6 Reasons to Learn to Wing Foil
We have all seen the wings here and there over the past few years, and suddenly in the last twelve to eighteen months there has really been an explosion of wing foilers. Playa Central has three full time wing foiling instructors right now and will have more next season. It has been great to see this sport really take off. Our instructors always ask our students why they are learning, and based on what they have said this season, here are six great reasons why you should learn to wing foil now:
Adam Withington on the left, Dave Tyburski in the venter, and Alex Aguera on the right, during the 2020 Wingfoiling Race at Playa Central, La Ventana, B.C.S., Mexico. All on Ozone Wasps.
there are no strings attached
Have fun without the commitment of being attached by the hip to the sail. You can also forget the harness, the extra pumping, and the extra time required to rig lines and bar. If you have ever been apprehensive about being hooked into the kite, wing foiling is a great way around this. In wingfoiling you have a board and a wing (sail) you hold onto. So, you are free to ditch your board and let go of the wing anytime. This wing cannot drag you and there are no lines to loop your wing, hence it is more safe. So yes, you can have all the fun with no strings attached.
Playa Central instructor, Dani, teaching a someone how to wing foil in La Ventana.
2. You Can Launch from Anywhere
If you have a windy spot that has little to no room for a proper kite launch, wingfoiling is an awesome solution. Trees, power lines, wind shadows, you can just ignore that with a wingfoil set up. You also don’t need a buddy to help you launch, so you can have a no-fuss launch every time. That breezy lake house you go to in the summer is now elegible as an awesome wind sport spot to you.
To launch a wing foil you don’t need a big beach and a buddy’s help, you can easily walk into the water alone and launch. Trees are no bother.
3. Life is About Riding the Wave
Alex Aguera on a GoFoil and Ozone Wasp, riding a wave.
Let’s face it, this cliche is absolutely true. Ask any Sylicon Valley venture capitalist what their ultimate day is and they will confirm that in the end, they all just want to be at the beach riding waves. To let the ocean lift and push you toward the beach, to feel this impulse and have to balance on a board successfully is fun. When you are wing foiling you can really feel this. On the other hand, on a kite you still have the power of the wind that you have to manage, the kite continues to pull you. With wing foiling, when your foil starts riding a wave you can just forget the wing, stop flying it by holding it lightly with just one hand, and just focus on the wave and board.
4. an awesome core and arm workout
With gyms no longer being the best option, people are picking up outdoor sports like wing foiling, that are easy to learn and fun.
Being harness free also means that you are what will keep the sail and the board together. When you start out you may be on your knees and eventually will be able to stand up and sail. In either stance, your abs will be engaged most of the time. With the pandemic getting more people outside for their workout, we have been surprised by how many people actually pick up the sport for cardio and strength building. At a time when gyms are not the best option, people are turning to easy-to-pick-up water spots for their workout.
5. safe and low impact learning curve
The sport is fun and safe for kids and people of all ages. It takes about half as long to learn to wingfoil as it does to learn to kiteboard. Great sport for kids.
The fact that you are not attached to the sail makes this sport very safe. This is awesome for kids, and has become popular since the pandemic because there have been so many kids homeschooled in La Ventana. Wing foiling in La Ventana is sort of like windsurfing in Hood River, it is the “kids’ wind sport,” before switching to kiteboarding when they get old enough. Here you see kids learning to wingfoil because parents are comfortable with the equipment. Having simple equipment also helps learn quickly, whereas most people take twelve hours of kiteboarding lessons at the minimum, for wing foiling you will see as few as six to ten hours of lessons to learn the sport.
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6. new sport. who dis?
This is a fun new sport, how cool to jump in now and be a great local rider in your own town. Enjoy the waves that other’s really cannot enjoy the same way on kites. Be on the leading edge of things in the windports, and get more well rounded on the water. There are a lot of records to be broken and tricks to be discovered in wingfoiling. The fact that it is new makes it a great way to grow your windsport community, because wingfoilers tend to talk a lot and help each other out by sharing tips, etc, as they see each other on the beach. The newness of the sport makes it fun in itself, because people are discovering the gear and the sport together, which is exciting.
This is a new sport, with plenty of room for the young groms and new riders to get the attention.
Hopefully this article has made wing foiling seem more approachable and exciting. If you want to learn to wing foil, we recommend watching some instructional videos and taking lessons. The bigger the board, the easier it will be for you. If you have questions on gear, lessons or tips on the sport, you can e-mail us at Playa Central or call us at +52.612.114.0267, and we will be more than happy to help. You can also book lessons on our website or my contacting us by phone or e-mail.