Mythbusting: Hydrofoil Design in Wing Foiling

Learning to wing foil, downwind foil and dock start can be confusing at times with so many shoreside opinions shared. While everyone is just trying to be helpful we thought it was worth clearing up a few of the biggest misconceptions around hydrofoil design. We sat down with team rider Michi Näf to bust some common hydrofoil myths.
Explore our wide range of Foils here.
Myth 1: Glide can be measured!
In paragliding, you have a clear metric for glide ratio: how far you travel horizontally for every meter you descend. This provides a quantifiable metric that people follow. In wing foiling, a direct equivalent is less straightforward. It’s about finding your own rhythm, your own sweet spot, and experiencing the unique sensation of flight that only foiling can provide.
When we, at ENSIS, talk about ‘glide’, it’s not just about numbers and distances. It’s a deeply personal feeling, like finding your flow state. It’s not simply about maximising distance or time in the air. For some, it’s the thrill of that extended flight, pushing boundaries and seeing how far you can go. Others might find bliss in a slower, more meditative glide, where the effort is minimal and the sensation is pure joy. Low-aspect hydro foil design offers a more forgiving ride, allowing for slower speeds and a greater margin for error. High-aspect foils, on the other hand, can feel exhilarating with their ability to sustain high-speed flight.
Ultimately, the best glide is your choice! For beginners, glide might be defined by the simple joy of staying aloft. As riders progress, factors like pumping efficiency and the ability to maintain control in various conditions might become more important.

Myth 2: You can see Camber
Arriving at the beach with new foiling gear is always exciting. Everybody wants to take a look at your latest hydrofoil and imagine how it might ride from touch, twisting the mast and perhaps commenting on the “great camber”.
Camber refers to the curve of a foil’s surface. Imagine a line running through the center of the foil: this is the camber line. If the top surface of the foil curves more than the bottom, it has positive camber. If the bottom curves more, it has negative camber. A symmetrical foil has no camber, with both sides curving equally. It’s crucial in hydrofoil design as it directly influences how much lift the foil generates, as this lift allows wing foilers to glide above the water. Contrary to many wing foiling enthusiasts’ beliefs, Camber, is in fact, not visible to the naked eye when you’re inspecting a foil on the beach. What you can see is reflex.
Myth 3: Stacking it from cavitation!
Heroic stories of going so fast that cavitation caused a fall are commonplace at any foiling spot but this isn’t entirely accurate. Wing foilers often mistakenly attribute a loss of lift or a fall to ‘cavitation.’ However, true cavitation, where water evaporates due to extremely low pressure, is rare in wing foiling. The sensation most riders experience is likely ‘ventilation,’ where air gets trapped between the hydrofoil and the water surface. This can happen when the foil breaks through the surface of the water or due to air pockets near the water’s surface. Ventilation disrupts the smooth flow of water over the foil, causing a sudden loss of lift and that spin-out feeling. Unlike the extreme pressures and speeds encountered in high-performance racing boats like America’s Cup yachts, wing foiling typically operates within a range where ventilation is the likelier culprit of unexplained falls at speed.
Myth 4: High Aspect foils have more lift
High aspect foils are something that many riders aspire to ride and these long, narrow foils are associated with high efficiency cruising, excellent pumping characteristics and apparent endless glide. We have heard a lot of flawed “beach chatter” about the traits of these foils which do not paint the whole picture and fail to take into account the numerous other design factors such as foil section, thickness, span and area. In fact, many lower aspect, beginner friendly foils can have a lower take-off and stall speed due to a more “powerful” foil section. Discover our Pacer hydrofoil here.

Myth 5: Flex makes a huge difference
Some foilers and brands have communicated that a degree of flex in a foil setup can be the key to improved performance, in the way that is often used in the surf industry, but this is a misconception. Flex can lead to unpredictable behaviour. The sudden release of energy stored in the flex can feel uncontrollable and even lead to increased ventilation as the foil loses contact with the water. At ENSIS, we are experimenting with controlled flex in the foil’s stabiliser through extensive research and development. However, these are still in the early stages, and we’re not yet ready to introduce such designs into production.
In general, for 99% of riders, a stiff foil setup, from mast to connection system will offer the best behaviour. We have invested thousands of hours of development and testing to ensure that our latest foil system is as stiff as we can reasonably make it so that you can enjoy predictable and accurate behaviour from your new Ensis foils.

Myth 6: The bigger the foil – the greater the lift
Many people believe that larger foils automatically provide more lift and faster takeoffs. However, while surface area plays a role, it’s not the sole factor for lift. Modern foil design has evolved significantly. Today, smaller, more refined foils can generate surprising levels of lift due to advancements in foil shape, thickness, camber, and the use of varying foil sections across the span.
Factors like the foil’s aspect ratio, section, sweep, and dihedral also significantly influence lift generation. Not to mention the rider’s choice of board which plays a crucial role in determining overall performance and ease of takeoffs. Focusing solely on foil area can be misleading, it’s essential to consider the entire system, including the board, when you’re selecting the optimal foil.
Myth 7: CFD can create the perfect foil.
We’re all engineers on our lunch break right? After watching a few youtube videos we think that we truly understand the thousands of hours spent by highly trained engineers, test riders and composites experts.
CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is a valuable tool in foil design, but it’s not a magic wand. Creating a top-tier foil involves an iterative process. Initial designs are usually based on existing foil designs, blind tested by a panel of riders and then refined through simulations, adjusting parameters one by one.
Of the entire process, rider feedback is paramount. A foil that feels good on the water, even if it doesn’t perfectly align with initial CFD predictions, is often the superior choice. Our team has tested plenty of “perfect on paper” foils that do not perform as expected on the water to know this.
This human-centric approach, where experienced riders provide crucial feedback, guides the design process. It’s a collaborative effort between skilled engineers and insightful testers, where real-world performance ultimately refines the entire design. Interestingly, CFD often plays a supporting role, validating and refining designs that initially emerged from rider intuition and on-water testing.

Myth 8: Carbon fibre is the only material worth using
It’s well known that carbon fibre is often marketed as the superior material, for pretty much everything! However, it’s not the only option for high-performance foils. Ultra High-Modulus Carbon (UHM) allows for thinner, lighter constructions, potentially leading to improved performance, though often at a premium price.
And using the highest grade of carbon fibre is not where it ends. There is much more to the design than just the material. Layup schedules, the connection interfaces and selection of other materials in each component are equally important.
For example we invested a lot of resources into the mast to fuselage attachment, Not only is the shape inherently mechanically strong but we chose a brass “dogbone” entirely encased in carbon fibre to bolt into. Brass is naturally lubricating when combined with our high grade stainless bolts and has little to no galvanic corrosion in salt water.
Oh…. and we’ve also made every single bolt across our range Torx 30, meaning you only need to bring along one tool, and if you leave it at home, this is the most common size that you can borrow from a friend or fellow wing-foiler.
Aluminum masts and fuselages on the other hand, offer a compelling alternative. They are relatively lightweight, surprisingly stiff, and provide excellent value for most riders. Aluminum foil components are durable, making them a practical choice for beginners and intermediate riders alike.
Ultimately, the best material depends on individual priorities, budget, and riding style. We have designed our new foil Ecosystem so that our most budget friendly, beginner foil setup with a stiff aluminium mast is entirely compatible with our highest performing ACE components so that your ENSIS foils are a partner throughout your foiling progression.

Myth 9: You need a different foil for every occasion
Yes, having a quiver of foils can enhance versatility, open up foiling opportunities in a broader weather spectrum and allow us to explore more disciplines, but it isn’t always necessary for all riders to have a van full of foils.
Most riders can effectively navigate varied conditions with a single, well-designed foil. At ENSIS, we strive to create versatile foils that excel across a range of conditions and riding styles. However, highly advanced riders who push the boundaries of the sport may benefit from a quiver of foils to improve performance for specific disciplines like wave riding, freestyle, racing and pumping. For most wing foilers, a well-chosen all-around foil will provide a satisfying and enjoyable wing foiling experience.
One of the most prominent design criteria of our new ENSIS foil line-up was “range.” We have designed each foil to be usable in a wide range of conditions by riders of varied levels. This makes even our more advanced foil designs surprisingly user friendly and forgiving if the weather conditions change during your session. The adage “the best surfboard is the one you already have” holds true for foils as well, provided it meets your riding style and goals.
Myth 10: Brands develop foils for their team riders and just scale it to satisfy the wider market
This may be true but we do things differently at ENSIS. Of course we use our resource pool of fantastic team riders in developing new products. Their experience and insight is invaluable but we wanted to ensure that our new range of foils was accessible and user friendly while still delivering high performance.
Our testing panel, while it included most of our team of pro riders, was a much wider audience than you might expect.
- Age – from 12 To 65
- Weight – from 45kg To 100 Kg
- Male and female
- Proficiency – Weekend Warrior (Beginner intermediate) to international competitors.
We set out to develop a range of foils that offered all foilers access to high performance sensations.

Choosing the right hydrofoil can feel daunting at times when there is an overload of information, technical jargon and conflicting opinions out there. Hopefully, this blog has shed some light on common misconceptions and helped you understand that the best foil for you is the one that allows you to enjoy wing foiling most. Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or a seasoned pro pushing your limits, remember that foiling is a journey of personal discovery. Experiment, explore, and most importantly, have fun on the water!