Author Topic: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?  (Read 8924 times)

heyheysup

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Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« on: July 13, 2020, 01:55:54 PM »
Hello!!
Lately I've been attracted by windfoiling. I have a strong sup race and surfski background, some longboard windsurfing , and love downwinding above any other discipline.
I have a shoulder injury and been strongly recommended not to get involved in sports with sudden,  or violent falls. (I quitted snowboarding for that matter). I fall often surfing with the race board, but know how to place arm to avoid dislocation... If I have time to anticipate the fall.
Seeing the videos online, even for beginners it seems to be mellow and easy enough... Slowly flying over water. Even the falls when overfoiling don't seem that bad seen on video... Only a plunge on the water.
But when I've read the forum, I've seen recommendations for complete helmets, impact vests, and seen the word dangerous or rad a few times.
Is that risk more related to surf foiling Beach breaks?
I'd only want to sail back and forth, and when experienced, doing some up and downwinding with winds lower that 20 kt.
So what do you say? If attempted carefully (jump early when things go wrong, using a stable and slow foil like gong allvator, and taking a slow pace, could it be done?
Thanks a lot!!!!!!

PonoBill

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2020, 03:35:14 PM »
I don't consider it particularly dangerous and the falls from winging actually seem less violent than surf foiling. I have fallen numerous times surf foiling when I hit so hard my shoulder and arm went numb for a few minutes. I've never done that winging. I've also given myself a sharp headache surf foiling which might be an indication of a mild rebound concussion--but not with winging. Still, a helmet and impact vest makes good sense. I carry both, but rarely wear them--just stupid I guess.
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Dwight (DW)

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2020, 03:40:15 PM »
I think winGfoiling is safer than winDfoiling.

My wife dislocated her shoulder crashing windfoiling at top speed. Sail catapult from full height foil breach.

I’ve been crashing winGfoiling at top speed and never felt my shoulder was at risk. I just let go of the wing as I flew over the front at 19.5 mph  ;D

heyheysup

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2020, 03:55:33 PM »
All my questions refer to winG foiling, thanks Dwight for helping clarifying . I guess I should have read my own post well before publishing...  ;)
Already read the high speed related post... My aim is only to cruise at moderate speed... I obtain my adrenaline rush pretty cheap!

flkiter

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2020, 06:02:54 PM »
Wear a helmet, impact vest, and let go of the wing when you crash and you shouldn't have any issues. Find ya a foil with rounded tips and wear booties, you'll be all set. You can also start on a short mast to prevent the rodeo ride.

Quickbeam

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2020, 06:45:55 PM »
Wear a helmet, impact vest, and let go of the wing when you crash and you shouldn't have any issues. Find ya a foil with rounded tips and wear booties, you'll be all set. You can also start on a short mast to prevent the rodeo ride.

Why booties? You're the second person I've heard recommend to wear booties, but I am not sure why???
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flkiter

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2020, 09:31:28 PM »
Kicking the foil. If you practice in a canal, lake and you're walking up wind it'll help against cuts.

Quickbeam

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2020, 09:57:05 PM »
Kicking the foil. If you practice in a canal, lake and you're walking up wind it'll help against cuts.

Thank you.
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heyheysup

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2020, 12:12:16 AM »
I'd be wearing wetsuit, booties, impact vest and helmet for sure!!!
And I plan to practice first with the  foil towed by a friend's boat, and separately wing with my mistral windsurf board.
Then, a friend have offered to lend me a 8.4 sup board with a foil mount to start with... Maybe is too big even for first times?

maiz

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2020, 12:20:10 AM »
Hey heyheysup - winging is significantly safer than kiting, the leaning curve is much quicker as well. Your strong SUP experience will come in quite handy. I’d highly recommend learning to wing on a SUP without foil first.  When the foil comes into the equation, the spills ramp up. If you don’t already have foil experience, bonus points if you can get behind a boat or jetski prior to adding in the wing. Getting acquainted with wing behaviors on land will also save you much time and reduce frustrations on the water, it’s time well spent for sure.

Expect dozens and dozens of falls before you get to fly with a pelican’s grace when the wing and foil are combined.  The foil has giant teeth and wants to bite you - thus the helmet and vest. You’ll learn to fall quickly, jumping far from the board and foil. There is risk of tearing the wing so do not fall on it and keep it clear of the foil. Lots going on. One helpful method I’ve learned about falling: Try to keep both hands on the wing and ride the wind down into the water. It’s a soft, slow-motion and most gentle way to go down.

I think the videos make learning appear more simple than reality because who wants to watch someone kook out and crawl back on their board over and over? You’ll see a few first timer wipe outs but I’d wager there are many more edited out of the clips. It’s quite tiring but every time you pull up on the board, you build up shoulder muscles. 

Hope that helps inform your journey!

Phils

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2020, 04:11:44 AM »
It’s is not dangerous as in prohibitive threat to life or limb but there will be lots of uncontrolled and awkward crashes during the foiling part no matter how careful you are or how early you jump off.  People rarely post videos of all their crashes.  So it really depends on how tenuous your shoulder is. 

Admin

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2020, 05:07:30 AM »
I consider it a very safe watersport.  On par with windsurfing, (normal) surf, SUP, wakeboarding.  Nothing to the level of kiting.  Occasional cuts, bruises and scrapes but I would be surprised to hear of many serious injuries.  Other people (as always) are going to be your biggest danger. 

Wear booties and a wetsuit when you are new.  Your knees and the tops of your toes are going to grated from learning to kneestart.  Avoid boards with those sandpaper feeling deck pads.  :)

surfcowboy

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2020, 07:10:33 AM »
The impact vest might not help your shoulders but it makes hard falls much nicer and is warm. I’ll probably be able to ditch my 4/3 this year and just wear a vest.

Short mast is nice too. But just not being on a wave takes 2-3’ off your fall. When you hear about rung bells imagine being thrown sideways off the top of a foil on top of a wave (6’?) at 15 mph. So flat water should cut that way down.

Don’t have to tell you, work on safely stretching those shoulders (all of us, I fight myself to do it.)

That is one nice thing about Clay’s videos, they show a ton of falls. He covers all the worst falls and how they happen. It’s helped me be far more careful just knowing how things happen. (No one ever explained how breaching made you taco for instance.) it’s just good to see a regular guy do it. I agree the pros talk about foils like it’s a one session learning curve and it probably is for them lol.

But I can see how, once you’re over the curve, this sport could be low risk compared to mountain biking for example.

liv2surf

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2020, 06:44:29 PM »
Wear a helmet, impact vest, and let go of the wing when you crash and you shouldn't have any issues. Find ya a foil with rounded tips and wear booties, you'll be all set. You can also start on a short mast to prevent the rodeo ride.

Why booties? You're the second person I've heard recommend to wear booties, but I am not sure why???

I wing foil in cold-ish water, so a full wetsuit is never grossly inappropriate. I wear a full wetsuit + booties and appreciate the protection from the foil wings.
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oakfish

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Re: Wing foiling... Dangerous or not?
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2020, 11:27:48 AM »
Surfcowboy: Any links to the Clay videos you mentioned? I'd like to check them out.

 


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