What Foil Works Best in Waves and Swells? | High-Aspect vs. Mid-Aspect

The MACkite Foil Crew sat down to talk about which foils they like best for waves and swells. As you can guess, there isn't one right answer to this question. In addition to personal preference, it depends on your skill level, the conditions that day, and what sort of wave riding you plan to do. However, they do hope to help you build the best quiver for yourself with these concepts and insights.

Waves... What's in a Name?

So you've been foiling for a little while now and are looking to get into the waves for your next step. Great! This is a ton of fun. But... what is a wave? It may seem like a silly question, but really there are two main types of waves in foiling, and you may not want the same foil for both.

A swell is a rolling wave in deeper water. It crawls along smoothly for a great distance. As the swell gets into shallower water, it becomes a wave, increasing in height and power before it folds in half and breaks. You'll approach these differently and will likely choose a different foil depending on which you will be surfing. Are you going to be proning in the surf, or are you heading out for a 10-mile downwinder in the open swell?

Some areas get primarily one type of wave or the other, while others can see both. On Lake Michigan, we have mainly swell in the summer with the lighter breezes, making it ideal for downwinding. In the fall, the wind picks up and we get some nice breaking waves, which are also a lot of fun to play in. So foilers on the Great Lakes will probably want a quiver that's suited to both types of waves.

Wave Surf Foiling

For surfing breaking waves, a medium-high aspect foil works well. Look for wings around a 7-10 aspect ratio. These are less wide so that you can carve and make tight turns to stay in the pocket, yet can still glide and pump well enough to move between sections.

Downwind Swell Foiling

Downwinding in the swell is a much more mellow experience. You won't be doing that intense riding with tight carving. It's more important to be efficient and have plenty of glide and pump as you chase the swell and do some loose carves. High aspect ratio foils work well here; around 10-12 seems to be the sweet spot. If you go much lower, you may not have the efficiency to keep up with the swell and can fall behind it.

Wait, What Is Aspect Ratio?

The area of a wing is easy enough to understand; it's basically how much surface area a wing has, usually measured in square centimeters. In general, the greater the surface area, the more lift and stability a wing will have, but the more drag and resistance it will have to changing direction. But that's only part of the equation that determines how a wing will perform. So what is aspect ratio, and why is it important?

Mathematically speaking, the aspect ratio is calculated by taking the square of the wingspan and dividing it by the wing area but, even if that number isn't printed on the wing, you can look at it and get an idea of its aspect ratio since it defines the general shape of the wing. Some wings have a short wingspan, or side-to-side length of the wing, but are wider along the chord, or the front-to-back length of the wing. These have a lower aspect ratio number. A fighter jet with stubby wings that run nearly the length of the fuselage is highly maneuverable but still has plenty of lift when powered.

A high aspect wing is long and slender, like a passenger jet or a glider. It's stable and won't roll easily from side to side. It's incredibly efficient and generates lots of lift for its speed and glides well. A glider plane with its very long, thin wings has an aspect ratio of 30 or more so it can stay aloft and stable at low speeds. The fighter jet with its aspect ratio of 4 or 5 values maneuverability and speed.

Your wave foil should perform more like a fighter jet. You'll be moving quickly enough to give up efficiency for maneuverability, so a low aspect wing works well here. On the other hand, your downwind swell foil won't have the power of a breaking wave to speed it along, so you'll need something that's efficient. You'll be trading off maneuverability, but that's ok since you won't need to carve the way you do on a wave. Riding swell is more about getting that nice, long glide.

These are, of course, very general guidelines, and foil wings come in a spectrum of sizes and shapes to suit any style and conditions.

What's in Your Car?

For downwind swell, Ryan has been riding Axis Art V2 wings in the 900-1000 square cm range, and the Spitfire for waves. If he's prone riding he'll bump up a bit, but if he's riding the wind with a wing he can size down his foil.

Not surprisingly, Tucker keeps a range of foils in his car since he'll ride something different on a 2-foot breaking wave vs. a 10-foot overhead wave, but in general he'll use a Code 720S or 850S in head-high waves. With an aspect ratio of 9.5, these are still quite efficient, but are also fast, surfy, and carve well.

On a downwinder, Tucker will bump up the aspect ratio to 12 with the F-One Eagle X foil or Code R Series. Since the rolling swell doesn't pack as much punch, he wants to be able to make his turns without being on the verge of stalling, but he can still rip the swell on these.

In rolling swell, especially if it's moving fast, Jeff likes something in the 9-10 aspect ratio range like the F-One Eagle. He finds that as long as he's got the aspect ratio dialed in, he can size down, so he'll go out on the 890. It does help that there is usually wind to help generate speed since that's what creates the swell on the Great Lakes, so you may need to size up if you don't have that with your swell.

In the surf, Jeff will opt for something around an aspect ratio of 8, like the F-One SK8 750 or 850. He also enjoys the Axis Spitfire and the North SF 830.

Ow, My Wallet!

While the guys have the luxury of a room full of demo gear they can use to fine-tune their foil to the conditions, most people need to buy what they ride, and having a foil that's fine-tuned to every situation just isn't realistic. Fortunately, the crew doesn't just ride for fun; they're also out there figuring out what they can recommend to customers on budgets of all sizes, and there are indeed foils that can walk the line between riding rolling swell and crashing surf.

Foils like the AFS Enduro and the Code S series perform very well in both breaking waves and downwind swell. If you don't have the skills to make tight, critical turns in the waves, you can even pick a foil that leans towards downwind swell a little more. These will pump and glide better.

What About the Rest of the Foil?

Foils are more than just wings, and the stabilizer and fuselage you choose can make a big difference in the waves, too. While your front wing is doing the heavy lifting, your choice of stabilizer and fuselage is going to affect your carving and turning performance.

The best downwind stabilizers are very flat and efficient but can be squirrely or unpredictable in turns. However, the surfier ones can feel a little draggy, so it's important to find the right balance if you're looking for something you can use in both types of waves.

If you can get two different stabilizers, choose one that has a narrower span and some shape to it for breaking surf. That shape will give you some traction and something to push off of when you're turning. Out in the swell, go for a wide, high-aspect stabilizer with a flatter shape for efficient gliding and pumping.

A bit shorter fuselage is helpful in breaking waves. It'll give you the ability to do tighter, twitchier turns. A longer fuselage is great in the swell, though. It'll keep you flying efficiently and improve your glide and pumping ability. Since you're doing more yaw-oriented turns out there, it won't hold you back. Turns will be powerful, open turns rather than the tight, rolling turns in the surf.

Don't be afraid to mix and match your foil components. Experiment and see what you like. Want to try making tighter turns out in the swell? Put a shorter fuselage and a stabilizer with some anhedral on your gliding wing and go for it! The great thing about foiling is that there are no hard and fast rules. Play around and see what happens. You may stumble upon some combination that's magical for you.

Where your mast is mounted on the fuselage can change the feel of your ride as well, though you won't typically be able to change this on a given foil. If this is important to you, you'll want to look at what each brand does before buying into their ecosystem. If you can get to a demo event or borrow a friend's setup, that may help you find one you like. In general, the closer the mast is to the front wing, the more surfy and loose it's going to feel. The further apart they are, the more upwind drive and stability you'll get.

Where Should I Start?

Since wave riding isn't for beginners, we assume you've already got a foil setup. Take it out in some small waves and see how it feels. Then give us a call and tell us about your area and your riding goals. We love making recommendations- it's why we ride everything we can set our feet on! (Well, it's part of the reason, anyway...) Wave foiling is a ton of fun and never gets old since no two waves are exactly alike.

Shop Foil Gear

MACkite Subscription Links:

YouTube  |   Instagram  |   Spotify Oddcasts

Contact MACkite Below:

800.622.4655  |   Kiteboarder@MACkite.com  |   LIVE Chat Messenger