March 13, 2023

EFOIL PROGRESSION

This article is for the intermediate level efoil rider. If you are a beginner, these tips won’t apply to you just yet, but soon will. You see, with the efoil, progression comes very quickly. Many people ask me why. It is very simple. Repetition builds progress. As it applies to any new skill, mastery is achieved around the 10,000 hour mark. When you compare the time on foil with an efoil verses any other foil board, rookies get way more foil time on an efoil, so they progress much sooner.

The tips in this article are intended to help intermediate riders continue to progress towards advanced level riding. There are so many ways to ride the efoil, and so many ways to advance your riding skills. We will focus on the top 5 next steps for e foil progression. Our intent is to get you onto more challenging rides that provide a higher level of excitement.

TIP #1: TRIGGER CONTROL

Trigger control is literally the last thing that we offer in our efoil lessons on Oahu, Hawaii. The reason for teaching this last is because it is a huge obstacle to the rookie rider if they are trying to ride the efoil with a partial trigger. Once you are able to get onto foil easily, and ride long runs, getting acquainted with controlling the trigger will enable you to adjust your speed to accommodate your next maneuver or changing condition.

We recommend that you get onto foil, and then adjust your speed by releasing the trigger pressure just a bit, maybe 10%. Feel how the board rides differently at a slightly slower speed. Next, set your speed control at a higher maximum speed, get onto foil, and now play with the speed by increasing speed a bit, and decreasing a bit. The change in speed will impact the amount of pressure you apply to either foot.

Now, try to adjust your speed as you enter and exit a turn. Find out when it is best to accelerate, and when it is best to decelerate. The variety of speed will add some pockets of creativity in your riding.

TIP #2: HIGH SPEED – LOW SPEED

We have had dozens of students take an efoil lesson with us in Hawaii simply because they want to ride in Hawaiian waters. The truth is that they have their own efoil at home, but since they are visiting Hawaii, they want to try the magical waters of Hawaii. When we watch these efoil owners ride at a very high speed, we wonder why they put themselves through that much stress on the e foil.

Our tip is to explore both the higher and the lower speeds on the efoil. It is just like driving a car. The thrill often is in the acceleration and the maneuvering around obstacles. The danger is in driving at tops speeds for endless miles. So why would you ride top speed on the efoil. Try to catch up to your friend on your efoil by accelerating, but then slow down and ride next to them to have a partner along for your ride. Also try to ride slow and calm down your breathing. Take in the scenery and tranquility. Efoil riding doesn’t have to be thrilling to be enjoyable. Sometimes it is the quiet movement over calm waters that make your senses tingle.

TIP #3: FLAT WATER – OPEN OCEAN

The efoil has an amazing advantage over other foil boards: we can ride in any condition. Whether it is windy and choppy, or calm and glassy, riding the efoil is an absolute blast. In order to take advantage of all conditions, you need to prepare.

The best preparation is trying the conditions a little at a time. Many riders only get to enjoy lake water foiling, which is amazing. In a place like Hawaii, we ride the ocean which changes daily. When you ride the lake, there is not much current or ground swell to deal with, so all of the variables are minimized to you, your board, and your foil. When you ride the ocean, you need to account for swell, wind, current, and marine life.

We recommend that you ride across the wind or swell at first. Across is 90 degrees to the direction of the wind or swell. Fell how much additional power is working for or against you. Then, gradually change your direction towards the wind or swell. This approach will allow you to adapt to the situation that the wind or swell is presenting to your foil and board. We hear it all the time from our students that they are riding so much faster when they head into the wind. The truth is that the wind is affecting their ears, and they have the false impression of speed.

TIP #4: SWELL FOLLOWING

Since Hawaii is known for its great surfing conditions, naturally, our students want to surf the waves on the efoil. This is 100% our favorite request. Unfortunately, surfing on a foil is incredibly dangerous. That is why at this intermediate level of efoiling, we recommend swell following.

The difference between surfing and swell following is the application of power. On an efoil, you have much more control by apply the force of your propellor. This maintains a steady speed and a steady amount of lift.

We recommend that you first study the waves, their patterns, and their frequency before trying to follow them. Choose wave swells that are far away from breaking on the reef or the beach. Once you have a sense of what is going on with the waves, then try to ride in the same direction as the waves, but in between the waves along the trough. Steadily start to ride up the face of the wave, and then down the wave. This should be done with great caution and at a 45 degree angle to the direction of the wave. This can be compared to skating in the skate park as opposed to skating on the sidewalk. As you come down the face of the wave, feel the additional power from the wave as it engages with your foil. You may accelerate, so work on maintaining a level board and foil.

Having a full appreciation and understanding of the power of the ocean swell is critical to any success in surfing those waves in the future.

TIP #5: HIGH ASPECT FOILS

We start all of our new students and new efoil owners with our Surf V2 series of foils because of its all around stability and maneuverability for the newest rider. Once you have progressed through the beginner stages of riding an efoil, and have become proficient in the previous four tips in this article, the next step will be to find a higher performance foil.

The next logical step is to try the high aspect (HA) foils from Lift Foils. There are many articles and videos explaining what high aspect means, so I won’t dive into that here. By changing your foil, you change your ride. Often times, people who take this step are rudely disappointed in their purchase of a high aspect foil. This is normally because they are still in their beginner progression stages, and they are simply not ready to advance to a HA foil.

But if you are ready, the HA foil will change your life, again. They are quicker, they are more maneuverable, and they glide so very well. This results in longer rides, better surfing, and super sexy carves. The HA foil will enable you to do more than you thought was possible on a foil.

So that’s it for our top five tips to progress into the intermediate level of e foil riding. We hope that these tips help you to continue to explore this amazing sport, and to ultimately find your perfect set up in any condition.

Aloha