Newbies need to get a big wing to compensate for lack of technique. Same with the foil and board. Windsurfing and kiting there's a lot of edging to get up wind, I had to unlearn that first. Also, must have to go big board. It will help you to stand up and your upwind ability kneeling is quite compromised. I also run a long leg leash and kick the board away but keep my front hand locked on the wing in any crash, saves a lot of time. Couple of other tips- get an experienced person close to your own weight to test your board and show you where to stand, how to adjust mast placement. Mast placement is more critical on small boards bit still- get another rider to try your rig. It will help you to know if it needs changing, or inspire you if you see it working for them. When you are trying to get on foil and wind is a bit marginal, pulse the back of the board down with your back foot. This will help to change the water flow from stalled eddy currents to clean and clinging top side of the foil. And work that taxiing. Pretty special feeling to have the slap of the chop disappear and be just kissing the wave tips. Don't do a sharp climb to cruising altitude, you need to pick up more speed to get the power of apparent wind and tease it up gently.
I am guessing it is Grand Haven, MI, where there Brick and Mortar is. I don't know about their winds but the place looks like a perfect place to learn.
It’s a few miles out of Grand haven. Winds are consistent in the spring and fall. Light and less frequent in the summer. You might ride 3 or 4 days a week or you might have a week or two with no wind. It’s often big kites / wings or foiling but the shoulder seasons have lots of 3”20 to 25 knot days. There lots of hidden gems like this in the states. - Rygo
Where were you last year when I started Wing Foiling??? 😞😩 Your suggestions are absolutely important!! The most important!! In late in Hua Hin, Thailand, there was quite an unusual NE wind with gust which created 4-7 ft high shorebreak. Even as a low intermediate wing foiler (e.g. I can jibe no problem, but cannot tack yet), it took more than 25 mins to go through the shore-break, drifted down wind so much in the process, wing foiled for about 10 mins (already quite tired at this point to go upwind), and walked back (the walk of shame) for 40 mins.... 😢😥😩😞
Optimizing your learning conditions improves the efficiency of learning during your hours on the water significantly. Do realize that often, conditions are far from ideal, particularly on inland / smaller waters. But you need to make those hours on the water in order to progress. So embracing the conditions, instead of cursing them, is also something you need to learn in order to progress faster. It helps you get used to less than ideal conditions and builds character too ;-) Oh, and plan / do / evaluate your sessions - know where your are in your learning curve and plan your sessions accordingly.
What about renting some time on an e-foil or taking some e-foil lessons? I would think you could get hours of time on the foil and get comfortable before dealing with the complexities of the wing.
It would definitely help! Great tip for people who have that option. I have another video planned that breaks down the learning process for someone with and someone without foil experience. Regardless if you can foil or not, you will spend your first 15 to 30 hours learning the wing on a large board and the foil won’t be a consideration. Think of this as the taxi stage. Simply keep all your weight forward or use a stand up paddle board with a dagger fin. When you are ready to foil, you put your weight on the back foot and work on small rides coming up and down. You’re going to fall a good bit regardless of your foil experience but it comes fast and it’s fun. - Rygo
That's what I did for my first foil experience. I took a 3 hour e-foil lesson in Miami just before Covid hit where I got up on foil on my knees (what a feeling that first time!) and then this past fall I rented an e-foil from the Lyft rep in San Diego (shout-out to Jimmy at Spoiled by the Foil) where I got up on foil standing. Then just last week I was able to get up on foil on my F-One Rocket Air (large 7'6" board, great for learning) with my 6.4M Slingwing. The e-foil experience helped tremendously!
So, the guy is coming from a kite background. Basically, if you're coming from a kite background, this is a perfectly good video. BUT, from a windsurfing background, it's not very useful. These 3 things that are mentioned are all real obvious to anyone who has lots of experience windsurfing: 1&2) gusty/puffy/flukey winds, you have to know how to handle them; pointing to the wind, you already know this 2) shore break/pound, wave conditions ditto . That said, the *foiling* part is still a huge learning curve. So, windsurfers don't have any advantage there at all. A video for windsurfer-to-wingsurfer is probably needed out there in YT-land.
For sure, but for those of us that haven't windsurfed or sailed learning to read the wind and making the jibes and tacks are probably harder and more time consuming to learn than foiling. Foiling is simply weight shift rearward till it comes up. Small weight shift forward to balance it once up. Yeh it's squirrely handling and you'll fall a bunch at first. But honestly if you can stay up on a board in choppy conditions foiling isn't' that challenging. ( talking basics!)
The downwinder tip is awesome. All you need is at least one buddy and 2 cars. Hours of anxiety totally remove.
Haha 😂
Newbies need to get a big wing to compensate for lack of technique. Same with the foil and board. Windsurfing and kiting there's a lot of edging to get up wind, I had to unlearn that first. Also, must have to go big board. It will help you to stand up and your upwind ability kneeling is quite compromised. I also run a long leg leash and kick the board away but keep my front hand locked on the wing in any crash, saves a lot of time. Couple of other tips- get an experienced person close to your own weight to test your board and show you where to stand, how to adjust mast placement. Mast placement is more critical on small boards bit still- get another rider to try your rig. It will help you to know if it needs changing, or inspire you if you see it working for them. When you are trying to get on foil and wind is a bit marginal, pulse the back of the board down with your back foot. This will help to change the water flow from stalled eddy currents to clean and clinging top side of the foil. And work that taxiing. Pretty special feeling to have the slap of the chop disappear and be just kissing the wave tips. Don't do a sharp climb to cruising altitude, you need to pick up more speed to get the power of apparent wind and tease it up gently.
Great tips Graham!
Hi! I absolutely agree! 😃 where is that beach btw? Thx 🤙🏻
I am guessing it is Grand Haven, MI, where there Brick and Mortar is. I don't know about their winds but the place looks like a perfect place to learn.
It’s a few miles out of Grand haven. Winds are consistent in the spring and fall. Light and less frequent in the summer. You might ride 3 or 4 days a week or you might have a week or two with no wind. It’s often big kites / wings or foiling but the shoulder seasons have lots of 3”20 to 25 knot days. There lots of hidden gems like this in the states. - Rygo
Where were you last year when I started Wing Foiling??? 😞😩
Your suggestions are absolutely important!! The most important!!
In late in Hua Hin, Thailand, there was quite an unusual NE wind with gust which created 4-7 ft high shorebreak. Even as a low intermediate wing foiler (e.g. I can jibe no problem, but cannot tack yet), it took more than 25 mins to go through the shore-break, drifted down wind so much in the process, wing foiled for about 10 mins (already quite tired at this point to go upwind), and walked back (the walk of shame) for 40 mins.... 😢😥😩😞
Optimizing your learning conditions improves the efficiency of learning during your hours on the water significantly. Do realize that often, conditions are far from ideal, particularly on inland / smaller waters. But you need to make those hours on the water in order to progress. So embracing the conditions, instead of cursing them, is also something you need to learn in order to progress faster. It helps you get used to less than ideal conditions and builds character too ;-) Oh, and plan / do / evaluate your sessions - know where your are in your learning curve and plan your sessions accordingly.
+Harry Halfmoon Thank you for sharing your experience, my friend. 🤙🏽 Good winds to you. -Aaron
What about renting some time on an e-foil or taking some e-foil lessons? I would think you could get hours of time on the foil and get comfortable before dealing with the complexities of the wing.
It would definitely help! Great tip for people who have that option. I have another video planned that breaks down the learning process for someone with and someone without foil experience. Regardless if you can foil or not, you will spend your first 15 to 30 hours learning the wing on a large board and the foil won’t be a consideration. Think of this as the taxi stage. Simply keep all your weight forward or use a stand up paddle board with a dagger fin. When you are ready to foil, you put your weight on the back foot and work on small rides coming up and down. You’re going to fall a good bit regardless of your foil experience but it comes fast and it’s fun. - Rygo
That's what I did for my first foil experience. I took a 3 hour e-foil lesson in Miami just before Covid hit where I got up on foil on my knees (what a feeling that first time!) and then this past fall I rented an e-foil from the Lyft rep in San Diego (shout-out to Jimmy at Spoiled by the Foil) where I got up on foil standing. Then just last week I was able to get up on foil on my F-One Rocket Air (large 7'6" board, great for learning) with my 6.4M Slingwing. The e-foil experience helped tremendously!
What size fone hydrofoil and sky wing do you ride? Thanks in advance
I believe he is on the 5'10 and 1480 phantom.
What I was doing has a name "walk of shame" 🤣👍
🤣 An old kite term but defo applies. - Rygo
So, the guy is coming from a kite background. Basically, if you're coming from a kite background, this is a perfectly good video. BUT, from a windsurfing background, it's not very useful. These 3 things that are mentioned are all real obvious to anyone who has lots of experience windsurfing: 1&2) gusty/puffy/flukey winds, you have to know how to handle them; pointing to the wind, you already know this 2) shore break/pound, wave conditions ditto . That said, the *foiling* part is still a huge learning curve. So, windsurfers don't have any advantage there at all. A video for windsurfer-to-wingsurfer is probably needed out there in YT-land.
For sure JH, if you have been windsurfing, you have a huge leg up on that learning curve.
For sure, but for those of us that haven't windsurfed or sailed learning to read the wind and making the jibes and tacks are probably harder and more time consuming to learn than foiling. Foiling is simply weight shift rearward till it comes up. Small weight shift forward to balance it once up. Yeh it's squirrely handling and you'll fall a bunch at first. But honestly if you can stay up on a board in choppy conditions foiling isn't' that challenging. ( talking basics!)
I encourage all wing dingers to seek out the smooth boosty areas so I have something to jump over 😎🤙👊🤣
😂😂😂
Ha, you convinced me I don’t want to go thru the grief of learning. Good review.
Haha! It’s fun on the other side! If ya ever change your mind it’s actually not bad if you follow the three tips. - Rygo
Where is this
These are a few of our local spots here in West Michigan. -Tucker