Hi, I've never used any wind driven gear or tried foiling/windsurfing. I do however have a good number of surfing years behind me. I don't have too much spare time but was wondering out of windsurfing and wing foiling..which is easier to get to grips with? Ta
Wing foiling. It's pretty easy if you have 15+MPH wind to learn in. Under that, well it's like trying to surf when it's flat. You can't really do it.
you must have a bit of spare time to be able to have 1089 forum posts!
Traditional windsurfing on a longboard or Sup with a sail is relatively easy and a good way to have fun in light winds or in small surf. Wingfoiling is the evolution of windsurfing. The learning curve is quick once you master flight. The gear is much easier to rig. Blow it up and go. The wind range on a wing versus a sail is much better. A 5m wing will cover you in 10-25knots with the right foil and board combo. Windsurfing sails are more durable than wings. I have sails that are 20 years old and still work fine. My one year old Smik wing is a patchwork quilt with multiple stab wounds from foil related impacts. All wind sports are great in my view. If you have time to do one then go have fun.
Thanks folks..it does seem most reckon wing foiling is more accessible, less gear etc but I keep hearing wings are not the toughest. Must admit I like being connected to the water and getting speed on a windsurfer must be ace fun.
But a foil is IN the water. You are more connected, feeling underlying energy that's not there on the surface. It's the evolution of surfing. :) Either way you're going to have fun. Go for it!
There's no doubt in my mind that windsurfing is definitely easier to "get to grips with".
But there's windsurfing and there's windsurfing.. Light winds.. Flat water.. and a big flat water board will get you up and going windsurfing in no time..
But windsurfing in strong winds.. and using a harness and footstraps in planing conditions will just as hard if not harder than wing-foiling..
I'd recommend giving wingfoiling a go.. Just don't expect to master it quickly..
Wingfoiling=
Steeper initial learning curve but you get to the good stuff way faster. Makes even mild swell feel massive.
Windsurfing=
extremely long progression unless you live in a spot with ideal conditions. Nothing feels better when it's actually pumping.
yes, can teach you to windsurf in about 2 hours and you will be able to get backwards and forwards,,... but progressing beyond that will take a long long time>
one summer on a wing and you can be as good as the rest of them- well nearly
Having a surfer background is a real asset to make the most out of wingfoiling : you don't need the support from the rig to find your balance. You'll really enjoy all the de-powered practices such as free-flying.
Windsurfing requires to handle high levels of power and a constant opposition of your bodyweight to the pull of the rig.
Very different experiences.
Select to expand quotePierre74 said..
Having a surfer background is a real asset to make the most out of wingfoiling : you don't need the support from the rig to find your balance. You'll really enjoy all the de-powered practices such as free-flying.
Windsurfing requires to handle high levels of power and a constant opposition of your bodyweight to the pull of the rig.
Very different experiences.
Good point.thanks.
A few of thoughts.
surfing to wingfoil not that massive a leap, you are stood up right on wing and the surf balance helps, need to be over the foil. Wind/kite you are pushing on a fin/rail which is against the grain for winging(most of time) wing you get to ride bumps like surfing un broken waves. Windsurfing is faster more connected to water.
wings are very flimsy, don't last long at all, couple of hard seasons sees them bagged out. like all wind sports, you need a range of kit to make most of it, 2 wings, 2 foils usually a minimum.
I do or did both, down the line windsurfing in good size wave is hard to beat on a windsurfer. However wingfoiling is a lot more like surfing and you don't need to have that good fast down the line waves to have your fixed, any swell...any bumps....any muchy waves become a clean wave and you park your wing behind and it's surfing.For the learning curve, windsurfing is way way way more difficult vs wingfoiling. Wingfoiler usually start to jibe in the first season if not the next one for sure. In windsurfing some after 3-4 seaons can barely jibe.
Hi Slab,
I think ou mean Winging vs Windsurfing. Foiling can be added on to practically any water borne craft, be it wake, surf, wind, wing, kite whatever.
The two sports are very different and wind surfing is much easier to learn and progress on. A Windsurfer LT can see you up and sailing along within the first hour. Wing foiling is much harder to get to the part where you are having fun ie flying controllably on the foil.
Windsurfing is a much longer, more gradual progression where you steadily improve, but have fun from day one. Mastering certain aspects of windsurfing can be challenging ie carve gybing. Having said that, as you progress in windsurfing, nothing quite gives the sensation of speed like a sailboard.
Wing Foiling has a much steeper learning curve and I know some people who have struggled for months just to get on foil. Albeit potentially because they were on the wrong gear or didn't have time to devote to learning in the right conditions. Learning winging on flat water is easy ish but the learning curve is steep and then tapers off. I find flat water wing foiling is more a relaxing than exciting sport and easy to get bored. Easy enough to change it up and start riding waves which is the same with windsurfing too.
Both are great sports, both fun but offer very different experiences. For exciting or thrilling sports, sailboarding and kiteboarding for the win. For fun and relaxing, wing foiling.
Just my 2c worth.
DM 
Select to expand quoteActionSportsWA said..
Hi Slab,
I think ou mean Winging vs Windsurfing. Foiling can be added on to practically any water borne craft, be it wake, surf, wind, wing, kite whatever.
The two sports are very different and wind surfing is much easier to learn and progress on. A Windsurfer LT can see you up and sailing along within the first hour. Wing foiling is much harder to get to the part where you are having fun ie flying controllably on the foil.
Windsurfing is a much longer, more gradual progression where you steadily improve, but have fun from day one. Mastering certain aspects of windsurfing can be challenging ie carve gybing. Having said that, as you progress in windsurfing, nothing quite gives the sensation of speed like a sailboard.
Wing Foiling has a much steeper learning curve and I know some people who have struggled for months just to get on foil. Albeit potentially because they were on the wrong gear or didn't have time to devote to learning in the right conditions. Learning winging on flat water is easy ish but the learning curve is steep and then tapers off. I find flat water wing foiling is more a relaxing than exciting sport and easy to get bored. Easy enough to change it up and start riding waves which is the same with windsurfing too.
Both are great sports, both fun but offer very different experiences. For exciting or thrilling sports, sailboarding and kiteboarding for the win. For fun and relaxing, wing foiling.
Just my 2c worth.
DM
Haha interesting take. All can be as exciting as you want them to be. Mowing the lawn is mowing the lawn no matter what you are riding. Wingers get way more water time offshore wind no problem, onshore no problem, sideshore epic. Dropping into a head high wave on a wing feels amazing and it does not need to break. I have wind surfed, kite surfed and winged over 40 years and winging gives you best bag for buck. But be prepared to shred a few wings.
I'm going to go the winging on a foil route. I like the idea of being able to surf just trailing the wing behind.and I will probs end up sup foiling it too..
