Is anybody out there using a para wing with their prone board? I’m down to try para wing but not if it means buying another board.
The vibe I get is that even the best para wings are still worse as a wingding than a wingding So if you’re not heavily wing dinging on your prone board already, you’re probably not going to be having a good time parawinging one either right?
Im still new to it, but the main difference is that you can’t effectively pump a parawing like you can a wing, so I find it to be a lot less efficient in getting going. I think you’d have to be lit to get going on a prone board - to the point where it wouldn’t be fun once you are on foil. If you have a higher volume wing board (particularly a longer more efficient shape) that would be a lot better than a prone board.
Yeah I second that. I would recommend staying close to neutral buoyancy and ideally it will be narrow(22-19”) but still as stable as possible(flatter bottom not round).
The parawing just does not have a lot of low end pull, but once your up being overpowered is not pleasant. Less of an issue if your just using this for dw sends as you can manage the power by going dw. I think the lowest you can go is a sinker wing board. But that will mean only riding at the top end of the range of the pw. So for my 5.1 BRM that would be 18+ mph winds.
As far as learning curve, I found it really easy when powered and on a stable board.
Has anyone done a chip-in on prone, then deployed the para once on foil? Could be great to help get out to the wind line/real bumps on a side-shore day.
Wow, interesting idea!!
Yeah, that was kind of my feeling. I’m 90kg and riding a 75L conventional wing board (24” wide) and a 40 ish liter prone board. For me and my downwind program I’m feeling a $600 investment for a takoon wing not a $2000 investment for a fresh single purpose board and a wing!
may as well Beach Start on a 7L board haha
You will be fine on your wing board as long as you are powered up. The guys in the gorge last summer on pocket wings were all on sinker wing boards
As long as you pack the parawing like a jump master packs a parachute you should be fine and this would work…until you fall atleast. Could use the pw to drag in which definitely beats paddling.
Yeah but I don’t WANT to ride my regular wing board! I’d rather eat my boots than ride a downwind run on that whale
I think you would have to be very lit to get up on a 40 liter board unless it’s sort of a thin mid-length type with lots of surface area. The way to think about it is would you be able to get on foil with your regular wing without pumping the wing?
You also get a lot of push from the swell in the gorge which helps getting on foil with whatever you are using. I could see using a smaller board in those conditions, but equipment that works in the gorge often isn’t ideal elsewhere.
I weigh 88kgs and I think a 50-70l mid length will be ideal for PW. 50l will be pushing it and will need to be powered. But the 70l will be easy starts so long as it’s a stable board design(relatively flat bottom - not round). The board can be in the 5’5 - 6ft range which really does not hurt surfability as long as the mast tracks are forward.
Agreed, I use my 80L 6’ ML (I’m 93kg) and in a lot of ways it’s easier than a DW board since it doesn’t get pushed around in takeoff mode. I think that size is pretty ideal for me, but I am getting a 118L 7’4 combo surfsup/parawing board for safety/comfort as much as anything.
My local runs are open ocean coastal with cliffs, kelp beds and occasional beaches, so it can be a long paddle in if the wind dies or something breaks.
The top of the tunnels run is often pretty small. But there are almost always strong gusts that come through to get going even if the bumps are a bit weak.
At home (ocean run) on my ML board and 3.4 pocket wing, I need about 20kts to get up and at 25-30 I’m overpowered and using the backs of swells to slow myself down and not take off too early
What size is your ML board? 20 knots with a 3.4 sounds amazing
6’0 x 19.5 80L
Just recently i tried my brm’s again with my small wingboard.
I am 68kg, ak phazer 5’1x23x55l, progression 140, mediterranean 1.2m windswell… onshore wind with a slight tilt to the left.
First day, lit with the 4.2 wing, not sure about windstrength, probably 20-25kn. Tried 4m parawing, got up no problem, but was well overpowered, so a bit of a handfull…therefore tried the 2.9m also, but too small…
Next day, a bit less wind, not sure about the windstrength, maybe 15-18kn… i could get up relatively easily with my 4.2 wing with some push of the waves, certainly wing was not lit, but no need to totally go for it to get on foil. Then tried the 4m brm, couldn’t get up, no chance…tried the 5m, still did not work, some near misses, but then the chop would slow me down everytime.
Switched back to my 4.2m wing, still worked well.
I guess with better direction to use the push of the swell with the parawing i would have gotten up with the 5m no problem. Interestingly with the wing, the usable wind window angles when pumping seem a bit wider than with the parawing, going out on my good side/regular and port tack/with the wind from the left, i could bear off enough with the wing to use the push of the onshore waves no problem, where as with the parawing, i couldn’t do that as much without loosing too much power. On starboard tack going goofy my pumping technique is less effective, negating the little advantage of the better angle… and also i had less leeway, so got up in that direction once or twice but wasn’t easy, more out of sheer luck than my doing.
In a nutshell, i suppose with a slightly bigger/longer/narrower board i would have made it no problem. Not sure where the sweetspot lays for a one board wing/parawing quiver, as i do not want to go much bigger/more volume winging. I am hoping that something like 5’6x21x60l could do the trick, will have to try my old 5’3x24x66l phazer for comparison…will see…
And answering your question regarding pw with a small prone board, i don’t really see that happening much in the near future unless for very specific conditions like maybe the gorge or maybe next gen parawings with wayy more depower.
It’s a dream of mine to use a prone board but it’s gotta be nuking! I use a mid length all the time. Board is prolly about 65ish liters. It’s sick with a mid length too!
I think you’ve maybe indirectly hit on the final form factor for foiling. Idk but something about this appeals
So if you do a short downwinder in “strong” conditions, where you aren’t worried about the wind dying, basically what I’ve been doing in Cape Town where the wind starts at 20kn and quickly 30+ by sunset, then this could be perfect.
Use the parawing to get you on foil, because you’re overpowered it is easy, stow it, bust some turns, wait for a big bump set, rip some big turns and stunts, fall, repeat.
Forget about upwind, forget about depower, just send it in strong to nuking conditions.