“ One BIG reason to wear a SUP foil leash is not to have your SUP foil kit blasting away from you , shoved shoreward by waves or white water .”
121 ride you get compared to finned SUP surfing . But conditions do play a massive part in achieving this . In time , with finely honed foiling skills , any kind of wave can be ridden ( in theory ). To start with , though , you ’ ll be looking for specific conditions .
The first thing is go where there ’ s plenty of space . Avoid headline surf breaks on busy summer days . Lesser quality breaks with junky waves are perfect . You ideally want a slow , crumbly wave breaking in deep enough water to have a face form . With the best will in the world , you ’ re not going to take off on unbroken rollers without the aid of something like a jet ski . There needs to be some vert and shape . But likewise , you don ’ t want the wave to be too steep , fast and sucky .
Size also matters ( in terms of what to avoid ). Give overhead bombs a miss . And also , skip nasty shore break that ’ ll pummel you and your gear into the beach . Up to waist high is ideal . Trust me when I say the first time you take off on a knee-high piece of flotsam , you ’ ll feel like you ’ ve just dropped into Nazare ! But give it time , and you ’ ll get comfortable and used to the forces .
As you improve your SUP foiling , you ’ ll look for slightly better conditions . And by better , I don ’ t necessarily mean bigger . Foiling in waves allows you to fly for significant distances . Therefore , a wave that walls and peels will be great for SUP foiling . Even better if the break happens to be lined up where you can start linking and pumping back out to follow on swells . In some cases point , breaks may be worth hitting up . Just be aware of rocks and reefs as not only will this damage your foil kit , but it could also damage you .
SUP foiling safety Another point I touched on at the start was SUP foiling safety . To reiterate : SUP foiling isn ’ t as dangerous as perhaps perceived with a few precautionary steps taken before getting involved . Falling and wiping out will happen . Even once you ’ ve become a frequent flyer , mistakes will be made . It ’ s , therefore , a good idea to wear some form of impact protection .
Impact vests , doubling as buoyancy jackets , will protect your torso . Boots will save feet if they accidentally kick the foil . And a helmet will give head protection whilst also aiding confidence . I ’ ve heard how wearing a lid helps riders get over the mental barrier of balancing on a stick a few times ! You could also wear knee and elbow pads . Although be careful of not overdoing and impacting your movements by wearing too much kit !
When you fall , which inevitably you will , it ’ s wise not to try and stop the wipeout . As you instinctively want to save the ride , this is quite hard to do . Go with the flow , though . And if anything , kick your kit away . You ’ ll feel it when things go awry . Better to suffer a ( seemingly ) spectacular bail than hit your equipment .
I ’ ve mentioned leashes already , but to reiterate : get a good quality coiled waist leash . And use it .
“ One BIG reason to wear a SUP foil leash is not to have your SUP foil kit blasting away from you , shoved shoreward by waves or white water .”