I'm not convinced (but want to be)

[Eltreato]

Pick the sport that works for your beach. I want to paddle surf a shortboard and get shacked in huge barrels, but my spot is basically a small lake, so I don't.

[TomW]

I think you just have to find spots that are more adapted to the realities of winging. All those spots that you've always dismissed for kiting, because the launch is sketchy, wind shadow inside, no room for setup, etc... they might work for wing instead. Maybe with a different perspective on your requirements, you'd find some great options around.
I think that's where the value is with wings, ride in places where kites cannot. To be fair, when riding on kiting spots, I still see the kite as having the advantage on pretty much every aspect (except the novelty).

You may be right! I'll keep a lookout.

[joekitetime]

I think you just have to find spots that are more adapted to the realities of winging. All those spots that you've always dismissed for kiting, because the launch is sketchy, wind shadow inside, no room for setup, etc... they might work for wing instead. Maybe with a different perspective on your requirements, you'd find some great options around.
I think that's where the value is with wings, ride in places where kites cannot. To be fair, when riding on kiting spots, I still see the kite as having the advantage on pretty much every aspect (except the novelty).

You may be right! I'll keep a lookout.

I live at one one the best kiting spots on the planet, yet I choose to wing.

All the sports we do are fun. You don't need a reason to pick one over the other!

But yes, there are environmental conditions that do favor kiting over winging...

For example, yesterday I was trying to race a sailboat. Once I got blanketed from the wind the wing wouldn't work. So, kiting is better in marinas, anchorages, any place where the wind on the water level gets disrupted. Same goes for a lot of those butter spots we love in the lee of small islands and vegetation. Winging is no bueno because the wing tends to get disrupted low.

For crowded, congested launching winging is epic.

In large swell where you want to slow down and ride the swell, winging excels. Going fast, kiting excels (although you can go pretty damn fast on a wing - you still are not going to beat a race kite/foil.

For super quick sessions where you don't have as much time - winging excels.

I think winging is a sport where the wing is not the emphasis - the foil is and the water contour. You use the wing "just enough" to stay on foil, or just enough to get outside to jibe, then you park the wing and ride the swell back in. In kite foiling, the kite is much more the emphasis. For those of us who kite foil, but wanted to ride more swell and be less dominated by the kite, winging was the answer.

Winging is riding the foil, kiting foiling is flying the kite at speed on foil.

Its all fun!

[slowboat]

I’ll go one step further and say for me personally, winging is not really a wind sport but more a foil riding and foil surfing sport. It’s about trying to catch and ride the smallest bump to breaking waves. The wing and wind are just a way to get there.

[joekitetime]

I’ll go one step further and say for me personally, winging is not really a wind sport but more a foil riding and foil surfing sport. It’s about trying to catch and ride the smallest bump to breaking waves. The wing and wind are just a way to get there.

Yes! What he said!

[juandesooka]

I’ll go one step further and say for me personally, winging is not really a wind sport but more a foil riding and foil surfing sport. It’s about trying to catch and ride the smallest bump to breaking waves. The wing and wind are just a way to get there.

Yes! What he said!

X3

[Peter_Frank]

Not for me - it is definitely an awesome fun wind sport, and I love playing around even if flat or small chop, riding holding the wind in your bare hands (great feel, so much more natural) and carving and practicing transitions and everything.

No way it is a way to transport to waves only, for me.

Even in really small waves, bottom turning and cutbacks using the wind a bit and trying to hit the small top, is great fun too

Nothing beats making a fluid smooth jibe, going around powered at first, maybe narrow maybe faster, switching the wing and then your feet, and off you go the other way

Just like it is fun on surfboards or kitehydrofoils or windsurfers - this is, for me, an awesome feeling

Surfing waves, jumping, and doing other tricks is fun, but carving and jibing is the backbone of all these windsports for me, and the rest simply putting more good stuff on the cake.

Peter

[slowboat]

Not for me - it is definitely an awesome fun wind sport, and I love playing around even if flat or small chop, riding holding the wind in your bare hands (great feel, so much more natural) and carving and practicing transitions and everything.

No way it is a way to transport to waves only, for me.

Even in really small waves, bottom turning and cutbacks using the wind a bit and trying to hit the small top, is great fun too

Nothing beats making a fluid smooth jibe, going around powered at first, maybe narrow maybe faster, switching the wing and then your feet, and off you go the other way

Just like it is fun on surfboards or kitehydrofoils or windsurfers - this is, for me, an awesome feeling

Surfing waves, jumping, and doing other tricks is fun, but carving and jibing is the backbone of all these windsports for me, and the rest simply putting more good stuff on the cake.

Peter

I think we agree more than we disagree. First, I am not saying "transport to waves only". It is simply a preference for water moving the foil vs wind moving the foil. I also love carving and jibing but I prefer the sensation of doing it with water power (even if very small) vs wind power. Of course you need wind to wing but for example, I use the wing to get up to just the correct speed for a small wind swell and then try to use the energy of the swell to carve or jibe or just glide a bit. Winging allows you to use really big foils comfortably and if on a given day, I can match foil size with swell size correctly and hit it at the correct speed as I go to the leading edge handle of my wing, the glide and carve is just magical

[fluidity]

The biggest obstacle for me is the cost of new equipment. I'm 6'2", 200 lbs., so from what I've gleaned from this forum is that I need a 120-140 liter board, 1600-2400 hydrofoil, and a 6m wing. Cost $3000+ new. Not sure if there is that much used equipment on the market where I live. Would like to demo or rent before I make the investment. I might contact a couple of local shops to see if they have demo equipment.

I was worried too but desperate to try the new sport anyway. I'm 6'0, 108kg. I bought a f-one rocket air inflateable, the f-one foil and a 65cm mast and built the foils and fuselage because I like designing and building things. The air-SUPs are about half the price of the EPS Composite layup ones. My first session today. Knew the winds would be marginal but they did pick up a bit as it was getting dark and I'm feeling stoked even though I was only sitting or kneeling on the board. All progress in building new muscle memory! The wind was probably around 10 knots gusting to 15 and my foil is around 1800, deep lifty profile. If I'd been standing and pumped had I might have got on foil but still building confidence with first session.

[windmaker]

Not for me - it is definitely an awesome fun wind sport, and I love playing around even if flat or small chop, riding holding the wind in your bare hands (great feel, so much more natural) and carving and practicing transitions and everything.

No way it is a way to transport to waves only, for me.

Even in really small waves, bottom turning and cutbacks using the wind a bit and trying to hit the small top, is great fun too

Nothing beats making a fluid smooth jibe, going around powered at first, maybe narrow maybe faster, switching the wing and then your feet, and off you go the other way

Just like it is fun on surfboards or kitehydrofoils or windsurfers - this is, for me, an awesome feeling

Surfing waves, jumping, and doing other tricks is fun, but carving and jibing is the backbone of all these windsports for me, and the rest simply putting more good stuff on the cake.

Peter

Agreed some of us ex windsurfers especially enjoy other aspects of wingfoiling, lets just say that wave riding is where the wing excels.

i have just learned full speed lay down jibes and bottm turns windsurfing style and love the feeling when doing them. So groovy !