Learning to winter wing foil - boat first?

[Bryun]

Have a lot of experience wake surfing and some experience windsurfing but have never foiled. Had I started in summer there are many options for learning to foil behind a boat first but alas...

Does anyone know, in the general mid-island area, a company that offers behind the boat foiling to learn? I have a 6'2 Foil board/SUP and foil.

Barring that, I imagine I will be spending a lot of time in the water as opposed to on top of it : )

[juandesooka]

No boat suggestions, but for wing foiling, I don't think the boat is all that necessary. For surf/sup foiling, there's a lot going on at once, it really helps to understand how the foil reacts with controlled power behind a boat. But with kite/wind/wing, you control the wind power and can ease in and get a feel for it. Start on a sup if you're nervous, then add the foil once comfortable with the wind.

[Bryun]

Sage words - thank you.

[smartang]

zensports.ca

Does lessons for efoil, tow foil, kite etc whatever you need. I demoed the quatro wing drifter very recently with them. Best bang for your buck board on the market right now. 5'4" 90L is 12lbs with all the bells and whistles.

[Bryun]

A decent option, thank you. Did you demo here on the island or in Squamish?

[smartang]

They're based out of Sproat lake as of last year. Most lessons start at the sproat lake provincial park boat launch. High end gear, full carbon lift foils, new lift or quatro boards, and the efoil. Or you can use your own gear.

[winddoctor]

If you've had windsurfing experience already, wing foiling will be more intuitive than you might expect, I think. Bryun, are you on the 6.2 Aviator? I've the 6.4 model and it's great for learning winging and SUP foiling for me at 200 pounds.

[Bryun]

The board I purchased is the 6'2 125L Stinger Wing foil board (I am 160lbs so should be plenty of volume once I get the hang of starting). I have been out on a full size SUP with my Duotone Echo 5M but have yet to brave the Stinger as I wait on a more winter oriented wetsuit to arrive.

Additionally, I am hoping the foil I bought (82cm width, 1550 surface area) is not a tad small for the first few sessions and partly why I thought a little boat towing to get the feel of it might be helpful.

I guess it is time to just get out there and give it a go! Give my shoulders a workout paddling back upwind : )

[smartang]

Not sure how to quote on bwd yet.

"But with kite/wind/wing, you control the wind power and can ease in and get a feel for it."

Yes and no. Most kiters and windsurfers own kites and sails far too large for foiling which allowed us to learn kite/wingfoiling overpowerd and taxi up onto foil. We usually wing with just enough wing to get on foil. And use the pumping techniques with board and wing to make up for the power.

Don't get me wrong, you can taxi up onto foil with a powered up wing. But that will mean going out in conditions over 20 knots, with rough water. And then if you finally get up on foil, you'll have 1 second to control flight height in swell. That's where some boat time would help.

Board balance might is the most critical factor, especially in lighter winds. If you can't plant your feet you can't pump either the board or wing. So getting out there on lighter days is very beneficial even though you likely won't get on foil.