How to Wakefoil Without the Rope. Foil Fridays Ep 15

Foiling has changed everything. With so many applications, we find ourselves practicing a lot of crossover sports.Wakefoiling included. One of the most fun aspects of the sport is the freedom of just riding the foil be that on a wave or behind the boat. We decided it would be fun to do a tutorial on how to do this. In case you're new to foiling, we did a video on learning to foil behind the boat. You can check that our here. 

Prerequisites

If you've been riding behind  the boat for a while,you should be ready to try this pretty quickly. You just need to know how to sine or pump the foil and you should have put a fair amount of time in on your wing. If you can wake surf, even better! Aside from that you'll need the right boat and the right equipment. 

For foils something larger is preferred like the slingshot infinity lineup or the H2 and H4. Now, known as the Gamma and the Space Skate. You'll also want something like a 24 inch mast. The smaller the board, the more responsive, while the larger, the more forgiving. 

Nathan and Brad Testing the 2019 Slingshot Wakefoils.

So what about the boat? 

In our first video, we talked about how you can foil behind just about anything really. Yet, when it comes to riding without the rope, you'll need a boat that can produce a powerful enough wake to surf. 

After the tutorial, we'll provide a list of some of our favorite hydrofoil wings that will work well for this. 

The breakdown 

Depending on the length of rope and the boat you're riding you might find yourself just behind the second wake. 

If you're right in the wake, great, just make sure you have power before letting go. If you're behind, you'll have to pump your way up into the wake. As soon as you have power and control it's time to go for it. 

With the rope in hand, pump yourself forward into the wake. When you feel there is sufficient power, toss the rope towards the middle of the wake and away from you. 

When you do this, a few things are going to happen. First, you'll probably start picking up speed and riding in front of the wake. The trick is to control that speed. You have two options here. First, you can start doing some cutbacks and turns on the foil to dump some of the power. Second you can sign the board. It really helps to keep within the same small area of the wake as well. 

Something else to consider is the second wake is a lot harder to see than the first. Its just not as large or clearly defined. We recommend looking for the bubble line coming from behind the first wake. This is a great way to stay oriented and keep track of where the wake is. 

It takes some getting used to so make sure you put a fair amount of time in on your wing before attempting this. All that said, it's not that difficult and it's hands down the most fun aspect of foiling behind the boat. 

We're having a lot of fun testing all these foils and we'll probably start doing some trick tips soon so stay tuned.

-Nathan 

Rider picks 

Nate's picks

Slingshot Dwarf Craft

The Slingshot Dwarfcraft is really fun and responsive. It takes a little getting used to such a small foil but it's hard to beat the feeling of a small board. For this session, I used the  infinity 76 and it's actually a really fun combo. I never imagined crossing wake to wake without the rope before. It's just unbelievable

Top picks for wakefoiling without a rope. 

INFINITY 76CM (H11)

Perfect for low speed and small wake yet still fun and maneuverable. This is the wing that many people have been going crazy over as it's something your friends can learn on and you can still get out there and have fun. 

GAMMA 68CM (H2)

A great in between compared to the Infinity 76 and Space Skate. The wing likes to have a little more power so I found it best suited for the first wake. One of the main reasons is because it doesn't have as much glide. You can feel a little more drag while riding. The wider wing and flatter profile give it more side to side stability. Of all the lineup this one works great as an all arounder. 

SPACE SKATE 65CM (H4)

The Space Skate is lively and playful with a fast heel to toe turn you can slip the foil side to side. It has a looser feel on the water. While smaller compared to the infinities you'll still be able to generate some speed with pumping to stay in the further back wakes. Slingshot infinity 84 

Nathan Patterson

Nate has been with us since 2011. If you have any questions about kiteboarding,   snowboarding, skiing, electric bikes, or foilboards, chances are, Nate knows the   answer. You can catch him on the phones most days of the week or on our   showroom floor. He practices a number of sports and is a avid mountain biker. 

With Foil boarding taking off in recent years, Nathan has really gravitated towards   wakefoiling and has been helping build out immense foilboarding knowledge center.