How Long Does It Take to Learn to Wing Foil?

Every rider learns at a different pace. If you pick it up quickly, we won’t hold you back, and if you need more time, we won’t push you. Here’s what a typical path looks like with our experienced wing foiling instructors.

Lesson 1: Setup, Wing Control and Taxiing Upwind

We spend about the first 45 minutes on the beach. You’ll learn to set up the gear, manage the wing, and position your body on the board, along with wind theory and points of sail. Then we head into deep water, where your instructor coaches you from the jet ski or boat while you learn to taxi the board upwind. You’ll cruise on your knees, move from kneeling to standing, and hold your balance while managing the wing. You may even feel the foil rise for the first time.

Most people drift downwind at first. When you get too far downwind, your instructor brings you back upwind to keep training. This is our Wing Discovery lesson.

Lesson 2: Learning the Foil Behind the Jet Ski

We highly recommend a tow foil session behind the jet ski on a no-wind day. Being towed lets you focus on balance and the feel of the hydrofoil without managing the wing at the same time. In St. Petersburg this is our Hydrofoil With Towline lesson. Once you’ve got the feel, we go back to the wing on a windy day.

Lesson 3: Speed, Staying Upwind and Riding the Foil

Now we work on upwind taxi riding and generating enough speed to get up on the hydrofoil. This can take a little time, so we keep working with you, bringing you back upwind each time you go downwind, until you can stay upwind with your gear and ride the foil more consistently.

Lessons 4 and 5: Controlling Speed and Learning to Jibe

With more time on the water you’ll control your speed once you’re up and riding, improve your balance and wing control, and learn to jibe. That’s our Wing Foiling Course Plus (5 lessons, 12.5 hours).

Who Can Learn?

Anyone who is at least 12 years old and able to swim. We match the wing, board, and foil to your size and the day’s wind, and every lesson includes two-way radio coaching and all the gear.