CHASING THE ENDLESS GLIDE
Looking to experience the ultimate glide?
Foiling is the ultimate way to tap into nature's energy, be it surf foiling, wing foiling or SUP foil down winding!
Foiling has opened up many doors in a lot of water sports with many referring to their foils as ‘flying carpets’. Light wind struggle sessions on a kite become epic high speed sessions, small grovelly waves become surfable and choppy conditions become endless downwind groomers.
What is a foil?
Simply put, a hydrofoil is a set of wings like on an airplane, that flies underwater lifting your board above the water.
Foils can be mounted on various different types of boards and are used across a wide range of water sport disciplines (kitesurfing, windsurfing, wake surfing, surfing, SUP) and there are even foil specific disciplines like wing foiling, pump foiling and river foiling!
Surf Foiling
Just like surfing, surf foiling requires you to paddle into waves prone. The speed and push of the wave allow you to get on foil and then surf the wave. What differentiates surf foiling from normal surfing is the ability to surf worse waves and to connect waves, by pumping around. This gives you much longer rides than on a normal surfboard!
Another form of surf foiling is tow foiling. Here a jet ski or boat is used to tow or pull the foiler into a wave which they can then surf for as long as they want, or as long as the wave lasts.
Wing Foiling
Wing foiling allows you to use the power of the wind to get on speed and ride. Similar in appearance to windsurf foiling to the untrained eye, however the biggest difference is the fact that the wing is free unlike the sail on a windsurfer that is fixed. This allows the foiling to ‘free wing’, in other words let the wing hang by their side unpowered whilst then surfing any waves or swell as if they were surf foiling.
Wing foiling is also (in our opinion) the best way to get into downwinding, as it offers you the ability to foil free of the wing, but also gives you the option to recover from your mistakes easily.
Downwinding
Arguable one of the most challenging and demanding discipline in foiling is downwinding. This is the ‘art’ of tapping into the swell generated by wind and travelling from point A to B. Most commonly this is done using a SUP or Wing, though it is also done using a surf foil “chip in” where the foiler catches a wave at a point break, beach break or reef and then works their way out to the wind line.
WANT TO GIVE IT A GO?
Foiling in all shapes and forms is one of my greatest passions! For any advice, questions, tips, feel free to reach out and I will do my best to either help, coach you or point you in the right direction. I don’t teach foiling for beginners, but depending where you are based can easily point you in the direction to some of the best schools in the Netherlands. For those who want to push their level in the direction of wave riding (wing), surf foiling or down winding, I’d happily have a chat to see what I can do to help you achieve your goals.
Get in Touch
Feel free to send an email with any questions you may have to nextstepsWS@outlook.com or message me on instagram @jon_.mann and I'll do my best to help you out!