Pics; Oli Lane-Peirce.
Flying above water, with a hydrofoil protruding from the back of your board, is exhilarating, unique and addictive. The feeling’s like no other which is why so many riders are bug bitten from those very first take offs and flights.
The art of foiling is pretty much about levelling off, controlling the board’s nose and ultimately keeping the foil down. Sustaining ride height and keeping at an average and consistent altitude is what sets beginners apart from those with experience. Yet it foiling isn’t difficult per se. After a few sessions flyers will start to dial into it and flights will become longer and longer. In a short time touch downs will become a thing of the past – bar the odd splash.
With foiling the biggest trick is taking off. Whatever style of foiling you choice it’s all about this part as once you’re up and flying, whatever the discipline, hover boarding is the same. As in: when you can foil, you can foil whatever type of hydrofoiling we’re talking about. The skills are directly transferable meaning a wing foiler will certainly be able to SUP foil. If you’re into eFoiling then the same applies. Everything you learn whilst booting around in flight will straddle other areas of your hydro foiling life. But as we said above it’s all about the take off and being able to utilise your chosen method of propulsion correctly to actually get in the air.
Any kind of hydrofoiling discipline requires an efficient pumping technique. This is sort of like ollying a skateboard. Rocking back onto your foil board’s tail before shifting weight back forwards whilst applying downwards force starts to induce lift. This is also the same across foiling disciplines. As a rider you have to ‘work’ your ‘engine’ in tandem with pumping the foil.
If it’s wingin’ we’re talking about pumping your wing (correctly) in tandem with the foil is key to getting up. SUP foiling requires efficient use of your paddle, windsurf foiling the rig, foil surfing your arms and so on and so on… Get the beginnings sorted and the rest is far simpler than you’d image. On from that, you’re free to switch about foiling disciplines as conditions dictate or you see fit.
For more hydrofoiling goodness check out the links below –