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5 reasons to practice Wing Foil

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Foil

24 May 2021

leclezio.coline@gmail.com

Wingfoiling is one of the new board sports, whose number of practitioners is constantly increasing, some even abandoning their favorite practice. Wondering why? We give you the 5 good reasons to practice Wing Foil! If you’re not familiar with the sport,
Wing Foil involves standing on a board with a foil with a wing in your hands
. The foil resembles an underwater plane which, thanks to the speed generated, will create a lifting force. The Wing is similar to a kite, in order to gain speed.

Wing foiling has many advantages, both on land and at sea. This new nautical practice offers unique gliding sensations with much less constraints than Kitesurfing or Windsurfing.

5 good reasons to practice Wing Foil

Reason 1: Simplicity and ease of use

When you start Wing after Kitesurfing or Windsurfing, everything becomes easier! On the one hand, the equipment is really minimalist. All you have to do is inflate your Wing, set up your foil. If you opt for an inflatable board such as the SROKA Air, you will be able to store everything in one bag ! Perfect for transporting and preparing your gear anywhere. The gear is light, and it is not necessary to have a large sail, or straps, harnesses… In less than 10 minutes, all your gear is ready to hit the water. So if you have an hour of time for lunch, you can sail for 45 minutes.

Then, getting into the water is easy, depending on the spot you can start directly from the beach or from a slipway. The return is also simple: if the wind drops, with the sufficient volume of the boards, you will be able to return while sailing (unlike the kite where you swim in). If the wind picks up, it is also easy to get back safely, with much less risk than in kitesurfing.

In addition, the WingFoil offers you a very versatile equipment and therefore the possibility to discover other facets of foiling sports (SUPFoil, WakeFoil, WindFoil, KiteFoil, SurfFoil…).

Reason 2: No need for big wind and wave conditions

One of the great advantages of this board sport is that it is possible to sail even in light winds. You will be able to take off from 7 to 8 knots. It is also ideal for beginners to learn how to Wing. No need to have big wave conditions, in Wingfoiling it is possible to surf on soft waves that do not break. In addition to optimizing the low conditions, this offers a wide choice of spots and opportunities to practice.

Some places are devoid of waves, for example the south of France or Lake Geneva in Switzerland. However, with a little wind, chop rises and allows you to surf the wind swell. Therefore, you don’t need to be in Hawaii in majestic conditions, you just need a little wind to have a blast. Close your eyes and imagine yourself skiing on 1m of powder… that’s how the WingFoil will feel like you.

Reason 3: Accessible to all levels

WingFoil does not require great physical conditions beforehand. This is what makes this practice accessible to everyone, in terms of level, size, or age. Indeed, the whole family can get started, which will make your outings on the water even more fun! From 7 years old to 77 years old, everyone can practice at their own pace. It’s not a traumatic sport, the speeds aren’t the same as KiteFoil or WindFoil so it’s very reassuring. It is a sport where it is easy to progress: any good practitioner of board sports will start flying in less than 3 hours.

And for all this, you don’t need to have a lot of equipment: a simple Pack wing quiver (a kite, a foil and a board) with a very wide wind range will allow you to really have fun whatever the level.

In addition, WingFoil departs from the sometimes conceited mentality of some sports. Here, we detach ourselves from the edge and the world to refocus on our personal practice. In Wing, you’re going to have fun for yourself with friends, you don’t need to be 50 m from the shore to impress the gallery.

After reading our article “How to start in Wing Foil”, you will understand that it is the easiest way to learn Foil, and especially to have fun on the water, compared to other water sports. Depending on the material chosen, learning can be relatively fast. It’s all about practice and patience.

Reason 4: The sensations of gliding come very quickly

Starting out in Wing, will allow you to discover new sensations of gliding, completely different from Kitesurfing or Windsurfing. The handling is almost immediate. So you can quickly evolve, and quickly take off or surf on the swell or waves. Flying with the silence of gliding on the water gives you a real feeling of freedom.

Among the different ways to practice, it is possible to:

Walk around safely, even if the wind is light thanks to the volume of the board. You will be able to fly very early and thus cover a lot of distance without too much effort;
big downwinds, downwinds and surf swell trains;
practice freestyle with adapted equipment that allows you to do Wing tricks;
Shooting with friends on runs or on walks ;
Discover new places to sail, which are not exploited at all by other sports. Practicing Wing is a way to dissociate yourself from the surf spots, whose number of practitioners is constantly increasing, or to sail even when kiting is forbidden in summer.

Reason 5: A complete sporting activity

Wingfoiling will make you work the muscles of the back or legs, especially thanks to the pumping with the legs or arms on the Wing to move forward. So it really feels like you’re working all the muscles in the body. It’s also an interesting practice for cardio, we work on endurance and much less on explosiveness. It is a sport that is very accessible to all, and particularly suitable for women. In addition, the physical demands are lower than in other board sports, and therefore recovery is easier.

Some people say that foiling can be dangerous. By respecting certain safety rules, we are convinced that it is one of the least dangerous board sports with the least major risk of trauma. Generally speaking, the chances of collisions with Wing Foil equipment are greatly reduced, and when they do, they are less painful than in windsurfing. All this explains the success of the Wing Foil.

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If you still have questions about this, or for any other request, please do not hesitate to contact us !

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