Pump foil setup by body weight: front wing, mast and board

For pump foiling, your body weight picks the front wing: on our pump pack, riders up to about 75 kg start on the Osprey 1850 and riders from about 75 kg on the Osprey 2250, both with the Stab 220 tail wing in its most forward position. The Takoon Pump Wood 80 board is the same for everyone.

By James Frei, FoilHive co-founder. Sizing reviewed by Sam Carentz, who developed ONIX Foils and runs its workshop in Tarifa. Last updated 30 September 2026.

Body weight	Front wing (first flights)	Tail wing	Board	Note
Under 50 kg (incl. children)	Osprey 1850	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Little data, none for children. Helmet, impact vest, adult supervision for under 16s.
50 to 65 kg	Osprey 1850	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Our pairing, ONIX's recommendation. Some brands go smaller: about 1,500 to 1,600 cm².
65 to 75 kg	Osprey 1850	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Most charts agree.
75 to 85 kg	Osprey 2250	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Our pairing, ONIX's recommendation. Some brands stay at about 1,700 to 1,900 cm².
85 to 95 kg	Osprey 2250	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Most charts agree.
95 to 105 kg	Osprey 2250	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Our largest wing, and still a learning wing up to about 105 kg.
Over 105 kg	Osprey 2250	Stab 220, most forward	Pump Wood 80	Starts get much harder. We won't promise it works.

The 1850 rides an 80 cm aluminium mast and 66 cm fuselage; the 2250, a stiffer 75 cm aluminium mast with its own fuselage and baseplate. For distance at any weight: the Osprey 2250. For a livelier dock-start wing once you pump (lighter riders especially): the Osprey 1450. The full set is the pump foil pack.

Why pump sizing is not wing or kite sizing

A pump board will not float you. You run off a dock and land on it already moving, and at walking pace the front wing carries most of the lift. Its area decides whether you fly at all.

Wing and kite foil charts assume wind or a kite, a floaty board and other weight splits. Borrow one for pumping and you will usually end up on too small a wing.

Front wing by body weight

We size up for learning, on purpose. A bigger wing lifts off at a lower speed, so you get fewer failed starts, and failed starts are what make people quit. You give up some speed and can swap down later.

The 75 kg split is ONIX's recommendation for its own wings. ONIX Foils is our sister brand: it makes the Osprey range and builds and repairs our gear. Some brands split at 80 to 85 kg and put 75 to 85 kg riders on about 1,700 to 1,900 cm². At 50 to 65 kg, some start riders on about 1,500 to 1,600 cm². Ours are bigger. That is the point.

Why the charts disagree

Two pump sizing charts can give two answers and neither be wrong. Wings of a different shape and aspect ratio need different areas, so two lines from the same brand can differ by about 100 cm² at the same weight. And brands split at different weights: 75, 80 or 85 kg.

Lake or sea, tall or short

Our members pump from docks on Swiss and German lakes, so this matters to us. Fresh water is about 2.5% less dense than sea water, so a wing makes a little less lift on a lake. It is a tie-breaker: on a weight boundary and riding a lake, take the bigger wing. Height matters less than you'd expect. Weight decides the wing; height mostly changes how a wider stance feels on the board.

The Osprey wings: span and aspect ratio

The Osprey range has three pump front wings, and each has its own job. Aspect ratio is span squared divided by area. A higher number means a longer, slimmer wing that glides further for the same effort but asks for a little more control.

• Osprey 1850: the first-flight wing up to about 75 kg.
• Osprey 2250: 1500 mm span, aspect ratio 9.9. The most span and highest aspect ratio of the three. First-flight wing from about 75 kg and the long-session wing at every weight.
• Osprey 1450: 1132 mm span, aspect ratio 8.9. The fast, fun dock-start wing for riders who already pump. Not a first wing.

All that span has one cost. The 2250 is 150 cm tip to tip, and if you run along a dock to start, a tip can catch the edge. Start from the end of the dock.

The wing that gets you flying vs the wing that keeps you flying

One of our members put it well: start on a big, easy wing and you may soon want something better suited to long sessions, but nobody can tell you in advance how fast you will progress. 'Endurance' means two things, each with its own wing.

• Long, low-effort sessions and distance: the 2250, at any weight, riders under 75 kg included. Its span and aspect ratio carry you further per pump.
• Speed and liveliness once you pump: the 1450. A real step from the 1850, not only less area: quicker and more playful off the dock.

Reviewing this guide, Sam Carentz noted the 2250 'can also be a good foil for [riders under 75 kg] that want to do long distance'.

The wing that gets you flying is not always the one that keeps you flying: learn on the 1850 or 2250, go long on the 2250, go faster on the 1450.

Tail wing: Stab 220, as far forward as it goes

The two mistakes we see most are starting on too small a wing and not setting the tail wing far enough forward. Both make every start harder. The sizing table fixes the first; the tail setup, the second.

Learners pump with a large tail wing: on our pack, the ONIX Stab 220, in the most forward position on the fuselage, which steadies pitch at low speed. Once starts are consistent, the Stab 180 Glide gives a looser, faster ride behind the 1450 or 1850; on the 2250, keep the 220 or move to it.

Other brands' learning tails are similar in size; some riders find a very large tail only adds drag. No source we found maps rider weight to tail size, so we pair the tail with the front wing.

What mast length do you need for pump foiling?

Published pump guides recommend anywhere from 60 to 85 cm, with most between 70 and 80 cm. That is a wide spread for one tube of aluminium. Three reasons:

• 'Forgiving' points both ways. A long mast forgives touch-downs and gives more margin before the wing breaches. A short mast is easier to jump onto and to pump. Guides stress one side and land near one end.
• Mast length follows the launch. High docks push it longer; shallow water pushes it shorter.
• Wing and kite advice leaks in. 80 cm is a common all-round mast for wing and kite foiling, and it creeps into pump guides.

Our pump packs sit at the long end: an 80 cm aluminium mast with the 1450 and 1850, and a stiffer 75 cm with the 2250, where the widest wing loads the mast most. So ride in at least 1.5 m of water and look for a dock about 50 to 70 cm high.

Fuselage

A longer fuselage gives you time. Pump fuselages run from about 60 to 70 cm, with beginners at the longer end because it slows pitch and makes the rhythm easier to find. Our 66 cm fuselage with the 80 cm mast is fine for learning. The 2250 pack's 75 cm mast comes with its own fuselage and baseplate; it differs only in the mast connection, so Osprey front wings and Stab tail wings fit it the same way.

What pump foil board size do you need?

Forget the big, floaty beginner board. Pump boards are typically 70 to 110 cm and 5 to 15 litres, because you start from a dock. The 45 to 70 litre boards sometimes suggested for beginners are wrong for pumping. Choose by weight, and go bigger if starts are hard.

Every pump pack has the Takoon Pump Wood 80: 80 × 39 × 3 cm, 7 litres, 3 kg. Beginners are welcome on it. Length, volume, construction and foil box are covered in our pump foil board guide.

Dock height and start method

A dock start is a small leap of faith. Pick the dock that makes it smaller. Learn the rhythm on flat water first if you can, then use a low dock with 2 to 3 m of run-up. See our dock start guide.

Start	Setup change	Watch out
Low dock (under 40 cm)	Same wing	A long mast is harder to jump onto
High dock (over 70 cm)	No change	Our 75 and 80 cm masts suit it
Rock or wake start	No change	Advanced riders only

Beach starts are possible but advanced: you need water deep enough for the whole mast within a few steps. With our 75 or 80 cm masts that means about 1.5 m, so on our pack, learn from a dock.

What size pump foil for light riders and children?

For light riders and children, pump sizing charts go quiet: there is little data for light riders and none for children. We start riders under 65 kg, including children, on the Osprey 1850 with the Pump Wood 80, because a bigger wing lifts at a slower, easier pace. Children wear a helmet and impact vest, and under 16s ride with an adult watching.

What size pump foil for heavy riders?

Heavy riders deserve a straight answer. Above about 85 kg, most pump charts sit between 1,900 and 2,300 cm². The Osprey 2250 is our largest wing and a learning wing up to about 105 kg. Above that, starts get much harder, and we would rather say so now than on the dock. Expect your first flights to last about 30 seconds: a few seconds of lift, then off. That is normal, and it builds.

How fast will I outgrow it?

Every source agrees: learn on a big wing, then go smaller for speed. Move from the 2250 to the 1850 once you launch consistently and can pump for about 30 seconds. Move from the 1850 to the 1450 once you link long runs easily and want more speed.

'Pumpfoiling takes several hundred starts', writes Zeno Davatz, who teaches pumping on the ONIX pack at pump.zuerich, '300 to 600 for most people' (How I teach pumpfoiling, August 2026).

There is no prize for sizing down early. For technique, read how to pump a foil.

Start on the wing that gets you flying, swap when you outgrow it

Owning a pump foil means guessing how fast you will progress. On a FoilHive membership you start on the wing that gets you flying and swap it through Gear Swap when you outgrow it, with no resale listing to manage. You pay shipping and handling for a swap and see that cost before you confirm. Swaps depend on availability.

Sources and how we checked

We compared pump sizing charts and guides with ONIX's recommendation: makers (Armstrong, AXIS, Duotone, F-ONE, GONG, North, Sabfoil, Slingshot, Takoon), schools and coaches (pump.zuerich, PumpFoil Academy, mobilesport.ch from the Swiss Federal Office of Sport), and rider forums (Progression Project, oaseforum.de). Where independent charts differ from our pairing, the table says so. Sam Carentz and pump.zuerich are both ONIX-side, so they count as one view. Last checked 30 September 2026.

FAQ

What size pump foil front wing do I need for my weight?

Choose by body weight first. On FoilHive's pump pack, riders up to about 75 kg start on the Osprey 1850 and riders from about 75 kg on the Osprey 2250, which is a learning wing up to about 105 kg. That is ONIX's recommendation for its own wings. Some other brands size smaller, so compare charts for similar wings.

Is the Osprey 1850 or the 2250 better for a beginner?

The 1850 up to about 75 kg, the 2250 from about 75 kg. That split is ONIX's recommendation, and some other brands split at 80 to 85 kg. We size up for learning because a bigger wing lifts off at a lower speed, which means fewer failed starts.

Can I learn to pump on the Osprey 1450?

We would not start there. The 1450 (1132 mm span, aspect ratio 8.9) is the fast, fun dock-start wing for riders who already pump, and it suits lighter riders especially. Learn on the 1850 or 2250, then step down once you link long runs easily and want more speed.

Which wing is best for long sessions or long distance?

The Osprey 2250, at any weight, including riders under 75 kg. It has the most span (1500 mm) and the highest aspect ratio (9.9) of the three, so it carries you further for each pump.

What mast length is best for pump foiling?

Most pump guides put it between 70 and 80 cm. A longer mast gives more margin before the wing breaches; a shorter one is easier to jump onto from a low dock. The pump packs use an 80 cm aluminium mast (75 cm with the 2250), so ride in at least 1.5 m of water and look for a dock about 50 to 70 cm high.

What happens if I outgrow my wing?

On a FoilHive membership you swap it through Gear Swap instead of putting it up for resale. You pay shipping and handling for the swap and see the cost before you confirm. Swaps depend on availability.

Ready to start? The pump foil pack brings the front wing, tail wing, mast, fuselage and board together on one monthly membership.