It sounds to me like you are already there. I never did the SUP stage, but I have schlogged around underpowered and it's super-boring. Get the foil and never look back!

Howdy, it is boring but the exciting world of foiling lies ahead. I had a foil and board on order last summer and used the wing with a sup for a while. I found learning body and wing position for going upwind as well as doing slow tacks and gybes was pretty useful. It just meant when I got the foil and board I wasn't trying to learn two things at once.

UisceBeatha said..
Howdy, it is boring but the exciting world of foiling lies ahead. I had a foil and board on order last summer and used the wing with a sup for a while. I found learning body and wing position for going upwind as well as doing slow tacks and gybes was pretty useful. It just meant when I got the foil and board I wasn't trying to learn two things at once.

did you add a fin on front of the sup? how did you got upwind?
i tried wing with sup, could go only downwind

Yes I put a finbox one meter from tail in my 11ft SUP. Goes upwind OK. I can jybe, ride switchfoot or regular foot and twisted. I can ride either way from windsurfing days. At this stage I am not proficient at these things but can do them in say 12 - 15knots. I was out in 20 - 25knots and really struggled. Even when I was powered up in the strong wind I felt slow. That is why I posted this. No excitement on SUP. In 20 - 25 knots in my younger sailboard days I would have been flying and worrying about catching the forward rail in the chop. I will start looking for a foil and board.

As an intermediate wing foiler (nailing almost every gybe and half of tacks) I just went out on my wife's 12'6" touring SUP with a slingshot Supwinder stick-on daggerboard and 6M wing. I added it so I can take the kids out and hopefully teach my wife.

I enjoyed it in the light 7-9 knot breeze and found it challenging at first. I kept trying to run to the tail to turn downwind and gybe, but that would just rocket the nose upwind. Once I figured that part out I was able to complete some tacks and gybes and cruise upwind well. Once you get in the groove and cruising along, just a slight shuffle fore or aft can alter the angle and keep speed.

What I really liked was the practice riding with my weak foot forward, as I haven't taken that plunge yet with the foil (always stay regular stance). Before you stay 'you loose so much upwind ability, blah blah, I can stay upwind plenty).

Next time I take that big SUP out, I will for sure have a waist harness just so I can bring a brewski and relax with a cold one, flying one handed.

At our school we start people out on a big windsurfboard with daggerboard, for complete novices it takes about 3 2hour sessions to get that completely worked out (going both ways & jibing), for competent windsurfers or kiters we do 30 minutes on the school board. After that we go to a big (140L) foilboard. Most people I teach already have some wind/boardsports experience, we have them foiling for around 50m at a time after 1,5 hours with the right conditions.

Boracay.Villas said..

WhiteofHeart said..
At our school we start people out on a big windsurfboard with daggerboard, for complete novices it takes about 3 2hour sessions to get that completely worked out (going both ways & jibing), for competent windsurfers or kiters we do 30 minutes on the school board. After that we go to a big (140L) foilboard. Most people I teach already have some wind/boardsports experience, we have them foiling for around 50m at a time after 1,5 hours with the right conditions.

Where are you located for teaching?

The Netherlands hahah! This forum is the most active in wing/ windfoil i've found, a lot of valuable info here, thats why I'm on it ;).

hey bigmc,
I know what you mean about windsurfing feeling faster. Sups feel sticky with the wings and the wing doesn't feel like it's got enough drive to get you up and going on flat water. Over 15 knots I'm windsurfing. In 10-12 knots for winging, I've got a 8'8" Smik mongrel and have been having a ripper time on it. Sup winging (no foil) on 0.5m height waves in 12-15 knots cross onshore - gets up and going for wave riding. Will keep doing that as it's great fun, easy to get gear in water and really safe (no foil piercing wing risk). When there's no waves, or wind is lighter I'll put the foil on and wingding it. Then if there's no wind and waves I can sup it. 1 board that works for everything. The compromise is, it's not perfect at any 1 thing - a really good all rounder tho.

Rigi. I am still struggling but I think you tend to just go downwind unless the wind is strong. Just make sure you can get back to your start point without too much difficulty. I was out on the foilboard last week in marginal winds. Had to walk and paddle almost 1km back to start point. These boards paddle surprisingly well upside down foil in the air. Others here might have better info for you.

I used to windsurf 30 years ago and would like to get into wing foiling. Was thinking about getting an old sailboard to get the hang of a wing first. Any suggestions? Once had a Bombora South Pacific with the retractable daggerboard, would that work? Figure the daggerboard would help upwind. Any suggestions as I want something cheap just to get started and then move onto a foil board. How do these stick on fins work?

The wing is easiest and most fun to learn with a skateboard.
If you can get behind a boat with the foil before adding the wing that's even better.