Wind Winging

The latest craze to take over the water sports world is the adrenaline-pumping world of Wind Winging. Never heard of it? Well let’s give you the low down. Imagine a SUP with a handheld inflatable wing challenging the power of the wind and you’re there. Inflatable handheld wings like the Naish wing surfer, Ozone Wasp or Duotone wing provide a brand new way to ride waves, wind swells and to travel and explore lakes and oceans. With the added enjoyment of a hydrofoil, these wings allow the rider to enjoy epic carving sessions. No harness is needed, just let the wind do the work.

So how do you do it? First you need to find the wing which best suits your needs. Unlike the Naish Wing Surfer and Ozone Wasp, the Duotone has a boom to hold. This allows unlimited hand placements without worrying about which handle to hold at which point in the ride (more about those later). The length adjustments on the Duotone also allow it be compatible with every wing size meaning that in light or strong winds the perfect ride is always possible. If the idea of having no boom, rigging, line or bar is more appealing then with Ozone Wasp could be the option for you or the Naish Wing Surfer. Both come with pumps and inflate in seconds. All three wings are similar weights and come in a range of sizes varying from 2m-7m. They are attractive to look at and their wide range of colour choices mean there will be something to suit everyone.

So you’ve chosen the wing, what now? Although the Ozone Wasp sells itself as a wing which can enhance a wide range of travelling experiences including skiing and skateboarding, we’re going to presume you’ve headed out to the water with your wing. You need to grab a SUP (Stand Up Paddle board) remembering the general rule of thumb that you want the volume of litres of your own body weight plus 20% for the best riding experience. Connect your hydrofoil and position the board in the water across the wind. Start off kneeling up whilst you get your body used to positioning the boom (for the Duotone) or the range of handles for the Ozone Wasp or Naish Wing Surfer. To get yourself into a semi surf stance, keep the wing flat over your head to avoid the tip catching in the water and flipping over, and balance your body then pull up, using the wing to support you into a standing position. At this point for the Wasp and Wing Surfer you’ll want your back hand to be on about the 4^th handle.

So how do you get moving? The key in wind winging is to make sure you are always positioning both your board and the wing carefully. Once you are happy with the direction of travel then the fun can really start. By using a pumping action with your arms on the wing and your feet on the board, you should be able to get the board out of the water so you are able to travel using the hydrofoil. The Ozone wasp reckons that with a big enough foil and in good winds it should only take 3-4 pumps for you to be flying.

So, there you have it. Sound good? We think so! At 24-7 we are currently stocking all three of the wings mentioned above in a range of sizes and colours. Robby C is regularly out on the on the water at the moment and is definitely the man to talk to on 02380894000 if this new sport is something that you’re interested in. Demo's are available which are wind and tide dependent