Coming from windsurfing, I saw winging coming with interest but the first wings out there where so baggy and poor performing that I wasn't really attracted by the sport. these days wings and foils have improved so much vs 2-3 year ago that is worth considering to my eyes.
I see that designers are striving to get more rigid frames to make wings be more stable and powerfull at the same time, though the cost of a wing made of those more rigid materials is almost double the one of a std dacron one.
I do not have direct experience so my question to people that had the opportunity to use both std and allula or other exotic materials for the frame, is: do we need these latest & finest material to get good performances from the wing ore the base material is just fine? We get that 5% increase or is a massive change absolutely worth the extra money?
Select to expand quotedimacced said..
Coming from windsurfing, I saw winging coming with interest but the first wings out there where so baggy and poor performing that I wasn't really attracted by the sport. these days wings and foils have improved so much vs 2-3 year ago that is worth considering to my eyes.
I see that designers are striving to get more rigid frames to make wings be more stable and powerfull at the same time, though the cost of a wing made of those more rigid materials is almost double the one of a std dacron one.
I do not have direct experience so my question to people that had the opportunity to use both std and allula or other exotic materials for the frame, is: do we need these latest & finest material to get good performances from the wing ore the base material is just fine? We get that 5% increase or is a massive change absolutely worth the extra money?
It's like carbon vs aluminium boom.
life long windsurfer here.
So in the beginning draft stability was terrible. Each year it has improved a lot. A fresh new dacron wing has draft stability equal to a windsurf sail. Full-on, in the harness ripping. But, it deteriorates pretty quickly. In 6 months a wing is shot with the hours I put on one.
Aluula is not that way. Draft stability is double that of dacron, at a minimum.
And go for a boom wing.
We are still years away from matching the life of a windsurf sail.
Some 2-3 years ago the gear was excellent already. And no, you don't need all the fancy materials for getting good performance out of plain ordinary gear.
3 years ago:
It's hard to justify the price for a sport where design still improve iteration by iteration.You can sail with a 4cams race sail....or a hotsail superfreak and both are great sails...and they are at the extr?me opposite into the stiffness range.
Speaking from my experience Dacron wings can be stiff depending on the brand. I started with 21' North Novas and they were stretched out and floppy within 6 months.
The 23' Duotone units Dacron version I ride now are plenty stiff. Probably put about 100+ days on both my 4.5 and 6m and they are still great. The canopy has stretched out a bit but is not an issue because it was a bit tight new anyways. I usually pump them 1psi over the recommended.
If you are looking for a good stiff Dacron then I recommend a Unit, plenty of sales out there for 23's and 24's.
i have 2024 F-One Swings as they simply dissapear on a wave (that is my focus) but im not sure they are the best in terms of longevity etc....i tried a Unit and liked it and if i was flat water id 100% go for one (or a Flux) but waves im less sure about hard handles to be honest (and for sure the units prior to this year IMO oscillated when flagged out and had a crappy leading handle - see any video).
if Dlab was 50% more than standard i would go for one - but at 100% of the std unit its quite a leap....and the new mid way SLS is interesting BUT all white (i appreciate its without dye) is a big ask in real world wet, dirty, muddy kinda environs - so dnt think that works here in practice
So ramble over - does the Dlab hold up significantly better than dacron version? is it as robust to any punctures? and i asssume smaller LE and stiffer makes it much better in flight?
For me they are not worth it yet.
One problem few people mention is that tight sails and hard handles put a lot more strain on wrists and shoulders,you feel every bit of turbulence.
It might become a problem because most wingers ride without harness for long sessions.
Perfo is already pretty great on standard Dacron so i buy cheap and ride them in waves without much worry.
My favorite wing, the 3m Ocean Rodeo Glide AA has over 1000 miles on it and still looks and rides like new. Better riding and lighter than anything else I've ever ridden so I'd say it's 200% worth it.
Select to expand quotemcrt said..
...One problem few people mention is that tight sails and hard handles put a lot more strain on wrists and shoulders,you feel every bit of turbulence.
I've had just the opposite experience
Used an 24 dlab 5qm last time and it was crazy. It's stiffer and holds the shape much better. Means more power, more forward pull, crazy speed, no shifting of the Pressure point, not so much flex when gusts are hitting. The Advantage could be the Disadvantage. U should know finally what to prefer and what u can pay. I love allula now ;)
There's a subset of wingers for whom money does not matter at all. They'll be happy to spend twice as much for a small performance improvement or relatively minor weight savings. Others are on a budget, sometimes by choice, and always by discounted gear from last year, or older. For the makers, it makes perfect sense to offer high-end products with larger profits. Whether it makes sense for you to spend more depends a lot on your budget and preferences. You can still have tons of fun on older gear that's a bit out shape from heavy use. But if money was no issue, I might also buy the top-of-the line gear every year, and a whole set of any new front and tail wings they come out with.
to whomever feels Aluula is a must, I invite you to try the Armstrong XPS. I have zero brand affiliation and I pay for whatever I ride. Costs half, only 150g heavier (in 5m size), stiff, powerful in light wind and disappearing on a wave. I think Dacron wings dont get any better than that.
For the Aluula-curious, without the $$$ - Ive got a very good condition 5m OR Glide A series (full Aluula frame) that I'd sell for considerably less than a dacron wing if anyone wants it (US only, PM me). They are excellent wings!
For those who refer to the "harshness" of a stiff Aluula frame - I found that riding it with a front hard handle and a soft rear handle is the best of both worlds. You get the control from the front hard handle, but the soft handle in rear softens the gusts a lot. Thats how I'm selling mine FWIW.
I own Unit wings in DLab, Dacron 2024, and SLS, as well as Dacron 2025 versions. I ride a lot, and honestly, I don't feel a significant difference between Aluula and Dacron. In fact, the SLS 2025 seems stiffer than the Aluula 2024. Previously, I used various other wings that stretched out quickly. The Unit from 2024 feels much more durable. I've had the 2024 for over a year, and while there's some stretching, it's minimal. The canopy in the DLab 2024 stretches similarly to the Dacron version. I'm not entirely convinced that upgrading to the Aluula version is worth it. However, I do appreciate the Aluula design, especially compared to the plain white SLS. Between Aluula, SLS, and Dacron, I'd go with the SLS.
Windsurfing - I thought about board 40%, sail 40% and fin 20%. Took ages to realise winging is 80% foil, 10% board and 10% wing. I'm sure allula are better, but bucks better spend on foil/mast.
Select to expand quotepatronus said..
Windsurfing - I thought about board 40%, sail 40% and fin 20%. Took ages to realise winging is 80% foil, 10% board and 10% wing. I'm sure allula are better, but bucks better spend on foil/mast.
Spot on! The foil is the main thing! Most of us can get up on most boards and wings. Now a days, every major brand puts out competent wings. I can easily grab someone else's wings and have a good session, I can ride another board with a bit of adjustment. But move my mast a few millimeters and I have to learn the sport all over again!
