February 28th: A Breakthrough in Still Waters — The Day Pumping Finally Clicked

Saturday, February 28th. Today was set aside for solo wing foil practice. The day before, my instructor had suggested, "The wind looks light tomorrow; how about doing some SUP instead?"

But the forecast I was looking at told a different story. It predicted a north wind picking up to about 5 m/s around 1:00 PM. "5 meters is plenty for practice," I told myself. I messaged my instructor: "I’ll be there at 1:00. If the wind blows, let’s do a lesson. If the conditions are poor, I’ll just practice on my own." With that, I made the two-hour drive to Enoshima.

Forecast vs. Reality

1:00 PM. I arrived at the beach. The result? Dead calm. Forget the north wind; it was still a southerly breeze, barely 2 m/s—maybe 3 if I was lucky. "This is going to be tough..." Still, I hadn't driven all this way to turn back. If there’s even 3 meters of wind, I can at least work on my pumping. I decided to head out with the large 6㎡ wing.

I couldn't find my instructor, so I left a message at the front desk: "The conditions are a bit rough for a lesson, so I’ll be practicing solo today." However, as I was carrying my gear toward the water, my instructor went out of his way to wait for me. "It doesn't look like much wind today, but give it your best out there!" That simple encouragement felt so warm and supportive. It tightened my focus: "Alright, let’s do whatever I can."

The Battle with No Wind

Once on the water, the wind was indeed weak—hardly 1 to 2 m/s. For wing foiling, these conditions are brutal. Unlike windsurfing, where the mast holds the sail up, a wing has to be supported entirely by your own arms. Without wind, it’s just heavy dead weight.

But I came prepared. My goal today was pumping. I started testing the movements I’d visualized a thousand times on YouTube.

A Sudden Click

Then... it happened. "Wait a second." It felt completely different from last week. When I pumped, the board actually moved forward. Even with almost zero wind, I was gaining momentum. The tactile feedback was great.

Sure, I was using the 6㎡ wing today instead of the 5㎡, which naturally provides more power. But that wasn't the only reason. Today, I had pumped the wing up to its maximum rated pressure. Previously, I’d been afraid of a blowout and only filled it to about 70–80%. Today was different. The "skeleton" of the wing was rock solid. When I pumped, the energy didn't leak out—it converted directly into propulsion. "So this is it." It felt like a completely different piece of equipment.

Pumping Success

I kept it up—10 pumps, 20 pumps. The board glided forward. I headed offshore, practiced my jibe to turn around, and pumped my way back to the beach. I repeated this cycle over and over. Strangely, I wasn't as tired as I expected. My movements had likely become more efficient. "I think... I’ve finally got the hang of pumping." I felt that if I had just 1 or 2 more meters of wind, I could take this momentum all the way to a full foil flight and stay there.

The Meaning Behind the Teacher's Words

At that moment, I finally understood what my instructor meant all those times he said, "Let's practice pumping." To be honest, I used to think: "I still want to focus on my wing positioning and footwork; isn't pumping something for later?" I was wrong. In Enoshima, it’s not always blowing a gale. In fact, light wind days are more common. And on those light days, there are no waves—the water surface is flat. In other words, it’s the perfect environment to practice the mechanics of lifting the board via pumping. It hit me like a bolt of lightning. "So that’s what he meant!" It was a total "lightbulb" moment.

A Sudden Accident

Actually, there was another bit of drama today. I usually do my warm-ups and stretches before heading out, but I’d never done them before putting on my semi-dry suit. An incident today convinced me I need to change that routine. While struggling into my suit... Pop. My lower back went. "Oh, no..." It was a sharp pain, dangerously close to a slipped disk. Getting in and out of drysuits and wetsuits is a workout in itself, and I must have twisted the wrong way. I’d driven two hours to get here, though; I wasn't going home yet. I gritted my teeth, pushed through the pain, and hit the water to continue my pumping drills. But as time passed, the ache in my back became impossible to ignore.

Fulfillment and Anxiety

Despite the back pain, the session was incredibly productive.

- I caught the "feel" for pumping.

- I realized how vital wing pressure is.

- The purpose of light-wind practice finally clicked.

It was a massive step forward. The only problem now is my back. "Will I be able to go next week?" The anxiety is there, lingering alongside the sense of accomplishment. I finished the day carrying both—a deep sense of progress and a very sore back.