Foiling
E-foiling and wing foiling: what each sport is, who teaches them around Abersoch, and a visiting eFoil school in summer.
Foiling here covers two sports. An eFoil is a surfboard with an electric motor that flies above a hydrofoil wing. Wing foiling is powered by a hand-held wing which is not attached to the board — you hold it while standing — and the board rides on a hydrofoil underneath.
Wingsurfing uses a plain board; wingfoiling uses a board with a hydrofoil attached underneath. Wing foiling can be practised in comparatively light winds.
Around Abersoch, OFFAXIS's Academy runs e-foil lessons, and Abersoch Watersports offers wing-foiling as lessons and tours with a qualified team.
Learn, hire and buy
Visiting in summer
FoilRide
FoilRide runs a summer pop-up in Abersoch: an eFoil experience run from the beach. It was developed by the team behind RibRide, and opened in 2019 as the first eFoil school in the UK, teaching on the sheltered waters of the Menai Strait on Ynys Môn (Anglesey). Dates for the Abersoch visits are posted on FoilRide's and Abersoch Watersports' social channels.
FoilRide offers lessons and sales with Lift and Flite eFoils. Its Foil Club offers sessions on the Menai Strait, and eFoils that members can take away to enjoy North Wales beaches.
Good to know
- Porth Neigwl — Hell's Mouth — is not lifeguarded, and is known for strong rip currents and shifting sandbars.
- If you are caught in a rip current, do not swim against it. If you can stand, wade. Swim parallel to the shore until you are free, then head for shore, and raise a hand and shout for help.
- If you are struggling, Float to Live: tilt your head back with your ears submerged, relax and control your breathing, and move your hands and legs to stay afloat. It is fine if your legs sink.
- A motor boat exclusion zone on Abersoch Bay keeps bathers safe. In a coastal emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
Common questions
- What is an eFoil?
- An eFoil is a surfboard with an electric motor that flies above a hydrofoil wing.
- What is wing foiling?
- It is powered by a hand-held wing which is not attached to the board — you hold it while standing — and the board rides on a hydrofoil underneath. Wingsurfing uses a plain board; wingfoiling uses a board with a hydrofoil attached underneath. It can be practised in comparatively light winds.
- Where can I learn or hire in Abersoch?
- OFFAXIS's Academy runs e-foil lessons. Abersoch Watersports offers wing-foiling as lessons and tours with a qualified team.
- Is there a visiting eFoil school?
- FoilRide runs a summer pop-up in Abersoch — an eFoil experience run from the beach. Dates are posted on FoilRide's and Abersoch Watersports' social channels. It was developed by the team behind RibRide, and opened in 2019 as the first eFoil school in the UK.
- What should I do if I get into trouble on the water?
- If you are caught in a rip current, do not swim against it. If you can stand, wade. Swim parallel to the shore until you are free, then head for shore, and raise a hand and shout for help. If you are struggling, Float to Live: tilt your head back with your ears submerged, relax and control your breathing, and move your hands and legs to stay afloat.