If you’ve watched it from the beach and thought “not a chance” — let's begin....
Wingfoiling is the newest of the wind watersports; following windsurfing and kiteboarding. Out of those 3 sports, wingfoiling looks the most difficult one to learn, yet the opposite is true. The wing is light and de-powers in a heartbeat (unlike with kiteboarding where an out-of-control kite becomes a dangerous thing). Once you learn how to lift the foil out of the water, it’s a real magic-carpet ride. Our trade winds are steady and blow side-on to the beach. With the right kit and a great coach, most people are enjoying controlled flights within a week. It’s easy to add a couple of hours of wingfoiling (US$104 per hour) to see how you like it before you decide whether or not to carry on.
Wingfoiling is accessible for people of all ages and all abilities. Previous water sport experience is not required, neither is great physical strength; the hand-held wing is light on the hand, and de-powers immediately when lowered. There really is no upper age limit when it comes to learning to wingfoil.
Great instruction &
steady wind.
Learning in the right conditions is half the battle. Trying to learn in gusty, unreliable wind will increase 10-fold the time you need to learn. In Cabarete, we enjoy reliable wind that doesn’t gust and drop and we’ve got warm water to fall into. Students are given quality equipment that’s tailored to a student’s skill level.
- Steady side-shore winds
- Quality wingfoil equipment
- Safe & quick progress
- No previous experience needed
From the beach
to the foil.
Everyone learns at different rates; some will be flying by hour #4, others take longer, the timetable below is for guide-purposes only.
Wing control
Start with the wing control on the beach, then move into the water with board: first on your knees, then progress to standing up.
Wing & board control
Get the hang of board and wing combination and start to know the basics of how the foil rises. Experience your first short flights on foil.
Prolonged flight
Enjoy sustained flights up on foil in one direction, then start to get the hang of the other direction: you are officially a wingfoiler now!
It feels amazing when
you start to fly.
Hard to understand from a description yet obvious the moment the wing powers up and the foil lifts the board clear of the water. Press play.
Let's get you flying
We usually only have space for 4 to 6 guests taking wingfoiling lessons.
What does it cost?
Because we can't know how in advance many hours of instruction you may need, we can't make a wingfoiling package price. Each 1-hour lesson is with your own private instructor and costs US$104 including all equipment. To give you an idea of the cost of a stay at Swell with wingfoiling lessons instead of surfing, start with the stay-only prices below:
Your wingfoiling lesson hours will be added at the end of your course.
People learn wingfoiling at different rates, but the average time to learn is 8 hours, which works out at US$832.
Tell us a little about dates for your trip
All you need to 'fly'
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Wings & foils included
You'll have access to all the right equipment during lessons; the right sized foil to suit your level and the right wing, sized to suit the wind conditions.
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Cabarete Bay
Ideal wind and water conditions: safe side-shore winds, generally flat water
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Steady side-shore trade winds
Cabarete’s afternoon wind is famously reliable and blows along the beach, not out to sea.
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Pay only for the hours of instuction you need
Generally after 6 to 8 hours, people have mastered the basics of wingfoil flight
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Safety first
Impact vest and helmets are provided to keep you safe in the water.
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Private tuition
Having your very own wingfoil instructor will speed up your progression. No group lessons.
Perfect for
the afternoon wind.
The reliable trade winds set the timetable. If you are not surfing, your mornings are slow and easy. The wingfoiling session starts when the wind arrives (generally around midday).
Coffee is brewing
No need to get up early if you are only wingfoiling, but if you are an early riser, there's unlimited Dominican coffee available from dawn onwards and a lite-bite.
Morning surf (if you have elected to do both sports)
The trade winds arrive after lunch — so wingfoilers often opt to take the surfing package and go surf in the mornings. Alternatively, if you are only wingfoiling, have a lie in, go swim in the local bay a few minutes from Swell, or lie by the pool: the morning's all yours.
Breakfast at Swell
Coffee, tea, home pressed juice, fresh bread and home-cooked breakfast to fuel your action-packed day. Breakfast is available earlier for our guests who are not surfing.
Rig & briefing
A rough idea of the time your wing foil lesson will begin.
What learning looks like
Before your
first flight.
What people ask before they try the newest sport on the water. Anything we’ve missed — write to us, you'll get an honest reply from Clare
It looks far scarier than it is. The wing is light and de-powers in a heartbeat, the water is flat, and we teach you how to fall, self-rescue and right-of-way before you ever leave the beach.
The average time is 8 hours. People with windsurfing or sailing experience are often pick it up a bit faster (because of their ‘ staying up-wind’ knowledge). Each lesson hour is US$104; you can take as many or as few hours as you need.
What’s made wingfoiling such a popular and fast growing sport:
-It’s accessible for people of all ages.
-It’s pretty easy to travel with wingfoil kit, the gear packs down to a portable size
-It’s a safe sport, and unlike a kite, the wing de-powers the moment you let go.
-You don’t need an ocean do do it. Rivers and lakes are ideal for it too!
-A short learning curve.
-You don’t need super strong winds (10 to 12 knots is enough).
-It’s incredibly fun!
Nothing. Everything you need is included during lesson hours and most importantly, the right equipment for your skill level and the day’s wind. Nothing to buy, nothing to drag through the airport.
Cabarete’s afternoon trades are famously reliable and blow side-shore — along the beach, not out to sea. For your first lessons, only a gentle breeze (around 10 knots is required).
No. Wingfoiling is the gentlest way onto a foil there is, and plenty of guests come to it with no board sports at all.
Watersport paradise
Tell us your dates, how many people you are thinking about coming with, and we’ll send you a custom price and availability quote; almost instantly. Hasta pronto, see you soon.