The Beginners Guide to SUP Foiling

It takes a real visionary to take the most mellow sport of the surf repertoire and combine it with the most futuristic hybrid of gliding and flying that is foiling. Fortunately for us, surfing is so addictive that the best and the brightest are always looking for ways to take new experiences the next step further, and this is what Kai Lenny did when he asked Alex Aguera to create a foil that was better suited for SUP boards than the ones that already existed. This gave rise to a thicker, more stable foil as well as to that viral 2016 video of Lenny gliding downwind with unprecedented smoothness and flow.

If you’re a foiler or a stand-up paddler, and you’ve never combined the two, we highly recommend that you do. You get the serenity and the stability of stand-up paddling with the speed and extended glide time of foiling. Though it sounds relatively simple, the upgrade of the feeling is so intense that we don’t really have words to describe it. The physical component is there, but there’s a next-level at-one-with-nature part that comes from the amount of time that you can spend out there and with the distances, you can cover in places that you formerly couldn’t explore with a board under your feet. It’s no surprise that so many top-tier surfers and shapers are out there trying to perfect the equipment through and through. It’s that much fun.

Because we’re not immune to the thrills of the sport, over at Lift we’ve put a lot of work and fine-tuning into our SUP foiling hardware. We’re proud to say that our foils have a lot less drag than most of what’s on the market, thanks to their lightweight carbon construction and streamlined design. Our Surf and High Aspect wings allow you to pop up and foil down the line with incredible smoothness while our 28 inch mast keeps your ride especially responsive and maneuverable. It keeps your wings higher on the water and locks into the surface energy of whatever body of water you’re riding on. We also make a 32 and a 36-inch mast, in case you want to maximize height while maintaining performance. Pair these with your SUP board of choice and get ready for one of the most long-lasting and outstanding rides of your life.

There’s a lot of combinations of wings, masts, and boards that you can try that will prepare you for the adventure you have in mind. We’re always happy to talk to you and help you design the tool you need for the ratio of height, speed, and glide that you’re looking for.

The important thing is you go out there feeling confident so you can take full advantage of the feeling of endlessness and freedom. The sport is relatively young but it has come a long way since it started and we are certain it’s only going to get better and better. Get out there and try it for yourself, let us know if you have thoughts or ideas, and be part of the next frontier.