Hi everyone, I have an inflatable board (Gong Hipe) as my first board. Since I can fly some seconds on it, I have some doubts if it?s the suitable "everyday board". I see that it sinks more the nose (especially when it`s choppy) than rigids, and I think that a rigid board, with the hard surface would go faster to start early to fly. Also, my third impression is that it?s better to have a rigid board with bevels for learn to wing, because in the early days you fly some seconds, lose speed, touch a little bit, fly again....

So, after this introduction, here are my questions:

- Is it true what I think about inflatable / rigid boards? Does it fly faster (or less effortly) a rigid than a inflatable?- When finding a new board, what?s the best technology I have to look for? Carbon? Bamboo? Any other?

- Since wingfoiling is a new sport, I think all material, boards included, have had lot of improvement in the first versions, but now, is worth of it to take the last board design, or go to buy older second hand board? (For example, is there lot of difference between Fone Rocket v1 and v2?)
-Finally, I have seen on one hand Naish Hover, Fone Rocket, and Fanatic wing board in the top range, and Gong boards on the other, way cheaper. Any thougts, recommendations? It is very difficult to find an opinion that is not influenced by a brand.
Thanks a lot!!

A hard board will always be better than an inflatable for performance.

Inflatables have other advantages: transport and impact resistance (rocks), and less bruises if you fall on it.

Only you can say if for your personal use case, the pros outweight the cons.

On the fact that brands that sell direct are cheaper than the ones sold by resellers, as a Gong ambassador I wont comment more than saying that for the same quality a brand selling direct will be at least 2 times cheaper, and I suggest you read what PonoBill just said on this subject about paddles (he co-founded the Ke Nalu brand):www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,37085.msg427000.html#msg427000
"When the market was booming the prices for paddles were tolerable since some of the top-level paddles were sold direct, with no middlemen taking a cut. Facing a smaller market the dealer/distributor model is important, so every paddle needs to be marked up at least 3X manufacturing cost. Manufacturers can't undercut the dealer price or the dealers and distributors drop them."

BUT: the extra money you pay by going to a brick-and-mortar shop does buy you some value: seeing the goods first hand, no transport fees to add, simplified warranty handling, ability to demo the gear... As always, there are pros and cons, but the quality of the gear is not related to the business model.

Thanks for your clarifying response Colas. Leaving the brands aside, what do you think about other questions? Technology recommended, if there is real evolution from one model to another... I have seen the flint, sounds a good option to have a versatile board (also for SUP).
Thanks again!

I had 15 sessions as a beginner on a 6'6 120L hardboard. I then purchased the Hipe 85L 5'1 which I had for 60 sessions. It was fantastic!!!!!
I have moved onto a performance hardboard. Your Hipe is perfect to learn on. Stick with it..

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janoj said..
Thanks for your clarifying response Colas. Leaving the brands aside, what do you think about other questions?

As I have not seen nor ridden any other foil gear than Gong, and not any of the current Gong production models, I cannot provide any relevant advice.

I would advise you to go read the Gong forum: Gong has a very diverse line of hard boards, and you will find the shaper and customers detailing the differences they found between them on the water. There even a whole forum section titled "Choose your wing board" specifically for choosing the proper board, totaling 350 posts in 50 subjects...
Sorry I cannot be more specific, links to the Gong sites are banned here.

This should give you some perspective on the kind of board you want, and it will help you choose a board in the other brands too, whether you intend to buy a Gong board or not.

But as IanInca said, do not think too much about the gear at your level. Foiling is very technical, the time on the water is the most important factor.

Thanks both. I was thinking about buying a rigid board because I thought It was going to be easier to begin with It, because I almost have choppy water and not very consistent wind. Also liked the idea to have the option for SUPfoil for these no wind days and practice foiling in small waves.

I own an inflatable board and was asking the same questions until a few days ago when I had my click day. You simply don't know what you don't know. The keys for me were fixing the equipment mismatch between my Naish 5'7" 135 litre and Axis foil setup and getting some 10-15 knot beginner days rather than the seemingly endless 25-30 knot days that are the usual thing around here.
Now I'm very happy with with my inflatable and while I expect my new hard board to be significantly better I dont see the inflatable as impeding my learning.
Time on the water in beginner conditions is the key and if you're using Gong foils with your Gong board then you won't have to figure out technology issues like I did

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janoj said..
Also liked the idea to have the option for SUPfoil for these no wind days and practice foiling in small waves.

For SUP foiling, the length of the board is important: it is very hard to try to SUP foil on a board that is much shorter than the length you are used to for plain SUPing. A hard board, longer than your Hipe, but as light or lighter should be easier to learn on. Patrice Guenole, the Gong shaper, said that SUPfoiling a short Hipe is doable, but is a different technique than a hard board: you cannot really pump for takeoff by rocking the board, you have to push it downwards and make it cork back up. So if you have a short Hipe (less than 5'6" ?), a longer hard board like the Zuma will be a good compliment in the quiver. Plus it will be less of a chore to paddle. Bigger Hipes (6'5" 7'5") will work as a SUPfoil, but will stick more to the water for takeoffs.

Thanks! Exactly tangogeoff, I simply don't know what I don't know. Thanks for sharing your experience Thanks Colas, so it's better to continue with my Hipe for winging and take some longer rigid board like Zuma for SUPfoiling, instead of taking one board for both. It makes sense. Maybe 6-6,5 Zuma board will be the right compromise between rowing and pumping ability.

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janoj said..
Thanks! Exactly tangogeoff, I simply don't know what I don't know. Thanks for sharing your experience Thanks Colas, so it's better to continue with my Hipe for winging and take some longer rigid board like Zuma for SUPfoiling, instead of taking one board for both. It makes sense. Maybe 6-6,5 Zuma board will be the right compromise between rowing and pumping ability.

You can take a one board do it all, but it will have some compromise!

I never foil sup, but I know that I like the lightest board for wing foiling. I also like to have some of weight(I,m not a great super, maybe better supers don't agree) in my sup. How weight and Sup Foil work together?

Maybe you are right NordRoi: maybe it's better to have one short and light board for winging, and one larger, voluminous and heavier (specially for people that's not experienced SUPer) for SUPfoiling

Well, for SUP foiling, you want also the lightest board possible!

For foiling, whatever the flavor, weight is the enemy, there is no advantage to weight.
For non-foiling SUP and surfing, some weight can bring better chop handling, but it is irrelevant with a foil. Even for paddling stability, the foil is providing the stability, the effect of board weight is negligible.

My first Wing surf steps were on my sons SUP board just to get the feeling.
After that i had a 6'6 F-One Rocket AIR and had some great sessions on it.

After 5 to 10 sessions i got my Gong HIPE 5'5 delivered and from that day on it's my only board. With wetsuit i'm 100kg and use Gong Allvator Curve Pro XL & XXL. As wings i use mostly my Takoon 7 or Airush Freewing 6 in 10 to 25 knots (with harness).
I find the HIPE a blast. It Works so well and no problem with coming on foil. Maybe with a hard surface board you can pump a little bit more efficient but that doesn't outweigh all the other advantages of the inflatable board.

I start from a water platform and when i finish i jump off my board straight onto the platform. No problem bumping the board against the platform. Also climbing up the board with my harness is no problem or falling on the board even with the hook there's no damage.

So for me the HIPE 5'5 is such a great board to use. And at the very beginning i found it also small little unstable but you have to get over that period. The only thing i would like to see is the possibility to put a backstrap on it for the time i want to try some jumping. Only the Indiana inflatable boards do have all the straps options.

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MdG71 said..
My first Wing surf steps were on my sons SUP board just to get the feeling.
After that i had a 6'6 F-One Rocket AIR and had some great sessions on it.

After 5 to 10 sessions i got my Gong HIPE 5'5 delivered and from that day on it's my only board. With wetsuit i'm 100kg and use Gong Allvator Curve Pro XL & XXL. As wings i use mostly my Takoon 7 or Airush Freewing 6 in 10 to 25 knots (with harness).
I find the HIPE a blast. It Works so well and no problem with coming on foil. Maybe with a hard surface board you can pump a little bit more efficient but that doesn't outweigh all the other advantages of the inflatable board.

I start from a water platform and when i finish i jump off my board straight onto the platform. No problem bumping the board against the platform. Also climbing up the board with my harness is no problem or falling on the board even with the hook there's no damage.

So for me the HIPE 5'5 is such a great board to use. And at the very beginning i found it also small little unstable but you have to get over that period. The only thing i would like to see is the possibility to put a backstrap on it for the time i want to try some jumping. Only the Indiana inflatable boards do have all the straps options.

Just in regards to the rear foot strap.
NP have a stickable foot strap mounting plate for each screw.The deck grip would be prohibitive.
Not sure.
I have the 5'5" Hipe also.
110 kgs armie 2400cm2 or 1850cm2 works

I think JP and fanatic got all straps in their air version. So next yr maybe Gong will add straps...or not if they don't last on JP/Indiana/Fanatic while jumping? Future will see. ;-)

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NordRoi said..
So next yr maybe Gong will add straps...or not if they don't last on JP/Indiana/Fanatic while jumping? Future will see. ;-)

The Gong team has some Hipe proto with back straps to test the reliability.
For now they thing that the cons (reducing the back foot adjustments) outweight the pros (jumping) for the intended market.
But the market may evolve quickly on such a young spot, we will see.

Note that they tend to ride also their hard boards with only front straps when not in jumping mood.