How to pick a size › Downwind foil
Downwind
Board Size
A size chart · 68 downwind foil boards in the atlas
A 75 kg rider wants 110–130 L to learn, 95–110 L once riding, 80–95 L once confident and 65–80 L as an expert. Litres are your weight in kilos plus a margin, which shrinks and then turns negative as you progress.
These are rules of thumb, the ones shops and sizing guides quote, not any brand’s chart. Where a brand publishes its own rider weights, its board page shows them, and they should win.
Downwind Foil Size Chart
Volume in litres by rider weight and level · rule of thumb, not a brand’s chart
| Weight | First sessions | Getting there | Confident | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 85–105 | 70–85 | 55–70 | 40–55 |
| 55 kg | 90–110 | 75–90 | 60–75 | 45–60 |
| 60 kg | 95–115 | 80–95 | 65–80 | 50–65 |
| 65 kg | 100–120 | 85–100 | 70–85 | 55–70 |
| 70 kg | 105–125 | 90–105 | 75–90 | 60–75 |
| 75 kg | 110–130 | 95–110 | 80–95 | 65–80 |
| 80 kg | 115–135 | 100–115 | 85–100 | 70–85 |
| 85 kg | 120–140 | 105–120 | 90–105 | 75–90 |
| 90 kg | 125–145 | 110–125 | 95–110 | 80–95 |
| 95 kg | 130–150 | 115–130 | 100–115 | 85–100 |
| 100 kg | 135–155 | 120–135 | 105–120 | 90–105 |
| 105 kg | 140–160 | 125–140 | 110–125 | 95–110 |
| 110 kg | 145–165 | 130–145 | 115–130 | 100–115 |
The rule at each level
- First sessions: your weight in kg + 35 to 55 L.
- Getting there: your weight in kg + 20 to 35 L.
- Confident: your weight in kg + 5 to 20 L.
- Expert: your weight in kg, from 10 L under to 5 L over.
Your level
- First sessions: still learning to get up and stay up.
- Getting there: riding, working on turns and transitions.
- Confident: linking runs in most conditions.
- Expert: the smallest board that still gets you going.
Your weight
With your wetsuit on, if you ride in one. Lighter than 50 kg or heavier than 110 kg? The finder works the range out from 35 to 140 kg.
What Fits at 75 kg
First sessions
Getting there
Confident
Across the 283 sizes listed for downwind foil boards in the atlas, the middle 80 % run from 70 to 135 L, and half are under 105 L.
The newest at 95–110 L, for a 75 kg rider getting there
Beyond the Litres
Downwind boards are the longest and narrowest boards in the foil family, typically 7'2 to 8'4 long and 19–22 in wide, with a recessed deck. Length gives a long waterline to accelerate into a bump before take-off. A narrow outline paddles faster and releases from the water more easily, at the cost of stability. Armstrong's range shows the pattern: 7'2 x 19.5 in (96 L) up to 8'5 x 21.25 in (140 L), with a V nose, double concave and bottom chines for clean release. A shop guide's rule of thumb is body weight plus 10–30 L for intermediates and roughly body weight (−8 to +12 L) for advanced riders.
At the same volume, a wider board is steadier and easier to start on, a narrower one quicker rail to rail; a long board for its width glides and lifts earlier, a short one turns tighter. The finder’s cards say which is which among the boards at your size.
How to read a board · Every downwind foil board at one scale
Questions
What size downwind foil board for a beginner?
Your weight in kg + 35 to 55 L: 95–115 L at 60 kg, 110–130 L at 75 kg and 125–145 L at 90 kg. The ranges shrink level by level, so most riders move down a size as they progress.
What size downwind foil board for a 60 kg rider?
95–115 L to learn, 80–95 L once riding, 65–80 L once confident and 50–65 L as an expert.
What size downwind foil board for a 90 kg rider?
125–145 L to learn, 110–125 L once riding, 95–110 L once confident and 80–95 L as an expert.
Should I go by the brand’s size chart?
When it has one, yes: it knows its own rails and thickness. None of the downwind foil boards in the atlas comes with one yet, so the rule of thumb is what there is.
Is volume the only number that matters?
No: width and length change how a board rides at the same volume (above), and thickness and rails change how it floats. Start from the volume, then pick the shape.
Size charts for other sports