Foil Pumping

About this trick

Foil pumping lets you maintain flight when the wing depowers — between gusts, during a manoeuvre, or when riding swell without wind. You generate lift by rhythmically pumping the board up and down with your legs, similar to a dolphin kick. It's also how you get back on foil after touching down without having to stop completely.

Key tips

1. 1

   The pump is a full-body movement: legs compress and extend while the arms stay relatively stable

2. 2

   Start with small, quick pumps — big slow pumps stall the foil; small fast ones keep it flying

3. 3

   Time your pumps to the natural pitch of the foil — work with the foil's rhythm, not against it

4. 4

   Combine pumping with a slight weight-shift forward to keep speed — backing off too much kills the momentum

Learn these first

Video by

Damien LeRoy

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