twisting the body between the leg and shoulder axes). We recommend training to switch positions so you can sail upwind more efficiently and return to your most comfortable stance at each turn. Safety rules Wing Foil is a risky glide sport, just like Windsurfing, Kitesurfing or any other foil sport. We recommend that every rider equip themselves with the following items during their session: board leash and wing leash (mandatory), life jacket / impact vest (mandatory if you go beyond the 300 m zone), helmet (recommended). It is strongly advised not to go out alone regardless of your level; you should always let someone know about your session and the planned practice times. We recommend practicing Wing Foil only at spots that have been studied and scouted beforehand. Marine weather being changeable and unpredictable, it is essential to stay close to the coast so you can return easily and quickly if the wind shifts, picks up or dies completely. Pay close attention especially to current effects caused by tides or swell. Sometimes it is better to give up a session than to end up in serious trouble. Wing foil, which brand to choose? When it comes to choosing a wing foil brand, opting for high-quality gear is essential. Keep in mind that price doesn't always guarantee quality. At Sroka Company, we focus on constantly seeking 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 gear for wing foil has many advantages. It ensures better stability, increased responsiveness, a longer lifespan and a more enjoyable riding experience. The quality of the gear also affects safety and the confidence you feel on the water, which is essential to fully enjoy this discipline. But above all, it lets you progress quickly. Unfortunately, not all gear is equal, and your progress will largely determine your choice of equipment. Opting for quality gear will give you the best learning experience. When you choose Sroka Company, you can trust the quality of our gear and our commitment to offering you the best value for money. Bruno SROKA, triple kitesurfing world champion, tests all products and is fully involved in product development. We are passionate about wing foil and want to share that passion with you by offering products that meet your highest expectations. Which gear should you choose to start Wing Foil? Like any board sport, Wing Foil has a technical side that makes choosing the right gear very important. This technicality is amplified because Wing Foil draws both on the wind's energy through the Wing and on the swell's energy through the hydrofoil. The hydrofoil is made up of a mast, a fuselage, a front wing and a stabilizer. Mast length has a real impact on how you ride: a shorter mast is more reassuring and easier for beginners, while a longer mast lets you get higher and avoid touching the surface. The most influential element of the foil is the front wing: its profile, surface area, thickness, as well as its length and width, have a strong influence on lift and on the wing's behavior (speed, stability and maneuverability). The foil board used for Wing Foil can vary depending on each rider's size and skill level. We strongly recommend starting with a stable Wing Foil board (between 105 and 120 L) so you can focus more on handling the wing and managing the foil than on balance in the early days. The Wing is a wing specially designed for Wing Foil. It can also be used on a SUP board without foil to get started, or with a Mountainboard (moderate wind) or carver (light wind). Wings come in different sizes, constructions and shapes. A Wing's size is measured by its surface area: 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m, 7m. A Wing with a boom is easy to handle but bulkier than a wing with handles. Finally, the thickness and shape of the leading edge affect the wing's stiffness, performance and maneuverability. A thick leading edge will generate a lot of power but will be slower and heavier. OUR ADVICE: choosing the 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 lightly reinforced and therefore less durable over time (wings are very fragile), and those that are somewhat heavier with reinforcements but more durable and resistant to impacts. Also: it is more worthwhile to invest in 2 wing sizes to cover a wider range of use, than in 1 wing and 2 front wings for the foil. Which wing size for wing foil? The front wing of the Progress SROKA foil comes in four surface areas, interchangeable on the same mast and fuselage. You keep the same foil and simply change the front wing according to your size and conditions: Progress 2200: the largest surface area in the range, for heavier riders and for spots with little wind. It generates more lift and makes it easier to fly. It is also a good choice on a lake: freshwater, being less dense than seawater, provides less buoyancy, and a larger wing compensates for this. Progress 2000: beginners over 90 kg in all conditions, intermediates in light wind (12 knots and below). Progress 1750: beginners over 70 kg in all conditions, intermediates in light wind (12 knots and below). Progress 1500: beginners over 50 kg in all conditions, intermediates in light wind (12 knots and below). Which board size for wing foil? It is important to have a board that is stable enough for your size and level to learn Wing Foil in the best conditions. Be careful not to go too small: it is very hard and very frustrating to start with small gear, even impossible, even with a good level in board sports. Board sizes such as 5'7 and 6'0 are ideal for beginners, although a person weighing 50 or 60 kg looking for an evolving board might consider a 5'4... but nothing smaller. Our Sky Rider range is available in 3 sizes: 5'4, 5'7 and 6'0. Inflatable models also have their advantages (available in 5'3, 6' and 6'4 for the V2 version and V1 version on promotion here, while stocks last): impact-resistant, gentle on the knees, stable and easy to transport, while still delivering great riding sensations thanks to a carbon plate. Read our full article on inflatable boards here. How fast is wingfoil? Generally, the average riding speed in wing foil is around 20 knots. It is a comfortable and enjoyable speed for experiencing the sensations of gliding and freedom on the water. However, with good progression and experience, it is quite possible to reach higher speeds, around 25 knots or even more. This higher speed is usually reached by the most advanced riders, who fully master their technique and make the most of their gear's potential. But it is important to note that speed does not define a rider's level: it depends on several variables such as weather conditions, the type of spot and the gear Kitesurfing or wing foil? The choice between kitesurfing and wingfoil depends on your personal preferences and whether you want occasional intense sensations or a more regular and versatile practice. Criteria Wing foil Kitesurfing Gear setup Quick (5-10 min) Longer (lines, bar) Space required Limited Large (launching the kite) Usable conditions Wide (8 to 40 knots) More demanding Main sensation Flying above the water Glide + powerful jumps Learning curve Accessible More technical Bruno Sroka's take on wing foil Wing Foil is a Freeride sport where you maximize fun while minimizing gear. Easy to set up, it is pure pleasure. You are not chasing speed or jump height, but the feeling of gliding over the water and the wind swell, alone or with friends, without any hassle. It is a 100% fun sport made for those who want a smile on their face at all times on the water. Bruno SROKA's tips: Start on a flat spot, sheltered from swell, and never with an offshore wind Don't overestimate yourself. If conditions are not suitable for starting, don't go out. Buy gear suited to your level, size and riding location Pay attention to other riders. Over time, you will increasingly point upwind and bear away downwind. With the wing, you sometimes lose visibility, so always check that nobody is downwind of you before you start surfing the waves Start with a large front wing. It is more stable, a bit slower, and lets you fly in lighter wind conditions quickly and without getting hurt. Choose your gear wisely. It is better to invest in a 4m wing and a foil with two front wing options to optimize the wind range and make significant savings Need help? Don't hesitate to contact us at 02 98 32 53 69 or at contact@srokacompany.com