Foil Surfing Etiquette 101

There's no doubt about it, SUP foiling is a good time. Foiling however isn't always welcome out in your local lineup as it can be pretty hazardous if the rider doesn't know what they're doing. With that said, here are some rules all SUP Foilers should follow:

1. Foil uncrowded breaks

Say you decide to paddle out where there’s a lot of people out in the lineup. Now, imagine what your foil would do to someone if you ran into them going 20+ miles an hour! There are plenty of horror stories out there where people have gotten seriously injured from colliding with a foil so it’s incredibly important that you choose an uncrowded or foil friendly surf break to foil surf at. Foil away from other surfers and foil surfers. This is the best way to insure your safety and the safety of those around you.

2. Don't drop in

On a foil board you are able to pump out of waves, back to the line up and into another wave in one swoop. But this doesn't mean you have priority with every wave in the lineup. The surfer closest to the peak still has priority so it’s important that you never drop in on another surfer. This has always been an important rule when surfing or stand up paddling. Guess what? It hasn't magically changed for foil surfing. The only time it is ok to drop in on someone else's wave is if you are 100% sure that they have fallen.

Casey Brown paddling out to the lineup through the channel on his Slingshot Airstrike foil SUP. | Photos: Dominique Labrecque

3. Don't ditch your board/foil

Ditching your board/foil while surfing, pumping or paddling through the surf zone is dangerous for many reasons. For one, it could send your foil into another surfer or if you lose control of the foil you could even end up hurting yourself. Be aware of your foil and the surfers around you to avoid injury.

4. Pump back out around the break

While paddling or pumping back to the lineup, always go around the break. Ideally, the place where you’re foiling has a channel so you want to make sure to get back out into the lineup through the channel. This will help you avoid a collision with another surfer and will also help prevent you from messing someone else's wave up.

5. Respect the beach

Always leave the beach better than how you found it. | Photo: Shutterstock

While this rule isn’t specific to foiling it’s important that you respect the beach and keep it clean. Do not litter! Pack out what you pack in. Pick up trash when you see it, even if it is not yours. Do not let it get washed into the ocean or collect on the beach. Wild life doesn't need to eat, choke or die from litter on the beach. It’s simple, so do your part to keep our beaches clean for everyone to enjoy.

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