watching good foilers learn to wing, I’m absolutely taking the other side of this. Someone who is already doing downwinders might be able to get on foil and stow the thing, but they will be much further away from upwind and controlled gybes let alone tacks than I think they would realise. Looks easy, sure its far from it.
I’m an advanced prone and runner guy. About to learn downwind. Don’t know how to wing. Do know how to Kiteboard, stay upwind, jump, etc… looks interesting to me, except for the price. Also, going upwind looks to require the perfect size which is frustrating, because that means you need a quiver 
4 Likes
We’re not on different sides here, note I said for dw assist. I think these pocket wings/parawings are targeted at that market opportunity. Think paddle and sup alternative. Learning to dw sup foil is a steep hill to climb. One which I plan to take on again in the future, this however looks like a much shorter learning curve, atleast for the strong winds and 4m and below. I am still waiting for a video that makes the larger sizes look manageable.
I don’t think this is a replacement for wing foiling, I just think it looks like a shorter learning curve for downwind assist. It’s a much smaller market than winging, but it sure is a fun one.
The price definitely helps me wait this one out a bit as well, my Foil Drive is certainly a lot easier for dw assist, but an alternative with a light weight board setup sure is appealing.
3 Likes
Ok understood. I think the improvement from the pocket-kite to parawing is marginal for DW assist, or negative because it’s presumably harder to fly (the pocket doesn’t need to be flown?)…
On the winging upwind, seemingly there is a small step for a winger to figure out how to fly a parawing, but I think there is somewhere between a big to massive step for someone without any wind sports depending on how bad their local conditions are and how much advice they can lean on from wingers to get the most out of it.
The price is pretty steep, but I’ve seen them popup all over internationally this week, so good on BRM for launching the product and then selling the product simultaneously! Represents very good value for the impulsive and impatient!
Having just had a frustrating deflate, I’m sold on the idea of doing more laps, the value of stowing and deploying very quickly, especially in surf. I’m increasingly impatient but at that price I’m still going to wait it out until I’ve tested one (3 locally already!)
Yes, which is why we need Flysurfer to lean into this, they could make one with depower, on the fly extendable lines, maybe even a micro kite bar 
2 Likes
You can add a bunch of range to a wing by changing the other two variables in the power triad. Bigger board and bigger foil will extend the low end. Smaller foil will extend the top end. And extra bonus being overpowered is easier to manage if your going dw. This is all from a kite/wing background. But all the reviews and guidance from BRM reinforces this will hold for the parawing.
Kudos to BRM on the product launch looks like they nailed it. Just saw Tomo and Alex Agura are on the train now too. Its going to be increasingly hard to sit on the side lines as our windy season approaches…
3 Likes
One thing I’d disagree with here, having used both - I’d say the pocket wing is the minimum viable tool for DW assist. So if you CAN use it, you’re stoked.
But the parawing is MUCH easier to launch with, even in that pure DW use case. You can steer the parawing fairly easily into the power zone and hold it there, whereas the pocket wing tends to bounce all over, especially in gusts. The BRM version is also more tangle-resistant and therefore more reliable to relaunch which isn’t trivial, since on a big DW run you have to choose something you’re confident can get you back up if you fall. Minimum viable tool is fine close to shore, but maybe not further out…
I had like 10 sessions pocket winging and was only on foil a couple of times. I had more successful launches in my first 30 min on the parawing. YMMV, others are loving the pockets, but I think the parawing is easier to use. It is a bit harder to put away, but I think that’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make.
I felt like I could learn to use the pockets well enough to fart around at the hatch, but it’s easier to imagine trusting the parawing on a long run as my sole way of getting on foil.
5 Likes
This is very reassuring and good news. I initially was excited about the pocket kite for the backup of some form of self rescue, on my tests with DIY and Nasa versions I quickly realised it was going to cause me to need a rescue.
Increasingly tempted!
Someone tired with deflating and reflating wings should try this ( packs in one minute and works also with bar)
1 Like
This is the OG parawing
1 Like
Pocket Wing should get credit for being first to market
Pocket Wing was not first to market with this. It was Born-kite back in 2017:
I feel like this is the birth of winging from an alternate reality where LEI kites were never invented
1 Like
If it was the “birth” they’d have started with Ram-air not single skin! Ozone does make a half ram-air wing
Firsthand Account: BRM Parawing Review
I’ve now completed two downwind runs with the BRM Parawing. I purchased the 4M model at full price, and after some testing, I have a mix of pros and cons to share. But first, let’s start with why I chose this wing.
Living on Maui, where the winds are strong and consistent, I managed to complete around 200 downwind SUP foil runs last year. I also participated in all the Hawaii races this year and was eager for something to change up the routine. My goal was to transition to prone runs with my sinker board and perhaps tackle some big water downwind runs using a tiny foil, like the Lift 70, which I’d struggle to paddle up. Here’s what I’ve learned after two sessions.
Run 1:
Wind: 25-30 mph with a 4M Parawing in Kihei. This run is more of a bay run—long, flat start with tons of wind but no bumps. I was joined by four others who had never used wings before. After about two minutes of instruction, we hit the water, heading towards Makena, an 11-mile stretch down the coast. I was fully prepared with a PFD, EPIRB, phone, Apple Watch, shark band, tourniquet, and water. I’m all about pushing the limits, but safety is non-negotiable.
On the beach, everything seemed straightforward, but I was concerned about depowering and packing the wing mid-run. I worried I might get pulled downwind at 30 mph without being able to stow the wing. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and I’ll explain why.
I rode a tiny downwind board from before the Barracuda days—5’10" x 22" at 100L—and used the Lift 130 with the 20 carve tail. Lifting the wing is unique; you don’t go on a reach like with a traditional wing. Instead, you hold it downwind and hang on. The board speeds up and takes off, with pumping the wing slightly stalling it, but pumping the foil helps. Here are a few tips:
- Lay the wing down in front of you in the water with the leading edge up and get on your knees.
- Pull the lines, and the wing lifts out of the water, pulling you along. Get to your feet ASAP.
- If the board is taking off on bumps and running into the wing before you lift it, turn the board sideways, then straighten it once the wing is in the air. This process is easier on a smaller board with less waterline.
Once on the foil, you can fly the wing directly overhead, and the power dissipates. You can modulate power by lifting and lowering the wing. When I tried turning the board slightly to attempt a reach, I quickly realized I was overpowered on the 4M wing. I could head upwind a bit but felt seriously overpowered, so I turned back downwind.
The wing shines in the bay, where the bumps don’t form until a mile or so in. I held the wing in front, moderating speed by adjusting its height until I reached the bumps. Once on a bump, I used the foil’s speed to depower the wing, then deflated it, wrapped the line around it, and stuffed it into my Vaikobi PFD. I rode hands-free for 11 miles to Makena on a 5’10" board—epic fun.
Downside: The wind did lighten up in some spots, and I’m sure the wing wouldn’t have pulled up my 5’10" in light wind. Be prepared to prone a long way in if you fall. This is a significant downside, but Kihei can be fickle, whereas Maliko has much more consistent wind.
Run 2:
This run was nearly identical to the first, but I used a 75L wing board, also in Kihei. It was even more enjoyable and easier to control the wing the second time around. Again, the wind was light at the end, and I’m thankful I didn’t come down. Both runs were successful, but if I weren’t as skilled at downwinding, I’d prefer a Barracuda and a paddle.
Pros:
- Easy to learn with good wind.
- Safer than a prone run.
- Much better than deflate downwind.
- Everything foiling-related is fun, and these disciplines improve your overall foiling skills.
Cons:
- If the wind is fickle, make sure your skills are up to par.
- Expensive.
I hope this review helps. Overall, I’m stoked on the BRM Parawing and can’t wait to get some runs in on my 45L prone board over on the north shore. Video coming soon!
8 Likes
I saw Born’s posts on the BRM launch- and it seemed pretty salty. But unless a designer really focuses on the specific use cases- I think it makes it challenging to nail some of those details that matter to that segment (ie downwind foilers don’t want the best kite- they want every compromise in terms of simplified bridling, bar, and hardware - even if that makes it terrible for buggying).
A happy accident was the Peak series designed for snow and working well for foiling, but even these werent adopted for downwind foiling as they were still too unwieldy.
1 Like
Maybe ad lines from thé bar for light wind . After start let go but for control with 2 lines a nasawing is better than parskiflex bar
IMO this is kiting with short lines - not Winging. Winging is it’s own thing. I don’t see many Wingers who didn’t kite before taking this up.
1 Like
Wing or kite, the thing that matters for this new category is that it’s stowable and redeployable on foil.
10 Likes
What about prone catching a wave, then launching the parawing once on foil this could help one cover distance in light wind without pumping. Or even use parawing to get out to the wave while seated on the prone board? (Slowly)
3 Likes
Really surprised there’s no leash. Or at least some floaty device on the bar.
Weird. Wrap it up. Tuck it in belt, tuck it in vest/wetsuit. I guess those details are better than it blew away and sank. I’ve heard you can body drag with it. Maybe couldn’t relaunch without sitting on a board?
2 Likes