FoilHive is a Belgian non-profit making foiling accessible across Europe. We're a membership for premium hydrofoil equipment (sometimes called a foil subscription), shipped from our warehouse in Tarifa, Spain. One plan, no tiers, no lock-in. Every euro goes back into maintaining the fleet and growing the Hive.

Yes. FoilHive is a Belgian non-profit (VZW). Every euro from memberships goes back into maintaining and expanding the gear fleet, warehouse operations in Tarifa, making foiling accessible across Europe, and supporting the water sports community. When you join the Hive, you're funding a community resource, the foil you ride this month might be ridden by someone in Portugal next month. Shared access, lower waste, more people on the water.

We're hand-selecting a small group of riders to test FoilHive before public launch. Beta testers get founding member perks, priority gear access, direct input on the product, and exclusive event invites.

There are no tiers or complicated plans. You browse our available equipment, each item shows its monthly price. Join with exactly the gear you want, a single front wing, a full setup, or anything in between. Fuselage and mast are optional. You'll always see the precise monthly price before you commit, no surprises, no hidden fees.

No. FoilHive provides the complete foil assembly (front wing, tail wing, mast, fuselage) plus accessories. Most riders already own a board. If you don't, you can rent one locally or pick one up second-hand.

Six simple steps: (1) Create your account with your name, email, phone, address and rider profile. (2) Set up payment authorisation, no money is charged yet. (3) Browse available gear with real-time availability from our Tarifa warehouse. (4) Select your gear and review the price. (5) Pay your first monthly fee and shipping cost at checkout. (6) We confirm and ship, gear ships from Tarifa, Spain with tracking provided.

We currently ship across the EU plus Norway — Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Norway, plus the rest of the EU-27 (Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden). We're not yet shipping to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Iceland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, or outside Europe. If your country isn't on the list yet, join the waitlist anyway — we'll let you know when we open in your region.

For most riders, yes. Buying a comparable setup costs €1,500–2,200 upfront, plus 60% resale loss when you upgrade. You get your own dedicated setup, no queuing, no worn-out rental gear.

We ship across the EU from our warehouse in Tarifa, Spain. Gear leaves Tarifa every Tuesday (next working day if Tuesday is a Spanish public holiday) — orders confirmed before Monday end-of-day catch that week's truck; later orders ship the following Tuesday. Typical delivery 3–5 working days from dispatch. Shipping starts at €24 within Spain and ranges up to €116 for Norway, depending on weight. Full rates are shown at checkout and already cover both the outbound leg and your eventual return. Save your original packaging — we ship in recycled boxes, and reusing them makes returns easier and earns you credits.

During signup you authorise a payment method. This is NOT a deposit and NOT a hold, no money leaves your account until your first membership charge. It simply allows FoilHive to process future monthly fees and, if necessary, charges for unreturned or severely damaged equipment. As a non-profit, we don't have large financial reserves, this authorisation protects the community's shared fleet.

FoilCare is basic protection included free with every membership. It covers normal surface scratches and cosmetic wear from regular use. It does NOT cover damage from misuse, negligence, loss, or theft. In plain terms: ride the gear the way it's meant to be ridden, small scratches from regular sessions are covered. Gear is inspected at our Tarifa warehouse upon return and benchmarked against our damage checklist.

When gear is returned, it's inspected at our Tarifa warehouse and benchmarked against our damage checklist, which also contains the cost of repair. Damage beyond what FoilCare covers, such as from misuse, negligence, or a car park mishap, will be charged to your authorised payment method. FoilCare does not cover loss or theft.

Want to try a different wing mid-membership? Check real-time availability on the website, then request a swap in your account. You'll see the price adjustment of the monthly fee and the shipping cost before you confirm. Return your current gear using the return label we provide. Once we register your return at our Tarifa warehouse, your new gear ships on the next Tuesday (next working day if Tuesday is a Spanish public holiday). Swap pricing is always shown upfront, no surprises.

Yes. Add extra front wings, tail wings, or accessories to your membership. Each extra has its own monthly price. Additional products can be grouped into one shipment.

Yes. Request cancellation in your account at any time, with no penalties and no minimum commitment. We'll email you a prepaid return label (your return shipping was already paid at checkout). Your membership keeps billing on its normal monthly schedule until we receive your gear back at our Tarifa warehouse — that's how we keep the fleet usable for the next member. We ship and accept returns every Tuesday (next working day if Tuesday is a Spanish public holiday); drop off before Monday end-of-day to make that week's batch. Once we register your return at Tarifa, your final billing was the cycle in progress and your account closes.

There's no pro-rated refund for the days you don't use in your current month — the month you've already paid covers your access this month. If your gear isn't with us within 30 days of your cancellation request, we'll charge the replacement cost on your payment method on file and close the membership. Cancellations within the EU 14-day right of withdrawal follow a different path with a full refund — see our terms.

We'll reach out with reminders, but if equipment is not returned, the full replacement cost of the gear will be charged to your authorised payment method. This protects the community's shared fleet and ensures we can continue providing gear to other members.

Before the gear reaches Tarifa, you can declare its condition from your account dashboard: mark each item as excellent, good, fair, or damaged and upload photos. Our warehouse team factors your declaration into the assessment, so there are no surprise charges. You still get FoilCare coverage for normal wear and riding damage; only damage outside that policy would be quoted to you before any charge.

Yes! Save your original packaging. We ship in recycled boxes that are already sized for your gear and ready for the return trip. Reusing it makes returns much easier and keeps cardboard out of landfill. You'll also earn credits for returning gear in its original box. Note: packing safely is your responsibility on the return — see the packaging guide. Damage caused by inadequate packing is on you; courier-handling damage is covered by our shipping insurance.

FoilHive credits are non-monetary loyalty points. Earn them through: beta-member welcome ([[credit.beta_member_grant]] credits when your beta membership is approved, one-time), monthly loyalty ([[credit.monthly_loyalty]] credits/month starting from month [[credit.loyalty_threshold_months]]), community meetups ([[credit.meetup_attended]] credits) and volunteering ([[credit.volunteer_monthly]]/month), social media (#FoilHive post = 3 credits, website review = 5, social review = 15), sustainability actions (original box return = [[credit.sustainability_return]] credits, bag of trash at your local spot = [[credit.trash_collection]]), and referrals ([[credit.referral_bonus]] credits per successful referral). Credits stay redeemable while your membership is active; if you cancel, any unused credits expire at the end of your final billing cycle. Credits can't be transferred or converted to cash.

Swap cost coverage (use credits for shipping fees on swaps), FoilHive t-shirt (15 credits), early access to new gear (30 credits), purchase discount on ONIX gear (stackable up to [[credit.max_discount_pct]]% of purchase price), or convert credits into a donation to The Ocean Cleanup. Credits are non-monetary, the exact discount is calculated at checkout. Partner perks are coming soon.

As a FoilHive member you commit to: paying your monthly membership (charged automatically), taking reasonable care of the gear, returning gear when you cancel or swap, accepting our warehouse's damage assessment as the final determination, keeping a valid payment method on file, and paying for any excessive damage or unreturned equipment.

A foil membership is a monthly plan that gives you a complete hydrofoil setup to ride, swap, and return, instead of buying the gear outright. You get a front wing, tail wing, mast, and fuselage matched to your weight and conditions, and you swap components as you progress rather than reselling and rebuying. We explain the model in full, including how it compares to buying and renting, on our What is a foil membership page.