Wing foiling in every season

What did we used to do on days like this? Not enough wind for windsurfing, so no waves along the coast either; too wet for mountain biking; and the snow and mountains far away. The solution: Thanks to wing foiling, you can enjoy an action-packed water sport in northern Germany’s dreary weather about three times a week on average.

And you don’t even have to go to the ocean. A moderate wind of 12–15 knots is enough to get airborne in the gusts and carve out your lines on a lake. This works just fine in winter, too. Even when temperatures are in the single digits, you can head out onto the water comfortably with a 6/4 wetsuit, a hood, 7mm boots and warm gloves.

A board with a volume equal to your body weight strikes a good balance in terms of lift, allowing you to take advantage of gusts for a quick takeoff even in lighter winds. When foiling, you’ll stay up even if the wind drops below 10 knots. And in lulls, you’ll have enough lift to avoid having to come down - an especially important consideration in winter.

These days, a 4-square-meter wing is enough for me to get up on the foil in gusty conditions. The shorter wingspan (usually around 3 meters) makes it easier to pump up dynamically than larger wings. Just keep an eye on the water’s surface, use the gusts to get up on the foil, and let the fun begin.

Of course, it depends on your weight and height, but in my case, I rarely take out a 5-meter wing anymore. For days with strong winds, I still have a 3.0-meter wing in my quiver - that’s it.

Under the tail is an 850 cm² front wing with an 82 cm wingspan; it’s suitable for all conditions, fast, and handles tight turns well. Only in waves might you want to go 100–200 cm² smaller.

Here’s a short clip from a session on December 11, 2025 - having fun on the lake with an air temperature of around 8°C. Windsurfing wouldn’t have worked even with a 6-square-meter sail, but with wing foil gear, you can glide across the water almost nonstop.

The gear: ADX 4.0 wing and 72-liter board from Naish, Sk8 foil from F-One (front wing 850 cm², stabilizer 180 cm², mast 85 cm)

Text: Jürgen Schall Photos/Videos: Jürgen Schall DE

back to ''