Combine a hydrofoil, a board and an inflatable wing and you have Wing Foiling

This is a great combination of surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing with the supreme efficiency of the hydrofoil. Wing foiling in Lanzarote is a fantastic and exciting new sport to get involved in.

To learn you will prefer flat waters with no waves and steady winds. This is where you will learn the basics of kneeling on the board to get going, standing up and eventually rising out the water on the hydrofoil. Next is mastering some turns at the end of each tack by switching the direction of the wing and your feet. Once you get the hang of all that you can take to the waves and deeper seas. Using the kite to power you into position you can catch and surf waves or deep ocean wind swells.

Like windsurfing and kitesurfing you can chose different sized wings for different wind conditions. In Lanzarote the favoured sized wing is five meters, this suits winds around the twelve to eighteen know wind range.

Your improving skills will change the size of board and quality of materials you use. Starter kit is larger more stable boards with larger low profile foils. Advance kit is smaller low volume boards and super light and high profile carbon fibre foils.

Wing foil basics

To learn the best thing is to get some lessons. This way you can get a feel for the sport and see if its something you want to pursue, otherwise you could spend a lot of money for nothing.

Buying all the kit entails the board, wing and hydrofoil. There are many types of each and they are not cheap. If you by new reckon on a minimum spend of 2,000 euros. Buying your first set of kit second hand is a good idea as you may grow out of this very quickly.

Beginner kit would be a board of around 15o litres of volume. Wing of around 5 meters area, check you local average wind strengths and find out what best suits you. The hydrofoil should have a area of around 1,800cm2 to 2,100cm2.

Once you get the hang of it you will probably want a lower volume board and higher aspect ration hydrfoil.

Getting up and foiling – quick starter guide

Get all the kit set up, foil connected to board and screwed together and wing pumped up. When carrying all the kit together always hold the wing down wind of the board and foil. Wings are delicate and do not tangle well with hydrofoils.

Enter the sea to about chest deep. Get on the board in a kneeling position and be central or towards the back. Have the wing on the downwind side of the board the the right way up. Kneel up on the board and pick the wing up, get your hands in the front and near the back handles. As the board starts to move first put the front leg up get balanced then stand up. You should now be going along the water surface a bit like a windsurfer. Practice this a bit going out, turning around and coming back. Get a general feel for the wind and board. Once happy you can have a go at getting up on the foil. You will need more wind to get on the foil than you do to stay on the foil. When the board is still in the sea drag is much higher so you will need a bit of technique to get on foil.

To get on foil wait for a stronger gust of wind, unless the wind is already strong, then bounce the board up and down and pump the wing in and out. Have your back foot over the mast. You should feel the board start to rise out of the water. Its just like flying so don’t let is rise too steeply or you will stall. As it comes up move your weight forward and limit the height then try and keep your balance. Top tip is to look further ahead to help keep your equilibrium.

Practice makes perfect as does watching others do it.

Learn to Wing Foil

If you want to get involved in this fun new sport then Lanzarote is a great place to start. Wing foiling lessons are available in Famara. Just click the link or contact us to book your course with private instructor.

Get yourself fully prepared before starting your lessons. Learn all the theory of how to wing foil before your course to get the very most out of it. There is tons of information on this website. Learn about all the equipment and how it goes together. Get an idea of safety measures using protective clothing.

Teach yourself the basics of Wing Foiling

To get a valuable head start on learning how to wing foil its a good idea to become familiar with the equipment, set up and some techniques. We can recommend a great website with lots of tips on how to wing foil.

The website offers an in depth guide on all aspects of wing foiling. It will take you from having no idea about any aspect of the sport to being able to hit the ground running. Study the material offered save time and money in lessons in the future. It will be time very well spent.