Downwind Foiling
Downwind foiling (or downwinding) has to be one of the more challenging disciplines in foiling. The goal in down winding is to tap into the energy in the water (normally generated by wind swell or wind ‘bumps’) and get from point A to B purely on the energy in the water. This is most commonly done using a wing or SUP foil set up, as this allows you to paddle up on foil or use your wing if you come down off foil. It is also possible to ‘chip in’ on a wave prone and pump out into the wind line to then downwind, but if you come off foil, the swim in can be long.
How do I get started
Below are my thoughts on getting started with downwinding. For those in The Netherlands, Niek from Leerfoilen has put together an awesome guide to getting started here, though its worth a read for non dutch speakers if you just let google translate do its thing!
In order to increase your chances of success it’s recommended that you work on all the subskillsets (pumping, bump reading, paddling, timing your paddle up, foiling in general).
Have a read of my journey into DW foiling and also my 1 year update for my progression and learnings. Furthermore, keep an eye on my blog in general for updated posts like this one on focus areas when learning to DW.
What gear do I need to start downwinding?
SUP DW: Big foils! Yes they are slow and draggy and maybe you can downwind well with a small foil when winging, but if you can’t get on foil you can’t downwind.Next up is boards. Longer and narrower is the key. The wider your board is the draggier it will be and the harder it will be to paddle. Check out my blog post on DW boards for more information
Prone & Wing: Only thing of note here is foil selection. Higher aspect foils give you more glide and efficiency, though be wary of picking a foil that is too fast. Matching the speed of your foil to the bumps really influences how hard or little you have to work!
Where can I downwind?
Any larger enough body of water can be used to downwind. Typically you want some distance for the wind to blow over the water and create bumps (fetch). The longer the fetch the better the bumps. Deeper water also often results in better bumps as well as stronger wind. It’s always best to try and reach out to locals for information on the best conditions to go as nothing beats local knowledge. Beginners will often want to start out with bay runs or lake runs as the bumps tend to be more ‘groomed’ and in a single direction with no current unlike in the open ocean.
Downwinding in the Netherlands?
For any tips / advice on downwinding in the Netherlands, feel free to reach out and I can try answer your questions or check out the Dutch Downwind website!
Below is also a guide/map of some of the runs I’ve done so far with suggested start / finish points and places to park.can
Make sure you stay safe – so have a read of my blog on downwind safety too.