So you’ve found this page either by accident or you’ve be intrigued by watching someone throw themselves onto a small board above the surface of the water, off a ladder and onto a floating surfboard !
The rider is propelled forward by the lifting force of a hydrofoil, the ladder is just the means used to gain speed and height above the water, and some more advanced at this task will use a pontoon , a rock or even a log.
Enter British ladder expert company – CHASE LADDERS who after some prompting decided to take a design brief and design a ladder platform to help those crazy enough to want to jump off a ladder onto a ‘bladed’ floating surfboard.
It’s an addictive pastime, making you want to win the game even though you don’t see the finish for weeks.
We reckon on your own, you need to give foil pumping 15-30 hours of your time before you start to gain momentum and start achieving longer runs by part pumping – part hovering above the surface of the water for up to a minute .
The record is over an hour , and a US advocate of the sport Wake Thief aka Devon offers a free hat to those who achieve over a minute !
Why ?
Why indeed , Hydro foiling is the newest water sport on the scene and has many guises. The simplest is body, board and hydrofoil using rhythm and speed in the athlete to achieve flight until the imminent splash. Learning to pump foil is best suited to those who may have friends to help the process seem enjoyable, as after spending over a thousand pounds on the kit the hard earned rewards are made more euphoric when shared with a wingman.
Foil surf UK offers a 60 minute introduction to the Dockstar ladder , the board , the foil and the technique in Swansea , south wales .
You may leave with a ladder which doubles as an epic painting platform or the exhilaration of learning to skim the waves like a bird
For Details – email [email protected]