How to place your foil on your board

[@yellowcub86]

Hey Damien! We appreciate you 👍

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you! Feeling is mutual!

[@JakeKelsick]

Dropping knowledge brew! Epic to see all those years of shredding shine through! 👊🏻

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Nothing like you my brother but trying to help others out!!!! Amen thanks brother....

[@TheFreerider67]

Antigua crew representing

[@fluiditynz]

Definitely an important topic Damien! Only been foiling myself since late last year but in that time I've seen a few others struggling and tried a gear swap with them to see why. It's usually the foil and often it's too far forward. I've had some success swapping gear with people to test their placement and give them a much easier time learning(It's usually the only thing holding them back) but I would explain slightly differently from you as I'm an inventor at heart... 3D design, Electronics, SW etc etc 🤐 1. Ballance point off the foil and up on the foil should be very close, if you have to move forward as the board rises out of the water then the foil is likely too far forward. It's important for ease of transition from slogging, planing to foiling and back again to have these positions very close. When you are lifted on foil, that's the part people need to concentrate on, to move the mast forward/back to line up their foiling foot placement(sometimes with footstraps) with non foiling foot placement. 2. The down pointing angle of the stabiliser provides a secondary function from stability, of compensation for drag so far down under your hands holding the wing, essentially with no stabiliser and no compensation to foil angle you would simply dive from high up power and low down drag. I set my stabiliser so that with the board unweighted and only the foil in the water, a good push and the nose of the board will arc gently up as the board glides forward untill slowing until the wing stalls. If this is set up poorly then as you increase speed you will struggle with increased lift and have to move even further forward. As you do this, you are creating turbulence around the stabiliser because you are fighting it's aggressive angle with your weight. This turbulence will slow you down! Not everyone will appreciate my explanation, we all have our own ideal learning modes! I like the back story...😀

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you Daniel for your knowledge! Everyone will appreciate it...

[@nzldudeDNB]

Excellent video Damien. I was just thinking this question on my last winging session. Big ups from Perth WA

[@KMURRAY1841]

Just bought my first foil and of course they got this covered!! Thanks for this golden channel damo

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you Kevin! We really appreciate you!

[@LakeMacLocal]

Great video Damien, a few years on and still relevant. Other good advice is to ask a decent local rider to try your gear if you're not sure it's setup right. Most foilers are happy to help out. Love your videos (and attitude!), they've been great for me to get up and riding confidently.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you we really appreciate you!

[@sabyx5]

Thank you for ALL videos Damien, I learned so much as newbie. God bless!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Amen great to hear! Thank you!

[@ericunterholzer5001]

Thx again Damien, everything clear - especially your message is so different to all the other videos around. Greetings from old Vienna - Eric

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Amen Eric! Thank you so much! So grateful........

[@plaineduloup184]

This is a key question, thanks for the explaination and clarification! Take care . Best from Switzerland Alex

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you!

[@cliptorisque]

I would say the same..... from Switzerland too ..Alexandre.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

@@cliptorisque So cool!

[@nicolas_vuille]

Same same ! Thanks Damien for your videos! Nico from... Switzerland :-)

[@nfinnigan]

Many thanks for another great video, hints and tips made EASY and SIMPLE

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@alejandrophillips8281]

Thank you very much to you my friend because the truth is that it was very interesting and every day you learn more things rather well. Thank you for sharing your experience that will benefit us all. Good morning.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@simonhan1329]

I became a wingfoiler all because of you!!! All your videos helped me a lot! If someone asks me who taught you wing foiling, I will say it’s you and your videos on KZbin. 👍 I thank you!!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Simon you made our day thank you so much! Honored... Gwen and I appreciate you!

[@hobodogjohnson9075]

Thanks Damien. Great video. I’m like session 10 with no previous foil experience but a little wind and sup surfing. I am now up on foil and am heading slightly upwind. I use your Circular pumping method to unstick my board. That was a great help . Have got a new Naish 5.3 wing so that will help pull me up on foil. Nice and windy in England today so I’m off out there shortly. Keep rocking it. 👍👍

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Yea buddy! These messages make it all worth while! So happy for you!

[@kieransammon666]

Always informative and inspiring 🤙

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you friend very kind of you!

[@wildhogget69]

I have learned moving the foil backwards and forwards to increase and decrease lift is considering that your feet are not moving from the fixed position. So as Heliboy stated, put the foil right at the back, and slowly move your feet back, inch by inch until you get lift. Then that is the sweet spot, then from there you can work out the distance from foot straps to foil.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you Dan! Great info.....

[@whatsupbudbud]

But if the wind loses power suddenly, the aft will get up in the air and you'll fall of your board backwards. Due to that I think it's best to move the foil towards the aft. Also, in my experience, moving legs backward does very little to create lift.

[@SanderCaldwell]

Great, inspiring message!

[@angelpena9425]

Thanks a lot. Easy and complex at the same time!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

It may take a few adjustments depending on foil and board combo but it will come together you will see.

[@johnmacmillan627]

As usual a good presentation. Thx.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

John, Thank you!

[@collider4378]

"I've only been foiling for a couple days" 6:26 :D Great channel Damian, love the content and your boundless enthusiasm!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thanks friend! We are trying to just help the masses! Thanks for the kind words!

[@solentfoiler5969]

Finally someone includes an explanation of how the stabiliser works, which is useful for people to know - good job! Probably should mention that moving the mast track is just shifting the centre of lift compared to the centre of mass of (mainly) the rider. In other words, unless you're using straps, you can do the essentially same thing by standing further forward or back on the board. Using straps or super short boards of low volume which limits where you can stand is a bit different, so finding the right mast position there is more critical! 🤙

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Well said! Thank you

[@martinomovies]

If you stand further back on the board, it may slow the board down and be harder to get up because the rear of the board will be dragging instead of flat.

[@solentfoiler5969]

@@martinomovies this will only really be a factor on smaller boards with volume close to your weight in kg which is why I mentioned smaller boards in my comment. For beginners (which is what we're talking about here) on larger boards this sinking the tail is minimal and by far the most important thing to get foiling is body position in relation to your foil. Also most foil boards have a beveled / kick tail so the tail can sink when pumping the foil without too much drag. But yes, if you have your foil right at the back of the box, and you have to move your weight back which causes a problem, then yes you need to move your mast forward!

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

​@@martinomovies Thank you friend!

[@EkapolTharasiriroj]

I progress from 115L board to 92L board. You can't move around much on small board so mast position is really important.

[@nordroi9897]

Thanks a lot for your great tutorials! Was wondering in what situation you would need to shim the mast. Thanks in advance.

[@TriplabPro]

Digging all of your videos dude. I just bought a set-up for winging in MI and I am trying to quickly learn as much as I can before it arrives. Maybe I should have went for the slower shipping option Lmao

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Your going to love it brother!

[@ChrisMiddletonFastafoil]

Thanks dude much appreciated

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you!

[@OneWheelGuy1]

I noticed that my front leg was getting tired, so I moved my mast back a centimeter or two. That evened out the pressure on my front and back legs and made riding a bit more relaxing. That is, I think that you can usually adjust for bad wing placement by moving your body forwards or backwards, but you should notice if you are doing that and then move the mast to make you more comfortable.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing!

[@KitesurfingAcademy]

Good tips, man! Thanks a bunch! :)

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you so much!

[@levelplain9887]

Foot placement and hip movement are critical in this and I would appreciate if you could do a indepth video on it.

[@irf888]

Hi. Great video. Hope this will help anyone reading - my advice after doing many measurements of various feet positions vs mast, wings etc across many different front wings for kite and winging. Whether going fast or free riding. Measure from leading edge of front wing to centre of your front and back feet. Aim to have your front foot measurement, ie: from wing leading edge to centre of front foot 2 to 5 cm longer than the measurement of wing leading edge to centre of rear foot. This will be on the money for most setups if you like a fairly even foot weighting distribution. For slower speed stuff eg: winging 2cm will work fine, for kite fast free ride or free race 5cm difference. Still do not understand why the manufacturers do not publish precise recommendations with the exception of Mikes Lab racing foils. Regards.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for your kind insight!

[@irf888]

@@DamienLeroyKZbin Pleasure. I should explain how I take the measurements otherwise it could be off by roughly +/-1cm. Turn board upside down with foil mounted, eg: across a chair or box. Use a spirit bubble on fuselage to adjust the board so that the fuselage is truly in the horizontal plane. Run a string line from wing leading edge to bottom of board and then take sight measurements from string line to centre of the front and rear feet. Enjoy this wonderful sport everyone!

[@johnphillips4733]

I'm on a 7ft starboard Wingboard. On my last session the board struggled to get up so I presumed I needed to move the foil forward. But!.. I was also filming my self and looking back at the footage I can see that for some reason I had my back foot very far forward so my weight was really holding it down. so moving the mast would have helped. but the error seemed to really be my narrow forward stance.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

John it takes time to get your feet in the right place and everything to work together to get the board up! Think of skateboarding and lifting the front up and the board will rise up with the right power "like an Ollie". The wing and momentum all has to be perfect not easy! Also you should be standing with the front wing of your foil centered between your legs in general to get it to come up! If your back foot is father forward than your front wing it for sure will not come up! Unless you are going really fast! It takes time to find the perfect spot! You will get it! Stay at it and it will click! Enjoy!

[@kenlai3568]

Great video! Helps a lot...

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you! We appreciate you...

[@olofstraatman6655]

Hello Damien , I love you’re videos , learned a lot from them . I have a question . I have a gong hipe 7,5 . I put the foil in the middel I can’t unstick the nose off the board . Now I have the foil 3/4 to the back and if i get on the foil it almost immediately explodes out off the water (even with 4bft, . I am not getting easy or calmly on the foil . What am I doing wrong

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Friend! You are doing nothing wrong this is the hard learning curve of foiling. When the board releases off the water a lot can happen as there is now no drag and the foil takes off, so you have to let off power in your wing as you do not need all the power the second you get up on foil. Also try to balance on the board more. It is the hardest part of learning this great sport. Stay at it you will get it..

[@olofstraatman6655]

@@DamienLeroyKZbin oké, thanks , for you’re quick and positive response .. off course I stick with it . I like my slow learning curve.. keep up the good work .

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

@@olofstraatman6655 Thank you friend!

[@maxnuccio2440]

Thanks for the info! I’m prone foil surfing and have been surfing most of my life. I keep popping onto foil and then dropping after a second or two.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

You will love the next video dropping next week! :)

[@OneWheelGuy1]

I came here to say that it is also important not to put your foil on backwards. I did that today - no wonder I couldn't get the nose to lift off of the water! I tried about four water starts before I realized the problem. It's a good thing I had the Allen key with me so I didn't need to do the five-minute walk back to the car and could fix it on the shore. Learn from my mistake. Riding was much easier with the front wing facing forwards.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Great info thank you!

[@Kate-e6m]

Thank you !

[@cico91]

Great video !

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you!

[@ripplerider9386]

Put your hand under front foil wing and lift bringing foilboard off ground..when your board is level to ground your foil is in right spot

[@chrispewkreme]

If you’re like me and have a tuttle setup, you gotta mess around with your foot placement. In smaller waves, I can generally get away with my rear foot being on my pad which is over the mast if not almost behind. But in more powerful surf, I just bring my back foot a little more forward.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Thank you for sharing......

[@tomlindberg8001]

Thanks Damien....question, I notice the boards in this video are pretty thick and presumably pretty buoyant....is that what you recommend for beginner/intermediate foilers? I would think its easier to turn around (while taxi'ing) until you are proficient enough to turn while up on the foil....

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Yes these boards are for Wing foiling... Volume is key for that sport. Other foiling sports can be different but the boards in this video of for wing surfing or wing foiling...

[@ryanm.4953]

I'm riding on foil with a lot of back foot pressure, so move the mast forward?

[@nikonbugaichuk6596]

What do you think? I am learning switch foots on board, and i have a problem while first step, nose board goes down very fast. If i move mast forward will it help me to get more time for switching foots.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Yes it will will, you will have more lift in the front of the board or shift the lifting area forward.

[@pheelers1831]

If you have a big foil like 1100mm can you push the mast to the back, stand forward and use it behind a boat (slow speeds)? Or do you absolutely need a smaller foil?

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

You can use it for sure just make sure the boat driver goes very very slow.... You will be up very quick!

[@jcpetrey]

Does changing rear foot location, moving it slightly forward or backward, accomplish the same thing as moving the mast/wing?

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Sure does!

[@elliottaylor8344]

HI Damien As a beginner I'm not using foot straps at the moment when I look down my riding position seems to be in front of the strap holes I could move the foil back but I'm concerned I will lose light wind performance Is moving your feet forwards the same as moving your foil back or should I move both back and learn to deal with it ? Thanks Elliot

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

I would try moving the foil back and see if you can get your feet closer to the right position. Its worth a shot.....

[@elliottaylor8344]

@@DamienLeroyKZbin thanks for your reply itching to go again and give it a try and thanks for your great content 👍

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

@@elliottaylor8344 Thank you!

[@wingsurfcamp8240]

Thank you. Do you know if shimming the foil wings voids the warranty? Looks like it alters the load at the attachment points.

[@fluiditynz]

Many manufacturers provide shims. If you know someone with a 3D printer who designs they can likely knock one up for you quickly. Usually arouind 100% of the board loading is taken by the front wing, the stabiliser is only to provide compensation so Damien's washer fix has very little potential to affect warranty. However... Ensure you still have several threads engaging... i.e. 4+ threads, too few and you can rip out the top thread layers tightening it securely.

[@wingsurfcamp8240]

@@fluiditynz Thank you. It makes sense, but it's better to ask when I don't know.

[@EkapolTharasiriroj]

I have taaroa foil. The stabiliser can be adjusted without any shimmer. It can be slide back and forth over arch mount and lock at your desired angle.

[@wingsurfcamp8240]

@@EkapolTharasiriroj I just looked at there page - do you ride High Aspect, free ride or freestyle? I just bought the S26 Naish HA 2140 and 1400 and a 95L Carbon Ultra SUP

[@EkapolTharasiriroj]

@@wingsurfcamp8240 I have low aspect 1600cm2 and 2000cm2. 2000 seems a bit too much and you don't really need that if you are not 100+kg.

[@ryanm.4953]

I noticed when I wing I have the mast all the way forward but when I kite it's all the way back. Does it matter regarding different foils, slingshot basic foil or Armstrong v2 1550?

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Ryan, Its all because of speed and power. With a kite you can have a lot more power and speed so if left in the same place it will be jumping out of the water from the LIFT.

[@ryanm.4953]

@@DamienLeroyKZbin thanks Damo, appreciate your time answering my question. You be safe out there and take care bud.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

@@ryanm.4953 Thank you Ryan!

[@aquilesmasdmd]

My message: “ I appreciate you”.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

Yewwwww. We appreciate you!

[@ripplerider9386]

If my foil cord is 12'",I'm coming down to a foil cord of 9", do I have to move mast forward to compensate for the 3" lost.?

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

It is very hard to determine with out knowing your board length and foil kind. Where everything is mounted.. I would recommend maybe bringing to your closest shop, someone who foils to have a look. So they can help you. All I can say to help is if it is jumping up real fast or the nose is always coming up to fast. The foil is too far forward. If it is never coming up on foil is to far back.. Hope it helps.....

[@brentkochan8992]

Your centre of lift from the new wing is likely further forward on which case it will need best to move it forward.

[@evamiaozkan]

Having grown up in the 70s and 80s whenever I hear Damien LeRoy I never imagine a blond surfer dude. Is it just me really?

[@cindyskemp2639]

P

[@douglaselliott8298]

Too old and way too out of shape to even attempt this 'foiling'. Wished it was around 35 years ago. I'm truly envious.

[@DamienLeroyYouTube]

It's never too late friend!