BENEFITS OF WINGSURFING

Hydrofoil and hand-wing-based wing surfing have some significant advantages compared to other surfing styles. Below are some tips for beginners, as well as for experienced windsurfers, kite and wave surfers who may be interested in wing surfing.

All forms of surfing are exhilarating and rewarding, and the purpose here is not to convince you that wing surfing is a superior choice in every aspect, but to share some of the aha moments that have accumulated for the first Finnish wing surfers.

You can read about the challenges of wing surfing here:

Challenges

Physically Light

Often at the beach, wing surfers are asked if the sport is physically demanding because the wing is held in the air with the hands. Surprisingly, wing surfing does not require much physical effort. The wing does not need to be specifically supported because it flies in the wind due to its shape and is mostly controlled by the hands. The wing is also not held very high in normal riding, and the hand position is similar to that of a windsurfing board.

Transmitting the pulling force of the wing through the body to the surfboard and hydrofoil requires only a little force, as the foil’s resistance in the water is small and even a small pulling force easily and effortlessly takes the surfer forward. However, it is worth mentioning that the beginner stage, in which most of the time is spent falling and swimming, can be very strenuous.

Experienced wing surfers can fly for up to five hours a day (40-80 km) with moderate fitness – usually, the reason for going to the beach is hunger or thirst.

Wing surfing equipment is also relatively light. Carrying everything from the beach to the water as one package is possible for men, women, senior and junior alike. The wing weighs 2-3 kg, and the board + foil weighs about 5 – 10 kg. Beginner boards are a couple of kilos heavier. Kite surfing equipment is in a league of its own in terms of weight, but compared to windsurfing, the difference is significant.

Feeling of Freedom

Wing surfers from a windsurfing or kiteboarding background have reported feeling noticeably liberated when surfing with the wing. The sail is always attached to the board in windsurfing. Handling the sail with its luff requires some strength. The kite surfer, on the other hand, must always keep the kite slightly pulled or the kite falls down, and the lines can get tangled.

In wing surfing, the wing can be held in one hand in a neutral position, and the rider can ride the wave balancing on the board like a prone surfer. The wing’s position can also be freely adjusted in different situations, and even if the rider momentarily takes the pull off the wing, they can continue their journey by gliding on the foil or by pumping with their feet. Combined with easy jibing, excellent upwind angles, and the lightness of the equipment, wing surfers can fly freely and easily.

A small lake is enough

Wing surfing doesn’t require a large body of water; it can be enjoyed on even a small lake or river, as long as there is wind in the area. About 50-100 meters of free space is enough to start surfing. This is possible because once the board lifts off the water, it accelerates very quickly, and tight turns are easy for the average rider. Additionally, the board travels easily upwind on the foil, so the distance lost downwind during jibes can quickly be recovered.

Many beaches are suitable

In all wind sports, it’s desirable for the wind to blow at the performance location. By kneeling or lying on the board, one can paddle a few dozen meters with reasonable effort if the wind boundary is a short distance from the shore.

Wing surfing is possible when the water reaches waist height. It’s easiest if the beach deepens quickly. The foil travels at a depth of about one meter.

Inflating the wing and attaching the foil to the board can be done almost anywhere. A few meters of grass or beach sand are preferred. The equipment can also be transported and assembled on a sailboat, for example.

Wing surfing may be a good summer hobby for ice kite surfers who live in an area where there are no large, treeless, sandy beaches suitable for kite flying.

A personal surf lift for wave surfing

The effectiveness of wing surfing and foiling is evidenced by the fact that even in countries with large, clear wave lines, wave surfers are starting to adopt wing surfing. Foil surfing is possible with just a foil board, without a wing, but it’s difficult to get back upwind above the wave line. In theory, it’s possible to pump the board back upwind with your feet, but this requires extreme fitness and skill. Most surfers would have to swim back. It’s easier to ride the wing upwind like a lift and then ride downwind with the wing in a neutral position.

You can learn the skills of handling a wing during the winter

It is safe and recommended to practice handling the wing in winter. Skiing with skis on ice with little snow is simple, and attention can be focused on wing handling. If one can snowboard with either foot forward, practicing on a snowboard is also easy. Training with skates and snowscates is also possible.

In strong winds, one can enjoy extreme sports even in winter. In fact, the fastest speeds are achieved with a wing in winter. While the maximum speeds when riding with a foil in the summer are around 40-50 km/h, on winter storm days, speeds similar to those on highways are reached.

Surfing until the arrival of ice

Modern wet and dry suits work well. One can surf on the water as long as the ice conditions allow.

A common challenge in autumn for windsurfing is frozen fingers. Holding onto the boom in windsurfing is quite strenuous, and for some, impossible with closed neoprene gloves. With mittens that are open in the palm, one can manage in temperatures slightly below 10 degrees, but soon after, the conditions become too cold.

In wing surfing, the wing is held lightly, and the wing handles are thinner than the windsurfing boom. Holding onto the wing with neoprene gloves and mittens equipped with good friction surface is possible, and one can continue the hobby on the water as long as it is free of ice. Of course, it is more comfortable to feel with bare hands, but using gloves or mittens is not impossible, especially after a little getting used to it.

In wing surfing, one can use mittens or gloves with closed palms, which enables surfing until the arrival of ice. Thus, the “summer season” for wing surfers in Finland can be up to two months longer than for windsurfers. However, it should be noted that not all neoprene gloves and mittens are suitable. The friction surface of the palm should be sticky and rubbery, but many gloves and mittens do not have proper friction surfaces despite the sales pitch.