I have a very exciting story to share today: how I finally figured out kite foiling for the first time!
For those of you who have no idea what kite foiling is, don’t worry — I’ll explain in a moment. But first, let me set the scene.
We found this amazing sandbank off the coast of Zanzibar that, at low tide, sits about three metres above the water. The whole thing is probably a hundred metres long — so it’s pretty decent. At low tide there are heaps of local boats bringing loads of tourists out. The boat boys set up shade tents, cook lunch, and it turns into a proper little island.
But this all disappears by high tide — literally, there’s no sand! The tides here are around three metres, so it’s all gone: people, shades, boats, everything.
For us, this is perfect. We just anchor right behind it. At low tide it’s nice and flat; at high tide we ride the wind chop for a bit before it chills out again. Like I said — perfect!
Now that I’ve set the scene for where this monumental moment happened, let me explain exactly what kite foiling is.
Related:
How to Kitesurf Off a Boat: The Ultimate Guide
Surfboards on a Catamaran: How We Store and Care for Them
How We Transport Surfboards by Dinghy Without Damaging Them
What is Kite Foiling?
A foil board is kind of like a surfboard, but with a big mast underneath. If you’ve never seen one before, definitely look it up. The foil allows you to glide over the water instead of on it — unlike a normal kitesurfing board.
Most of the time, foil boards are paired with hand-held “wings” — basically an inflatable sail that you hold, letting you glide over the water.
But you can also match a kitesurfing kite with a foil board, and this is what I was determined to do: kite foiling… for the first time.
My Kite Foiling Experience (So Far)
I should probably explain how much foiling and kiting I’ve done before now — just so you know I didn’t decide to randomly give it a crack.
Dad taught me to kite when we lived on land, and I got riding on a board for the first time when I was nine, in New Caledonia. Since then, I’ve kited at every opportunity, and we’ve learned how to set up directly off our boat (read about that here).
I’ve also wind foiled — which I found tricky to learn at first, but once I got the hang of it, it became super fun and perfect for lighter or gusty winds. My youngest brother absolutely rips at it, doing crazy boosts and 360s (I haven’t reached that level… yet).
I’ve also done plenty of prone foiling — riding a wave on a foil board, like surfing but with that smooth, gliding feeling.
So yes, I know how to fly a kite well, and I have some solid foiling experience under my belt. All that was left was to actually give kite foiling a go.
When I Finally Got It
It was a bit cloudy, the sandbank had disappeared, and the wind was blowing 10–13 knots (I use Windy for forecasting, just for those interested). I decided it was time to have a crack at kite foiling for the first time.
I pumped my kite, set it up on the side (again, if you’re curious how we launch off the boat, check out this post). The wind was so light it took a few goes to get it in the air, but I managed.
Dad grabbed our smallest board — with the biggest foil and foot straps — and passed it to me. After drifting away from the boat, I tucked my feet in, still lying in the water, cut my kite to the right and… stood up.
The board tried to lift, but my kite lost power and I dropped back down — still standing, though. Cutting the kite again, I managed to get up on the foil… and stayed there! One arm out for balance, my left hand on the kite, knees bent to absorb the bumps.
Gliding across the water with no resistance is the coolest feeling. Once I was up, the kite happily flew with the apparent wind I was creating.
First Turns and First Wipeouts
Then came the tricky part: turning.
I flew the kite to twelve, cut it left a little, followed it with the board — and stayed foiling! I caught the kite, absorbed the tug, and was now going toeside. Sweet! Not so bad.
I was going so fast and so far upwind that I had to turn again before hitting the sandbank. Same move, just the other way. Caught the kite, made it.
After two more successful runs, I messed up a turn to the right and didn’t catch the kite. It dropped, and the board started zooming downwind with the chop — no leash.
I relaunched the kite, chased the board, and got going again. Feet in, cross-wind angle, cut the kite, stand up, foil, cut again, and… away! Once I was up, I could park the kite and just bar in and out.
The Challenge of Light Winds
The hardest part was heading downwind. In light winds, the kite loses power quickly, so you have to nurse it to keep it flying. Turning means briefly going downwind, so I had to be really careful. Stronger wind would have made this easier.
Still, I kept experimenting, foiling past the stern of the boat a few times before dropping the kite again. This time, it wouldn’t relaunch — the wind had dropped further. Dad came in the dinghy, reversed to create apparent wind, and I relaunched.
After that, I nailed a few more turns before one final wipeout — a “superman” launch off the board. I grabbed the board, relaunched the kite, and got one last run in.
Passing the Kite
My brother Ted was keen to try. I gave him the kite, talked him through it, and he managed to get up after a couple of tries. He also struggled with turns, crashing the kite way out. Dad and I went to pick him up, and I rode back to the boat.
Land the kite. Swim after the board. Paddle back. Step onboard and… I’d done it!
The End (for Now)
And that’s the (slightly long) story of me kite foiling for the first time successfully. I’m looking forward to learning more and getting better, but for now, I’m absolutely stoked to have finally done it.
If you’re keen to know more about how we store foils, my kitesurfing journey so far, or anything else, let me know in the comments!
Oh, and if you’ve tried kite foiling, any hot tips are welcome.