Winging in the Waves - How to Enter and Exit Shorebreak - Wingfoiling Tutorial

[@robertco7]

All good advice. I can tell you've been winging in the ocean a lot bc you know the little details you can only learn from experience

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Growing up as a windsurfer and kitesurfer in Texas (and also being scared of sharks) I was mostly a freestyle guy in the bay, but the foil and living in California has really got me interested in the waves a lot more. I’m not an expert wave rider, but I’ve been out a lot this past year in all kinds of waves, so I’ve seen the good and the bad!

[@robertco7]

@@wingmanfoilclub I'm in the same boat, coming from a windsurf perspective. Now I wing, in the ocean every chance I get, I'm addicted to waves. Learning to surf also

[@stokedforsuccess100]

Lots of jewels of good advice here! Thanks for putting this together. 🤙

[@wingmanfoilclub]

You're welcome! Hope you catch some good waves.

[@AndrewSmithSeattle]

Very helpful! I’m a Gorge winger, and when I encountered shore break in Baja this winter, I had trouble getting through it safely. Waist wing leash suggestion very helpful for paddling!

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Love the waist leash. Some of the toughest shore break is up there on that Oregon coast with you. But man if you can make it out at Manzanita, that’s some fun swell!

[@fathomfathom]

Great video and tips. I always hold the wing flying with the front handle, not the flag handle. Much better control of the wing which stays clear of the water at all time (both going out and going on). I also try to push down on the front of the board as the wave is coming (if not too big) to carry my body and my wing above the white water. Jumping off near shore, i kick off like you but hold on the the wing both hands and eventually only let go of the back hand to keep the wing out of the water. Amazing wave session you had!

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Great tips! The front handle is definitely the way to go especially with wings like Duotone that have floppy luff handles and tend to oscillate.

[@fathomfathom]

@@wingmanfoilclub bonus: you don't have to dry your wing 🤣

[@optforhealthandfitness4063]

Good content and advice, thanks 👍 We have a beach break coastline here at Mount Maunganui NZ, often similar to the conditions you went out in. It can be a real challenge so I was interested to see how you'd go 👍 Thanks for making the video!

[@wingmanfoilclub]

You’re welcome. Hope it helps and that you catch a lot of waves while keeping the gear and yourself as intact as can be reasonably expected!

[@lewiss66]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. That 's something that hasn't been explained that well so far. Now I think I'll be more prepared and uderstand better what to do for my first ride offshore in this conditions.

[@wingmanfoilclub]

You’re welcome. Just remember it will take time to get the hang of it. Start on smaller wave days. And you will rip wings. So consider using a cheaper wing when first trying or on bigger days. Have fun!

[@lewiss66]

@@wingmanfoilclub Yeh ! Thanks

[@IRWE905]

Great Topic! I do all Foiling Disiplines and I always wear a Dentist made Custom Mouthguard, It serves a # of purposes. 1. Protects Upper Teeth, 2. Helps prevent Concussion. I ride in all kinds of Wave Conditions and have had some pretty epic falls. Biting down on the Mouthguard on implact helps to soften the blow to my Head. My Mouthguard is bright white so everyone thinks I have a great smile ;) I find dumping shore break is a no go for Big Volume Boards (> 100 L). You can't get these boards to dive under the wave when pushing them out and they end up getting hurdled in the air! I Wing Strapless but at the front of my board I have an Eyelash Strap which I can hang onto while I am pushing the board through the Shore break while getting out. I see you have your Board Leash just below the knee. I have mine on my Wing Harness with a quick release on it. Your right you want your hands free if you think you will be doing any paddling. I always try and enter the water as far up wind as I think it is safe, knowing that I will give up ground getting out. Coming in I try and get as close to shore as possible and always keep the Wing Luffing downwind and has soon as I can touch I hold the board with the foil up wind and keep walking out as fast as I can. It's not over until you are on terra firma :)

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Great tips! Excellent point about starting upwind. Essential if you’re somewhere with limited ability to just come back in.

[@DCJIM2]

@@wingmanfoilclub Even better, wear a hockey helmet with a metal face guard. You'll look like a kook, but you'll save a lot on dental bills

[@wingmanfoilclub]

@DCJIM2 haha! One of our locals, Boaz, wears a bmx helmet type of helmet, and honestly it’s not a bad idea. I’ve almost knocked my teeth out a few times when crashing

[@ryanarzy]

Very useful advice!

[@Tobeon2]

I am soooooo glad (?) that I am NOT the one with difficulty in going through the shorebreaks !!😅 Not too long ago, I broke my wing 3 times in 5 days going through the shorebreak 😢😢

[@wingmanfoilclub]

You’re not the only one. I once drove to Santa Cruz and was unable to get out past it 2 days in a row. Drove back home with no winging accomplished.

[@RamonSBruhn]

Great tips, thx so much. I have my board leash to the waist with a quick release. When you are washed you say that you can get off your wing using the quick release but isnt it safer to get rid off your board, just asking. I tried also to have the wing to my waist and the board to my knee but that way the leash gets tangled at my foil sometimes. And having both to my waist I think that the chance is even higher that both leashes gets tangled. Another question is that when you are washed you hold onto your board, I normally let the board going and let the leash do the work, dont like the feeling to have the board close to me, did you have bad experiences that way and thats why you hold the board? Thx a lot for your feedback.

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Putting a quick release on the board is definitely not a bad idea. I know some people do that. Because mine is on my leg I feel fairly confident I could rip off the Velcro quickly. Whereas my wing is essentially shackled on. If I’m under load I might not be able to find the wing leash or create enough slack to undo it without a quick release. The board can definitely still be an issue on really big waves, but at least it can be duck dived a little or you can push it under. The wing is a giant bobber that is impossible to submerge. I would hate to be really far out without my board to paddle on or my wing to body drag in. I hate board leashes. I use them when the conditions demand it, but most sessions go leashless even in some small waves. If I was going to drop in at Mavericks I wouldn’t use a board or wing leash! Haha

[@wsurfn]

Thank you!

[@wingmanfoilclub]

You’re welcome!

[@robertco7]

You're from TX? Me too, but I'm coming to santa cruz this summer, is that where you are now? I've windsurfed waddell but never winged it so looking forward to it!

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Nice! I live in LA but drive up to Santa Cruz a lot. Winging Waddell is awesome. But it can be challenging to get out. Usually summer it’s not too bad though especially high tide. But I’ve been shut down there before. Davenport or Scott’s Creek are easier to get out, but they get much more sea weed and are almost unrideable on foil by mid summer.

[@robertco7]

@@wingmanfoilclub I'm gonna pick ur brain for sure before my trip. I was actually just in LA surfing last week and brought my wing stuff and got a quick session at seal beach. 2 summers ago I caught seal on a swell and wind and scored a top 5 session ever. Huge rides , love that place

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Nice! Yeah let me know. Seal can be cool. That’s where I launched for the downwinder to Bolsa Chica. It can be a little lighter wind down there but I always enjoy it. Check out The Foil Shop and The Crema Cafe next time you’re there. Also No Limitz Kiteboarding has insane deals on wings usually.

[@southcoastfoil]

Never have your board floating upside down with foil pointing in the air. It will inevitably flip and hit either your head or more likely the wing. Instead have the foil horizontal and pointing upwind. As you get deeper it can go to 45 degrees down then vertical down, and you slice the board through the waves holding the upwind front strap.

[@wingmanfoilclub]

I agree with this. I had the foil up because it was so shallow at first and I was too lazy to bend down.

[@frno1073]

Do be afraid of the waves!!!

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Being afraid isn’t gonna help you. If anything fear will absolutely put you in more danger if you panic. Respect the ocean and the waves. Try to know your limits (sometimes we overshoot). Be honest with yourself about the risk you are willing to accept. Just like every other part of foiling. We are literally riding around on knife blades after all... Stay home if you want to avoid all risk. Though that will increase your risk of atherosclerosis. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Be afraid of Whitey. Nothing you can do to avoid him.

[@frno1073]

@@wingmanfoilclub The last time I did not have correct fear of the waves, I almost killed myself. The people that tried to get out after me almost killed themselves. I was there to back them up and help them get out of the surf. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

[@wingmanfoilclub]

Glad you made it back out safely. The great thing about foiling is we can have fun in smaller waves and don’t have to charge the huge scary days. Im very happy on a 3-5 foot day especially if the sets are long period and clean.