A collaboration between Pure Magic Watersports, INSS.ie and Irish Sailing is underway to support the growing numbers of wing foilers in Ireland.
You might have noticed a fleet of colourful wings soaring over the water if you were near Salthill Beach in Dun Laoghaire this weekend. Wing foiling, a fast-growing water sport that combines elements of surfing, kitesurfing, and sailing, is making a big splash worldwide. The sport involves a surfboard fitted with a hydrofoil, propelled by a handheld inflatable wing. It's an exciting and adrenaline-packed activity that's drawing enthusiasts from all corners—kiteboarders, windsurfers, surfers, kayakers, sailors, and even complete newcomers to water sports.
It's an exciting and adrenaline-packed activity that's drawing enthusiasts from all corners—kiteboarders, windsurfers, surfers, kayakers, sailors, and even complete newcomers to water sports
Francois Colussi of Pure Magic Watersports has been the first person in Ireland to adopt the new discipline of winging where along with his dedicated team, they have bases in Clontarf and Achill Island where they have been successfully teaching kitesurfing, paddleboarding and winging for nearly 20 years. As the sport of wingfoiling developed, Kenny Rumball of the INSS equally got hooked to the sport and explored with Francois the idea of collaborating to teach the sport in Dun Laoghaire and also the development of a Wing Foiling Club on Salthill beach. This partnership has been incredibly successful with lots of new wing foiling graduates taking courses that are run by by Pure Magic and their team of Instructors form the INSS base on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Some of these graduates now ride together as part of a new local wing club that has supervised club session every Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Going wingfoiling at Salthill Beach in Dun Laoghaire
Recognising the growing trend, Irish Sailing’s training department, led by David Garvey, reached out to Francois to develop a Wingfoil instructor programme. The training this weekend was the development of an initial programme that was held earlier this year at Jamie Knox Watersports in Kerry. The programme is still in its infancy, this weekend there were a lot of very experienced instructors from a broad range of Watersports backgrounds including Stand Up Paddleboarding, Sailing, Kitesurfing who all come together to develop as a group a wing foil instructor program that can be rolled out more broadly across the country when the time is right.
Pure Magic and INSS are collaborating with Irish Sailing to develop a dedicated WingFoil Instructor Programme
It was inspiring to see a diverse group of instructors coming together for this training. From fresh-faced youth to seasoned veterans, from inland lakes to open seas, the range of backgrounds was remarkable. The cohort included instructors from kitesurfing, windsurfing, sailing, and kayaking. This diversity, combined with the expertise of Training Examiner Jeff Cochrane, Dave, and Francois, made for a weekend that was not only challenging and educational but also incredibly fun.
Learning to wing foil is a bit like learning to ride a bike—it can be tricky at first, but once you’ve got it, you’ve got it for life. The sport has a relatively low barrier to entry, which is drawing many newcomers. All you need is access to water and some basic gear. New equipment typically costs around €3,000, while second-hand gear can be found for about €1,000—making it more affordable than many other water sports. However, with the growing number of participants, there is an increasing need for a standardized, safe, and effective training method.
If you’re looking to learn or are just curious about wing foiling, check out Pure Magic where their team of experienced instructors can help you on your first steps in one of the best place to learn the Sport: Dun Laoghaire and the wonderful Dublin Bay.
