Getting a SUP on the foil on flatwater without any craft pulling you or wave to help you is going to take a lot of energy and the perfect technique. This short video of world champion SUP surfer and Starboard board designer Sean Poynter shows just how hard flatwater SUP foiling is to do. Check out some of Sean’s first glides on flatwater.
It’s also worth noting out how short Sean’s paddle is. He always paddles in the surf with shorter paddle lengths than most. But this is one of the reasons he has such a compact and powerful style on the waves, as it forces him to get low. Maybe not the best paddle length when you are up on the foil though!
We’ve also added this shot of Sean below to show his back foot… it’s not touching the board! This demonstrated just how much pressure you have to place on your front leg to force the foil back down to generate speed over the foil. Quad workouts a must for successful flatwater SUP foiling!