So how do we keep our wings in good condition. Any theories? Does it make much difference folding or rolling vs stuffing them in the bag? I've heard salt water won't make them moldy as quickly as fresh not sure if that's true.... better not to hose them down? Any reason to remove sand when packing away?

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Just update every year, then no problems ??
Sorry, roll with no hard creases, don't pack other gear on top, if not used often store out of heat in a well ventilated location, check from Tim to time.

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warwickl said..

Just update every year, then no problems ??
Sorry, roll with no hard creases, don't pack other gear on top, if not used often store out of heat in a well ventilated location, check from Tim to time.

Replace each year! Great strategy :) .. good point about the heat, which would include not leaving in a hot car for too long.

Sand is really abrasive ,try to get it off.
Treated tap water has lots of chlorine which is really bad for the resin holding the fibers together in the Dacron or Ripstop,cannot remember now.
Saltwater does not rot, freshwater does.
So clean,dry and salty is fine.
Clean wet and salty is OK, i have not gotten any mold and i do it all the time.
Minimum creases,as loosely packed as you have room for.
No hanging or shaking out when deflated, inner chambers can shift out of place.
When inflating check this has not happened, look for any bulges ,big creases or deformations.Stop inflating and massage the chambers into place.

Don't let it blow around on concrete surfaces
dry while inflated
roll and don't crease the windows
don't store in the bag but let it sit comfortably in a large cardboard box
repair as soon as you find a small hole or tear
just wish they were cheaper eh

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mcrt said..
Sand is really abrasive ,try to get it off.
Treated tap water has lots of chlorine which is really bad for the resin holding the fibers together in the Dacron or Ripstop,cannot remember now.
Saltwater does not rot, freshwater does.
So clean,dry and salty is fine.
Clean wet and salty is OK, i have not gotten any mold and i do it all the time.
Minimum creases,as loosely packed as you have room for.
No hanging or shaking out when deflated, inner chambers can shift out of place.
When inflating check this has not happened, look for any bulges ,big creases or deformations.Stop inflating and massage the chambers into place.

What about hanging to dry?

Don't let it sit in the sun fully inflated waiting to be used, whilst flapping around in the wind.

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dapara2004 said..What about hanging to dry?

Not good. Bladders get twisted or displaced and pop when pumping up as I found out

Ride it and hide it! When I dry mine off I inflate them and leave them in my cool shaded parkade. No chance of the bladder shifting and bursting the next time I inflate them.

I always dry them up. I have Duotones and their bags are silly small which would force me to cramp up the wing and get creases etc. to fit it in to the bag. Hence I use Ortlieb long dry bags so I roll the wing loosely and only need to fold it once. Makes life much easier for packing up and as the bags are dry, so no water in the car.

Duotones are nice because their middle strut bladder has two lines holding the front of the bladder in place which means I have never had any problem by hanging the wing from the front handle to the bathroom's ceiling to dry it out. Not encouraging people to do this, but cannot see any harm with DT of doing so.

I got wings second hand and needed to find my own bags. I ended up with cheap outdoor umbrella covers (bunnings or ebay). These fit wings really well, can roll the wing loosely rather than fold, and also these covers are waterproof so stops any water getting into the car.

I have Ensis , bags are really compact.
I bought a couple of cheap ski bags so I roll them and drop them in, no folding. Although the windows are designed to be folded It just goes against the grain.
I did take them abroad and managed to fit 2 in the one Ensis bag so they do compress down and fit fine.
they have 2 inflation tubes in strut so never worry if hanging them up to dry after fresh water use. If sea use I just leave them.
I think the damage occurs using them at the upper end of wind range where they get super stressed and stretch, bag out. you defo need multiple wings, the original idea of a huge wind range from one wing does impact longevity.

Dont fold them up and put them in bags. Roll them into a long cylinder and put in your car that way. Minimal creasing and disruption to the bladder

I bought a few yards of nylon at the fabric store and sewed together a simple tube bag. I am not a seamstress, but it only took an hour to get the machine out, pin, and seam. Fabric was 20 or so bucks. I like the ideas of the umbrella bags and ski bags. People roll high performance sails, seems like the right thing to do for wings too.

Another point worth adding is try your bestest to NOT let sand get into the bladder when inflating, deflating and cleaning, rinsing those areas well before opening the valve if they are sandy

Yeh I've got slow leaks in most my wings from letting sand in.