What Is The Difference Between Wing Foiling And Kite Foiling

In the past few years, wing foiling has developed rapidly, and its popularity is similar to that of kite foiling nearly 10 years ago. Everyone has the same question, which one should I choose？

In terms of speed, wind conditions or movement posture, wing foiling still cannot compete with kite foiling. However, it breaks new ground in terms of geographic location, weather conditions and suitable population. Riders’ skills and equipment capabilities can utilize better, making wing foils more and more attractive.

To some, wing foiling may be embarrassing or uninteresting, but it’s more than meets the eye. Also, there is a special type of riding that can only be done on wing foils!

Main differences between wing foiling & kite foiling

Compared with wings, kites can generate more energy. This allows kite foilers to use smaller plates and foils to achieve faster speeds while jumping higher. But kites are relatively more dangerous and complex, and are more constrained where they can be used, making them more difficult to learn.

Wings hydrofoils tend to be between 1500 and 2500 cm² (for learners), while 1500 cm² is quite large for a kite wing. This is a good size to study, but most kite foils will move down to 600-800 cm² foil.

The kite foilers can lay on his back to release the water, just like a normal kite foiler, with foil under his feet. Wing foliers, on the other hand, must first be balanced on the knee pads and then pump the wings to fly on the wings.

Starting with wing foil requires more effort than kite foiling. As a result, wing foilers need to start with larger boards, typically 20 litres more in volume than their body weight.

Later, wing foilers may use boards of around 70-80 liters, which are still much larger than kite wings.

That is, some positions can only be filled by wing foiling. Gusts, offshore winds, and narrow or crowded beach locations are often obstacles for kitesurfers. On the other hand, wing foilers don’t have to worry about these factors.

Wings also have a key advantage over kites: the ability to ride wind and waves with a 100% decay rate. When you ride a wave, the wing just floats without power. By contrast, a kite will always retain some power.

Which one is easier when learning and ride

For a beginner with absolutely no background in water sports, wing foiling will take less time to learn.

For the experienced, there are three different skill sets to consider: how to use the wings, how to fly a kite, and how to ride a foil.

Learning how to hold and use wings takes less time than learning to control a kite. So if you are a kite surfer who has never used a foil before, switching to a kite foil is not that big of a step.

If you are a windsurfer, foil surfer or foil stand-up paddler and already know how to use foil, wing foiling is easier to learn than kite foiling. Controlling a wing is more similar to sail than a kite.

In contrast, if you don’t understand the power of a kite, it will take a while to learn before you can control and fly a kite.

As mentioned above, wing foils tend to be larger than kite foils because wings do not produce as much power as kites. The larger foil size makes the fins more accessible to beginners and easier to learn.

In Conclude

Wing foiling is still in the development stage; it is only in the past two to three years that wing foiling has become more and more popular. In fact, this is also the stage of the early development of kitesurfing, when people used two-line kites, and there were no biplanes at that time.

There is no doubt that the level of riding will improve, and the design of the equipment will also improve. The efficiency of the wing itself is getting better and better. We’re constantly looking for faster speeds, easier jumps and better upwind.