Choosing the right Hydrofoil & Board
WHAT SIZE FOIL?:
Hydrofoils used for Wing, SUP or Wind Foiling usually have a large front wing with a surface area of 1500 cm² (Intermediate) to 2500 cm² (Beginners). However for a competent kite foiler a 1500 cm2 wing is much too wide of a surface area . It's a decent size to start off with, but most kite foilers progress to 600-800 cm² as a go to size. A complete foil system can have upto 8 mast options in (both carbon and aluminium), ranging from 60 - 90cm, upto 5 front wing options, 2 fuselage lengths and 2 stabilisers choices which can offer over 300 combinations to ensure that your setup is perfectly adapted for whichever discipline you choose
Kite Foiling
Shinn K2 Carbon Foil 886cm2
Wing/SUP/Wind Foiling
Shinn Supahydro MD Alu 2250cm2
TECH TALK
WHICH BOARD TYPE AND SIZE?
Kite foilers can waterstart in the same way as regular kiters, lying in the water with the foilboard on their feet before using the power of the kite to get the initial lift required for a waterstart. Wing foilers, however, must start by balancing on the board with their knees, then pump the wing to start movement through the water on the foil. As a result, wing foilers need a much larger board to begin with, usually around 20 liters more volume than their body weight thus giving enough buoyancy to stay afloat. So for example a 70 kg rider would need a board of around 90L. A wing foiler will later progress to using a 70-80 liter board, which is still significantly larger than a kitefoil board.
F-One Rocket Wing V2
INFLATABLE BOARDS PROS AND CONS
If space is issue when travelling then you may consider an inflatable board. As with most products there are Pros & Cons in it uses. the Table below gives you some pointers on compassion
INFLATABLE BOARDS :
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Price | Weigh, heavier than a carbon board |
| Easy to travel | Stiffness feels soft when pumping |
| Hard to break | Needs to be deflated after using |
| Soft rails, good for beginners and kids | Extra Item: Pump, another thing to break or get lost |
| Fits in a travel bag |
HARD BOARDS :
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Performance | Price, approx +€500 more expensive than Inflatables |
| Stiffness | More susceptible to damage from transport |
| Weight, lighter than inflatable | |
| No pump needed |
OUR INFLATABLE RECOMMENDATION
The F-One Rocket Air range is a line of inflatable board dedicated to foiling sports: Surf-foil, SUP-foil, Wing-foil, Wind-foil and even Kite-foil.
