Wake Foiling | Riding Styles

On your left you see a guy pumping in the flat water. Over on your right this dude's trying to do backflips on his hydrofoil. There are a lot of different riding styles that fall within wake foiling. It's an awesome sport and it is anything but one-dimensional.

Basic Wake Foiling

This is where everyone starts their wake foiling journey. It's where you get to know your foil, get up and learn how to ride, and set the foundation for carving. Pretty much any foil is going to work for this type of riding.

Surf Style

Surf style is when you get up on your hydrofoil, pull yourself into one of the wakes behind the boat, and you throw the rope and you ride on the power of the wake produced by the boat.

Personally, I like to think of this style of riding kind of like wake surfing on steroids. The difference is that as a wake surfer, you're limited to that first wake, but on a wake foil you can pump between different wakes, you can pump in the flat water, and you can go anywhere behind the boat, which is what makes it so special. For this type of riding, you're going to want a bigger foil or a foil that is designated for surfing behind the boat. If your foil is too small, you're not going to have enough power to pump or ride the wake behind the boat.

Freestyle

Freestyle wake foiling is one of the more recent aspects of wake foiling to emerge. That's when people are doing flips and spins on their foil. If you're into wakeboarding, this is probably where you're going to be able to get your fix when it comes to wake foiling.

The gear you need for this type of riding includes a life vest and a helmet. You want to keep yourself safe. You're also going to want straps on your board so that when you get airborne, the board doesn't leave your feet. You'll also use a smaller foil. Smaller foils can go faster, which allows you to get in the air easier. It also helps to have a smaller foil when you're punching back into the water when you land.

Flat Water

Flat water wake foiling is anytime you're dock starting or you're just pumping around without using the wake behind the boat or hanging onto the handle. This style of riding is pretty hard to figure out at first. It takes a lot of perseverance, but once you figure it out, it is one of the coolest feelings in the world because it's just you and your hydrofoil. Nothing else is helping you move through the water.

Gear is critical for this style of riding. You're going to want a short board, a large, high-aspect front wing, and a large stabilizer as well.

This was just a brief overview of the different types of wake foiling. There really is something for everyone. Everyone starts with basic wake foiling because you have to lay down that foundation, but after you do, you can try freestyle, go surf the wake, and go and pump through the glassy flat water.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us at MACkiteboarding.com. Until next time, happy shredding and I look forward to seeing you on the water.

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