Foil Guide

We've been taken hostage by foiling now since 2017 ....

There is so much to learn about this new sport , it's so engaging, so limitless, your understanding of the water is literally re written no matter how old you are and what you've done in the past.

You only have to look at the Americas Cup Yacht sailing to see what foiling fanatics are up to, so with that in mind we created a website dedicated to all things foil

-- hydrofoilstore.co.uk - But read on for more super useful information we put together for you .

HYDRO FOILS

Not all hydrofoils are made the same, but they will all do the same thing regardless of size and cost….

Hydrofoils literally Make you fly above the water by harnessing speed ,that speed can be achieved by multiple means :

the foil rider catching a swell or wave, holding a hand held wind powered wing , using a SUP paddle or even utilising what battery technology has given us with an electric motor and hand held remote - The eFOIL .

If the rider uses his own energy ,The sub surface energy that pushes waves across water is harnessed by the Hydrofoil . Think of it like an underwater Aeroplane with a board attached above which the rider stands on.

By using a hand held wind wing the rider can harness wind energy which can be translated into board energy/speed (like the windsurfer) and therefore lift above the waters surface.

Wind wings are very lightweight inflatable hand held sails offered in various sizes depending on the wind speed. Relatively easy to get the hang of on land and then easy to translate onto a windsurfer or SUP board.

The fun starts once foiling has been grasped by the rider as smaller boards can be used feeling lightweight and without swing weight which longer boards create.

Your choice of Hydrofoil will depend on

What board you want to mount it onto (SUP foil board, Surf foil board, Kite foil board, Wing foil board)

Your weight.

Intended usage.

The foil will give the board more stability from under the water.

Beginners to foiling will want a low speed lift hydrofoil , whereas as you progress you want a faster hydrofoil such as riding downwind with ocean swells.

On average look for a hydrofoil with a front wing area of between 1300-1600cm+ to start .

If you need advice please get in touch on 01792 446511.

Check out our full range of hydrofoils CLICK FOR HYDROFOILS HERE .

SUP FOILING

Stand up paddle board foiling is easier than prone foiling as you can already position your feet correctly over the foil and centre line of the board before you feel movements skyward from the hydrofoils upward lift !

A SUP foil board will also give the paddler the ability to get the board moving quicker than with prone foiling (lying down like a surfer does). The paddlers choice of waves is also made easier by the higher visual advantage a SUP board obtains for successful surf foiling. Consider a board 20-60 litres over your body weight in Kg depending on your level.

The boards are generally small and packed with volume meaning you can stand on small boards without feeling too unstable - Foil specific boards are designed specifically so will have an distinct advantage over using conventional style SUP boards with foil boxes , although for multi purpose use they are beneficial.

Check out our full range of SUP foil boards

WIND WING FOILING

This new adaptation of Windsurfing / Kitesurfing is gaining rapidly in popularity . These hand held inflatable wings are easy to carry , and surprisingly easy to use. So whether you fancy getting more use out of your SUP board or fancy taking it to another level and using a Foil board , winging is surely here to stay.

Wings come in sizes as small as 2m up to 7m and are used to generate board speed and therefore lift with the Hydrofoil. To start bigger hydrofoils of 2000cm+ will make the process of actually foiling easier with a wing .

Wing specific boards are already available. WIND WING BOARDS

If you like the idea of WIND WING check out our range of Packages WIND WING & board packages

If windsurf foiling and SUP foiling check out these boards available here Windsurf foil

SURF FOILING - Prone

Choose a boards shape you are comfortable with, It will paddle albeit with more volume than you might be used to. However you want to be catching soft waves and therefore the surf foil boards volume helps you catch waves a bit like big swelly board does.

The smaller you are willing to go the easier the foil is to pump from wave to wave, but remember ... long long rides mean a long paddle back out!

Generally as the prone foiler will be catching waves as they break the size of the foil front wing will be important.The reason behind this is because, a prone foiler is paddling into the steeper power zone of the waves energy and therefore foil wing sizes are generally smaller than a SUP foil board riders who can use a paddle to generate speed and therefore catch waves earlier where the wave power is less.

This should be factored into your initial FOIL purchase or at least check other wings are available with your chosen foil brand. On average 1200-1400cm2 would be a good first time prone hydrofoil front wing size.

Check out our full range of SURF foil boards

For SUP or Surf foil packages click here Prone Surf foil packages or SUP foiling Packages

FLAT WATER FOILING

Will you be able to flat water pump ?

Yes, eventually once you have acquired all the skills to foil efficiently it can be achieved, the bigger the hydro foils front wing the more support is achieved with your pumping to stay airborne. This means wingspan and front hydrofoil wing volume will enable longer easier pumping. This should be factored into your initial FOIL purchase or at least check bigger wings are available with your chosen foil brand.

Check out our full range of Flat water pump packages

DOWN WIND FOILING

Will you be able to downwind foil?

This area of the foiling frontier has so many people excited . Flying on ocean swells be it 'groundswell' or short range wind fetch is like why the snowboarder craves to ride off piste terrain .The wind and water conditions and your own fitness will be under immense scrutiny.

Eventually once you have acquired all the skills to foil efficiently Downwinding can be achieved , although the bigger the wing the more support is achieved with your pumping to stay airborne. This means increased wingspan and wing volume will enable longer easier pumping.

This should be factored into your initial FOIL purchase or at least check bigger / high aspect wings are available with your chosen foil brand. The new higher aspect wings are great for catching and also chasing down swell with speed , however they are not accessible to the beginner who is better off with a lower aspect low speed hydrofoil front wing to start with.

Check out our full range of Downwind-foil-Boards

Foil Assist motors

Currently in this space there is one company making an assist motor called Foil drive

We have stock of these as feel its a cheaper alternative to the efoil which leaves the customer with a board which is useless, unless the battery is charged. The main benefit of the Foildrive is that it can be retro fitted to almost any existing mast setup and therefore the user can experience motor assist (albeit without the longevity of an efoil battery ) to help getting started in Downwind foiling (SUP or Prone) wind winging in light winds.

To look at foil drive models available in the UK - CLICK HERE FOIL DRIVE UNITS

Electric Hydro foiling or Efoil

The latest trend in water sports - where riders use high tech boards equipped with electric motors to ride and glide high above the water 

E-Foils work by propelling water backwards by an electric motor attached to an underwater wing .The magic starts to happen when speed increases to 10mph as the hydro dynamically shaped wings create lift. This means the boards literally float up above the water's surface.

The boards are controlled by an ergonomically designed hand held Bluetooth control unit which can increase or decrease the speed which can reach up to 20mph.

The specifically designed Lithium ION rechargable batteries used vary in size and allow up to 90 minutes of riding time.

Check out our Takuma E foils here Takuma E foil boards

Fancy having a go at Efoiling ? Book a efoil session on our partner site here Electric Hydrofoil board sessions

Foil Accessories - Need a replacement part or new smaller wing -

Check out our full range of Foil parts, Foil fixings ,Foil bags , Foil Leashes

If you have any questions regarding foiling - Please give us a call

All text is copyright 'Cor Watersports ltd'