Foiling has quite simply taken over my free time for a few months now. The sensation of lift, speed, hovering above the wave, turning with the slightest twitch of a foot and riding across a wave so slopey that in real terms you wouldn’t give it a second glance has completely captivated me. The new skills won in hard-fought battles have given me such rewards, riding on never ending waves with such velocity in the most pathetic conditions, that to me the foil is king and long live its continued development.
Make no mistake foiling isn’t for everyone. In fact its not for most people, it’s tricky to learn, it’s terrifying in waves much bigger than knee high when you first start and the board and foil will come back and bite you in ways you couldn’t dream of when you first try and tame it. So why has your local hotshot SUP surfer got one in his van and why has it taken over his time when he’s only going along a bit in a straight line on a waist high wave? The reason is, it’s addictive; both in taming the flying board and the mindblowing sensation you get on the even the weakest wave. So if you’re nearly ready to part with a good £2k plus to make the most of lacklustre conditions, then the foil is for you.
Is it really for me?
You’ll need to be pretty handy on a wave SUP (be brutal in your self-assessment) and you’ll need to be comfortable riding a board with volume around 20-40 litres in excess of your body weight in kilograms to demonstrate balance potential. You’ll need set aside some time to master it, you may get up first time on the board but you won’t be getting sustained flights till your 4-5 sessions in at best. You also need to have balls of steel and be able to learn from your mistakes quickly, and to be able to get back on the horse once it’s bucked you off.
What can I expect the first time?
If you can get hold of your best mate and their boat you’ll find the first steps a bit easier when it comes to getting up on the foil, sorting out your stance, seeing how light and responsive the feel is once you’re flying. If you’re riding on a wave, expect to have to take the wave a bit later (this is more frightening) and for the board to take off as soon as you lean back. And once on the wave and up on the foil everything you know about surfing is wrong.
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