When a board reaches enough speed to skim across the water surface rather than pushing through it, dramatically reducing drag and increasing speed.
There's a distinct moment in windsurfing and sailing when your board transitions from displacement mode (pushing water aside, like a boat hull) to planing mode (skimming on top, like a skipping stone). You can feel it instantly — suddenly the board lifts, drag drops away, and speed increases sharply. Getting on the plane requires a minimum wind speed that depends on your board size, sail size, and weight.
Once planing, you can go 2–3 times faster than in displacement mode. In windsurfing, getting planing is a major milestone for intermediate riders. The technique involves committing your weight to the harness, hooking in, and sheeting the sail to maximum power while keeping the board flat.
Foiling is essentially permanent planing — the board leaves the water entirely.
Example usage
"Finally got planing in the gusts — the board lifted and suddenly I was doing 20 knots instead of 8."
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