VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

If I was starting all over again here in Victoria I'd probably go the Wingfoil route like BWD mentioned.

I'm getting my kids started windsurfing but only because I already have a garage full of gear for them.

FWIW: exactly the same as Bcarmena I windsurfed for many years as a kid with my Dad and brother (grew up on Hayling Island seafront, wind/kitesurfing "capital" of the UK). Broke the fun meter on a regular basis. Learned to kite 3 summers ago at Nitinat and bought all the kit for it. Was stoked to get back into wind sports. Couldn't commit to enough trips to Nitinat to get super comfortable with my kite skills (I'm not a fan of having to drive more than 5 min to recreate). Didn't fancy riding the newbie learning curve at Cook St - doesn't seem like a great noob spot to me.

This winter/spring started hearing more about "wingfoiling". First impression: "this looks dumb". Then started thinking a bit more about possibilities in terms of swell riding right here at Cook St/Clover Pt/Ross Bay. As a SUPer I love bump riding. A week more of investigation convinced me I had to sell all my new kite stuff (!) and get a wing foil setup. Had no idea what equipment to get (no winging or foil experience). Posted on BWD for advice and got some great input from an Unusually Large Robin about gear. Bought what Coach ULR suggested I buy. His advice was spot on.

Finally managed to get up on foil and riding decent distances on a solid wind day 2 days ago in Ross Bay. Fun! Stooooooked to be starting this sport. Seems to me there are lots of pros and not many cons as BWD said - if you are into big air or high top end speed then it's not the best option but honestly neither of those interest me (and never did).

So that's my 02 cents as a noob foiler! Good luck!

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I gave kiteboarding a go a while back and just couldn't get into it. I have always loved the precise control that windsurfing offered me. I'm at the point now where my free time is too precious to spend time learning a new sport. I have immense amounts of enjoyment sailing still so there is no need for me to do anything else at this time. I can teach my son to windsurf but kiteboarding is foreign to me. Maybe I'm just old fashioned... or just old.

Hi All,
I'm a newbie who has recently completed both ground kite lessons (Victoria) and water lessons (China Creek). I was looking at buying used kite gear to use in continued lessons with the goal of eventually taking a step into local kiting in Victoria (after building up the necessary experience and skills in more beginner-friendly waters, of course).

Before taking the leap with the kite gear, I've also been looking at wing foil setups as an alternative and I was intrigued by the comments above. It looks like a steep learning curve, but I like the idea of a slightly less complex set up and being able to learn locally as I'm based near Ross Bay.  

Is there anyone who would be willing to share some advice re: what to consider when looking at a beginner wing foil set up (based on height, weight, level of experience, etc.)? I'm on the lighter side (5'6", 140 lbs) and am wondering about wing size and board size, etc. Or if anyone could suggest a trusted store to contact for advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

JDR: almost my exact same question from a few months ago - check the Windsurfing discussion forum for some great discussion threads here.

One is titled "Wingfoiling" (Windsurfing discussion) and the other "schawing" (rigging area). You'll get lots of answers in there - I did!

TonyT1000: Thanks for pointing those out. I clearly missed them in my initial search. Lots of great info there - very helpful!