It seems to only use hand grips - like on this iRig (except the iRig has a mast foot attachment to make it work like a sail - the Naish wing is like a dihedral kite).
(The iRig has been used since 2015 - usually on windSUPs (but not always - https://www.windsurf.co.uk/featured/kla ... rspective/))
There used to be a kite viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10142 which had a double bladder in the leading edge. The idea was to make the leading edge stiffer by creating a web of material between the two bladders. That might possibly be of some use in a wing?
Last edited by ronnie on Fri Apr 12, 2019 12:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
for a 4M kite/wing to pick you up out of the water, seems it would have to be blowing well into the 30s. besides Hawaii, where does that happen? maybe on a SUP foil where the wing doesn't really have to pick you up, but i don't see it working on a regular kite foil board, or even a surf foil board without those kinds of winds. given that, it might be interesting at a place where normal kite launch would be near impossible, like some mountainous lakes i know. if it's priced like a trainer kite...
for a 4M kite/wing to pick you up out of the water, seems it would have to be blowing well into the 30s. besides Hawaii, where does that happen? maybe on a SUP foil where the wing doesn't really have to pick you up, but i don't see it working on a regular kite foil board, or even a surf foil board without those kinds of winds. given that, it might be interesting at a place where normal kite launch would be near impossible, like some mountainous lakes i know. if it's priced like a trainer kite...
I did see a guy waterstart with a framed wing and ride back to the beach in Tenerife about 10 years ago and he was using a small strapless surfboard without a foil. It was a windy day - as you say.
It seems the current inflatable wings are intended for foil boards that can float your weight.
for a 4M kite/wing to pick you up out of the water, seems it would have to be blowing well into the 30s. besides Hawaii, where does that happen? maybe on a SUP foil where the wing doesn't really have to pick you up, but i don't see it working on a regular kite foil board, or even a surf foil board without those kinds of winds. given that, it might be interesting at a place where normal kite launch would be near impossible, like some mountainous lakes i know. if it's priced like a trainer kite...
I’ve never tried a wing, but, FWIW, for kitefoiling with a Lift 150, I switch to a 4m kite in 18/19kn....
It looks like Naish will be first to the market with a production wing product. Good for them.
I'd buy one if I could use it with my normal sized board and hydrofoil (700 sq cm wing) in winds of 20 knots. But if I need a big SUP board, a big wing hydrofoil and stronger winds... I'm not so sure...