Australia Day Pump Foil Glide Competition [video]
Wed 13 May 2026Author: John Nayler
Showing just how much fun Dock Start Pump Foiling can be was our pump foil crew at the Gold Coast on Australia Day. Ignoring the waves and the beach front parking mayhem, we assembled at our favourite Gold Coast lake location and muddled out some rules.
The enormous advantages of dock start pump foiling are numerous and while it does not come with the exhilaration of riding the waves, linking and cruising for hundreds of metres, dock starting has
Weather independence
Dock starting typically happens on a lake or other waterway from a dock that is probably floating or the perfect height on every location. Rain, hail or shine, it's ready to go. Wind can be a factor, but once you scope out a number of locations, you have options.
Commodarie
Sure it's great to meet your friends at the beach and walk down and paddle out together, but ocean-top foiling will soon separate you from each other by hundreds or metres or more. Pump foil starts at a dock and probably returns to the same dock. That keeps the friends closer and the tips for improvement flowing.
Fast Improvement
Did I say keep the tips flowing? If you have the perfect location and the friends around, your early sessions will have a 100 attempts or more, so you can fail fast. Then you will have 1 win in a session, then 2, and then more. With the percentages of success increasing with every session, you can improve with every investment.
Ease of parking and facilities
If you have the right location you might never face crowds, have coffees toilets and a range or docks on tap. If you are really lucky you might have a friend with a river and dock right behind their house.
Do or do not - Dock Start makes you perfect
Need to up your downwind foil, surf foil, SUP foil or wing foil game? Dock start pump foil demands you perfect your style or you are in the tide. Once you are succeeding, it's all about getting your timing and balance right - and it's going to burn your muscles like never before - it's insane cardio and will take you as far as your heart will carry you.
Take all those improvements to the ocean and you are a god!
Enough of the rant - how about the comp
With the mob assembled and a range or gear lined up it was clear that PNG V2 1200, 1300 and 1400 dominates with a couple on oversized 2800cm square foils. The comp demand success around an outer mark, turn and power to the glide line. From there your speed, height and skill shows who is the best. Enjoy the video to see who wins.
#dockstart #pumpfoil
