3 Must Have Safety Accessories for Foiling

Foiling is here, and it is awesome. The feeling, almost indescribable. If one were to try, maybe the feeling of flying over Agrabah on a magic carpet would come close to capturing the magic. And, like anything worth doing, it comes with some risks. 

Riding several feet above the water, balancing on a board attached to what might as well be a katana… what could go wrong? The good news is with the proper safety gear the chance of bodily harm goes way down, meaning the chances of you living an injury-free, super fun-filled life go way up. 

Let’s get into how to protect yourself.

The pieces we’re going to discuss below include the following, and are ranked roughly in importance:

1. Helmet
2. Impact vest
3. Eye protection

Wear a Helmet When Learning to Foil

That supercomputer inside your noggin is fragile and needs proper protection. We recommend a hardshell water helmet or 3D molded protective cap. There’s some argument out there whether wearing a water helmet increases or decreases risk of concussion due to surface tension – this is all related to wakeboarding. 

On a foil you’re generally falling 2-3 feet up plus your height, and if unlucky coming down on your board, and if you’re super unlucky your foil. Ouch! Still not convinced? Maybe do a little Googling. Then when you’re done dry-heaving, type water helmet into your search bar and buy one ASAP.

Use a Foil Specific Impact Vest

You should already be wearing a flotation vest when foiling, but if you really want to up your game get a foil specific impact vest. These are going to feature additional padding and offer more substantial protection when your foil plays Fruit Ninja with your body. You can test that you have appropriate padding by having your buddy whack you with your foil mast (lightly).

Remember to Protect Your Eyes

We recommend the Spex glasses as they feature external frame lenses, meaning they won’t fold inwards on impact. They’ll also provide UV protection on the water, and when you do tumble reduce the sensation of taking a Super Soaker 5000 to the face.

Other good accessories include things such as shin pads (help protect you underwater when you accidentally kick your foil), knee pads (great for learning to wing foil), and a wetsuit (extra layer of padding).

While all this may make foiling sound super dangerous, with proper technique and precaution it’s not. Working on how you fall from the foil and how you push the board away will help immensely. And when it all goes sideways? That’s where your protective gear comes in and makes sure you’re ready to for that next ride.

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