Foiling tips & tricks: levelling up.

Foiling tips & tricks this time focuses on an aspect of foiling (whatever the discipline) that’ll get you flying more consistently and sustaining flights. You may have got the actual lifting part dialled. It’s what you do next that can make or break your foiling.

Foiling wheelies.

Foiling wheelies are perhaps most notable with winging and windsurfing. But it can occur when SUP foiling, prone foiling, wake foiling or any other type of foiling you’re into.

To get your foil to lift the foil’s front wing needs to be engaged. Achieving this is by levering the foil, from the tail, and getting the front wing pointing slightly up. If you imagine your foil to be like an aeroplane it’s the point the plane’s nose rises, just seconds before you climb.

What tends to happen next is common. Riders keep their weight on the tail and the foil pointing up. From an onlookers perspective, this looks like a wheelie. If riders don’t shift their weight forwards the foil stalls and drops back down to the water. Usually resulting in a splash.

Levelling up.

As soon as you’ve climbed to altitude equaling out your weight and getting the foil level is key. It’s a bit like bringing your foil and foil board back to being a flat tabletop with no slant. In flight you should be able to rest a cup of tea on the board and it not spill. Water flow over the front wing is now back to optimum efficiency and you’ll increase speed. Sustained flights are now a given.

Of course, there’s a degree of pitch and roll that happens when foiling. But this is very subtle and doesn’t require big movements. The main thing is having risen up on foil you’ve levelled things out and can begin enjoying your elevated experience properly.

Don’t forget to check Foilshop UK’s knowledge page for even more tips, tricks and chat.

Thanks Oli Lane-Peirce and Mike Pringuer for pics.