Wingfoil Guide: The perfect foil for beginners – here’s what matters

Finding the right foil isn’t easy, especially for beginners, given the sheer number of products on the market. That’s why, in the following, we’ll explain the general differences between the various types of foils and tell you which foil size makes sense.

The Foil – Terminology and Basics

Before we briefly introduce the different foil designs below, here is a brief overview of the components and technical terms:

A foil consists of several components, which have the following functions:

• Mast: Vertical connection to the board; made of carbon fibre or aluminium
• Fuselage: (pronounced ‘Fjuslaasch’): a longitudinal member onto which the wings are mounted
• Front wing: Front wing, which generates lift depending on its area and airfoil thickness
• Stabiliser/Backwing: Rear wing, which acts as a stabiliser

Foil assembly: double rail as standard

For wingboards, the dual-rail system has become the standard mounting system across the board, ensuring that foils and boards from different brands are compatible and allowing the position of the foil to be adjusted. The foil position depends on where you stand on the deck: if you’re using a board without footstraps, you can simply place the foil in the centre of the box without giving it much thought, and then choose your standing position on the deck accordingly. If you’re foiling with foot straps, your stance is fixed and you’ll need to adjust the foil position accordingly. We explain what you need to bear in mind here in the video (from 11:56):

​How early a foil lifts off, how fast it goes and how easy it is to ride depends primarily on the front wing. Although the distinctions between the different types of foil are fluid, three general types of foil can be identified: "Low aspect ratio foils", "mid aspect ratio foils" and "High Aspect Ratio Foils". It may sound complicated, but it’s actually quite simple:

Low Aspect Ratio Foils

The term ‘low aspect ratio’ is used across brands to describe foils characterised by a shorter wingspan, but which, in contrast, have very large wing surfaces and often a thicker wing profile. This type of foil is often referred to in technical jargon as a ‘cruiser’ or ‘surf foil’ and has the following advantages and disadvantages:

Take-off even at low speeds

Stable airflow during manoeuvres, even at low speeds

Good ability to fly through wind holes

Agile when manoeuvring whilst riding the waves

Slower due to the thicker tread

Less potential for jumps and freestyle tricks

Poor glide in swell

This makes this type of foil perfect for getting started in wing foiling and for light-wind conditions such as inland lakes. Beginners should ideally combine these cruiser foils with a long fuselage (>65 centimetres), which ensures a very stable flight and is forgiving of the odd weight-shifting mistake.

High Aspect Ratio Foils

Behind the technical term "high aspect ratio" These feature high-performance foils, which are equipped with relatively elongated wings and, above all, a thin wing profile. In general, however, foils with more elongated wing shapes offer the following characteristics:

Greater speed potential thanks to the thinner profile

Maximum ‘glide’ for riding out small swell waves

A slightly higher take-off speed is required, but this can be compensated for with the appropriate pumping technique

In some cases, a more sensitive response to road conditions and driving errors due to the thinner tread

Reduced manoeuvrability due to the greater wingspan

This makes a high-aspect foil more suitable for wingfoilers who already have some experience and have moved beyond the beginner stage. The greatest strength of high-aspect foils is their excellent glide – that is, their ability to generate plenty of energy from swell waves for long rides. For the intended use Downwind This type of foil is absolutely ideal.

Mid-aspect-ratio foils – the happy medium

As mentioned, the distinctions between the different types of foils are fluid. Foils with an aspect ratio of between 6.5 and 9 are referred to as ‘mid-aspect-ratio foils’. In a sense, these embody the best of both worlds:

Good light-wind performance & decent speed potential

Good manoeuvrability

Wide range of applications

Moderate glide

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Thanks to their all-round capabilities, mid-aspect-ratio foils are now widely used. They are suitable for less experienced foilers as well as for experts who are keen to tackle downwind riding, freestyle and the full range of foiling manoeuvres. By the way: You can find lots of foil tests HERE.

The right foil size

The ideal foil size depends primarily on body weight, riding ability and the wind range. Foil manufacturers produce modular systems in which, for example, front wings of different sizes can be easily swapped. The following recommendation should be taken only as a rough guide and relates to Wingsurfer, the with just one front wing want to cover as wide a wind range as possible:

Beginners or wingsurfers who prioritise performance in very light winds will get the best results with the following front wing sizes:

Experienced wingsurfers who are good at inflating their wings and have mastered the basic manoeuvres should ideally use the following front wing sizes:

How the length of the fuselage affects handling characteristics

The length of the fuselage (the longitudinal beam to which the wings are attached) has a massive influence on handling characteristics. As a general rule: short fuselages make the foil responsive and manoeuvrable – ideal, for example, for riding swell or surf waves and making tight turns. Long fuselages ensure stable straight-line tracking and forgiving handling. This means that beginners and those moving up to the next level should choose foils with fuselages that have a total length (measured from the leading edge of the front wing to the trailing edge of the stabiliser) of 65 centimetres or more. Such long fuselages are also advantageous for high-speed riding. Experienced freestylers and wave enthusiasts, on the other hand, can noticeably tune their foil for agility with short fuselages (55–65 centimetres), though they must accept less stable flight behaviour in return.

The right mast for your foil

Pole lengths ranging from 30 to 100 centimetres are available on the market. The length that’s right for you depends on a number of factors:

Masts measuring between 75 and 85 centimetres in length are clearly the most popular choice. With these, even with minor changes in flying height or in choppy conditions, you have sufficient clearance to avoid constantly and unintentionally scraping the board against the water’s surface. Short mast lengths of under 65 centimetres are particularly common in areas with shallow water, but also in wingfoil schools to reduce the height of falls whilst learning. Very long masts (>85 centimetres) are particularly recommended for racing, but ambitious freestylers and wave foilers also enjoy the benefits of longer masts.

Foil mast: carbon or aluminium?

Last but not least, the question arises as to whether you need a carbon or aluminium mast. The general rule is that carbon is stiffer – this is particularly noticeable with very long masts (>80 centimetres). Due to carbon’s greater stiffness, such masts can often be designed to be slightly thinner, which reduces drag in the water and can result in slight gains in speed.

Ambitious racers and freestylers therefore often opt for carbon masts. The downside is that carbon masts are significantly more expensive; it is not uncommon for a carbon model to cost twice or three times as much as an aluminium mast. For everyday use in freeriding, downwind sailing, manoeuvres and first jumps, aluminium masts generally offer perfectly adequate performance – at a significantly lower price.