The Interview - Adam Bennetts

Professional surfer Adam Bennetts has been hailed as the greatest hydrofoil surfer on a planet by some; it’s not an empty claim either. Jack Galloway sits down with the master to ask him about his journey into flight...

We’re super excited to have Adam Bennetts, or @misterbennetts, as he’s known on Instagram with us in the mag. He’s, without doubt, one of the best surf foilers on the planet, often touted as the best, and his videos are incredible to watch. We caught up with Adam to find out more about him and why he’s so good on the foil.

Hi Adam! Firstly, your videos have been off the chart recently! Have you had a good run of swell, or is it always that good in Byron Bay?

Hi mate! Thanks, I appreciate the kind words! We did have a good run of swell recently, but it’s pretty much always good at Wategoes. You could foil it 360 days a year, I reckon, as it’s the most easterly point in Australia and picks up almost every bit of swell and is foilable in virtually all wind directions as well.

Prolimit | View in Mag

Ozone | View in Mag

When did you first try foiling, and what inspired you to give it a go?

I started in March 2019. My brother Chris is handy on the foil and had been doing it for a couple of years already, so I’d seen a heap of videos of him already. He gave me a go on his Naish setup, and I was hooked instantly. I bought a foil the next day and haven’t surfed a shortboard since!

After ten years as a professional surfer, was it an easy transition?

You think it would be, but it was so challenging. I almost gave up after a couple of weeks, but because it was challenging, that motivated me to keep at it. I’m glad I stuck with it because I’m having more fun now than I ever did surfing.

You’re on UniFoil foils - what’s your go-to foil at the moment?

I’ve just designed a new mid aspect wing with Clifford Coetzer, it’s called the VYPER, and it’s due for release in June. I’ve compared it to all the other mid aspects available now, and it will be by far the best wing on the market once it’s released. It’s unbelievable!

Well, we can’t wait to try it! Your recent drone video - Wategos to Beach Hotel Byron Bay - absolutely blows our minds. I’ve watched it more times than I’m willing to admit. Tell us a bit more about that 3.5km run.

When it’s big at Wategoes, the swells just go so wide, so if you can chip in on one up the top of the point and pump out wide, it sets you up for an incredible ride. There are a couple of reefs in the middle of the bay, so by being out wide, you end up going through those reefs. I’ve done a couple of runs similar to that, but never as far out and not as far in distance, but that run was surprisingly easy as there was so much energy in the ocean, and I was also on the Unifoil 170 Hyper, which is a gliding machine. I couldn’t believe how far down the beach I ended up, though. It was a trip! Lucky we left a car at that end so we could drive back and do it all again. Haha!

AFS Foils | View in Mag

Cabrinha | View in Mag

Is the Byron Bay surf scene accepting of foils? Are many of your friends taking it up?

Foiling is very accepted in Byron. It’s pretty alternative in Byron, so there are all kinds of crafts being ridden. We have a good little gang of about 20 guys foiling in Lennox/Ballina (where I live), which is about 20 mins from Byron.

Got any foil injuries or near misses we should know about?

Nothing major, just the odd scratch and bump on the arms or legs. Luckily!

That’s good to hear. Who do you go to for inspiration on the foil?

Kane De Wilde inspires me as not only is he a very talented foiler; he knows so much about design, so he understands the whole science behind foiling. He’s one of the guys pushing it the most. And then obviously there’s Kai Lenny, although I would love to see him ride un-strapped a lot more. Keahi De Aboitiz also inspires me a lot. He has style to burn and is crazy good at not only foiling but all water sports.

You’re a man of many talents, tell our readers about yours & your wife’s company and your DJing. Does foiling help or hinder these, do you think?

Yep, I’ve definitely got a lot on. I would say foiling hinders my role as director of our swim biz @fae because I do put a lot of time into foiling, which does take away from running a business. I feel like my DJing helps it, though, as I use a lot of the music I DJ within my edits that I upload on Insta, so I feel like the music is always pretty good for those clips. I do make an effort to try and give equal amounts to everything; sometimes, it’s hard, though, especially when the waves are pumping.

Finally, what are you working on at the moment progression wise? Any big adventures planned?

Nothing planned right now as we are expecting a new baby in a couple of months and we’ve just bought our first house. So happy to nest in for winter and enjoy the east coast winter swells on the north coast of NSW.

CORE | View in Mag

Armstrong Foils | View in Mag

Well, congratulations! Best of luck with the newborn; I have no doubt we’ll still be seeing rad foiling clips from you. Thanks, Adam!