Wake Foiling | Building Speed on the Wake vs. in Flat Water

What are some of the key differences that you'll need to keep in mind when you're trying to gain speed on your foil behind a boat vs. in flat water? Understanding these will help your technique in each situation so you can make the most of each session and have more fun.

Behind the Boat

When you're behind the boat, remember that you're sitting on a huge source of power. That wake is going to be the determining factor of whether you gain speed on the boat or fall off the wake and get left in the dust. So be sure to use the wake to your advantage. If you try to pump behind the boat, you're just going to wear yourself out.

I like to set myself up on top of the wake at about mid-mast to three-quarters of the way out of the water, and then I carve down the face of that wake. I ride down the line of the wave, which is diagonal to the boat, not perfectly parallel with the path of the boat. I ride that wake down as long as I can, and then when I hit the trough of the wake I turn my board back up and get to the top of the wake as quickly as I can.

Remember that you're gaining speed when you're going down the face of the wake. When you're at the trough and climbing back up to the top of the wake you're losing speed, so it's important that you focus on gaining as much speed as possible while riding down the face of the wake and then carving quickly up to the top to restart the process again.

Flat Water

When you're in the flat water and you're pumping, your speed comes down to how fast you're pumping. You can call it rhythm or cadence, but your speed still comes down to how fast you're doing your repetitions with pumping.

If you pump at a faster cadence, you're going to go faster. If you pump at a slower cadence, you're going to slow down. It sounds simple, but you'll want to practice adjusting your cadence to your desired speed.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at MACkiteboarding.com. We'd be happy to help you out. This has been Cole from MACkite. Happy shredding, and we look forward to seeing you on the water.

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