You will find here the guidelines for foiling and basic common sense that all foilers should follow:
- Stay away from all other people in the water when learning to foil, this includes but not limited to: swimmers, surfers, divers
- Always wear a leash, this protects others around you . This prevents your foil from tumbling in the water at someone!
- Wear a helmet and impact vest when first learning
- Stay away from crowded surfing lineups
- Learn to foil on a shorter mast, they are easier to control and less dangerous for the user
- Heavier metal foils are more dangerous so choose wisely as their momentum keeps them going after a fall and can hurt you or others around you
- Do not attempt to ride a kite foil for paddle surfing or you can get seriously hurt or hurt someone else, most kite foils are very thin and sharp
- Stay off of the tall kite mast as the wings will be right in your face on a wipeout. A very serious injury occurred to a Japanese rider who attempted this 2 years ago
- Do not ride homemade or cheap foils around other people, they are very unpredictable in most cases. Be careful as they are dangerous for yourself as well. You get what you pay for…
- When other surfers are present, go somewhere else and ride that part of the wave the surfers cannot ride or do not want to ride. This is the beauty of foiling
- All foilers should police other foilers who are being dangerous and educate them. If you see someone being a knucklehead, sound them!
- Do not take off with someone directly in front of you
- Be Smart and Be Safe
How to Foil safely !
Hawaiian Watermen and Foil pioneers Kalani Vierra, Leleo Kinimaka and Sam Pa’e get together for a talk story session to promote hydro foiling safety and give tips to those wanting to get into SUP foiling or foil surfing.
With pointers on choosing the right equipment, safety gear, situational awareness, etiquette, choosing the right conditions, avoiding potential beginner accidents, tips for beginners and for more advanced surf foilers, this video covers a lot of ground.
If you are new to foiling, please take the time to watch the whole discussion, there is a lot of important information here.
Also joining the discussion are: Edmund Pestana, Todd Bradley, Reid Inouye, Rex Shinmon, and Robert Stehlik. Foiling is an awesomely fun new sport but can be challenging and potentially dangerous for beginners without proper guidance and instruction.
This video attempts to fill the void for those of you that don’t have a friend, coach or mentor that can help you get started.