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What is Wing Surfing?

A new craze

What is wing surfing and where the hell has it all come from? Also known as wing foiling and kite winging, here’s our guide to this exciting ‘new’ sport..

Essentially, wing surfing is when you ride a hydrofoil board, or a standard SUP, while using a handheld inflatable kite wing (sail) to propel you.

With a standard standup paddleboard (SUP) you can sail around when the wind conditions would make paddling less fun. You can also get some reasonable speeds and even travel upwind. As little as 5-10 knots of wind will allow you to travel faster than you have ever paddled.

With a hydrofoil board you can carve around and blast upwind. And with the addition of some footstraps, it’s also possible to jump. The hydrofoil means that you can pick up waves before they break so you can ride mushy wind swell and still have loads of fun. The kite wing is super stable, and doesn’t pull at all when held one-handed, so when you do get on some swell you have that totally free and ‘surfy’ feeling.

The benefit is being able to carve in both directions, which is always a compromise when windsurfing or kitesurfing on waves.

Where has wing surfing come from?

Handheld kite wings aren’t actually that new. They were originally developed in the mid 1980’s to use with a windsurf board to give a ‘freer’ feeling. You can read more on the history of handheld wings on AWR.

Since then they have been used on beaches with two-wheeled boards, but until the last couple of years have mainly been used with ice skates or skis to travel across frozen lakes.

With the explosion of hydrofoil use in the watersports industry over the last few years, more people are using them on the water again. Last year, most of the kitesurfing brands rushed to bring inflatable kite wings to market with a variety of designs.

Modern kite wings

These days kite wings are inflatable and very similar to a kitesurfing kite in construction. The most popular sizes are typically 4 or 5m², depending on where they are being used, which makes them lightweight and very easy to handle.

They are attached to you by a wrist leash which is perfect for those moments when you need a short rest while out on the water. You can simply sit down on the board, let go of the kite wing and there is no pull at all. It will simply float on the water until you want to use it again. When you do want to get going again you just pick up the kite wing (no hauling a sail out of the water), angle it into the wind and stand up when you feel ready. Easy!

Swing kite wing inside
Swing kite wing top

Why is wing surfing exploding now?

A very good question and a straightforward one to answer. The simplicity of the kit is a major factor, there is no rigging involved like windsurfing or kitesurfing and there is a lot less kit to drag to the beach or on holiday! It’s really easy to setup and use on a crowded beach. You can prone paddle out past swimmers and then start wing surfing in the clearer water.

We have seen surfers trying wing surfing as a crossover sport for those windy days with crappy surf, with a hydrofoil and a wing you can just go out and have fun.

For kitesurfers (ourselves included) we love the different wind ranges that we can now get out in. Both lighter winds and offshore winds that would be too dangerous for kitesurfing are suddenly possible options with a kite wing. There are also a multitude of new launch areas I can use, tree lined lakes, crowded beaches etc.

Wind surfers and kite surfers are definitely seeing the benefits in the kite wing when riding swell or wave. The free riding of surfing is so much more natural and it’s all about the board and the wave with no pull from the kite wing.

Many paddleboarders are buying kite wings for the windy days when paddling is a real chore! Using the kite wing can definitely make those days much more fun and the speeds you can get out the SUP are far faster than paddling, which opens up a greater range and new exploration possibilities.

The evolution of wing surfing

In just the last 18 months we’ve seen huge changes in the kit. Some manufacturers are radically changing their kite wing and foil board designs for this year’s releases and we don’t expect this to stop over the next few years. As different designs are proven and the direction that the sport moves in changes, we are expecting lots of innovative developments and technologies to appear.

We see people using kite wings for long downwinders, using straps on the board to enable boosting off waves and pulling tricks while others are using higher aspect foils to get more glide, or even to race.

It’s an exciting time to get into a sport that is rapidly changing and likely to grow exponentially. Definitely a chance to be one of the first wing surfers!

If you fancy giving wing surfing a try then why not book a Taster  lesson with The Foiling Collective. We can help set you up with everything you need and provide wing surf lessons for beginners upwards.

Wing surf setup on the beach
Slingwing v2 kite wing

Enter RYA Show competition

Konrad wingman V4

1st prize!

KONRAD Wingman V4 - 5 metre wing

manera winter poncho steel

2nd prize

MANERA Poncho

manera car seat cover

3rd prize

MANERA Car Seat Cover

manera tee

4th prize

MANERA Tee

manera cap

5th prize

MANERA Cap

Step 1. Sign up to our newsletter

Step 2. Follow us on social

Competition Terms

  1. This competition is for attendees of the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show only.
  2. Closing date is Wednesday 1st March 2023 at 11.59pm and winners will be picked, at random, the following day starting with the first prize through to the fifth.
  3. Providing all criteria is fulfilled, the winners will be notified by email who must respond within 14 days in order to claim the prize.
  4. Delivery to UK addresses only.
  5. All entrants must be aged 18 and over.
  6. No cash alternatives given.
  7. Winners names and social identity may be used for publicity purposes on TFC social channels and marketing material.
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 ONEWHEEL PintONEWHEEL Pint XONEWHEEL GT
Top Speed:26kmh / 16mph29kmh / 18mph32kph / 20mph
Range:6-8 miles12-18 miles20-32 miles
Charge Time:80-120 minutes110-225 minutes200 minutes (90 min with GT Hypercharger)
Battery:NMC Lithium-ionNMC Lithium-ionNMC Lithium-ion
Weight:10.5kg12.2kg15.8kg
App:Provides live speed, battery life, mileage, ride style, community features and diagnostics
Brakes:Regenerative BrakingRegenerative BrakingRegenerative Braking
Motor:750W Hypercore Hub Motor750W Hypercore Hub Motor750W Hypercore Hub Brushless Motor
Tyre:10.5in x 6.5-6in Vega10.5in x 4.5-6in Onewheel11.5in x 6.5-6.5in Onewheel
Remote Control:No Remote – Lean and goNo Remote – Lean and goNo Remote – Lean and go
Lighting:LED strip for battery status and in-ride alertsLED strip for battery status and in-ride alertsIntelligent LED Lights – White Front and Red Rear
Sensors:Solid state MEMS 6-DOFSolid state MEMS 6-DOFSolid State MEMS 6-DOF
Size:

8.75 x 10.5 x 27 inches
(222 x 266 x 689 mm)

8.75 x 10.5 x 27 inches
(222 x 266 x 689 mm)
9.5 x 11.5 x 29 inches
(241 x 292 x 737 mm)

Winter Lesson Request

Please send us your lesson request and we’ll reply to you as soon as possible.

Hover Wing Foil Board Size

Below is a rough guide to help determine Hover Wing Foil board size based on rider weight and skill level. A “beginner” rider is considered as someone with no previous board sport experience.

Keep in mind that additional factors, such as wind conditions, foil, and kite wing size will play an important role in the selection of the right board size.

As a rule of thumb, we recommend erring on the side of a more buoyant board with a volume that matches rider weight (for example, an 80kg rider will need at least an 80L board or larger). Riding a “sinker” will work in locations with steady, strong winds, while floatier boards prove to be a safer choice as they allow the rider to get back to shore even if the wind drops under a foilable limit.

40 L:
Not recommended for beginners or intermediate
Up to 70 kg for advanced/highly skilled riders

50 L:
Not recommended for beginners or intermediate riders
Up 75 kg for advanced/highly skilled riders

60 L:
Not recommended for beginners
Intermediate riders up to 45 kg
Advanced and highly skilled riders up to 85 kg

75 L:
Not recommended for beginners
Intermediate riders up to 55 kg
Advanced riders up to 90 kg

85 L:
For beginners up to 50 kg
Intermediate riders up to 70 kg
Advanced riders up to 100 kg

95 L:
For beginners up to 60 kg
Intermediate riders up to 80 kg
Advanced riders up to 105 kg

110 L:
For beginners up to 80 kg
Intermediate riders up to 95 kg
Advanced riders up to 115 kg

125 L:
For beginners up to 95 kg
Intermediate riders up to 105 kg
Advanced riders up to 130 kg

140 L:
For beginners up to 115 kg
Intermediate riders up to 125 kg
Advanced riders up to 160 kg