Do I Need Prior Watersports Experience to Learn eFoiling?

One of the most common questions people ask before getting into eFoiling is whether they need prior experience in watersports. The short answer is no, you don’t need any watersports experience to learn eFoiling! You don’t even need to be particularly athletic.

eFoiling is accessible to everyone, from newbies to seasoned athletes, thanks to its gentle learning curve and the wide range of gear options available to suit different skill levels. However, having some experience with certain watersports can help, especially if you want to advance quickly or aim for high performance. Most people can learn in 30 minutes to two hours with good instruction and the right gear.

Riders with Hydrofoil experience are in an exciting position as they can dial in and start with specialty and advanced eFoil equipment. Riders with watersports experience have a small head start but must consider a few things. Riders with no experience face a larger J curve, but the good news is that there is a clear path and many gear options that will significantly impact how quickly they learn.

1. Can I learn to eFoil If I have never done another water sport?
2. Will wingfoil experience help me eFoil?
3. Will kite foil experience help me eFoil?
4. Will surf experience help me eFoil?
5. Will Kiteboarding help me eFoil?
6. Consider your previous gear when eFoiling.

Can I learn to eFoil if I have never done another water sport?

No experience? No Problem! Even if you have never tried watersports, you can still learn to eFoil. eFoiling is designed to be user-friendly, with many eFoils featuring advanced stabilization systems and user-friendly controls that make it easier for beginners to get started. Choosing the proper setup is the key to learning eFoiling without prior experience. Beginners often start with high-volume boards, like the Fliteboard 100 liter, with larger wings, such as the Cruister Jet 1500 wing. These setups provide extra stability and lift, making balancing and learning the basics easier without feeling overwhelmed.

Athletic Ability Helps but Isn’t Essential

While being athletic or having good balance and coordination can speed up the learning process, it’s not required. The beauty of eFoiling is that it’s more about finesse and technique than raw physical strength or agility. With patience and practice, even those who don’t consider themselves athletes can master the fundamentals of eFoiling and enjoy a smooth ride.

Will Wingfoil Experience Help Me eFoil?

Absolutely! If you have experience with wing foiling, you’re already familiar with the basic mechanics of balancing on a hydrofoil and controlling your speed and direction. Wing foiling involves managing a foil board with a wing in hand, which requires coordination, balance, and the ability to control foil lift—all of which are directly transferable skills to eFoiling.

Consider the volume of your wingboard and the foils you are already using. Riders who use a sinker board will love a small eFoil board. If you are winging with a higher-volume board like an 85-liter, you might be surprised how much easier eFoiling is. Unlike the wind, the motor provides consistent power, so stability is far less of an issue. A 67-liter board is something many might start with.

With your wing foiling background, you’ll find the transition to eFoiling smoother than anyone from another sport, except prone foiling. This will allow you to tackle more advanced gear like the Fliteboard Pro or Ultra L2 right away.

Will Kitefoil Experience Help Me eFoil?

Yes, kitefoil experience is a huge advantage when learning to eFoil. If you’re a kite foiler, you already have a strong foundation in hydrofoil balance and pressure control. These skills will make eFoiling feel like a natural progression. Kitefoilers typically have experience managing their weight distribution and making micro-adjustments to stay balanced—skills crucial for eFoiling.

Choose Advanced Gear: If you’re a pocket board hero or rock a smaller foil, you should start with the most advanced gear. For kite foilers, the Fliteboard Pro or the Ultra L2 with performance-based wings like the Flow, Race, or Mark Newson wings will provide a seamless transition to high-performance eFoiling.

Will Surf Experience Help Me eFoil?

Surfing experience will definitely help! Surfing is a demanding sport requiring high athleticism, patience, balance, and core strength. Surfers develop exceptional body control and stability by constantly adjusting to changing waves. This ability to maintain balance while dropping in, reading waves, and making instant adjustments will make eFoil feel easy.

How much time will I save? Learning to surf often takes weeks or even months of practice to build the necessary skills and endurance to catch waves consistently and ride them with control. In contrast, learning to eFoil is much quicker. Most beginners can get up and ride on an eFoil with proper instruction in less than a few hours. Expect to learn in about 30 minutes.

Surfers often find the initial stages of eFoiling easy. Their familiarity with board sports and honed athletic skills help them grasp the basics of controlling the foil and balancing the board quickly. This allows them to bypass much of the initial learning curve, making the transition to eFoiling a breeze.

What if I prone surf foil? If you prone surf foil, you’re already a foil master. Consider the Ultra L2 paired with the Mark Newsome Wave eFoil and the Mn Wave wings.

This setup will be the closest you can get to a prone foil with an eFoil. Imagine charging into waves without paddling, pumping, or working too hard. You can use the motor to catch the best waves of the day.

Will Kiteboarding Experience Help Me eFoil?

You bet it will! Kiteboarders naturally develop strong proprioception, or the ability to sense the position and movement of one’s body in space. Kiters must continuously adjust their body position to maintain balance on the board, control the kite, and navigate changing conditions.

This experience builds a deep sense of body awareness. Kitesurfers instinctively understand how to distribute their weight and make fine adjustments to stay balanced.

These skills are valuable when transitioning to eFoiling, where balance and weight distribution are crucial to controlling the foil’s height and direction. Kiteboarders will find that their ability to make quick, subtle adjustments with their bodies makes the learning curve for eFoiling smoother and more intuitive.

However, kiteboarding on a Twintip doesn’t directly involve a hydrofoil, so there will still be a small J-curve as you adjust to the unique balance and pressure requirements of an eFoil. The good news is you are used to putting in lots of work to learn something. Learning to eFoil is exponentially faster. You can anticipate about a 30-minute learning curve in an eFoil lesson with beginner gear. Then upgrade to advanced setups like the Fliteboard Pro with 1100 wings for a quicker path to performance-level riding.

Anticipate another 1 to 2 hours to master this equipment. Nothing compared to the time spent learning to fly a kite.

Consider Your Previous Gear When Choosing Your eFoil Setup.

When transitioning from another watersport to eFoiling, it’s essential to consider the size of the board and the foil you have used in your previous sport. If you have experience using a very small kitefoil or a sinker wingfoil board, anything 50 liters and under, crossing over to the most advanced eFoil, like the Ultra L2, will be no issue. Riders accustomed to small, agile boards will appreciate the maneuverability and responsiveness of the Ultra L2, which is designed for high-performance and advanced maneuvers.

Similarly, the size of the foil wing you’ve used in the past is an important factor. If you are accustomed to riding with something like an 1100 cm wing, this is a great place to start when transitioning to eFoiling. However, you might consider sizing down slightly, as the motorized aspect of eFoiling provides additional lift and power, making it easier to get up and maintain flight. A slightly smaller wing will also allow quicker maneuvers and more dynamic riding, which can be particularly appealing for those with a background in other hydrofoil sports.

What if I want to push myself? At Emerald Wake, we advocate for all riders to at least consider the Fliteboard Pro and the 1100 wings. This combination offers a perfect balance of performance and versatility. It’s an easy setup for those with foil experience, slightly more challenging for those with general watersports experience, and quite a bit of work for those who are entirely new to watersports. However, for those without sports experience, it’s important to note that you will quickly outgrow beginner equipment.

Ultimately, the choice comes down to the type of experience you want on the water. If you prefer a more leisurely, easy-going ride, starting with a more forgiving setup makes sense. But if you’re looking for a more dynamic sport with goals and a sense of progression, opting for more advanced gear will offer a more rewarding experience in the long run.