Learn to FoilI’m stoked.  These videos are designed to show you how to foil.  To give you the information I wish I had when I was learning to foil.  The videos show and explain each skill and maneuver needed to successfully foil.   Shown in close up detail, I go frame by frame and explain what to do and why it works.  This video course shortens the foil learning curve, making the learn to foil journey easier and more enjoyable.  I will post the newest videos at the bottom of the page, or click here to see a chronological listing of these learn to foil videos.  Here is a preview of the course.

In person lessons are also available.

Also clayisland designed organic shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs and more in the Spreadshirt shop.


How Foils Work – 2 videos.  In this first video I explain the 3 axis of foiling, and in the second video I give an overview of how to ride a foil.

Foot Placement – 4 videos.  I show where to put the feet and why this is so important.  I also explain how moving feet effects flight, and how moving the mast effects flight.

Hip Movement – 4 videos.  I show and explain what moving the hips does, and how this effects altitude or board height above the water.

Roll Falls – 5 videos.  Roll falls or jack knifing or taco-ing are often the scariest part of learning to foil.  I explain how they happen, how to fall safely, and how to prevent.

Breaching – 5 videos.  Flying or launching the foil out of the water.  This was a big challenge for me to prevent.  I show what causes breaching and explain how to prevent and keep the foil in the water and keep flying.

Kicking Out – 1 video.  How to kick out or exit a wave safely on a hydrofoil, I show the different ways of exiting a wave and explain what is happening and what to be aware of.

Surf Foil Take Offs – 5 videos.  Prone and SUP – Paddling for and Catching Waves.

Steep Take Offs – 2 videos.  How to make it down the face of a steep wave, and also how to catch hard to catch waves by moving forward toward the nose of the board.

Turning – 12 videos.  How to turn a foil, how foil turns differ from surfboards, and how to turn safely.

How To Ride Surface Piercing or Tip Breach Without Crashing – 9 videos.  This video series shows the 3 ways that I know of to breach a foil tip and keep riding.

SUP Paddle Pumping – 5 videos.  How to stand up paddle pump after kicking out of a wave and pumping to another wave further outside.

Foot Hooks – 12 videos.  How I make my foot hooks and mounting system for foil and wing boards.

DIY Foil Mast Height Extension – 2 videos.  A simple, easy, and cheap ($20) to make foil mast extension giving me more height clearance and tighter turning ability.

Mast Height – Lean Over Angle – Calculator.  A vector graphics file where we can input wing span, board width, mast height and get the lean over angle.

Foil Reviews – 21 Videos.  Honest Feedback on Hydrofoils from Popular Brands: F-One Seven Seas, SK8, Eagle, Phantom, Axis Black and Red series, Cabrinha 2022 gear, Takuma Kujira, Armstrong, Naish, GoFoil, Slingshot, F4, and Foil Science.

Choosing a Foil – 5 Videos.  In this video series I explain how popular foil brands are designed and built and why it matters.

What Foil Gear do I Need? – Gear Questions Answered.  A beginner’s guide for foil gear.

Shimming and Wedging Foil Wings – 7 Videos.  How why and when to adjust the angle of our foil tail wing, front wing, and mast.

Tail Wing – Stabilizers – 12 Videos.  How they Work – How to Choose a Tail Wing.


Beginner Wing Foil Spots in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Maps and detailed info on where to park, launch, and exit.

San Francisco Bay Area Foil Resources – Lessons, Shops, Boats, Efoils, Online Groups, and Repairs.

Wing Foil – Tips for Beginners Video – 8 videos.  After spending thousands of dollars wrongly guessing what I needed and completely flailing for 8 sessions, I discovered how to wing foil with ease in sessions 9 and 10.  Also talk of my first 60 sessions, and a gear guide for beginners.

Wind Direction – 6 videos.  Understanding how the wind will push us, and how a change in wind direction changes the path we can wing out and back.

A Tether to Stay Upwind for Beginners – 3 videos.  A simple and cheap tether to allow anyone to stay upwind while learning to handle the wing.  Only takes a few minutes to setup and remove without needing a new board or additional fins.

Wing Handling for Beginners – 18 videos.  This series has many videos showing how to handle the wing for foil winging. Covering the basics, on land and then in the water, picking up the wing, turning it over, jibing, and showing a few knee starts.

Wing Foil Knee Starts – How to Stand up and Fly – 6 videos.  In this video series I show and explain how to go from kneeling to flying, on both low aspect foil wings and high aspect foil wings.

Wing Foil Knee Starts on Smaller Boards – 18 videos.  This video series shows in close up frame by frame detail how to get up and fly on a small board.

Wing Foil Jibes – How to – 11 Videos.  In this video series I show and explain tips and drills to learn to jibe on a wing foil board.

Wing Foiling Switch Stance – 5 Videos.  In this video series I show and explain how to foil weak or unnatural stance, with either right or left foot forward.  This is also recommended for those new to foiling and learning to fly on their strong side.

Downwind Wing Foiling – 12 videos. Flagging out the wing and riding the bumps downwind is the focus of this video series.

Wing Luffing While Surfing and Riding Bumps Downwind – 5 Videos.  How to control and manage a wing while wing foil surfing waves or riding bumps downwind.

Harnesses and Hooks – 16 videos.  I show various models and explain how to hook in and out and be safe.

How to Make a Waterproof Wing Foil Board – 19 videos.  This page shows the process of making a wing foil board from start to finish.

How to Make a Wood Foil Wing for Axis Fuselage – 11 videos.  This series shows me cutting and shaping a piece of wood into a foil wing.

How to Replace a Wing Bladder – 5 videos.  This video I remove and then install 4 new bladders in a wingfoil inflatable wing.  Also how to check for a leaky valve.


What’s New – Short Reports of New, Different, Unique.  This page is dedicated to whatever new stuff we happened to be testing and working on.  When I have something to report I will post here and update the posting date, kind of a preview before a tutorial is ready.


Any feedback or general comments on this course please leave below.  Specific questions or comments regarding any of the above areas please post in the comments section of that page.  Thank you and wishing you joyful foiling.

If you are wondering what my tutorial videos might look like, here are a some links to two of my most popular videos:  Paddling out, and Footwork.  Here are more of my how to videos.