Best SUP foiling equipment for flat water in 2024

There is currently a lot of people interested in SUP foiling as downwinding has gotten more popular.
As the foils have been getting more efficient and powerful the need of wind or waves giving extra power has diminished. Many people are now able to do flat water starts on a SUP foil without being a professional athlete or an all round waterman. Without any foiling or SUP paddling experience the road might be quite rocky.

If you are familiar at sprinting with a paddleboard and have some foiling experience with the right equipment you can learn flat water SUP foiling

Here i will go thru what kind of equipment you need for flat water SUP foiling. Don’t get me wrong these equipment are very usable for downwind foiling and wing foiling.

Flat water SUP foiling boards for flat water

Board volume

Board should have volume around 95-140 liters. Board volume of course depends on the paddlers weight. A good rule of thumb is paddler weight (kg) x 1.5 = board volume in liters.

For example my weight is around 74 kg, 74 kg x 1.5 = 111 liters. So i should look for a board around 111 liters.

Board length

Board length should be around 7-8′. Wet board length defines the maximum hull speed of the board. Longer board has higher max hull speed.
Now when where are talking about getting the board lifting/popping out of the water and on the foil the max hull speed doesn’t solve all. A very long board is harder to ollie out of the water and reduce the wet surface.

Board width

Wingspan of your foil wing will help a lot with your boards lateral stability. In flat water most of the people can get away with even a 19″ wide board.
A narrow board allows for more efficient paddle strokes and is easier to paddle the board straight. If you are planning on using the same board for downwind don’t go too narrow.
Board width should be around 19-23″.

Flat water SUP foiling Paddles

For SUP foiling you wan’t a paddle that is best suited for sprinting. This means a stiff paddle with a larger blade. Paddle length should be on a shorter side. You can start with an adjustable paddle.

Here you can find a good guide for paddle length.

Blade size

Blade can be quite large as you are not paddling for long distances. Larger paddle also let’s you get away from not burring the whole blade during the power phase of your stroke.

I would recommend a blade size around 88-100in^2 (567-643cm^3).

Flat water SUP foiling foils

Mast

Long mast will generate more resistance going thru water. Use a shorter mast for flat water paddle ups.
I would recommend mast in 65-80cm range.

Foil wing size

Starboard glider 2 foil. SUP foiling.

Large High Aspect wings are the best for SUP flatwater foiling. Surface area for maximum lift and wide to give you lateral stability. With a wide wing you can get away with narrower board also.
I recommend front wing size of 1400-2000cm^2. Aspect ratio should be around 7.5-9.8. This gives you wingspan around 102-140cm.
A bigger tail wing will also give you more lift. So look for the bigger sizes.
I don’t have the needed experience to comment on the fuselage length but you really should experiment what is the length that suits you pumping and palling cadence.

Good pop up tutorial from Jeremy Riggs.


Pullup & Dip Calisthenics equipment.

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