# To wing or parawing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Downwind Foil\ **Tags:** wing, parawing\ **Created:** [April 25, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165 "2026-04-25T00:24:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bleedpurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@bleedpurple](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/bleedpurple)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/1 "2026-04-25T00:24:23Z")
Hi all, currently facing a bit of inner turmoil and hoping the hive can help. I’ve just moved to the tropics in West Aus. Looking to start foiling to get me out on the water having been a lifelong surfer. The goal is to eventually be able to downwind capably, and move on to a DW sup when conditions align. Conditions are a bit variable up here, winds are W (onshore) SW during the wet season avg 15 knots and swell 0.5-1m usually wind swells. During the dry season E (offshore) SE avg 15 knots and no swell. I have been learning to foil behind a boat thus far. I like the idea of the midlength wind/parawind boards and code foils. The question I have is what will be the quickest way to progress on foil and then learn to DW - parawing or wind? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Hdip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a4c791/32.png) [@Hdip](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Hdip)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/2 "2026-04-25T00:34:15Z")
Inflatable hand wing will be the most fun. Foildrive for those light wind conditions might not be a terrible idea. ---
**Author:** ![Airsails](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Airsails](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Airsails)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/3 "2026-04-25T02:42:33Z")
Definitely wing first, it’s a much easier route than going para first. Our locals who have tried to go straight to para really are struggling. ---
**Author:** ![bleedpurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@bleedpurple](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/bleedpurple)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 3:01am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/4 "2026-04-25T03:01:06Z")
Yeah nice, any wing suggestions for first wing - I am 80kg ---
**Author:** ![Airsails](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@Airsails](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Airsails)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 6:16am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/5 "2026-04-25T06:16:49Z")
Check Seabreeze, heaps of used wings there. A 5 mtr is a good starting point so check the shop ads out, plenty in Perth. ---
**Author:** ![Slappy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Slappy](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Slappy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 6:38am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/6 "2026-04-25T06:38:52Z")
Just buy an easy to use parawing and skip the wing IMO. Get a F-One Quest 4.5m (depending on your weight). ---
**Author:** ![vatugahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/94ad74/32.png) [@vatugahi](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/vatugahi)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 7:04am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/7 "2026-04-25T07:04:14Z")
Unless you’re a kite jedi, wing first I reckon. Then when youre getting solid time up on foil, take the parawing for a spin when the conditions are decent for the para - clean 15-20 and calm water. No need to make the learning curve steeper than it already is, or spending more time than necessary livebaiting for crocs 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dontsink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Dontsink](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Dontsink)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 8:13am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/8 "2026-04-25T08:13:30Z")
Parawing requires better wind quality than the wing.I have very iffy,unreliable winds. If the wing drops below a threshold the parawing will not fly,drops in the water,you have to sort it out etc.. Many days i have tried the Parawing ,total frustration,rigged the Wing and had an OK session. ---
**Author:** ![jimmymal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@jimmymal](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/jimmymal)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 11:33am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/9 "2026-04-25T11:33:05Z")
I’ve spent plenty time foiling in northern WA. I would absolutely go for the wing first and become a competent foiler before parawing or DW sup at least a year later. For winter (no wind) I’d also get a foil drive, or prone foil if you have a strong short board background ---
**Author:** ![txfoil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@txfoil](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/txfoil)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 11:44am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/10 "2026-04-25T11:44:20Z")
I would go wing first. Most of us kooks haven’t even scratched the surface of the wings fun capabilities. > **[Vela Cabarete on Instagram: "🌊🔥 ¡Calibra al agua! Nuestro instructor Calibra...](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLC7APpRmpT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)** > > 58 likes, 8 comments - velacabarete on June 18, 2025: "🌊🔥 ¡Calibra al agua! > Nuestro instructor Calibra sale a disfrutar de la combinación mágica de Cabarete: olas en el reef y agua plana en la bahía 💨🏄‍♂️☀️ > > 💙 Condiciones perfectas > 🌴 Pura vibra... ---
**Author:** ![Hdip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a4c791/32.png) [@Hdip](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Hdip)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/11 "2026-04-25T15:06:09Z")
If you truly want to get to DW foiling. You may as well just go all in on SUP foil. A: It’s very fun in the surf, which will be your best practice for DW foiling. B: You’ll get reward right away. Being able to see gains immediately in balance and then riding waves very quickly is quite rewarding. Your first double dip is a milestone. C: You won’t be reliant on wind. You can use a paddle whether there is wind or not. You can’t do a wind sport without wind. When you first get into wind sports as a surfer you will quickly realize. All those times you cursed the wind for ruining a session. That wasn’t useable wind. That being said. Just like I said above. Wing is the easiest wind sport. ---
**Author:** ![bleedpurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f8ce5/32.png) [@bleedpurple](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/bleedpurple)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/12 "2026-04-27T13:46:26Z")
Nice, great advice. Any strong opinions on board selection? ---
**Author:** ![DrKnowNothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/47e85d/32.png) [@DrKnowNothing](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/DrKnowNothing)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/13 "2026-04-28T21:50:00Z")
I’d get an enormous board, and plan on downsizing. Better to have a stupidly large board for a year, and then sell it to the next guy learning, than to flail around for a year on a board that’s too small. ---
**Author:** ![Hdip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a4c791/32.png) [@Hdip](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Hdip)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/14 "2026-04-28T22:00:50Z")
One of the kt dragonfly’s or kalama barracuda’s that people sell for cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Gonefoiling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.progressionproject.com/gonefoiling/32/14360_2.png) [@Gonefoiling](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Gonefoiling)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/15 "2026-04-28T23:17:12Z")
if you want to learn DW, forget about the wing. get a PW and a 8’ DW board, good sized glidey foil. ---
**Author:** ![DrKnowNothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/47e85d/32.png) [@DrKnowNothing](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/DrKnowNothing)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/16 "2026-04-28T23:24:39Z")
I love the idea of a big downwind board for SUPfoil DW, SUPfoil Surfing, and light-wind (or daily-driver) WingFoil. But a narrow DW board might be better as a second board? Especially if original poster has no background in foiling or wind sports? For a first board, I recommend an inflatable. Just a huge one, like a Gong HIPE Learn 7’3" x 32". Nobody complains that their first wingfoil board was “too stable”. Cheaper. Harder to damage the board, harder to injure yourself when you fall on it. But inflatable boards are definitely lower performance (stiffness and rail shape), so you’ll look forward to upgrading to a rigid MidLength or DW board. ---
**Author:** ![Gonefoiling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.progressionproject.com/gonefoiling/32/14360_2.png) [@Gonefoiling](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/Gonefoiling)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/17 "2026-04-29T01:03:33Z")
only problem is that you wont get that thing off the water…too much width ---
**Author:** ![FoilGraham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@FoilGraham](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/FoilGraham)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/18 "2026-04-29T01:25:10Z")
Yeah, one time I swapped boards with an instructor trying to teach on this big inflatable and I could barely get it off the water. Then the foil was so crappy I could barely fly it. ---
**Author:** ![DrKnowNothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/47e85d/32.png) [@DrKnowNothing](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/DrKnowNothing)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/19 "2026-04-29T01:43:14Z")
Right, so was it the board, or the foil? Was it the width of the board, or the rounded rails of the inflatable? Too may variables. Inflatable boards definitely “stick” to the water compared to rigid. Cost-no-object, how about a 6’10" F-One Rocket MidLength v2 Carbon? 150liter. 24.5" wide. ---
**Author:** ![FoilMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc79bd/32.png) [@FoilMad](https://forum.progressionproject.com/u/FoilMad)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 2:28am UTC](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165/20 "2026-04-29T02:28:25Z")
Hdip is on the money. The only way to leant to balance on a narrow board is to paddle one. I started DW just before the narrow boards came and i can tell you the boards Hdip has recommended will do the job nicely. I found it much easier to stand on these boards than the previous generations anyway but it did involve starting flat water paddling first. If you can’t learn to balance those boards you won’t be able to learn to DW sup foil so don’t waste time on wide fat equipment. You can wing these boards in light wind and that also gets you more time standing on a narrow board. SUP foil them in tiny mostly unbroken waves is a blast. Again more time on the board. Its a tough journey but with time and persistence on the right path it can be surprisingly quick for those with the time. First paddle sessions will be in a smooth lake and you just work your way from there. [Next page](https://forum.progressionproject.com/t/to-wing-or-parawing/15165.md?page=2)