Hydro Foiling In Poole Harbour

Hydro Foiling in Poole Harbour

Poole Harbour has been well known for its windsurfing and kite surfing due to its location, making it great for beginners with its shallow waters and flat conditions. But what about foiling? Once you’ve mastered wing surfing or windsurfing with a fin, you may be ready to take it to the next level and add a hydrofoil to the bottom of your board.

Hydro foiling in the harbour is fantastic. The flat water makes it easier to balance, making it smoother and bringing in a community of foilers which creates great vibes. The wind is good but can be gusty, depending on the direction, but that’s actually fine when foiling—it’s easier to get through the lulls. 

One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to time it carefully due to the length of your foil mast. Shorter it is, the more sailing area there is. Luckily, the bottom is soft sand, so if you do hit the bottom (which is likely at some point), it won’t cause much damage. The biggest factor that will affect your session is the tide. Poole Harbour has tidal ranges of 0.4 meters at neap tide and 1.5 meters at spring tide. Depending on the tide and wind, this will influence where you can launch and where you can foil.

• If the tide is 2 meters or higher: The whole harbour becomes your playground, as shown in the figure in light green.
• If the tide is between 2.0 and 1.0 meters: You can foil in the purple area and beyond. Only a small walk to the correct depth.
• If the tide is lower than 1.0 meters: Be prepared to walk! It’s still doable, but you’ll be limited to the yellow area. However, do be cautious here, as it gets close to the channel. The channel is not only for boats but also has a current that can make it trickier to navigate.

It’s helpful to have a tide guide, as the tide levels dip and rise throughout the day. The Whitley Lake Poole Harbour tide table is a useful tool for this. 

https://www.pooleharbour.co.uk/products/tide-table-poole-harbour?_pos=1&_sid=02bf8df3b&_ss=r 

Best thing to do, is to get down and you will learn where it becomes shallow. Remember the board sinks when you get on it so always give the foil an extra foot. There are plenty of foilers out in the harbour, so you won’t be alone. It’s a good idea to chat with the locals or simply follow where others are sailing. Also, check the wind direction forecast before you go, and pick your launch spot accordingly—this is marked on the photograph.

Enjoy the sesh!