Wingfoil Water Entry How To
In the first episode of our Wingfoil How To series, Florian Jung shows us how to enter the water safely and get up on the foil. In this tutorial, you will learn how to carry your board, assess the landscape, paddle out, and get up and moving on the hydrofoil under the power of the wing…
Here’s the breakdown:
Water entry and getting up on the foil:
In this short tutorial, I wanted to show you how to safely get in and out of the water with your wing foiling gear.
There are a few different ways to do this: You can carry your board by the handle if it has one, on your head while holding the fuselage, or upside down by carrying it by the front wing of the hydrofoil. It is extremely important that you make sure to always have the wing downwind of your board and foil. This is important, as you don’t want the wing to be blowing against you in the wind, or making contact with your sharp foil.
For your first few times on the water, I would recommend that you wear safety equipment, such as a helmet or impact vest. Once you are ready to go, check your gear, the location, and the conditions. Think about possible water exit options, in case you end up too far downwind.
Identify potential hazards. Walk out until the water is deep enough that the foil won’t touch the ground. If you must go over a reef, you can turn the board upside down and paddle on the bottom of the board, foil facing forward. While crossing a shore break, make sure the board or foil is never between you and the approaching wave. Paddle out to get over the waves, and then flip your wing by working your way to the tip of the wing, and let the wind flip it for you.
To get up on the board, bring your knee onto the board, and quickly lift the wing over your head. Pull hard by sheeting in with the back hand and stand up.
Get your feet into the straps, or set your stance, and play with the pivot point of the board by applying pressure and weight distribution towards the tail. This will generate the lift of the board and get you into flight mode.
Stay centered over the board and start a pumping motion with your legs, as well as pumping the wing by pulling it instantly towards you. Once the board comes out of the water, push your weight onto the front foot, and control the board by staying centered over it.
Remember, your body is always an extension of your mast. Make sure to stay up straight with your hips tucked in, and with a little practice, you’ll be up and riding in no time!
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