So I'm curious,

is 2026 the year you all come back to the fin side!

fin, fin, fin, fin..

no way!
(wind)foiling is a no u-turn road

Hope you got out today

No coming back for me, and my knees love it!!!

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Gestalt said..
So I'm curious,

is 2026 the year you all come back to the fin side!

fin, fin, fin, fin..

Foils are just horizontal fins.

Select to expand quote

Gestalt said..
So I'm curious,

is 2026 the year you all come back to the fin side!

fin, fin, fin, fin..

Foils are just horizontal fins.

Select to expand quote

hardpole said..

Gestalt said..
So I'm curious,

is 2026 the year you all come back to the fin side!

fin, fin, fin, fin..

Foils are just horizontal fins.

Or... are fins vertical foils?

I'd love to be primarily fin, but the wind here isn't good enough for much time on the water.

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Gestalt said..
So I'm curious,

is 2026 the year you all come back to the fin side!

fin, fin, fin, fin..

No it's not, but after about six years wind/wing foiling I'll do at least one short fin session. I must admit that I made same promise 2 years ago and year ago, but this time I'll keep my promise...maybe.

Winging has really taken off where I live. The light wind potential and ease on body parts being very attractive to a lot of people.

Still not sure if I should learn winging. I windfoil up to around 20 knots wind, then use the fin. Winging would overlap with windfoil, might be easier for travelling, but then after early stages would involve spending more money on proper gear.

I was with you up till you said you windfoil. kidding.. lol.

i've avoided all of the windsurfers usual extra curricula activities, kiting, winging, foiling...etc.. although is this the year I try windfoiling? Prob not.

Gestalt, windfoiling would replace sailing your LT. You like sailing your LT, so it's understandable that you have no desire to windfoil

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mr love said..
No coming back for me, and my knees love it!!!

So do i

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Gestalt said..
I was with you up till you said you windfoil. kidding.. lol.

i've avoided all of the windsurfers usual extra curricula activities, kiting, winging, foiling...etc.. although is this the year I try windfoiling? Prob not.

Sounds like Gestalt is afraid he might like it.
If so, you should be.
my fin board doesnt get wet that often anymore.
Just try man.
You only live once.


I still love going on fin though.

While I still love getting out on the fin, these days GPS-wise, I feel like I've got more to work on with the foil in that 8-18 knot range than I do on a fin. That said, if I rock up late to Wello and it's already blowing 15-18 knots, I'll usually grab the fin because it's quicker to get on the water. If I'm there earlier and the wind builds through the day, I'll generally just step down in wing or sail size on the foil since it's already rigged. Also this is all tide dependent as well...

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John340 said..
Gestalt, windfoiling would replace sailing your LT. You like sailing your LT, so it's understandable that you have no desire to windfoil

It's that or it's being in the surf. to many options.

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Cornholio said..

Gestalt said..
I was with you up till you said you windfoil. kidding.. lol.

i've avoided all of the windsurfers usual extra curricula activities, kiting, winging, foiling...etc.. although is this the year I try windfoiling? Prob not.

Sounds like Gestalt is afraid he might like it.
If so, you should be.
my fin board doesnt get wet that often anymore.
Just try man.
You only live once.


I still love going on fin though.

I've toyed with the idea but to be honest the 3 spots I usually sail have a lot of shallow spots. My local doesn't see many foilers as it's too shallow

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Gestalt said..

Cornholio said..

Gestalt said..
I was with you up till you said you windfoil. kidding.. lol.

i've avoided all of the windsurfers usual extra curricula activities, kiting, winging, foiling...etc.. although is this the year I try windfoiling? Prob not.

Sounds like Gestalt is afraid he might like it.
If so, you should be.
my fin board doesnt get wet that often anymore.
Just try man.
You only live once.


I still love going on fin though.

I've toyed with the idea but to be honest the 3 spots I usually sail have a lot of shallow spots. My local doesn't see many foilers as it's too shallow

Well fin it is then.
wouldnt bother trying if the spot is not ideal.
shallow spots are tricky.
and often weeds like to grow there as well.
which are a pain in the . for foiling.
sometimes for fin.
But nothing a proper weedfin can't solve.

Since it is wave sailing season, I am currently going the way of the fin. In a couple of months when the surf goes away and the sea breeze kicks it it will be time for the foil.

My session number/day number more than doubled when I started foiling. I used to need about 17 to get going on a 5.7 (tide depending) and now that sail will fly me in 12. Add in that I can now "ride" 2 foot wind swell and I don't expect my habits to change much. I do want to get in more fin sessions on the very high wind days, but my commitment to foil is not at risk.

Started in 75'. At 63 yo, I'm not going back to fin. Foiling doesn't require near the strength and is easier on the joints. Plus I can go upwind like crazy and "travel". I only go out in 18-35 knots and screaming around on tiny sails is just sooo much fun.

I still foil for the light stuff, but when it is windy I am happily back on a fin. If 2026 means more powered fin days, I am in ??

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John340 said..
Gestalt, windfoiling would replace sailing your LT. You like sailing your LT, so it's understandable that you have no desire to windfoil

Some of us do both. I sailed five six boards in 2025: 3 4 windfoil, LT and Equipe.

* I have too many windfoil boards

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Paducah said..

John340 said..
Gestalt, windfoiling would replace sailing your LT. You like sailing your LT, so it's understandable that you have no desire to windfoil

Some of us do both. I sailed five six boards in 2025: 3 4 windfoil, LT and Equipe.

* I have too many windfoil boards

Both! I love my beginner board for working out new moves and for teaching the basics to future windsurfers. I can see an inflatable longboard in my future. I have added a pump foil wing to my quiver of foils and there are suddenly very few days I can't go foiling. 2026 has already started out salty!

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jusavina said..
Or... are fins vertical foils?

yes.





Same regatta weekend this past autumn. I took a throw out Sunday (didn't affect my placing) to race the foil and keep my wingfoil buddies honest. It looks light but it was a "long distance" race and it was 20 kts by the time we got out in the channel.

My prediction for 2026

Windsurfers continue to jump to winging. As they improve on the wing they will spend less and less time on fin and many will give up fin all together. I see it happen all the time.
Windfoilers will also jump to wing..both freeride and racing. If it were not for iQ foil being an Olympic sport windfoil racing would be in trouble.
Freeride windfoil will become even more niche, manufacturers will dump it as the market is not there.
Wingers in windier / wavier places will jump to parawing....its the hot thing at the moment.

Session on fin today validated my mostly foil decision.First half gusty on off 15-30 knots and large swell (logo high) this is where foil shines. Nothing worse than slogging on fin. Regrett set in and back to the beach.Then the forecast came true 25+ on 4.0 and 86ltr FSW. So good!!! Will always keep a fin in the quiver but foil wins 99% of the time

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mr love said..
My prediction for 2026

Windsurfers continue to jump to winging. As they improve on the wing they will spend less and less time on fin and many will give up fin all together. I see it happen all the time.
Windfoilers will also jump to wing..both freeride and racing. If it were not for iQ foil being an Olympic sport windfoil racing would be in trouble.
Freeride windfoil will become even more niche, manufacturers will dump it as the market is not there.
Wingers in windier / wavier places will jump to parawing....it's parawings the hot thing at the moment.

More parawings than wings at our local now, yes we have wind and swell. Last season it was downwind with a paddle, now the paddle is ditched for the parawing. The car shuffle is dwindling too with the newer parawings offering much better upwind performance.
Still a few wind foils occasionally and fins when the wind is up but the fin guys spend a lot of time watching the forecast and dreaming of wind.

Windfoiling has no future, the only people who do it are old blokes who come from a windsurfing background. If you are a beginner, it is way too hard to learn from scratch. Most manufactures have lost interest in improving their windfoils as there is no return.
Winging is much easier to learn, easier on your body, cheaper and easier to fit in your car this is why it has become so popular.
Lake Macquarie would be 80% winging, 10% Windfoil, 5% windsurf, 5% Kites. If we had steady 20kt winds everyday we would all still be windsurfing, but if you want to sail regularly and enjoy it then foiling is the only way.

What's funny with all the hype around winging is that I know of two people, who have never done windsports before.

Both of them decided to get into kiting within the last year. Not winging. Not windsurfing.