Nice vid. I'm 25 sessions in and starting to Jibe on foil. All your tips are spot on. Big board, big foil, big wing, stronger wind, flat water, and you will still Curse at the top of your lungs a couple times. Cracks me up now, but when your out there, exhausted, leashes tangled around the mast, putting holes in your wing, it's not that funny. Definitely type 2 fun in the beginning. Winter here still and I'm missing it. I'd venture to add another tip or 2: If it's at all possible, tow behind a boat or ski-doo on foil to get the feel of it quicker. Even just 30 min will help. Wear shoes or booties. Also, I feel like taking breaks often helps and keeping your energy up. I used to go out for 4-5 hours straight, now I'm 2 hour blocks max.. .
They're great tips too actually. I made similar mistakes - I'd tank my arms and wonder why I was struggling to get on foil!!! 2 hours is a good session. Boat tow for sure !!!!! I learnt behind a Ski first and that made my progression so much quicker for sure. What's been interesting for me is that as a Prone & Winger - I've prgoressed so much faster than my "prone only" buddies cause I'm just getting so many hours on foil
@@davewestfoils That’s awesome. I bet prone and winging really complement each other because you have to be so much more maneuverable prone. You don’t get those kinds of turns while winging. I’m hoping to spend a lot more time behind a boat or ski this summer. You just get so much out of it for every hour on the water.
I didn’t have my ‘ah-a’ moment until I went out in 17 knot winds. I’m a moderate rider now and still only go out if it’s at least gusting to 15 knots. That’s where the fun is had 15 knots or more
Yeah I agree with the more wind thing. spent quite a few times going out in marginal conditions and struggling and then I got out in a solid 20 knots and all of a sudden I was like “holy sh*t! I’m flying!” No pumping or mucking around just get bear away get some board speed and weight back and off you go.
Great true facts, the problem for most is that they don't live in great spots for learning. So tip number 5/6 is to travel to a place that caters to learning..flat water spots are hard to find, but do exist. Most people like me just go out near where they live and come back with no voice haha.
exactly what i did. Local spot (5 minutes) that was terrible to learn at - or 30 minute drive for a perfect spot to learn. As soon as I started going to the better spot - I got better. 5/6 for sure.
Agree with your list. Highest priority to me was flat water and enough wind together. Enough wind covers for poor wing skills, and nobody else mentions flat water. Flat water slows everything down, you can make all these balance and stance adjustments as the board comes up to speed, think about sail power when board releases. Otherwise too much going on at the same time.
Happy April Fool's! Definitely am in the camp that says a bigger volume board is better---particularly if you don't come from a kiteboarding background like yourself. Ideally, you get something with enough volume to float you comfortably and let you practice your gybes and tacks with confidence but, at the same time, you won't totally outgrow after you get on foil consistently. After a couple of sessions on an inflatable, I finally tried it on a composite board (Fanatic Sky Wing 5'4, ironically enough) and, wouldn't you know, had my first consecutive flights (brief as they were!). Point is, although I got up on foil, not being used to the reduced volume was a gigantic pain and the continual having to launch and relaunch got exhausting. It was also constantly in the back of my mind to not fall since I'd have to to go through the startup sequence all over again, which made it worse, since I wasn't focusing on what I had to. In any event, you could say I'm holding myself back or being too conservative, but it's back to the big floaty 135L for me next time. Going to save the Fanatic for when the water warms up this Summer lol
OH man that feeling of like "don't make a mistake and come off foil!!" sucks!!! Especially when you're already tired and the shore is fair way away haha. I definitely learnt the hard way on the smaller board. I definitely made my learning curve more difficult but I think I ended with a better technique to compensate for how difficult I found it. Totally addicted none the less.
@@davewestfoils Will be going back to the floaty board for the next few sessions, but excited to get back on the 5'4 again once the water is nice and warm here. Keep the winging vids coming. Appreciate the content!!
I needed a big board to learn. Now I’m debating whether I get a ~70 lite smaller foil board or more of a “light wind” 85kg like the Sunova Carver but I could have never learned on a 70 liter board.
6th tip is to watch lots of youtube videos on how to wing foil. People like Alan Cadiz, Gong galaxy surfboards, duotone foil wing, kitesurf college and dave west.
I’m 100 kg. Naish 1800 HA is a nice foil. Less drag and pull on your arms. Just more fun, cuts through the chop, and faster than the regular Naish foils. In higher winds you can go down to the 1400 or lower. In marginal winds on choppy days, it’s nice to float on a big board. Besides learning how to play musical instruments, Learning to foil was the hardest and most frustrating thing I’ve ever done. Spent way too much time going out on marginal winds where I pump and float more than I’m on foil. But the good days make it all worth it. The stoke is real!
I'd say it's good to go out in low winds: good practice for balancing on one's knees and feet on the board and good for taxing. You just have to have right expectations.
That's fair in the early early days of learning. But once you can do that you can't expect that getting up in 12 knots is going to be a piece of cake. It's hard work even for good riders unless they have specialised gear.
Nice vid. I'm 25 sessions in and starting to Jibe on foil. All your tips are spot on. Big board, big foil, big wing, stronger wind, flat water, and you will still Curse at the top of your lungs a couple times. Cracks me up now, but when your out there, exhausted, leashes tangled around the mast, putting holes in your wing, it's not that funny. Definitely type 2 fun in the beginning. Winter here still and I'm missing it. I'd venture to add another tip or 2: If it's at all possible, tow behind a boat or ski-doo on foil to get the feel of it quicker. Even just 30 min will help. Wear shoes or booties. Also, I feel like taking breaks often helps and keeping your energy up. I used to go out for 4-5 hours straight, now I'm 2 hour blocks max.. .
They're great tips too actually. I made similar mistakes - I'd tank my arms and wonder why I was struggling to get on foil!!! 2 hours is a good session.
Boat tow for sure !!!!! I learnt behind a Ski first and that made my progression so much quicker for sure. What's been interesting for me is that as a Prone & Winger - I've prgoressed so much faster than my "prone only" buddies cause I'm just getting so many hours on foil
@@davewestfoils That’s awesome. I bet prone and winging really complement each other because you have to be so much more maneuverable prone. You don’t get those kinds of turns while winging. I’m hoping to spend a lot more time behind a boat or ski this summer. You just get so much out of it for every hour on the water.
Thanks for the reality checks. I keep going out in marginal winds. Very frustrating.
I didn’t have my ‘ah-a’ moment until I went out in 17 knot winds. I’m a moderate rider now and still only go out if it’s at least gusting to 15 knots. That’s where the fun is had 15 knots or more
Yeah I agree with the more wind thing. spent quite a few times going out in marginal conditions and struggling and then I got out in a solid 20 knots and all of a sudden I was like “holy sh*t! I’m flying!” No pumping or mucking around just get bear away get some board speed and weight back and off you go.
Greatest feeling that first time up on foil - until you run out of runway :)
I never knew that I can curse like this until I started wing foiling... 😂🤣... yup yup.. lol.
I had someone think I was in distress because I was swearing so much and tried to rescue me on a jetski.
@@davewestfoils hahaha.. I feel you.. I feel you... 🤣😂😆😎
oh so am not the only one swearing/yelling on the water....
Great true facts, the problem for most is that they don't live in great spots for learning. So tip number 5/6 is to travel to a place that caters to learning..flat water spots are hard to find, but do exist. Most people like me just go out near where they live and come back with no voice haha.
exactly what i did. Local spot (5 minutes) that was terrible to learn at - or 30 minute drive for a perfect spot to learn. As soon as I started going to the better spot - I got better. 5/6 for sure.
Agree with your list. Highest priority to me was flat water and enough wind together. Enough wind covers for poor wing skills, and nobody else mentions flat water. Flat water slows everything down, you can make all these balance and stance adjustments as the board comes up to speed, think about sail power when board releases. Otherwise too much going on at the same time.
Happy April Fool's! Definitely am in the camp that says a bigger volume board is better---particularly if you don't come from a kiteboarding background like yourself. Ideally, you get something with enough volume to float you comfortably and let you practice your gybes and tacks with confidence but, at the same time, you won't totally outgrow after you get on foil consistently. After a couple of sessions on an inflatable, I finally tried it on a composite board (Fanatic Sky Wing 5'4, ironically enough) and, wouldn't you know, had my first consecutive flights (brief as they were!). Point is, although I got up on foil, not being used to the reduced volume was a gigantic pain and the continual having to launch and relaunch got exhausting. It was also constantly in the back of my mind to not fall since I'd have to to go through the startup sequence all over again, which made it worse, since I wasn't focusing on what I had to. In any event, you could say I'm holding myself back or being too conservative, but it's back to the big floaty 135L for me next time. Going to save the Fanatic for when the water warms up this Summer lol
OH man that feeling of like "don't make a mistake and come off foil!!" sucks!!! Especially when you're already tired and the shore is fair way away haha. I definitely learnt the hard way on the smaller board. I definitely made my learning curve more difficult but I think I ended with a better technique to compensate for how difficult I found it. Totally addicted none the less.
@@davewestfoils Will be going back to the floaty board for the next few sessions, but excited to get back on the 5'4 again once the water is nice and warm here. Keep the winging vids coming. Appreciate the content!!
I needed a big board to learn. Now I’m debating whether I get a ~70 lite smaller foil board or more of a “light wind” 85kg like the Sunova Carver but I could have never learned on a 70 liter board.
6th tip is to watch lots of youtube videos on how to wing foil. People like Alan Cadiz, Gong galaxy surfboards, duotone foil wing, kitesurf college and dave west.
I’m 100 kg. Naish 1800 HA is a nice foil. Less drag and pull on your arms. Just more fun, cuts through the chop, and faster than the regular Naish foils. In higher winds you can go down to the 1400 or lower. In marginal winds on choppy days, it’s nice to float on a big board. Besides learning how to play musical instruments, Learning to foil was the hardest and most frustrating thing I’ve ever done. Spent way too much time going out on marginal winds where I pump and float more than I’m on foil. But the good days make it all worth it. The stoke is real!
I agree. I wish I’d gotten the 1800. I think the benefits of the 2140 are minimal vs the 1800 - lighter foil might even have advantages.
I'd say it's good to go out in low winds: good practice for balancing on one's knees and feet on the board and good for taxing. You just have to have right expectations.
That's fair in the early early days of learning. But once you can do that you can't expect that getting up in 12 knots is going to be a piece of cake. It's hard work even for good riders unless they have specialised gear.
@@davewestfoils BIG Foil is KEY!! As big as you can get. This is more important than big board.