I'm torn between using booms or handles, now having had a Duotone V1 and now a Nash S25. I'm leaning towards the boom after experiencing both, IMO the naish has too many handles. Here on Maui I'm seeing everything under the sun in R&D with more prototypes it's a strut and a boom attached, no doubt we'll be seeing production models by next season. BRM Maui are a really cool local company with a simple design, they've been doing kites for years and now wings, two rigid handles, I like the simple design of their wings...check em out here and check out the videos on their website boardridingmaui.com/wing.html

I have the WASPs and did have the duotone V1's. I prefer a boom.

I switched to the WASPs for the larger 6m. Now that duotone has the 7m and has dealt with the handling issues, I will look at the duotone's again.

I have had booms and handles. I prefer handles. Like the small pack down and nothing hard to hit me or the board.

I think a boom has the edge for beginners however the wings with booms have not been beginner friendly due to other design features.
I've tried both and now with handles it becomes second nature to find a handle but this takes time.
I would love the BRM Cloud design of just 2 handles but at this stage think only possibe in Maui wind.
I use multiple handles depending on circumstances.
The future booms will win for ease of use for the majority.
Windows will also be the go for the everyday Windwinger.
The rest we can only admire.
Open for discussion.

I like the BRM philosophy of light is right they look good.

Still think windows are a waste of time you only see what is straight downwind of you which you should not go near. Look at the vision these guys have ahead of them. Then flip it up for a slit second and you have 180 degree view.

The handle makes for a smaller grip, so less grip fatigue is possible, depending on handle design and comfort.

When trying to look through windows, the boom has a huge vision advantage. The window view is not blocked by a strut. Struts are located exactly where you want to look.

The original boom wing had issues that blemished the whole concept. Poor pack down. Broken battens. Not the best flight handling, so weight was blamed. The Echo is a whole new ballgame. So good. If the Echo had been the first boomed wing, then the copy cat brands might all have booms today.

I'm just a boom guy , love the one handed control. I'm so used to the boom now . Not a Handel fan but can still ride them no worries .

Select to expand quote

Piros said..
I'm just a boom guy , love the one handed control. I'm so used to the boom now . Not a Handel fan but can still ride them no worries .

That's what it's all about. Great photo!!

TBD. ??

I am pretty new to this but tried Version 1 of
naish
cabrinha
ozone
duotone.
I am a windsurfer

the duotone is the easiest. Love the boom. But it flaps around badly when you hold it by the front handle. Wear a helmet when you are learning because you will hit yourself in the head a bit
cabrina and naish felt like shopping bags.
ozone is amazing. Very stable when holding the front handle and riding waves
so I bought the ozone wasp. Very happy

Great Comments... I met Damien G. Who is the designer for the Takuma sails , they are coming out with V3 and I think he said they will have two long handles that you can slide your hands for position... available locally around mid July.., The BRM two handle sails really appeal to me , but so does the familiarity of a boom coming from windsurfing...so much he stuff coming, boards, wing, foils exciting time to be into foiling...

I've used Gong wing plus 7m (handles), Naish s25 5.3m (handles), f-one swing wing 5m tested once (handles), Takuma wind ride 4m (handles) and now the Duotone echo 7m (boom).
I found the handles on all brands were comfortable and easy enough to use, my hands are big so I preferred the wider diameter handles of Gong, f-one and Takuma - the Naish handles were a bit narrow and flimsy for my hands and were flat rather than round so didn't seem to fit my grip properly, although I suppose they were comfortable enough.
The boom on the Duotone Echo was a game changer - infinite hand positions means you can make micro-adjustments on the fly (without looking) which might not sound important, but it just makes the whole experience that much easier and better. One handed flying is not only possible but it feels great and really helps in certain situations. Transitions become so much easier with a boom. The only negative I have about the boom is that I seem to get hand fatigue quicker. This may be because I'm not used to it yet (building up different muscles in my hands) but the second time I used it (3 hour session) I had to come in not because of being tired in my legs or arms or just from being overall knackered, it was because my hands were knackered and had quite a few blisters!!!!!!! It's not put me off though. For me the benefits of a boom far outweigh the hand issue (which I am sure I will get used to in terms of hand strength and calluses) and have ordered a 5m Echo as well and will sell on my Naish 5.3m

Saw this on eBay boom retrofit for Ozone... www.ebay.com/itm/133454132435

I had 4 hours in the surf yesterday. It was my tenth session on the wing foil.
Im so glad I bought the wasp. Very easy to just park and forget while on the wave

didn't get sore hands

I have the wasp as well and I use Velcro straps to attach my paddle to the handles and create a boom.It also doubles as a paddle home option if the wind drops.I find it much easier to gybe and adjust hand positions without having to look with a boom.Not so good for crashing in the surf with though.

I prefer handles
Less fatigue in the forearms and I enjoy longer sessions with the Wasp V1 also love the y handles. in gusty conditions when you let go of a wing with a boom and it thrashes around. I found it banging into my new Wing Sup.
handles for me

Select to expand quote

Yuppy said..
I am pretty new to this but tried Version 1 of
naish
cabrinha
ozone
duotone.
I am a windsurfer

the duotone is the easiest. Love the boom. But it flaps around badly when you hold it by the front handle. Wear a helmet when you are learning because you will hit yourself in the head a bit
cabrina and naish felt like shopping bags.
ozone is amazing. Very stable when holding the front handle and riding waves
so I bought the ozone wasp. Very happy

Yuppy,
Did you try the Duotone adjustable outhaul (extending or shortening the boom) for a bigger wind range?
As a windsurfer you can probably see the advantage if in fact there is one.
Adjusting the leaches should tune the wing.
This is the thing other that attracts me to the boom over handles if it in fact works.

I have found the BRM idea of having rigid handles set at an angle to decrease the stress on the wrist quite interesting.

I guess one could design some 3d-printed shells that you could snap onto existing straps (maybe keeping only the bare strap for this).



Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with BRM :-)

Select to expand quote

colas said..
I have found the BRM idea of having rigid handles set at an angle to decrease the stress on the wrist quite interesting.

I guess one could design some 3d-printed shells that you could snap onto existing straps (maybe keeping only the bare strap for this).

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with BRM :-)

I listened to his thoughts on wing design and took note of his reasoning for only two handles and the shape.

On my very next wing session I took note of the shape on my handles, and guess what, they took the shape of Greg's handles.

I was thinking of simply splitting a piece of conduit down it's length and wrapping it around the handles I use.

Disclaimer: I own heaps of Clouds.

Not an expert yet but I've tried Duotone V1 , Naish s25 and I got rid of them and bought a 3, 4, and 5M Cloud. Greg from BRM is a super chill guy and knowledgeable designer... I noticed his kite designs here on Maui for years while windsurfing and I could see they were doing something different and good, so when I heard they were doing wings I did some research and was drawn to their designs.

I have ridden the 4m and 5M and I can say they are rigid and powerful. So far I'm really happy with them and do like the Cloud's two handles as there is no grabbing a wrong handle. I was often grabbing a different handle each time on the Naish, it had at least 7-8 of them.... The Cloud's back handle has a little room to move back or forward for power adjustment, and the angle of the front handle feels natural and the stiffness and design is well thought out and feels good in your hands. There are also some small rope anchors on the leading edge and the strut to add a harness line, or other accessory and potentially a y strap on the leading edge...

The leading bladder is noticeably larger than the naish and similar if not larger than Ozone or Duotone. The clouds just came in a few days ago and I'm seeing many riders with then locally, everyone Ive spoke to seems to be stoked...and they are very light....great wings..!

Select to expand quote

bluewave said..
Not an expert yet but I've tried Duotone V1 , Naish s25 and I got rid of them and bought a 3, 4, and 5M Cloud. Greg from BRM is a super chill guy and knowledgeable designer... I noticed his kite designs here on Maui for years while windsurfing and I could see they were doing something different and good, so when I heard they were doing wings I did some research and was drawn to their designs.

I have ridden the 4m and 5M and I can say they are rigid and powerful. So far I'm really happy with them and do like the Cloud's two handles as there is no grabbing a wrong handle. I was often grabbing a different handle each time on the Naish, it had at least 7-8 of them.... The Cloud's back handle has a little room to move back or forward for power adjustment, and the angle of the front handle feels natural and the stiffness and design is well thought out and feels good in your hands. There are also some small rope anchors on the leading edge and the strut to add a harness line, or other accessory and potentially a y strap on the leading edge...

The leading bladder is noticeably larger than the naish and similar if not larger than Ozone or Duotone. The clouds just came in a few days ago and I'm seeing many riders with then locally, everyone Ive spoke to seems to be stoked...and they are very light....great wings..!

Love Greg's philosophy and products. Only problem no international shipping

Why not have both a boom and handles?

It would be great if wing manufacturers started making ones specifically designed to rig with your existing booms.
Sure perhaps a touch heavier but the difference in cost and gear to bring would be worth it.

Select to expand quote

dejavu said..
Why not have both a boom and handles?

That's cool

I'm a handle fan. I don't like the idea of hard bangy things knocking the board and me around.

One thing is that some brands take the trouble to make the area under the handles smooth and clear of seams, stitching and rough fabric. Other brands don't.

It's a relatively minor issue in the scheme of things, and not really a problem if you;re riding powered up. If you're underpowered and pumping, or just dicking around with the wind, it can be a bit annoying scraping the skin off your knuckles and scuffing the edge of the strut seams and stitching.

Select to expand quote

bluewave said..
Saw this on eBay boom retrofit for Ozone... www.ebay.com/itm/133454132435

I just ordered one of these booms for my 4M Wasp.

As a longtime windsurfer and windfoiler who just started wingfoiling with a handled wing, I miss being able to slide my hand along the boom to sheet in and out instead of consciously grabbing specific handles. With that said though, one of the main attractions of the sport is simplicity without the need for more gear to throw in the van. As a result, I am willing to get used to handles.

Select to expand quote

Windbot said..
As a longtime windsurfer and windfoiler who just started wingfoiling with a handled wing, I miss being able to slide my hand along the boom to sheet in and out instead of consciously grabbing specific handles. With that said though, one of the main attractions of the sport is simplicity without the need for more gear to throw in the van. As a result, I am willing to get used to handles.

i just leave the boom on my Echo attached. I know Duotone says not to do that, but I don't stuff it in a bag either... just roll it up w/ the boom, use the leash to keep it together and throw it in my roof box. Also, there's no center strut to pump up or deflate. inflation on my 4m Echo is about 35 pumps to 7psi. nothing i want to do less than fold up a wing and stuff it into a bag. I don't do that with my windsurf sails either... just roll, bungee and throw them in the roof box w/ no bags.

getting Units and Slingwing V2s as well... so will have to figure out the least hassle way of packing those guys up.

biggest hassle by far is putting the foil on the board and connecting the fuselage to the mast.

Seen more than a couple of guys using a inexpensive cordless drill to mount the foil on the board might save a little time?

Select to expand quote

sunsetsailboards said..

Windbot said..
As a longtime windsurfer and windfoiler who just started wingfoiling with a handled wing, I miss being able to slide my hand along the boom to sheet in and out instead of consciously grabbing specific handles. With that said though, one of the main attractions of the sport is simplicity without the need for more gear to throw in the van. As a result, I am willing to get used to handles.

i just leave the boom on my Echo attached. I know Duotone says not to do that, but I don't stuff it in a bag either... just roll it up w/ the boom, use the leash to keep it together and throw it in my roof box. Also, there's no center strut to pump up or deflate. inflation on my 4m Echo is about 35 pumps to 7psi. nothing i want to do less than fold up a wing and stuff it into a bag. I don't do that with my windsurf sails either... just roll, bungee and throw them in the roof box w/ no bags.

getting Units and Slingwing V2s as well... so will have to figure out the least hassle way of packing those guys up.

biggest hassle by far is putting the foil on the board and connecting the fuselage to the mast.

I have closed the clamps on the LE/Strut transfer hose and rolled up the wing ends , throw it so in the car. With a closed hose you can also have different pressures in the LE and STrut for a stiffer frame.

Select to expand quote

KDog said..
Seen more than a couple of guys using a inexpensive cordless drill to mount the foil on the board might save a little time?

Yes. Some advice:

- some drills can recharge on a car lighter, this is quite practical

- go slow and use some thread protection (tef gel, thread lock, grease, ...) because there is the risk of fusing the bolts+nuts together if you strip the oxide surface layers and make the 2 metals get in contact at the atomic level. It is called Galling: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galling
"Normal" setups (brass nuts + steel bolts) are quite resistant to Galling, so it should not be a problem in practice. However you must be careful with titanium bolts.