From twintip to foil: your questions on switching, answered

These are the questions twintip riders send us most often when they start eyeing up a foil. We have answered them as the 4Shor team, and none of it replaces a lesson with a qualified instructor. If your instructor tells you something different, listen to them.

Why do so many twintip riders switch to kitefoiling?

Most twintip riders switch to kitefoiling for the wind range. A twintip needs enough power to plane, which for most riders means around 12 to 14 knots before a session is worth rigging for. A foil lifts the board clear of the water at modest speed and then carries far less drag, so many riders can get going in 8 to 10 knots.

Experienced foilers often keep riding below that on flat water. In practice, a summer of days you used to write off as "not quite enough" becomes a summer of sessions. That, more than speed or racing, is why most people make the switch.

Does the 4Shor score show that kitefoiling works in lighter wind?

Yes, because the two sports are scored against different wind ranges. For an intermediate rider, 4Shor's kitesurfing score looks for a mean wind of roughly 11 to 19 knots, while the kitefoiling score looks for roughly 7 to 12 knots.

So on a 9 or 10 knot day you will often see the foil score sitting well above the twintip score for the same beach, and on a 20 knot day the reverse.

Two things the score does not do: it is built on the mean wind, not the gusts, and it does not know what kit you own. Check the gust figure yourself, which the forecast shows beside the score, and remember that "7 to 12 knots" assumes a kite big enough to fly in it.

What is the hardest part of switching from a twintip to a foil?

The hardest part of switching to a foil is balance along the length of the board. A twintip forgives a sloppy stance; a foil does not. Too much weight on your back foot and the foil rises, breaches the surface and drops you. Too much on the front foot and the nose dives.

Most of the first few sessions are spent finding a narrow band in between, and it feels unnatural precisely because years of twintip riding have taught your body to ignore it.

The second hurdle is unlearning edging. On a twintip you hold your line by digging in a rail against the pull of the kite. On a foil, the mast and wing do that job, and heavy edging just unsettles everything. Smooth, light inputs work better than strength.

Expect to ride worse than you have in years for a while. That is normal, and it passes.

How should a twintip rider learn to kitefoil?

A twintip rider should learn to kitefoil with a lesson from a qualified instructor, even if they are a confident kiter. Foiling has its own techniques and safety rules, and an instructor will save you weeks. Beyond that, a few choices make the process kinder, starting with a big, stable setup and a light, steady day of 12 to 15 knots at most.

• Start on a big, stable setup. A larger board and a lower-aspect beginner wing are slower and more forgiving than race kit. Short masts help too: falling from a little height hurts less than falling from a lot.
• Ride the board on the surface first. Spend time cruising with the foil underneath but the board touching the water, getting used to the feel before you try to fly.
• Pick a light, steady day. Your first foil sessions want 12 to 15 knots of clean wind at most, not a gusty 20. You need time to think, not to survive.
• Wear the safety kit. A helmet and impact vest are standard for foiling, not optional extras.

Is kitefoiling more dangerous than riding a twintip?

Kitefoiling carries different risks rather than clearly bigger ones. The mast and wing are hard, sharp-edged and do not flex, so a fall onto them, or near another rider's foil, can do real damage. Shallow water is a much bigger problem than on a twintip, because the foil reaches down a metre or so below the board.

Rocks, sandbars and low tide all matter more. That is why we would learn somewhere deep, flat and uncrowded, away from swimmers and launch areas, and always in cross-shore or cross-onshore wind. Offshore wind is dangerous for every kite discipline, and our kite scores mark it down hardest for less experienced riders. If you are new to kiting altogether, start with kitesurfing for beginners rather than a foil.

Once riders are competent, many find foiling calmer than a twintip in moderate wind, because you glide over chop rather than bouncing through it. But that comes with experience, and it does not cancel out the hardware risk.

Which conditions suit a foil and which suit a twintip?

A foil suits steady wind and flat or gently rolling water, while a twintip suits properly windy, messy water. Chop and short, steep waves unsettle a foil more than a twintip, and very strong wind makes a foil fast and hard to manage.

A 20-plus knot day with whitecaps is usually a twintip day for most riders. A 9 knot day on a flat bay is usually a foil day. Between those, it depends on the rider.

Do I need a new kite to start kitefoiling?

You do not necessarily need a new kite to start kitefoiling. Many riders start on the kites they already own, and because a foil needs less power, a kite that was "too small" for a light twintip day can be about right for a foil.

Dedicated foil kites, single-strut or strutless, are lighter and fly better in light air, but they are a later purchase, not a first one. Try a friend's foil, or a rental, before you spend money on any of it.

Will I stop riding my twintip once I learn to foil?

Most riders who learn to foil keep their twintip as well. The twintip stays for strong, choppy days and freestyle, and the foil takes the light-wind days that used to be write-offs.

Between them, they cover far more of the wind chart than either does alone, and that is the honest pitch for learning to foil.