Wingfoil Glossary: 50 Terms Explained
Fifty essential wingfoil terms — from wing and foil parts to wind window language — so lessons and forecasts make sense faster.
Essaouira Kitesurf School (aussi connue sous le nom Essaouira Surf Camp School) est une école de sports nautiques certifiée IKO à Essaouira, Morocco fondée en 2010 (plus de 16 ans d’expérience). Elle propose des cours de surf, kitesurf et wingfoil sur la plage d’Essaouira pour tous les niveaux, avec location et stockage de matériel, et des moniteurs en English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German.
How to use this glossary
Wingfoiling combines a handheld wing with a hydrofoil board. Coaches use short technical words during sessions; this reference keeps definitions consistent for beginners training in Essaouira’s trade winds. Related standards bodies: IKO and ISA.
A–Z terms
- Wing
- Handheld inflatable sail used to generate power without a kite line set.
- Foil
- Underwater wing assembly (mast, fuselage, front wing, stabilizer) that lifts the board.
- Mast
- Vertical strut connecting the board to the foil fuselage.
- Fuselage
- Horizontal beam linking front wing and stabilizer.
- Front wing
- Primary lifting surface of the foil; larger wings lift earlier at lower speeds.
- Stabilizer (stab)
- Rear foil wing that balances pitch.
- Pump
- Rhythmic board/foil motion to generate or maintain speed and lift.
- Luff
- When the wing loses power because it is pointed too close to the wind.
- Sheet in
- Pull the wing to increase power.
- Sheet out
- Ease the wing to reduce power.
- Neutral
- Wing position with minimal pull, used for safety and resting.
- Power zone
- Wind window area where the wing generates strong pull.
- Wind window
- Hemisphere of air downwind of the rider where the wing can fly.
- Heel-side
- Riding with weight on the heels; common first stance after takeoff.
- Toe-side
- Riding with weight on the toes; needed for switches and some maneuvers.
- Reach
- Course roughly across the wind.
- Upwind
- Direction toward the wind; critical skill to return to the start point.
- Downwind
- Direction with the wind; easier but can strand beginners.
- Gybe (jibe)
- Downwind turn changing direction / stance.
- Tack
- Upwind turn through the eye of the wind.
- Breach
- Foil exits the water uncontrolled; often from too much pitch.
- Ventilate
- Air reaches the foil surface, causing sudden loss of lift.
- Touch-and-go
- Brief foil flight before settling back on the hull.
- Flight
- Sustained ride with the board clear of the water on the foil.
- Leash
- Safety tether for wing and/or board.
- Harness line
- Optional line letting a harness take wing load on longer rides.
- Boom
- Rigid handle bar on some wings (vs soft handles).
- Soft handles
- Fabric grips on many modern wings.
- Windows
- Clear panels on some wings for visibility.
- Dihedral
- Wing shape angle affecting stability and power delivery.
- Aspect ratio (AR)
- Span vs area of a foil wing; higher AR often means more glide.
- Surface area
- Size of wing or foil wing in square metres; matched to rider weight and wind.
- Knots
- Wind speed unit; 1 knot ≈ 1.85 km/h.
- Side-onshore
- Wind angled toward the beach — favourable for learning in Essaouira bay.
- Offshore
- Wind blowing out to sea — dangerous for beginners.
- Chop
- Short, bumpy wind waves on the surface.
- Flat water
- Relatively smooth surface ideal for first flights.
- Swell
- Longer-period ocean waves from distant storms.
- Alizé
- Trade wind pattern that often powers Essaouira kite and wing seasons.
- IKO
- International Kiteboarding Organization — training and safety standards body.
- ISA
- International Surfing Association — surfing standards body.
- SUP
- Stand Up Paddleboarding — related board sport sometimes used as crossover training.
- Board volume (L)
- Litres of flotation; beginners often use higher volume.
- Strapless
- Riding without footstraps; common in early wingfoil learning.
- Footstraps
- Straps for secured stance once flight is consistent.
- Self-rescue
- Techniques to return safely if you cannot ride upwind.
- Assisted launch
- Partner or coach helps present the wing into the wind.
- Waterstart
- Getting planing/flying from deep water (concept shared with kite).
- Heelside carve
- Turning on heels while foiling.
- Nose dive
- Board tips forward into the water — often from pitch error on foil.
Ready to practise? Wingfoil lessons in Essaouira.