SUP + foil + waves + wind
What it is like for an old bloke (born 1950) to take up foiling.
Progressed from SUP foiling to Wind foiling and then Wing foiling (Mothin')
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Friday, December 31, 2021
Introducing Sledding
My first experience with sledding was on Christmas day, hence the name.
I am at the stage of wingfoiling where I need to get as much air time as possible to learn how to get on, and stay on, the foil. I also need to conserve my energy. Falling in often is not an option.
So, I line up two points on my local coast where I can travel between them mostly on a broad reach. A 6kms straight line run can turn into a 10 or 12kms run when you zig-zag enough.
Southerly winds around here make the swell rise and northerlies tend to knock it flat.
You will get wind waves but you do not want so much that you are in a wind shadow at the bottom of the wave/swell.
I have a bit of a go at standing up but mostly I stay in the kneeling position. Gain speed first and then shuffle back on the board.
- If you own a Duotone Foil wing with a boom then put a pool noodle on all the exposed extension part of the boom. At some point you will need it to stop the end of the boom from sinking.
- Find launch and landing sites where the waves and the wind will be kind to you.
- Keep in mind places along the way where you can land if needed.
- Areas where weed, ripped from the seabed, is accumulating in the shore break is to be avoided.
- If your leashes are old or damaged get new ones.
- Work out how long you can kneel for and set your distance accordingly. Your legs will go numb after a time then you will need to stop and dangle them in the water to recover.
- While you are sailing watch out for the front tip of the wing touching down. Pull the wing upwind as soon as this happens.
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Frothing friends
Illawarra Foiling
An extra dimension has been added to my activities by being joined to others doing this in my area via a mobile messaging app.
Through the WhatsApp group I am reminded each day of the potential of that day. The stoke is kept with notifications to my phone of location reports and general froth.
Monday, August 2, 2021
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Wingfoil Kook shows how
This bloke at the beginning is where I am up to.I call it chop-slapping, you are on the foil but touching the tops of the chop. If the chop is small and regular it is quite comfortable.
See also this site:
seabreeze.com.au/forums/Wind-Wings/Wingsurfing/Wing-foiling-videos
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Wingfoil Learning another thing
I was going to wait until I mastered windfoiling before I spent more money on gear, but then I have an ambition to get out on the ocean on the swells.
So we have these iterations on this blog:
- SUP foiling standing up (broke a thumb)
- Crossover foiling - kneeling (difficulty pumping)
- Windfoiling - sailboard - (problems getting out beyond the surf)
NOW
- Wingfoiling - will let you know how that goes..
Monday, April 6, 2020
Foil bits



