Wingfoiling vs. Windfoiling: Which Is Better? Pros and Cons of Each and Which Is Right for You!
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- čas přidán 2. 05. 2024
- After a year plus of windsurf foiling (i.e., "windfoiling"), here's my survey of the pros and cons of this exciting sport and in contrast to the much more popular wingfoiling. I also look at the various considerations beginners should weigh in choosing to pursue one versus the other (or, in my case, both!)
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I think you're right on on all points. At 71 years and 60 kilos, I'm windfoiling on a 6.5 m sail in 5-10 knots and winging when it's over 10 and steady on a 5m wing. I live in a place where light winds are somewhat frequent but breezy days do come along. I've found high wind windfoiling to be less fun and fairly strenuous so the wing is a great way for me to enjoy windier days. Another thoughtful video, thanks.
Well said and you mentioned location at the beginning of your video. I think location is a key factor in choosing the best option. I sail in the Tampa Bay area so we have the conditions for both wing and wind foiling. What I see in our community amongst the experienced windsurfers is winging is preferred if you want to wave foil and wind foiling is preferred if you prefer freeride foiling. As you mentioned and I agree 100% if one has no windsurfing experience the best option is wing foiling. We also have a large kiting community and they appear to prefer wing foiling vs kite foiling. I’m not a kiter but this appears to be the trend in our area. Great stuff and enjoy. I’m an experienced windsurfer and wind foiler. Like you I like the option of doing what we call a double when the wind picks up and switching to a fin. 🤙🏼
Thank you for the kind words and for watching! Sounds like you're in the right place to do both! Yes, if taking advantage of light stuff and foiling is you're main goal, I don't know why anyone would want to deal with lines and having to self launch a kite, when you could just blow up a wing and go! Yes, there's one buddy of mine in particular (featured prominently in the video lol) who loves to come in and change out and "double dip" as you say. We usually will blame him once he changes to fin and the wind ends up shutting off lol
I've windsurfed for many years and has taken a very long time to get good at it and very demanding. Now windfoiling and wingfoiling I find its less effort on the windfoil, possibly because I use a harness and maybe more relaxed on the windfoil. The BIG advantage for me is the wing, its less faff and you don't need as much kit and it don't take up much room, this is great. The downside of all the sports, its bloody expensive to buy the kit, but the wind is free, LOL.
Great thoughts. I would add a couple things from my experience
1) Windfoiling is way less strenuous than windsurfing and if you know how to waterstart getting going is much easier than winging and if you have enough wind to waterstart you just hook in and go no pumping. I now windfoil rather than windsurf unless it is a perfect windsurf day as you never stop moving and fly through all the jibes.
2) I found learning jibes and windfoiling was much easier once I removed the foot straps. Foot straps do have many advantages but other than foot placement (there are other aids if you need them) I don't see the benefit when learning. You can add them once you get jibing figued out.
Finally I believe the two are more the same than different and everyone should try foiling. I also agree that if you have a windsurfing background getting on foil is much quicker on a windfoil, in the right condition with the right equipment (no straps) it is usually the first session.
100% agree
👍 good analysis and breakdown here, Ben. Appreciate that you make these informative videos. Thanks, Dmitri
I agree if you compare on flat water. But as soon as you ride on swell, winging is an other world. The pure sensation of gliding is totally addicting.
Great point. Much harder to flag out a sail when dropping in, no doubt!
I agree foiling on a wave is awesome. I would add that windfoling is also a blast on a wave but being an old windsurfer I prefer to use the sail to power through the carves (both ways) on the wave. Also I know folks on the great lakes that prefer the ease of the sail being supported when flagged while on a swell, rather than the wing getting back winded in light on shore conditions. Neither is wrong or right just personal preferences.
I quite share your point of view except for the fact that I don't think windfoil is more physical if you use a harness. And getting the sail out the water is not such a big deal when you have a good technique. I don't wingfoil but when I see all these poor guys on their knees trying to stand up I don't think I would enjoy that specially in choppy water. However I do think that windfoiling must be a nice sport to practice.
😊
A pro for wingfoiling might be that it seems to me that you might don't have to change gear as quickly as you do than when you're windfoiling. 😊
Points well taken, and I finally have a harness I think I can use for windsurf foiling, so I'm excited to finally try that out on my next session, probably just on my "good" starboard tack side for now, since that seems to be pretty automatic for me now and, eventually, rolling it out on my other side. Agreed on the knees thing. I knew pretty early in my winging career that I didn't want to do that lol Frankly, I've had a few gnarly wing sessions where I was relieved to go back to the more sedate and relaxing experience of windsurf foiling the next time haha
Nice video. I've been windsurfing foiling for a few months now after doing a lot of regular windsurfing for a few years. I noticed the wing foilers are often not going for a session in light winds or very strong winds, compared to me going in any winds from light to very strong winds as a windsurf foiler. However, that may be just due to personal preferences or the type of foil they use. The wingers seem to like 15-25 kts best, and anything less or more is iffy, where I'm having fun with 10-35 kts windfoiling (switching sails).
I'm typically taking advantage of being able to switch from foil to fin at around 20 kts plus to get some higher top speeds! For now, wingfoiling is not interesting enough to me due to the very low speeds.
Windfoiling is definitely more physically challenging, especially if you are not well matched with your harness / harness lines, but I take that as a plus, being young(er) and enjoying the physical workout. On my 5.2 or 4.2 sail, with or without the harness, the physical part is not too difficult, but on a 7.5 or 8.5 sail, it is.
For the basics, windfoiling seems more technically challenging than wingfoiling as well, or it could be my lack of skill, but after a few months I'm easily able to go fast or slow and stay on the foil (with footstraps, harness), but jibing or tacking fully on the foil is still not happening. If you start adding jumps or tricks, winging may be just as or more challenging, but on the basics, it seems easier. However, being sort of hooked on the feeling already with windsurfing, I don't mind some frustration to eventually get all the basic skills of windfoiling.
Overall, the feeling of foiling is just a unique one, so I would recommend anyone to try it no matter if it's windfoiling, wingfoiling, kite foiling, or whatever.
How light of winds can you windsurf foil in? It rarely gets above 8 knots where I live and winging wasn't an option.
@@lanceburkhardt8265 For me, 7 knots is probably the limit, but it gets difficult at that point pumping. 8 knots is pretty comfortable
Good thoughts - what about wind range - I never really found much difference between take off when wind foiling than using a 7.5 or 8.0 and a fin. Probably because I wasn’t good enough😂. I’m fairly confident that even as an early beginner I can get going on the wing in less than 15. Also in typical inland 0 15 35 mph conditions I think the wing is easier to handle? Thoughts?
Such a great point that I deliberately left out to keep the video short. I will usually windsurf/foil half the year, while winging in the other half, the winging half being the warmer/Summer months that typically have lighter, more inconsistent winds. I, too, find that I need a lot less runway and wind to get up than with the windsurf, which is a big reason why Summer is "wing season" for me. Of course, like you said, I'm not that great and so maybe that has a lot to do with it--a few windfoil friends of mine have no issues windfoiling in the Summer conditions, but they're also on really big gear by then. No thanks. I also notice I tend to fly a lot more frequently and longer than they usually do with my big wing and big front foil haha
It's mainly a setup thing. Many good windsurf foilers here on our lakes in Austria use freestyle foils (eg sabfoil 790). That gets you going in 10-12 knots. In such conditions I would use a 5,9 sail (which is my largest sail).