Hi All
I want to eventually get into Wing Foiling. I don't have any previous experience with either surfing or kite boarding, have done a bit of snowboarding though.
I have a North Pace Wind SUP that has a centre fin, so was thinking that I could start on the SUP and learn how to fly a wing and go up wind, turn around etc etc before I give foiling a go.
I'm mid 40's, 100kg, 178cm tall and live in North Queensland.
Would a 6m wing be a good starting point for me for Wing SUPing and then use once I try Foiling?
Any feed back is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Con.
All sounds pretty good , although you might struggle to go up wind at first even with a dagger board.
I would make sure you have plenty of beach as you'll drift down wind to start and you'll only need a few hours on the sup then get straight onto a foil board once your confidence going in and out.
You plan sounds reasonable, but as UkWinger said, going upwind on the SUP will be harder than you think, while wing handling is very intuitive. Do your SUP sessions at a spot where it is easy to walk back upwind. Straight onshore wind can be difficult, though, since you get blown back to shore when you get up and oriented - unless it's shallow enough to walk out quite a bit.
It's also a good idea to practice wing handling on the beach. Plenty of the better tutorial videos suggest that. You can practice finding/releasing power, proper stance, pumping, and hand movement in jibes, all without crashes and long walks back upwind. After some time on the beach and one or two sessions on the SUP, start using a foil. With the right technique, staying upwind with a foil and foil board can be easier than with a SUP, even when you are not foiling.
Thanks for the feed back.
I've pick up 2 second hand Duotone Units, a 5m and a 6.5m.
I've ordered a new Fanatic Skywing 6.3, just need to find a foil now,
Con, that was the route I took, first few sessions were on the skateboard in the car park, but you and your wing can get busted up pretty quick, lol, like UKWinger said it's fun and easy to balance on the sup but darn near impossible to get up wind - great way to get a feel for the wing without having to concentrate on balancing etc
There are some tricks to go upwind when not foiling. Good wing instructors can get newbies on large foil boards go reliably upwind on the first day. That's quite useful because it gives confidence, and increases time they can spend learning to fly, instead of walking upwind. Other wing instructors who are used to teaching kiting with a jet ski may not teach these skills.
As difficult as going upwind on a SUP with a wing can seem when starting, it is entirely possible. Just as few days ago, I was at a spot where the weeds were so bad that foiling was nearly impossible, and definitely no fun. One very good winger grabbed a big inflatable SUP and had tons of fun on it for hours, going upwind at surprising angles. The trick seemed to be to stand relatively far back on the board, and to dig in the leeward rail (like on a windsurf longboard).
Good to see you get into it Con.
Get your wing skills down pat on land first. I have taught a lot of friends and poor wings skills slow you down heaps when you get on water. You should be able to flip the wing around really quickly and easily with your eyes shut on land. If you can't get it, the risk you have is the wing flipping downwind of you and the board, the leash stretched and in trying to pull the wing back to you it's submerged and the canopy is full of water. It takes ages to get out of this situation. Avoid it with good wing flipping and control skills. My experience is that if you have previous windsurfing skills you'll be good with a wing within 30 mins. If you have no previous sailing skills, look at 2-4 hours of flying the wing on the beach. You want to be able to power the wing efficiently and be able to avoid wing tip touches. Youtube for instruction on this.
Set your sights low. What conditions are you going to learn in? If it's choppy water, expect things to be difficult, for balance and steering. If it's flat, that's good but ensure you are able to get back to shore. I'd be EXTREMELY cautious about going out in offshore conditions. Unless you have a rescue craft, it could be really bad. Onshore is much safer even if conditions aren't as good. Also, practice the paddle rescue technique before going anywhere far offshore. It's where you lay down on the board and paddle it like a surfboard, but you have the wing trailing behind you and the board - still attached to your wrist. It can be a bit awkward, which is why it's good to practice before you go out in case you need it.
Start out ideally in 10-15 knots. More than 15 knots could be difficult. Less than 10 gets hard to get any power into the wing to give you any steerage.
Before even considering a foil, ensure you have wing and steering control down pat.
Good luck. It can be a long process but it's worth it.
Thanks a lot guys, some great tips in your responses.
I don't have any wind sport backround, so I will spend a few hours on the beach with the wings before heading out on the SUP
Another guy on here has recommended watch Basic Duotone Wing Academy videos on YouTube, I've watched a few of them and many other vids on YouTube, there is a lot of good information available.
I live in Townsville and work in Bowen, Bowen has some sheltered bays depending which way the wind is coming from and Townsville has Pallerenda and the city end of the Strand which may off some protection from chop.
I have a Duotone Spirit Surf Foil 1500/250 coming.
Would any of you have recommendations for impact vests and brain buckets.
I've had a look at BCF and Anaconda, but the impact vests available at these stores don't offer much rib protection.
Thanks again.
Con.
