Prone to Parawing? Who has done it?

Prone Surf Foiling
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What is the difference in the wind needed to pop up on foil with a parawing vs stay on foil with the same parawing and foil?

I’m sure it depends a lot on the board chosen, but let’s say for a normal mid length. Do you need, for example 10 knots to stay on foil but 14 to get up on foil, or is the difference not that big?

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In downwind type scenarios, with bumps and wind going the same way, it’s pretty similar amount. If it’s windy enough to get some board speed, you can then use a bump to get up, and then enough wind to stay up on foil. Wave situation would be quite a bit less wind needed to stay on foil vs get up.

The amount of wind needed to gybe is much more skill dependent though. Overall it’s not like winging where you can have a fun session if you can get up, and pump through lulls and pump around gybes. at least at my level you really need more consistent wind

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It’s way less. I always feel with the parawing like once up on foil I’m relatively overpowered compared to the effort to get on foil, and you can glide through very light winds easily.

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It mostly depends on your skills at pumping up on to foil. I do a lot of LW parawinging and I can pump up on to foil in very underpowered conditions.

With 1340 sqcm foil and +10L midlength board and 4.7m Frigate (or 4.2m D-Wing) I can:

  • pump up on foil in 9 knots on flat water
  • stay on foil (but lose ground) in 7 knots
  • stay on foil holding ground (with a bit of pumping) in 9 knots
  • go 15° upwind in 10 knots no pumping needed
  • go 20° upwind in 12 knots no pumping needed

If there are bumps to help getting on foil I only need 7-8 knots of wind.

Here’s an example of the effort it takes though, this is 9 knots (and on an inflatable ML)

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Damn that’s some really light wind, although really big front wings, I’m surprised you can DW on such light winds.

Have you tried bigger parawings? Is there a lot of difference between the 4.7m frigate and the 4.2m D-wing in terms of low end?

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4.7m Frigate and 4.2m D-Wing have similar low end (D-Wing is actually a bit better due to it’s better pumpability). High end is reversed, 4.7m Frigate can handle g30 while 4.2m D-Wing maxes out at g25.
Also with the Frigate it will keep going upwind better and better the more wind there is (as long as you can hold on) where as the D-Wing hits a point around 22 knots where your angles get worse the more wind you have.

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