What Is Wingfoiling and Why Does Everyone Want to Try It

Wingfoiling = a wing in your hands + a hydrofoil under your board. What it is, how it differs from kitesurfing, and how El Gouna sessions use the actual water depth and conditions.

Over the past few years, a quiet revolution has been happening on the water. Alongside kitesurfers, people have started appearing with inflatable wings in their hands, standing on boards with underwater foils, literally flying above the surface. That’s wingfoiling. And yes, it’s as cool as it looks.

If you’ve heard about it but don’t know exactly what it involves — this article is for you.

What It Actually Is

Wingfoiling combines two elements:

Wing: An inflatable wing that you hold in your hands. It has no kite lines; you grip its handles and control the power directly. A wrist leash keeps it connected if you release it. That removes line-related hazards but does not make loss of control consequence-free: you still need space, a suitable setup and instruction.

Hydrofoil: An underwater wing attached to the board on a mast. Once you pick up speed, the foil lifts you above the surface. The board separates from the water and you glide above it — silently, smoothly, with minimal resistance.

Together, these create a sensation that’s unlike anything else. It’s not like kitesurfing, it’s not like surfing. It’s something entirely new. If you want the technical breakdown of how the foil generates lift, read how a hydrofoil works.

Why Wingfoiling Is So Popular

There are several reasons wingfoiling is exploding:

Can work in lighter wind. A hydrofoil may become efficient in lighter wind than a non-foil kiteboard, but safe rideability still depends on rider weight and skill, wing and foil size, measured wind, water depth and conditions. It is an extra option, not a guarantee that a light-wind period produces a session.

Simpler setup. No inflating a kite, no untangling lines. You pump up the wing by hand in a couple of minutes, grab the board, and go. Packing up is equally quick.

A different hazard profile. A wing has no kite lines, which simplifies some parts of the setup. The foil, board, leash and weather still create real risks, so beginners learn controlled release, safe falling technique, spacing and equipment handling with a coach.

Quiet gliding sensation. Once the foil lifts, the board has less contact with the surface and the ride can feel notably quieter. Wind, chop, traffic and equipment still create sound and movement.

Packable equipment. A wing deflates and a foil disassembles, although the full travel volume and baggage allowance depend on the board, mast, protection and airline.

Wingfoiling vs. Kitesurfing

This question comes up constantly, so let’s clarify:

	Kitesurfing	Wingfoiling
Minimum wind	Depends on rider, kite, board and conditions	Depends on rider, wing, foil, board, depth and conditions
Time to first rides	No fixed hour count	No fixed hour count
Setup time	15–20 minutes	about 5 minutes
Adrenaline	Higher (jumps, height)	Different (flow, flying above water)
Space requirements	Larger (20–25 m lines)	Smaller
Feel	Pull, speed, energy	Gliding, silence, freedom

These aren’t competing sports — they complement each other. Many of our guests do both. Wing in the morning when the wind is lighter, kite in the afternoon when it’s stronger. In El Gouna, this makes perfect sense. For a deeper side-by-side, see kitesurfing vs wingfoiling.

Why El Gouna Is Ideal for Wingfoiling

The reasons are essentially the same as for kitesurfing, with one extra bonus:

Shallows to learn, a deeper zone to fly. In our lagoon, the first roughly 800 m is knee-to-waist deep over sand for wing handling and board control. Foiling uses a dedicated deeper zone when tide and conditions provide suitable mast clearance. Depth and mast choice are checked before each session.

Usually flat water. There is no regular shore break in the lagoon, but wind chop and water movement vary. Beginners use a large-volume board, and the team chooses the foil zone and timing from the actual depth and conditions.

Bottom and zone selection. The first roughly 800 m teaching area is over sand. Foil work uses the separate deeper zone only after the team checks the actual depth, bottom clearance, traffic and conditions; no page-wide statement can guarantee that every route is free of hard hazards.

Plan from measured conditions. A foil can expand the useful range for some riders, but no month is automatically ideal. Use our month-by-month station data as history, then check the live forecast, actual depth and suitable equipment for the session.

What a Wingfoil Course Looks Like with Us

The beginner wingfoil course is a structured 5-hour block. Standard lessons have a maximum of two students per instructor with one complete setup; students alternate. Private 1:1 is also available. Two-way BB Talkin helmets let the instructor coach in real time.

The course covers:

1. Theory on the beach — how the wing works, safety, the wind window
2. Handling the wing on land — controlling the wing on dry sand, walking with it in hand
3. Wing on the water without the foil — standing on a large board and learning to steer the wing on the water
4. Foil drills when ready — the coach adds the foil only when demonstrated control, depth and conditions are suitable

The five-hour course is a structured start, not a promise that every student will foil within the package. Some riders reach first foil attempts during it; others need additional coached time. Prior experience, coordination, wind, depth and the skills demonstrated set the pace.

All equipment is provided by us — Flysurfer wings and Levitaz hydrofoils. You don’t need to bring anything of your own.

Who Is Wingfoiling For

I don’t like it when people say “wingfoiling is for everyone.” That’s not entirely true — it does require a certain level of balance and coordination. But a surprisingly wide range of people manage to learn it:

• Kitesurfers who want something new and want to ride even in lighter wind
• Surfers and SUP paddlers who already have a feel for board sports
• Complete beginners who want to start with a wing instead of a kite
• Older athletes whose fitness, balance and health assessment suit the equipment and conditions
• Children from around age 10 after an individual assessment of water confidence, strength, equipment and conditions

SUP, windsurfing, surfing or kitesurfing experience can help, but none guarantees a fixed learning speed or independent level.

Equipment

For the course we use Flysurfer wings — we’ve been Flysurfer’s official distributor and test point since 2009 — and Levitaz, the German hydrofoils we’ve worked with since 2015. After the course, independent wing rental is possible only if a practical check confirms the required control and safety skills; course completion alone is not rental clearance. If you decide to buy your own gear, our shop carries Flysurfer wings and Levitaz foils on site.

Conclusion

Wingfoiling combines direct wing control with the distinctive sensation of a hydrofoil. It is rewarding, but neither simple nor risk-free in every condition.

At Kitepower, initial drills use the first roughly 800 m teaching area when the actual depth allows, and foil work moves to the separate deeper zone after a live check. The 5-hour course is a structured start; progress and the IWO skills recorded depend on what the rider actually demonstrates.

Interested? Take a look at our wingfoil courses or book online.

Lukáš Vogeltanz Kitepower El Gouna