First it was windsurfing, then kiting, and now you see them everywhere: people with a hand-held wing gliding across the water and eventually even lifting off. Wingfoiling is the trend sport of recent years, and the shallow Baltic spots are made for learning it. We show you how to get started.
Why everyone is switching to the wing right now
The appeal lies in how simple the gear is. You hold an inflated wing in your hands, and there is no more direct connection between you and the sail than that. No mast, no boom, no lines that get tangled. The whole kit fits in a backpack, and you need less space on the beach than for kiting.
On top of that comes a practical advantage: the wing works across a wide wind range. So you go out on days when others are still waiting on the beach for more wind. That is exactly what makes the sport so popular.
The first sessions, step by step
The start is surprisingly accessible. First you learn to hold the wing on land and feel its power. Then you get onto a big, tip-stable board and practise riding standing up, still without the foil. Only once that sits comes the exciting part: getting up on the foil, that moment when the board lifts out of the water and you begin to glide along silently. It takes a bit of patience to get there, but the sense of balance comes faster than you think.
What you need to get started
For learning, it is best to rent everything at first. A big board with plenty of volume forgives the wobbles, a wing around five square metres suits most people in medium wind, and a good-natured foil with lots of lift makes flying easier. A helmet and an impact vest are part of the deal, because the foil wing under the water is sharp.
Wingfoiling is a real pleasure precisely when you take it slowly. Find flat, sheltered water, a steady day and a big board, and the aha moment almost arrives by itself. On the Baltic there are perfect spots for this, and at a wingfoil school on the water you will have the first steps down quickly.