Sorry if this topic has been done to death but here is a summary of what's great about Wingfoiling when coming from another water sport:
Winging is a relatively new sport that combines elements from windsurfing, kitesurfing, and surfing. While some will label it as the latest trend, wingfoiling stands out by incorporating aspects from these established water sports while offering distinct advantages.
Wingfoiling's appeal lies in its simplicity. Unlike windsurfing, there's no need for a heavy rig, and controlling the lightweight inflatable wing is intuitive, making it accessible to newcomers. Additionally, the compact and easily transportable nature of the equipment sets it apart from the bulkier windsurfing gear.
One notable advantage of wingfoiling is its freedom from kite-related complexities. Unlike kitesurfing, there are no lines to manage, reducing the risk of entanglements and accidents. Moreover, the absence of a large kite overhead simplifies launches and landings, enhancing safety.
From a wave surfing perspective, wingfoiling offers an array of conditions to explore, including the excitement of riding waves without the crowded lineup (and grumpy locals). If there's no ground swell at your local, wind swells can be ridden similar to a proper wave. By connecting wind swells the foiler can sustain long rides with the wing completely depowered. The ability to depower the wing allows the wingfoiler to turn frontside and backside similar to a surfer.
In my opinion, wingfoiling is not just a fleeting trend but a unique water sport that draws from its predecessors while offering its own set of advantages. Similar to the other sports mentioned, wingfoiling provides another fun way to connect with the water's energy.
I duno I'm a pretty good winger and I got into MTB a year ago and I don't really wing anymore.and I live in a pretty great winging place and a pretty garbage MTB place.
MTB is just RELIABLE. I never get skunked. I go and rip and do my jumps and go home. Wing and prone are always a maybe. Maybe wind, maybe waves, maybe tide, maybe gear.
disposable wings are the worst part of the sport. My MTB cost $1500 and it just lasts forever and the whole sport is figured out and I'm on my 3rd wing quiver and they're all pieces of ****.
I mean winging is better than surfing for sure(god surfing is the worst!) but mountain biking is awesome.
Also, this is # 1, I can MTB with my kid(7 years old). She can rip the bike park while I jump around and it's great. It'll be YEARS before she's surfing, winging, prone.
finally, the beach SUCKS. All the a holes and rich people who live there with all their money and rules and parking sucks and people suck and you travel and you don't know where to go or how the tides work there and people are extra territorial (ducking surfers). God I travel with the bike and all the trails are on an app and the people are so nice and it's all in the middle of nowhere so nobody cares.
Select to expand quoteTooMuchEpoxy said..
I duno I'm a pretty good winger and I got into MTB a year ago and I don't really wing anymore.and I live in a pretty great winging place and a pretty garbage MTB place.
MTB is just RELIABLE. I never get skunked. I go and rip and do my jumps and go home. Wing and prone are always a maybe. Maybe wind, maybe waves, maybe tide, maybe gear.
disposable wings are the worst part of the sport. My MTB cost $1500 and it just lasts forever and the whole sport is figured out and I'm on my 3rd wing quiver and they're all pieces of ****.
I mean winging is better than surfing for sure(god surfing is the worst!) but mountain biking is awesome.
Also, this is # 1, I can MTB with my kid(7 years old). She can rip the bike park while I jump around and it's great. It'll be YEARS before she's surfing, winging, prone.
finally, the beach SUCKS. All the a holes and rich people who live there with all their money and rules and parking sucks and people suck and you travel and you don't know where to go or how the tides work there and people are extra territorial (ducking surfers). God I travel with the bike and all the trails are on an app and the people are so nice and it's all in the middle of nowhere so nobody cares.
But when you come off, you fall in the water, not hit the ground.
Select to expand quoteTooMuchEpoxy said..
I duno I'm a pretty good winger and I got into MTB a year ago and I don't really wing anymore.and I live in a pretty great winging place and a pretty garbage MTB place.
MTB is just RELIABLE. I never get skunked. I go and rip and do my jumps and go home. Wing and prone are always a maybe. Maybe wind, maybe waves, maybe tide, maybe gear.
disposable wings are the worst part of the sport. My MTB cost $1500 and it just lasts forever and the whole sport is figured out and I'm on my 3rd wing quiver and they're all pieces of ****.
I mean winging is better than surfing for sure(god surfing is the worst!) but mountain biking is awesome.
Also, this is # 1, I can MTB with my kid(7 years old). She can rip the bike park while I jump around and it's great. It'll be YEARS before she's surfing, winging, prone.
finally, the beach SUCKS. All the a holes and rich people who live there with all their money and rules and parking sucks and people suck and you travel and you don't know where to go or how the tides work there and people are extra territorial (ducking surfers). God I travel with the bike and all the trails are on an app and the people are so nice and it's all in the middle of nowhere so nobody cares.
I use to MTB, came off doing nothing special and thought I'd broke my collar bone. Battered and bruised cost me 2 weeks after off the water. Don't MTB any more.
Over the years I have steadily reduced all my activities that require travel. I am guessing there's 5-10:1 ratio between the time and effort of driving (and occasionally flying) around to do stuff. Surfing, skiing, paragliding and MTB have all been dropped off for essentially the same reason, too much time and effort and money spent on getting to the right (or wrong) place and finding conditions that were crap/fantastic/crowded/whatever.
Windsurfing was ok, especially when I lived across the road from the beach for several years. Kiteboarding was very good and the little bit of travel I did was not too bad. Kite foiling is off the scale fantastic in terms of constant sessions with minimal effort, all of them more or less on my doorstep.
Wing foiling fills some of the gaps from kite foiling. Crowded beaches, squalls and sub-optimal wind directions are no longer an issue.
The one thing wing foiling does give is a much closer relationship with waves. Tiny little bay rollers are endless fun. Big bay wind swell is awesome, and all of it at my usual local bay site.
I did a heap of MTB from the 90's through post 2010's, mostly as an adjunct to paragliding. I never hurt myself but I always found the concept of "nude motocross" to be fundamentally flawed.
There's also the issue of water sports vs everything else. I hate getting all sweaty and grimy and all the potential risks of doing those things. I can happily take getting bashed around in the sea and always be cool and clean and comfortable. Excellent wetsuits have extended the season so I can be warm and toasty through the Melbourne winter.
That's another plus for wingdings. Just stopping and sitting on your board and relaxing or chatting to crew makes for a refreshing mid-session break. That's not something that happens with kite sports. With surfing it's a necessary evil to sit in the lineup, but you're also sizing up the competition for the next wave. That sucks, especially when the local hero from the mal club takes all the waves.
I got into WF from diverse water sports and am really enjoying the winging, when the wind is around without the scary lightning, but one of the things I miss from surfing, sup surfing and windsurfing is the board's direct contact with the water, that 'tapping' feeling of the board, for me WF feels like surfing in the air (and I really enjoy it for what it is), and I agree with another poster I wish the wings were waaaaaay cheaper and there were less posers at the beach too
>finally, the beach SUCKS. All the a holes and rich people who live there with all their money and rules and parking sucks and people suck and you travel and you don't know where to go or how the tides work there and people are extra territorial (ducking surfers).
Wow :-) I agree. Them tides! They don't know whether they come or go, effing wan$ers! :-)
I am a big fan of snowboarding. The holy grail of snowboarding is riding in fresh powder. Such a treat! But it is rare (at least in Europe). You have to go out after a heavy snowfall and get out very early before the slopes get skied-out (no complaints again, the tranquility of it, the colours of the sky and the rising sun on the slopes (and no tides!)... But what gets me though is AVALANCHES - you just never know when they decide to feck things up for everyone. Ridiculous! :-)
With wingfoiling you get that fresh powder feeling immediately and it is never ending and "the piste" never gets skied-out. As for the views... Ok, the Alps are beautiful but cruising on lakes and around islands is quite something.Wingfoiling makes it all very accessible.
As for cost... Anything that floats is expensive. Compared to running cost of owning a decent boat, wingfoiling is really in the "cheap thrills" category. Plus all the health benefits. I know a guy who took up wingfoiling in his late 70s after he gave up most sports due to his bad knee.
Select to expand quoteKen767 said..
Sorry if this topic has been done to death but here is a summary of what's great about Wingfoiling when coming from another water sport:
Winging is a relatively new sport that combines elements from windsurfing, kitesurfing, and surfing. While some will label it as the latest trend, wingfoiling stands out by incorporating aspects from these established water sports while offering distinct advantages.
Wingfoiling's appeal lies in its simplicity. Unlike windsurfing, there's no need for a heavy rig, and controlling the lightweight inflatable wing is intuitive, making it accessible to newcomers. Additionally, the compact and easily transportable nature of the equipment sets it apart from the bulkier windsurfing gear.
One notable advantage of wingfoiling is its freedom from kite-related complexities. Unlike kitesurfing, there are no lines to manage, reducing the risk of entanglements and accidents. Moreover, the absence of a large kite overhead simplifies launches and landings, enhancing safety.
From a wave surfing perspective, wingfoiling offers an array of conditions to explore, including the excitement of riding waves without the crowded lineup (and grumpy locals). If there's no ground swell at your local, wind swells can be ridden similar to a proper wave. By connecting wind swells the foiler can sustain long rides with the wing completely depowered. The ability to depower the wing allows the wingfoiler to turn frontside and backside similar to a surfer.
In my opinion, wingfoiling is not just a fleeting trend but a unique water sport that draws from its predecessors while offering its own set of advantages. Similar to the other sports mentioned, wingfoiling provides another fun way to connect with the water's energy.
Nice summary. Part of the attraction is the magic of flying above the water on a foil, and for many (but not all), winging makes this easier than the other water sports.Select to expand quoteJohnnyDepp said..
Plus all the health benefits. I know a guy who took up wingfoiling in his late 70s after he gave up most sports due to his bad knee.
Funny thing about the knees. I am currently in my second regression in winging. The first one was when I switched to a smaller board, the second is from switching to a higher aspect foil. I had a pretty good dry (but not foiled through) jibe rate on my first big board, and that went to 99% wet when going smaller. Just when I was having a bit success on the smaller board, switching foils set me back to more than 95% wet again. All those starts after crashes seems to have affected my knees, which are now both hurting (in quite different ways). But when dealing with chop on a windsurfer, there would be 2 or 3 joints that complained quite frequently and at least as loud. At least with winging, there is hope that once I get the jibe dialed in properly, starts will become rare, and the associated pain will go away. And as slow and frustrating as learning to foil through a jibe maybe for me right now, progress is still at least 10 times faster than learning to plane through a windsurf jibes (and perhaps 50 or 100 times faster).
Select to expand quoteboardsurfr said..Ken767 said..
Sorry if this topic has been done to death but here is a summary of what's great about Wingfoiling when coming from another water sport:
Winging is a relatively new sport that combines elements from windsurfing, kitesurfing, and surfing. While some will label it as the latest trend, wingfoiling stands out by incorporating aspects from these established water sports while offering distinct advantages.
Wingfoiling's appeal lies in its simplicity. Unlike windsurfing, there's no need for a heavy rig, and controlling the lightweight inflatable wing is intuitive, making it accessible to newcomers. Additionally, the compact and easily transportable nature of the equipment sets it apart from the bulkier windsurfing gear.
One notable advantage of wingfoiling is its freedom from kite-related complexities. Unlike kitesurfing, there are no lines to manage, reducing the risk of entanglements and accidents. Moreover, the absence of a large kite overhead simplifies launches and landings, enhancing safety.
From a wave surfing perspective, wingfoiling offers an array of conditions to explore, including the excitement of riding waves without the crowded lineup (and grumpy locals). If there's no ground swell at your local, wind swells can be ridden similar to a proper wave. By connecting wind swells the foiler can sustain long rides with the wing completely depowered. The ability to depower the wing allows the wingfoiler to turn frontside and backside similar to a surfer.
In my opinion, wingfoiling is not just a fleeting trend but a unique water sport that draws from its predecessors while offering its own set of advantages. Similar to the other sports mentioned, wingfoiling provides another fun way to connect with the water's energy.
Nice summary. Part of the attraction is the magic of flying above the water on a foil, and for many (but not all), winging makes this easier than the other water sports.JohnnyDepp said..
Plus all the health benefits. I know a guy who took up wingfoiling in his late 70s after he gave up most sports due to his bad knee.
Funny thing about the knees. I am currently in my second regression in winging. The first one was when I switched to a smaller board, the second is from switching to a higher aspect foil. I had a pretty good dry (but not foiled through) jibe rate on my first big board, and that went to 99% wet when going smaller. Just when I was having a bit success on the smaller board, switching foils set me back to more than 95% wet again. All those starts after crashes seems to have affected my knees, which are now both hurting (in quite different ways). But when dealing with chop on a windsurfer, there would be 2 or 3 joints that complained quite frequently and at least as loud. At least with winging, there is hope that once I get the jibe dialed in properly, starts will become rare, and the associated pain will go away. And as slow and frustrating as learning to foil through a jibe maybe for me right now, progress is still at least 10 times faster than learning to plane through a windsurf jibes (and perhaps 50 or 100 times faster).
Look up patella femoral pain, could be this, I started getting it in my dominant lead leg knee (natural stance). I used the mcconnell strapping technique to really diagnose that that's what it was as the strapping really helped. Anyway I have taught myself to really concentrate on using my glutes when doing my pop ups and its helped massively to petty much eliminate the pain.
Thanks for the suggestion. It might be this in my right knee, although arthritis is also possible and perhaps more likely.
In the left knee that's bothering me more, the description for patella femoral pain differs a lot from what I feel. The location is different (further down, on the tibia, and on the side), and the pain is very sudden and sharp, not the "dull, aching pain" described for PFP.
Things got worse when staying in a house where I had to climb three flights of stairs many times a day, and foiling was hampered by weeds which lead to short runs that usually ended in crashes and/or pumping to get going again. I'm hoping it's some kind of tendonitis or bursitis that will get better without stairs and fewer and easier wing sessions. The colder weather now makes staying off the water easier.
I'm in my 40s and recently picked up inline skating on the ramp/bowl/skate park in general. It's the weirdest thing to put it in words, but learning to drop in on inline skates, pump on the ramp/vert was a profound experience that affected every other sport. The amount of full body control/awareness, weight distribution/balance, momentum carry-overs and other nuances required to do basic ramp/vert on inline skates is not comparable with any other sport I've done. Once I got the basics of ramp/vert stuff, I've noticed a significant improvement in every other sport, be it foiling, mtb or road biking cornering.
None of you will probably listen/take it seriously but I wish I knew this 30 years ago...
Could not corner like this before (around 7m mark):
Interesting quote this week from FB wingfoiling page:
"Wingfoiling is what we wanted windsurfing to be." A lot to be said for this. I windsurfed for 40 years before discovering wingfoiling.
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
Over the years I have steadily reduced all my activities that require travel.
Ah ah, same here...
Last year I filled my gas tank only ... 3 times.
Select to expand quotemarc5 said..
Interesting quote this week from FB wingfoiling page:
"Wingfoiling is what we wanted windsurfing to be." A lot to be said for this. I windsurfed for 40 years before discovering wingfoiling.
I wingfoil in flat light winds and wavesail in side/sideon conditions. I prefer wingfoiling in 12 knots much more than windsurfing with a heavy 7,5 m sail. I hate sail uphauling
However, the marketing side of wingfoiling forgets some points:
. The depth of the foil mast is a nightmare in shallow low tide spots
. I spend the same time assembling the foil and rigging a wave sail
. The weight of a wingfoil board+foil is almost the one of waveboard+sail
. I don't need leashes, helmet or jacket in windsurfing
. I can windsurf from the seashore without walking until there is enough depth for the foil
. Getting through wave sets is much easier and safer with windsurfing
I live in a place with light winds and good waves. Not many strong wind days, but I enjoy a lot float&ride windsurfing days with turny big multifin boards.
For me wingfoiling is better in light wind small soft waves or flat conditions (often), and windsurfing in stronger wind and/or mid or big waves.
Select to expand quoteSilverFoilSurfer said..
I'm in my 40s and recently picked up inline skating on the ramp/bowl/skate park in general. It's the weirdest thing to put it in words, but learning to drop in on inline skates, pump on the ramp/vert was a profound experience that affected every other sport. The amount of full body control/awareness, weight distribution/balance, momentum carry-overs and other nuances required to do basic ramp/vert on inline skates is not comparable with any other sport I've done. Once I got the basics of ramp/vert stuff, I've noticed a significant improvement in every other sport, be it foiling, mtb or road biking cornering.
None of you will probably listen/take it seriously but I wish I knew this 30 years ago...
Could not corner like this before (around 7m mark):
?si=U1BGMYbL1lop6vg0&t=423
Nice video. thought I was watching a TDF decent ;)
Select to expand quoteSideshore said..marc5 said..
Interesting quote this week from FB wingfoiling page:
"Wingfoiling is what we wanted windsurfing to be." A lot to be said for this. I windsurfed for 40 years before discovering wingfoiling.
I wingfoil in flat light winds and wavesail in side/sideon conditions. I prefer wingfoiling in 12 knots much more than windsurfing with a heavy 7,5 m sail. I hate sail uphauling
However, the marketing side of wingfoiling forgets some points:
. The depth of the foil mast is a nightmare in shallow low tide spots
. I spend the same time assembling the foil and rigging a wave sail
. The weight of a wingfoil board+foil is almost the one of waveboard+sail
. I don't need leashes, helmet or jacket in windsurfing
. I can windsurf from the seashore without walking until there is enough depth for the foil
. Getting through wave sets is much easier and safer with windsurfing
I live in a place with light winds and good waves. Not many strong wind days, but I enjoy a lot float&ride windsurfing days with turny big multifin boards.
For me wingfoiling is better in light wind small soft waves or flat conditions (often), and windsurfing in stronger wind and/or mid or big waves.
I love riding big waves on the ding, you can catch the swell so far out and carve turns nonstop. Wing ding gear stays assembled in the car so really fast setup and pack down unlike the pole surfers I watch.
Agree with the original post.Wingding gets you away from the packed 'premier' spots which is nice too.
No wind options include sup foil, mtb and motorcycle. I live in a magic spot for wind and wave sports so the bike stuff has dropped off. Winery if rainy and onshore 
Select to expand quotemarc5 said..
Interesting quote this week from FB wingfoiling page:
"Wingfoiling is what we wanted windsurfing to be." A lot to be said for this. I windsurfed for 40 years before discovering wingfoiling.
Living in Melbourne this is definitely the case for me too. 30 years of watching epic windsurfing in Maui, WA and the Canaries then schlepping it out in the bay where you are lucky to get an Ok session a week and only a handful of good sessions a year. Or face the 3-6 hour return trip to the coast for a 50/50 chance of a good wave sail once a month.
Winged 8 out of the last 10 days 15 minutes from home, all great fun and the season has barely started!
Similar experience, 15 minutes to multiple spots now. Used to slappy board (windsurf) about 30 sessions max in a year, and having to drive/chase enough wind. I'm now at 75 wingfoiling sessions for the year with another month to go! I have to work too, so not quite getting the wingfoil sessions some of my other wingmen here are getting, 1 guy at 145 sessions for the year. It's a beautiful glidey, swervy, surfy, flying sport! Light wind, high wind, big waves, no waves bring it on. Magic
Yeah it's great fun and seems to have come along at just the right time. Gobs of late to middle aged men bored with kites and windsurfing and no shortage of cash. Reasonably cheap anyway, at least compared to my brothers catamaran
I do find myself getting a little bored sometimes carving endless turns going downwind, only to rip back upwind and repeat. At least I don't have to drive back upwind. Poor me...
What do you suppose is next?
Select to expand quoteSilverFoilSurfer said..
I'm in my 40s and recently picked up inline skating on the ramp/bowl/skate park in general. It's the weirdest thing to put it in words, but learning to drop in on inline skates, pump on the ramp/vert was a profound experience that affected every other sport. The amount of full body control/awareness, weight distribution/balance, momentum carry-overs and other nuances required to do basic ramp/vert on inline skates is not comparable with any other sport I've done. Once I got the basics of ramp/vert stuff, I've noticed a significant improvement in every other sport, be it foiling, mtb or road biking cornering.
None of you will probably listen/take it seriously but I wish I knew this 30 years ago...
Could not corner like this before (around 7m mark):
?si=U1BGMYbL1lop6vg0&t=423
I am with you on the skating transitions/ramps/park, except I skate, not RB. I built a 5' x 15' "mini"ramp in my backyard. Best thing I have done in years, especially since I have 3 kids who play on it constantly. Skating to me is like MTB to others. Its reliable and I can do it almost everyday. The feels I get from pumping transitions directly correlates to pumping foils. I am 48 and just got back into skating after 25 year break. On days when the wind is **** for winging, I find myself packing up early and racing home to skate my ramp. I have been foiling for 10 years, kite, sup then wing and now DW. Foiling has so many different applications, one can do it everyday if motivated. I used to call it winging. Now I call it foiling. I am past the honeymoon period of winging as I have been at it since 2018. I live in the mountains/desert and foil all winter. It compliments skiing nicely. When a storm approaches I foil the frontal wind and then ski pow and then foil the clearing wind. I am currently frothing on the adventure aspect of DW foiling. This is something that I don't really get from winging. We are all funhogs. It's interesting to hear everyone's stories. I really appreciate how safe and low impact foiling is on my aging body. Send it!!!!
Select to expand quotebroVan said..SilverFoilSurfer said..
I'm in my 40s and recently picked up inline skating on the ramp/bowl/skate park in general. It's the weirdest thing to put ...
I am with you on the skating transitions/ramps/park, except I skate, not RB. I built a 5' x 15' "mini"ramp in my backyard. Best thing I have done in years, especially since I have 3 kids who play on it constantly. Skating to me is like MTB to others. Its reliable and I can do it almost everyday. The feels I get from pumping transitions directly correlates to pumping foils. I am 48 and just got back into skating after 25 year break. On days when the wind is **** for winging, I find myself packing up early and racing home to skate my ramp. I have been foiling for 10 years, kite, sup then wing and now DW. Foiling has so many different applications, one can do it everyday if motivated. I used to call it winging. Now I call it foiling. I am past the honeymoon period of winging as I have been at it since 2018. I live in the mountains/desert and foil all winter. It compliments skiing nicely. When a storm approaches I foil the frontal wind and then ski pow and then foil the clearing wind. I am currently frothing on the adventure aspect of DW foiling. This is something that I don't really get from winging. We are all funhogs. It's interesting to hear everyone's stories. I really appreciate how safe and low impact foiling is on my aging body. Send it!!!!
Yeah, ramp/vert training is one of the best things I've discovered, learning every session, as long as we don't get badly hurt... (wearing all possible protection)
Nah, i've been wingfoiling for a couple of years now and i am already bored, i already feel i'm mowing the lawn: lately i went for a WF, a few runs, a few downwinds surfing the bay swell, a few jumps, some tacks here and there, and 1 hour later i was done, happy for some water time, salt on my face and some of the bay swell i was able to make the most of but nothing memorable, the session was forgotten an hour later.
I still remember and i'm still trothing about my last WS session i had 4 months ago: the feeling of carving on the wave face, hitting the lip into an aerial, laying it out into a full rail bottom turn ... gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. And i am not talking about that back loop i landed years ago, still can picture it. These days, i dream of prone surfing, taking off and carving on a long wave face, i dream of late take off into a tube, even if just for 3 seconds... These 3 seconds will be more intense than the next 365 days of wingfoiling.
Don't get me wrong, love wing foiling in the bay, surfing that bay swell and making the most of conditions that do not offer much to beginning with... but it won't replace WS or Surfing, it doesn't have the same intensity and connection to the power of the wave.
Long live rail to rail surfing
Select to expand quoteakesy said..
Nah, i've been wingfoiling for a couple of years now and i am already bored, i already feel i'm mowing the lawn: lately i went for a WF, a few runs, a few downwinds surfing the bay swell, a few jumps, some tacks here and there, and 1 hour later i was done, happy for some water time, salt on my face and some of the bay swell i was able to make the most of but nothing memorable, the session was forgotten an hour later.
I still remember and i'm still trothing about my last WS session i had 4 months ago: the feeling of carving on the wave face, hitting the lip into an aerial, laying it out into a full rail bottom turn ... gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. And i am not talking about that back loop i landed years ago, still can picture it. These days, i dream of prone surfing, taking off and carving on a long wave face, i dream of late take off into a tube, even if just for 3 seconds... These 3 seconds will be more intense than the next 365 days of wingfoiling.
Don't get me wrong, love wing foiling in the bay, surfing that bay swell and making the most of conditions that do not offer much to beginning with... but it won't replace WS or Surfing, it doesn't have the same intensity and connection to the power of the wave.
Long live rail to rail surfing
What is it about prone, whether waves or swell that trumps other wind water sports? Is it just the freedom of nothing in your hands and the ability to go heel or toeside at will with no impediment or the purity of surfing the wave/swell with no assistance? All I know is that it is addictive.
Given that this thread is called "wingfoiling vs other sports" I think the dud session rate for wingfoiling is pushing 30%.
The two main culprits are wind dropping mid-session, meaning you have to sit and wait for the wind to come back, or paddle/surface slog back to shore. I had a couple of recent sessions with 40 minute waits for wind, and a heap with 15-20 minute waits mid-session.
The other biggie is the dreaded foil through the wing. All of my wings have foil scars and they've happened in the 3 years I've been winging (the most recent was today 
)
Both things can happen in fairly normal wing sessions. They're rarely associated with big crashes or disasters.
With windsurfing and kite boarding and kite foiling I would put the dud session rate at maybe 1%. In a combined 43 years I can only remember repairing one windsurf sail, one broken mast, and a handful of kite repairs. Most of the damage is associated with some sort of catastrophic crash.
I reckon the dud session rate for windsurfing is waaay higher than winging due to days with not enough wind
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
Given that this thread is called "wingfoiling vs other sports" I think the dud session rate for wingfoiling is pushing 30%.
The two main culprits are wind dropping mid-session, meaning you have to sit and wait for the wind to come back, or paddle/surface slog back to shore. I had a couple of recent sessions with 40 minute waits for wind, and a heap with 15-20 minute waits mid-session.
The other biggie is the dreaded foil through the wing. All of my wings have foil scars and they've happened in the 3 years I've been winging (the most recent was today )
Both things can happen in fairly normal wing sessions. They're rarely associated with big crashes or disasters.
With windsurfing and kite boarding and kite foiling I would put the dud session rate at maybe 1%. In a combined 43 years I can only remember repairing one windsurf sail, one broken mast, and a handful of kite repairs. Most of the damage is associated with some sort of catastrophic crash.
It might be a matter of skill and luck. I find myself sitting on my wing board quite often, slowly drifting back to shore, when the wind drops. But my wife, who's a much better winger, just keeps foiling most of those days. My "dud rate" winging may be 10 or 20%, but her's is closer to 1 or 2%.
For me, the windsurfing "dud rate" is probably similar, but there are a few important differences. With a windsurfer, I can almost always sail back, since (a) I'm usually on a board that floats me when I cannot plane, (b) I usually stay closer to the launch, and can get back quicker when the wind drops, and (c) my windsurfing skills are higher than my wing skills. When (a) or (b) don't apply, for example because I sail a km downwind to get to a speed strip, then the dud rate goes up quickly. Coming back from the local speed spots that I sail to most often, I probably have to slog back about half of the time. But then, I usually stay there while the wind is good because it's so much fun 
.
Currently, I still get the biggest range when windfoiling. I can use the same sail comfortably over a much wider range than with a fin, and since my windfoil board is the largest board I use, I can always turn and slog easily. My upper end for a given sail is mostly limited by chop, and can easily be extended by switching to fin. The guy who spends the most time on the water at our home spot, where the wind goes up and down multiple times most days, switches between fin and foil most days. But my winging wife could probably match his time on the water with a single wing setup, if she would not come of the water when I do.
My dud rate windsurfing is much higher and also involves driving far greater distances. Winging can happen within a 15 minute drive of home. So now I bring the wing gear everywhere but only bring the windsurfing gear for very good forecasts.
