Recently wakefoiling has been growing in popularity, and for good reason. Wakefoiling is similar to wakesurfing, but gives you a lot more options in terms of what boats you can ride behind, and where behind those boats you can foil. With wakesurfing you are typically restricted to wakesurf specific boats, but with wakefoiling you can ride behind any kind of boat, and in any type of water conditions. Heavy wind chop or a lake busy with boats? Bust out the foil and cut through all of that imperfect with ease. Let's get into what you need to know when choosing a wakefoil.
1. Board Size
When you are wakefoiling, the board is what you will be standing on top of, and what you will use to control your riding. Wakefoil boards come in all shapes and sizes, with the larger boards being more beginner friendly as they have more surface area to stand on, and are more buoyant when they are in the water. A small board will be more maneuverable and agile when you are riding, but will be more difficult to learn on. Wakefoil boards are similar to wakesurf boards, but feature channels to mount your foil mast to.
2. Mast Height
The mast is what connects your foil board to the hydrofoil itself. These masts come in many different lengths ranging from 16 to 36 inches tall. If you are just starting out, a shorter mast will be good for learning as it will allow you to ease into bringing the board out of the water without the risk of going too high in the air.
3. Front Wing (width, volume, surface area)
The wings on foils can be measured in different ways, by volume, surface area, or width. To keep it simple we will just use width to compare the front wings. Once you get more familiar with your foil setup you can explore the intricacies of the rear wing a bit more.
A smaller wing with a width around 65-70cm will be easier to learn on, will be very agile, but will perform better on larger waves as you will need quite a bit of push. A larger wing like the Liquid Force Horizon 155 will create more lift, allowing you to surf smaller waves, and even pump around on the flat water in between waves.
4. Foot Straps
A lot of wakefoil boards come with the option to add foot straps. While they are definitely not necessary to foiling, the addition of foot straps will help lightweight riders learn to foil, as it will be easier for them to remain in the correct position on the board while they are getting up. In addition to helping with getting up, foot straps will also help you learn how to pump your foil and gain speed in the water.
One of the great things about foils is that they are modular. If you start out with a small wing and short mast to learn, you can upgrade to a larger wing, and then even get a taller mast as you progress your riding, all while still using the same board. If you have any questions on specific foil products, or watersports gear in general, don’t hesitate to contact us.