Now I find myself on the Wing and a surf foil more and more often. I was super sceptical at first like many here but 10 sessions in I'm getting much better and have started riding swells - it's a new, very free sensation.
My inspiration has come from this video:
It's so efficient, upwind, downwind and really maximises even the slackest of conditions.
Here one can see the freedom you get with a wing, as you can ride straight into the wind back and fourth changing "tack" without thinking about it, when on a wave.
Not possible with a kite or a sail the same way.
With a kite you can do it somewhat, just let the kite drift and avoid the lines, but not nearly as free as seen in above video.
With a sail, the sail gets in the way.
Now I find myself on the Wing and a surf foil more and more often. I was super sceptical at first like many here but 10 sessions in I'm getting much better and have started riding swells - it's a new, very free sensation.
My inspiration has come from this video:
It's so efficient, upwind, downwind and really maximises even the slackest of conditions.
Thanks for that video, I finally get what this is about! Does he have to start from the beach or is that little wind enough to get on the foil?
The wave riding looks good but the rest doesn't look very exciting. Barely on the foil with pump assistance. A bit more powered upwind and still the same waveriding can be awesome.
Much nicer than Sup foiling and less hard work than pump foiling though.
LMAO, the manufactures be like OOOOh its the next awesome thing.... Facebook/instagram/kite pros etc.... (including Gunnar... so sad) be like ... its awesome get one...
Kiteforum be like ....... crickets
And this is why I love this place. No marketing BS is going to influence us!
Hi, i could not find any results for wing foil (or actually too many unrelated) so here i go-
Anyone tried wing foiling? Now all the major kite brands are coming up with their offerings. Duotone, slingshot, cabrinha are just some examples.
Anyones tried it yet? Whats the minimum water that you need to start playing with this? Duotone offers several sizes and the biggest, 6m they say is from 10knots.
How difficult is it to learn? I have some experience foiling, but really just learning. I thought this could be fun in places where kiting is not allowed or bad access..?
Is it suitable to give to someone whos never tried a kite? Can u ride a regular SUP with this and have some fun?
Thanks everyone for your inputs!
Whats the minimum Wind that you need to start playing with this? Duotone offers several sizes and the biggest, 6m they say is from 10knots.
It depends on what you are riding. If you just want to cruise around on a big SUP without a foil to get the hang of the Wing, you do not need so much power, so you can get away with a 4m in 10 knots or even less if your balance is good or the water is flat. If you want to get foiling it will depend on what size foil you have under your board and your weight and skills. I (85kg) can get the 4m to work in 15 knots with a large downwind surf foil and my 105 liter SUP Board.
How difficult is it to learn? I have some experience foiling, but really just learning.
If you have the right equipment and some foiling skill, you should learn very quickly. The learning curve is pretty shallow. I recommend you spend some time on the beach and get used to handling the wing first. For example, If you have windsurfing in your background you will also need to fight your instinct to push the wing down to create speed. I did the same thing as I was starting out and kept flying it into the sand/water. Once you get the hang of the wing and can use it to pull you from a kneeling position into a standing position, then you can go on the water with it. If you are not the best foiler, just go with a big SUP or windsurfer (beginner boards with daggerboards work great)
I thought this could be fun in places where kiting is not allowed or bad access..?
Exactly. This is what is great about this. It opens up a whole new world of spots and conditions. A lot of the Wave spots on our north shore are really dangerous to kite as the launches are super rocky and the wind is sketchy. Plus the wind is mainly onshore and wave riding with onshore is not that fun. The wing works great in these conditions. Also spots where there is no wind near the shore are easy with the Wing. Paddling with the wing dragging behind you is really easy and it has virtually no drag, and this makes it much easier to paddle compared to a windsurf board when there is no wind.
Is it suitable to give to someone whos never tried a kite? Can u ride a regular SUP with this and have some fun?
As I mentioned above, it works great without a foil too. Also with Landboards, Skateboards, Rollerskates, SUPs, Kayaks etc. It is a great tool for getting people into windsports as it is much safer and easier to handle than a Windsurf Sail or a kite.
If you have a chance, try one. Make up your own mind. I for one am loving it, but then again, I always seem to love new things and I don't really care what others think about it. 10 years ago people said that foiling look boring and could not possibly be any fun. Then 4 years ago they said the same about SUPfoiling. In the end people need to actually try it and see what it feels like to ride, because that is what counts, not what it looks like to others
--
Gunnar
I'm interested to know if you can gain anything upwind on a SUP with a normal skeg fin?
These users thanked the author cwood for the post:
I'm interested to know if you can gain anything upwind on a SUP with a normal skeg fin?
I haven't actually tried, but I would say no, a wing will not get you going upwind with just a normal SUP fin. Even with a hydrofoil you don't really make much progress upwind until you are up foiling.
My experience is that on a SUP that does not have a dagger board or fin forward.it is very hard to go upwind. With my SUP with a foil attached in non planning/foiling conditions I go upwind no problem. Having the foil under the board seems to give me lots of lateral resistance and I have no trouble heading upwind even in lightvwind conditions and a 7-foot 10 board. Although under about 6 knots then I have a problem heading upwind.
Hi, i could not find any results for wing foil (or actually too many unrelated) so here i go-
Anyone tried wing foiling? Now all the major kite brands are coming up with their offerings. Duotone, slingshot, cabrinha are just some examples.
Anyones tried it yet? Whats the minimum water that you need to start playing with this? Duotone offers several sizes and the biggest, 6m they say is from 10knots.
How difficult is it to learn? I have some experience foiling, but really just learning. I thought this could be fun in places where kiting is not allowed or bad access..?
Is it suitable to give to someone whos never tried a kite? Can u ride a regular SUP with this and have some fun?
Thanks everyone for your inputs!
Whats the minimum Wind that you need to start playing with this? Duotone offers several sizes and the biggest, 6m they say is from 10knots.
It depends on what you are riding. If you just want to cruise around on a big SUP without a foil to get the hang of the Wing, you do not need so much power, so you can get away with a 4m in 10 knots or even less if your balance is good or the water is flat. If you want to get foiling it will depend on what size foil you have under your board and your weight and skills. I (85kg) can get the 4m to work in 15 knots with a large downwind surf foil and my 105 liter SUP Board.
How difficult is it to learn? I have some experience foiling, but really just learning.
If you have the right equipment and some foiling skill, you should learn very quickly. The learning curve is pretty shallow. I recommend you spend some time on the beach and get used to handling the wing first. For example, If you have windsurfing in your background you will also need to fight your instinct to push the wing down to create speed. I did the same thing as I was starting out and kept flying it into the sand/water. Once you get the hang of the wing and can use it to pull you from a kneeling position into a standing position, then you can go on the water with it. If you are not the best foiler, just go with a big SUP or windsurfer (beginner boards with daggerboards work great)
I thought this could be fun in places where kiting is not allowed or bad access..?
Yes you can.
I will show you how to get upwind when displacing with a SUP board in the upcoming Ozone How To Videos for the WASP
--
Gunnar
Exactly. This is what is great about this. It opens up a whole new world of spots and conditions. A lot of the Wave spots on our north shore are really dangerous to kite as the launches are super rocky and the wind is sketchy. Plus the wind is mainly onshore and wave riding with onshore is not that fun. The wing works great in these conditions. Also spots where there is no wind near the shore are easy with the Wing. Paddling with the wing dragging behind you is really easy and it has virtually no drag, and this makes it much easier to paddle compared to a windsurf board when there is no wind.
Is it suitable to give to someone whos never tried a kite? Can u ride a regular SUP with this and have some fun?
As I mentioned above, it works great without a foil too. Also with Landboards, Skateboards, Rollerskates, SUPs, Kayaks etc. It is a great tool for getting people into windsports as it is much safer and easier to handle than a Windsurf Sail or a kite.
If you have a chance, try one. Make up your own mind. I for one am loving it, but then again, I always seem to love new things and I don't really care what others think about it. 10 years ago people said that foiling look boring and could not possibly be any fun. Then 4 years ago they said the same about SUPfoiling. In the end people need to actually try it and see what it feels like to ride, because that is what counts, not what it looks like to others
--
Gunnar
I'm interested to know if you can gain anything upwind on a SUP with a normal skeg fin?
I'm interested to know if you can gain anything upwind on a SUP with a normal skeg fin?
I haven't actually tried, but I would say no, a wing will not get you going upwind with just a normal SUP fin. Even with a hydrofoil you don't really make much progress upwind until you are up foiling.
Yes you can. You just need to know which handles to hold and how to use the wing like a sail.