The latest craze

What is hydrofoiling?

If you've ever spotted someone out on the water riding a board that looks like it's floating above the water surface you've probably seen someone "foiling". As a water sport activity it has been growing in popularity over the past few years. It's not the easiest activity to get to grips with but those that embrace the struggle will gain the rewards. The sensation of flying along on a hydrofoil is something pretty unique and something that can become pretty addictive. 

When it comes to choosing a hydrofoil there are lots of factors to consider and it might all seem quite complicated at first glance.

• What kind of conditions will it be used in?
• How much relevant experience does the rider have?
• What does the rider want to achieve?
• Cost?

Some basic points to consider when it comes to foil characteristics;

• The bigger the foil the more stability it will provide.
• The bigger the foil the more lift potential it has and the slower speed it requires to lift the board and rider.
• Smaller foils are more manoeuvrable and have a higher top speed.
• Smaller foils need to be moving faster than bigger foils through the water to keep the board on foil.

A typical foil setup

The front wing is one component of a hydrofoil setup. It is the larger of the two foil wings and is primarily designed to create lift. They are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes with each design being tweaked for specific conditions or riding experience. As a very basic approach big front wings fly and turn more slowly compared to smaller front wings. For most setups a fuselage connects the foil or front wing to a smaller wing called a stabiliser or rear wing. As the name suggests the stabiliser is designed to provide stability, the larger the size the greater the stability.

The fuselage is the component which connects the front and back wings together. They are available is a choice of lengths with each size offering a different riding sensation. Longer fuselages give more stability and greater pitch control. Shorter fuselages create a looser feel and can make turning easier. 

The fuselage is connected to the board using a mast and baseplate. The mast can be made from a range of materials and varies in size. Ideally speaking the stiffer the mast the better it will perform. Mast length will be determined by the conditions you intend to foil in and the type of riding you want to do. Often longer masts are used in bigger conditions and for higher speed foiling. For most people a mast length between 75cm and 85cm will work.

The board you attach the foil too will, in most cases, have ben designed for a specific foil discipline. Winging, surfing (SUP or prone), downwind or dockstart/pump are some of the more commonly mentioned foil disciplines. The shape, volume and dimensions of different boards lend themselves to specific activities. If you're just starting out the added stability and extra volume provided by a large board will be very useful especially when winging, downwinding or surfing.