There is a turning point in every sport where you go from novelty to being taken seriously. I think windsurf foiling just reached that point... at least here in Western Australia.

Seriously awesome sailing:

If foil sales are any indication, then, yes, foiling (wind, sup, kite, tow) has gone mainstream.

In the summer of 2019 in the gorge at the Event Site and Jensen, you saw more foils out there than fins. At the big-wind bump and jump spots (Doug's and Hatch) you still see more fins. Seattle-Puget Sound is going hard over toward foils. I believe this will only continue as the gear gets better.

Florida, with shallow waters everywhere except offshore, is still almost exclusively fins, especially for the snowbird crowd. To foil, you have to watch the tides. Fred Howard Park on the west side is foilable when the tide is high (tide swings are only 18" on the Gulf side), but I, and one kiter, are the only foils amid a crowd of a few dozen fins sailed by Canadian snowbirds. Down closer to Clearwater I have found a nice big inshore pool with deep enough water, even at low tide, and a nice launch, but I am usually all by myself out there, with a few powerboats, kayaks, and the odd cat or two.

What is amazing now are the drone footages. Wow. Nice.

The Dutchies crew really are getting it dialed in and making it look fun..
Great camera and editing work Thomas.

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segler said..
If foil sales are any indication, then, yes, foiling (wind, sup, kite, tow) has gone mainstream.

In the summer of 2019 in the gorge at the Event Site and Jensen, you saw more foils out there than fins. At the big-wind bump and jump spots (Doug's and Hatch) you still see more fins. Seattle-Puget Sound is going hard over toward foils. I believe this will only continue as the gear gets better.

Florida, with shallow waters everywhere except offshore, is still almost exclusively fins, especially for the snowbird crowd. To foil, you have to watch the tides. Fred Howard Park on the west side is foilable when the tide is high (tide swings are only 18" on the Gulf side), but I, and one kiter, are the only foils amid a crowd of a few dozen fins sailed by Canadian snowbirds. Down closer to Clearwater I have found a nice big inshore pool with deep enough water, even at low tide, and a nice launch, but I am usually all by myself out there, with a few powerboats, kayaks, and the odd cat or two.

What is amazing now are the drone footages. Wow. Nice.

Visit Clearwater Community Sailing Center while you are down there. You'll see some of the best young foilers in the country. There's a park beside it to launch from, iirc. www.facebook.com/sailclearwater/

Now watch it with "Yakety Sax" playing instead of the "laser beams coming out of my fingers while I canyon run the death star" soundtrack

Terrific sailing. I'd love to be able to do that but I don't think I'd survive the learning stacks..

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sboardcrazy said..
Terrific sailing. I'd love to be able to do that but I don't think I'd survive the learning stacks..

Sue - it's not difficult to learn and you can laugh off the stacks

If you start with the SS 76 wing and a 60cm foil mast you'll be foiling slowly - less than 15 knots.
Falling at that speed from half a metre up is no big deal - it's actually kinda fun