Wing foil: now you can fly over the waters of Playa de Muro.

by Marc Alvarez | Aug 19, 2021

From this year, 2021, in our school you will have Wing Foil lessons, a new type of water sport driven by the wind. A fascinating mix between surfing, paddle surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing, but easier to do. We explain it all in more detail in this article.

WING FOIL: A NEW WAY TO FLY OVER THE WATER

At Water Sports Mallorca, we are starting the season by adding a new water sport to our range of classes: Wing Foil – or Wing Surf. The latest trend in water sports, a surfing discipline that arouses much passion among riders. And what’s more, a sport suitable for everyone – for experts or for those who have never surfed in any other discipline – and for all ages.

Indeed, Wing Foil is a fairly simple type of surfing, but no less exciting for that. Wing surfing allows you to start surfing the first few metres in just 10 minutes, just after a short session on the beach or dry training. A light breeze of 8 or 10 knots of ‘l’embat’ – the wind that sweeps along our beach in Muro – is enough to see us propelled into the sea. That’s why the sensation of gliding over the water with total control is so fully experienced.

Moreover, you don’t have to worry about the type of wind, you can sail with both the cross onshore and cross offshore. The handling of the wing is not as complicated and does not involve as much air power as kitesurfing. Wing Foil is therefore a low-risk sport.v

The fluidity and thrust that the combination of the hydrofoil and the detached wing makes you feel that you can fly at high speed and with an impressive lightness.

The ease of learning, coupled with the advancement of wing and foil technology, makes Wing Surfing a cutting edge and affordable water sport. If you come to our Wing Foil course we guarantee that you will get hooked on this discipline and you won’t want to leave the water!

WHAT DOES WING FOIL ENTAIL?

As its name suggests, this surfing modality combines two widely known elements in the world of water sports:

The wing: which is nothing more than a lightweight inflatable wing that is simply held in place with the hands, without the need for a harness. Although the first wings appeared decades ago, today they have become incredibly sophisticated. Gone are the days of those clunky wings that were hooked to the board. Today we can enjoy an independent, light and easy to control wing. With it you can manoeuvre comfortably to achieve the necessary balance.

The foil: this is an aileron that we insert on kite-boards, surfboards or windsurf boards in the lower part of the stern. Also known as a hydrofoil, it allows you to take advantage of any gust of wind, however weak it may be. Its aerofoil shape and aerodynamic structure helps the board to glide above the water. In addition, as with the wing, due to its manageable size, it can be carried in a backpack.

And that’s it! To practice Wing Surf you just have to go to your spot or any reference beach, inflate the wing, place the foil, tie the leash and that’s it!

You can then easily stand up on the board and use the wing to harness the wind energy and propel your surfing. What makes this discipline innovative to any other wind-powered water sport is the manual or detached wing. Because, as mentioned above, the wing is not attached to the rider by a harness or the board: it is simply carried between the hands.

In short, this is a very fluid and enjoyable sport, which is easy to learn and does not require great physical effort.

OUR PRIVATE WING FOIL LESSONS

At our school in Playa de Muro, our instructors have specialised in Wing Foil in order to pass on their knowledge and teach you how to enjoy this sensational discipline.

Our private Wing Foil lessons will give you a safe and effective first contact with this sport. You will be able to perfect your technique to sail at higher speeds, surf waves and make good jumps.

In the first lesson, we will spend a few minutes practising on the sand how to handle the wing and comfortably carry the board and the wing at the same time. 10 to 15 minutes of dry training will be enough to learn how to control the wing and keep the balance on the board. In the first few metres of sailing, with winds of a few knots, tyou will test the precise manoeuvreso enter and exit the water.

Ideally, you should first use a conventional SUP or windsurf board with enough volume and buoyancy to make it easier to keep your balance. Subsequently, we will move on to using a foil board with more volume and a foil fitted in the lower part of the stern. This type of board allows us to float and stand up more comfortably, while holding the wing with our hands.

With our learning system, you will be able to master Wing Surfing in a short time and enjoy its full sailing potential. And as you progress in your learning, you will be able to surf in stronger winds and become an expert, our instructors will help you achieve the challenge you set yourself in this exciting and fun sport!

WING SURFING IS ALL TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Obviously, as with other sports, the more skilled you are at Wing Surfing, the more sophisticated and specific your equipment will be. There are different sizes of Wing, depending on the strength of the wind – from 2 to 6 metres – and foils for various ranges – up to 30/35 knots.

But don’t worry about the equipment! In our shop you can get all the equipment you need to practice Wing Surf. You’ll find latest generation professional equipment, with the maximum safety guarantees. You can rent the equipment as many times as you want.

Oh, and another interesting fact, which goes beyond the practice of wing foil! For SUP lovers, the wing foil is also a surprising discovery. With the wing, you will be able to sail faster and more fluidly than paddling. You can even use both accessories – wing and paddle – to take to the water and enjoy an amazing sailing session.

That’s how flexible and surprising this new surfing modality is! You could say that Wing Foil is the kind of water sport that anyone can try on a light windy day at the beach. And that’s its greatest advantage: versatility and adaptability to all kinds of people and all kinds of winds.

We hope to see you at our water sports school and that you give it a try and discover a new and exciting way to enjoy the sea and the breeze in Playa de Muro! Believe us, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll even want to repeat the experience again and again!