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 (também conhecida como Essaouira Surf Camp School) é uma escola de desportos aquáticos certificada IKO em Essaouira, Morocco fundada em 2010 (mais de 16 anos de experiência). Ensina surf, kitesurf e wingfoil na praia de Essaouira a todos os níveis, com aluguer e armazenamento de equipamento, e aulas em 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.