I get the appeal and purpose of the PW, but I'm foiling w/wings on inland lakes without realistic DW opportunities, and only occasional trips to the gorge. I also do like the sailing aspect of winging, and I'm far from bored and in need of a new challenge as an intermediate foiler....I'm just not so keen on the price and longevity of wings, their reliance on bladders, or their large presence when I do want to flag, not to mention general storage/travel.

All in all, I don't really see a point in ME getting a PW, at this point...but trying to keep an open mind...

Anyone having fun on flatwater with the PW and ready to ditch their wings for that use?

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kook123 said..
I get the appeal and purpose of the PW, but I'm foiling w/wings on inland lakes without realistic DW opportunities, and only occasional trips to the gorge. I also do like the sailing aspect of winging, and I'm far from bored and in need of a new challenge as an intermediate foiler....I'm just not so keen on the price and longevity of wings, their reliance on bladders, or their large presence when I do want to flag, not to mention general storage/travel.

All in all, I don't really see a point in ME getting a PW, at this point...but trying to keep an open mind...

Anyone having fun on flatwater with the PW and ready to ditch their wings for that use?

I would like to think I'll end up on mostly PW with wings been secondary on those gusty crap days. I'm same as you, wings just give disposable problems. Had a kite for 18yrs and still worked ok (ish)
im in a position where i can do up wind loops at my local spot. I just hope I develop the skills needed. I love the pack size, ease of set up and kite feel (Ex kiter). wings are a lot easier at the min, but enjoying a new challenge.

I have had my BRM Maliko 5.1 since they were released. Initially thought I would only really use it for dw and that I would continue to use my wings. Well now that I have it dialed in I can say I have very little interest in winging. Mostly because it's fun to learn a new discipline. Winging still has its place but Parawings currently have my full attention. I go upwind now equal to or better than the average wing and that is with no harness.

The wind on the ocean has been to light to ride but we get a great sea breeze thermal on the river so I have been doing a bunch of ride in place sessions on the river and having a blast. I leave my mast on my board so it's pretty sweet to roll up to the spot, tighten two bolts on my fuse and throw up my pw and go. No more pump and no concerns about a bladder failing. Parawings are great for pump practice, can stow it or just toss it and practice pumping as far as you can. If you tossed it just pump/paddle back and it's just sitting on the surface waiting for you. One handed riding without a harness is awesome too. Really opens you up and allows much better powered carving then a wing.
the learning curve can be a pain, especially if you try to push the low end which everyone does(over frothed problems). But once over the learning curve it's a pure joy. I cannot remember my last line tangle. It will happen I suppose but it's really been a non issue with proper technique.

From the day the wing was available i used it to focus on going upwind and riding bumps back. I have also enjoyed many flat water sessions with the wing along the way for practice and just for fun.

I have had my ozone parawings now for about 10 weeks and haven't used my LEF wings since. Not once and not on the flat water days even. The flat water days have been fun for the same reasons i enjoyed the flat water wing sessions. Its all especially fun while your learning.

For those of us that wing flat water sometimes and don't do jumps, then i think the parawing will be just as entertaining and maybe more so for me. Such a lovely minimal feeling with some elegant feeling that winging doesn't have. Running downwind kite style is also an aspect that the wing doesn't have that i find enjoyable on the parawing.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the learning curve slows and starts to equal that of my previous wing progression. Maybe i will wing again on lighter days. Its hard to say but once I rode the wing i never kite foiled ever again and now i feel like the parawing might have killed the wing for me but only time will tell.

Edit
I forgot to mention the most surprising thing is that the parawing is much much less strenuous on my arms and shoulders than a wing. Much longer sessions with and without a harness on both.

Great question. Good to know that parawings aren't simply a down winding tool but fun and interesting in and of themselves. Thus far I've been sitting on the sidelines but watching with great interest.

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Stumbleweed said..
Great question. Good to know that parawings aren't simply a down winding tool but fun and interesting in and of themselves. Thus far I've been sitting on the sidelines but watching with great interest.

That's about where I am at, and a big part of the interest is in thinking about replacing my current wings (can't afford a new quiver of wings and PW's), as well as the next board...

Flying a Parawing is super dynamic and feels way more free than a wing. It 100% can be a fun alternative to a wing in flat water. The hard part is just finding the balance in gear to make it work for you. Right board, foil and Parawing for your conditions.

Just wondering . Would this be when something like the F-one plume could be of better use. Supposedly because it has a greater wind range and a time when you are not really needing to tuck it away.

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foilthegreats said..
The hard part is just finding the balance in gear to make it work for you. Right board, foil and Parawing for your conditions.

Maybe 10 sessions in- THIS- has by far been my greatest challenge with the parawing that I still don't have sorted. Downwind was pretty easy from the start, but I've only felt dialed/balanced to conditions a few sessions where I had enough power to get going and wasn't completely lit- hangin on for dear life going upwind and barely holding my ground. Suspect the only answer is that it will get better as Im more efficient getting going. Speaking to the topic- Downwind and surf are my goals, but when dialed, flat-water in micro bumps still feels super fun, free, playful- pump about, glide, hit small bumps.

I am also wondering about the F one Plume?

Does anyone have some real life experience with the F one Plume in flatwater condions?

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Holoholo said..

foilthegreats said..
The hard part is just finding the balance in gear to make it work for you. Right board, foil and Parawing for your conditions.

Maybe 10 sessions in- THIS- has by far been my greatest challenge with the parawing that I still don't have sorted. Downwind was pretty easy from the start, but I've only felt dialed/balanced to conditions a few sessions where I had enough power to get going and wasn't completely lit- hangin on for dear life going upwind and barely holding my ground. Suspect the only answer is that it will get better as Im more efficient getting going. Speaking to the topic- Downwind and surf are my goals, but when dialed, flat-water in micro bumps still feels super fun, free, playful- pump about, glide, hit small bumps.

since dialing in the gear is so important...what is your setup and what would make it better for your conditions?

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Holoholo said..

foilthegreats said..
The hard part is just finding the balance in gear to make it work for you. Right board, foil and Parawing for your conditions.

Maybe 10 sessions in- THIS- has by far been my greatest challenge with the parawing that I still don't have sorted. Downwind was pretty easy from the start, but I've only felt dialed/balanced to conditions a few sessions where I had enough power to get going and wasn't completely lit- hangin on for dear life going upwind and barely holding my ground. Suspect the only answer is that it will get better as Im more efficient getting going. Speaking to the topic- Downwind and surf are my goals, but when dialed, flat-water in micro bumps still feels super fun, free, playful- pump about, glide, hit small bumps.

Great point. I don't think my get on foil efficiency is high enough. I'd be on a too large PW.

IMO, as soon as PWs become more popular, suddenly they won't be cheap anymore.

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Faff said..
IMO, as soon as PWs become more popular, suddenly they won't be cheap anymore.

They are not very cheap atm

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kook123 said..
I get the appeal and purpose of the PW, but I'm foiling w/wings on inland lakes without realistic DW opportunities, and only occasional trips to the gorge. I also do like the sailing aspect of winging, and I'm far from bored and in need of a new challenge as an intermediate foiler....I'm just not so keen on the price and longevity of wings, their reliance on bladders, or their large presence when I do want to flag, not to mention general storage/travel.

All in all, I don't really see a point in ME getting a PW, at this point...but trying to keep an open mind...

Anyone having fun on flatwater with the PW and ready to ditch their wings for that use?

I prefer riding a Pwing if it is flat water due to it being new and I am learning heaps. Way better than mowing the lawn on a wing ding.

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hilly said..

Faff said..
IMO, as soon as PWs become more popular, suddenly they won't be cheap anymore.

They are not very cheap atm

kook123 said..
I get the appeal and purpose of the PW, but I'm foiling w/wings on inland lakes without realistic DW opportunities, and only occasional trips to the gorge. I also do like the sailing aspect of winging, and I'm far from bored and in need of a new challenge as an intermediate foiler....I'm just not so keen on the price and longevity of wings, their reliance on bladders, or their large presence when I do want to flag, not to mention general storage/travel.

All in all, I don't really see a point in ME getting a PW, at this point...but trying to keep an open mind...

Anyone having fun on flatwater with the PW and ready to ditch their wings for that use?

I prefer riding a Pwing if it is flat water due to it being new and I am learning heaps. Way better than mowing the lawn on a wing ding.

But how is it different to a kitefoiling (never done any kiting, so forgive me for the dumb question)? The lines are shorter; PW has no bladder... That's it?

Launch from anywhere. Not susceptible to offshore and gusty circumstances. Super minimal. Super maneuverable. Pack away for safety at any moment. Fast setup. Safer. Paddle home if required. Mostly the same as the wing benefits.

Sure there are common feelings between the kite foiling and the Pwing but there are also just as many different feelings and plenty of very different skills to master. I Kite foiled till the wing was invented and I would say that the Pwing is just a string wing and shares a lot less with kite foiling than it does with winging.

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Faff said..But how is it different to a kitefoiling (never done any kiting, so forgive me for the dumb question)? The lines are shorter; PW has no bladder... That's it?

The big plus for me going from kite foil to wing was the ability to depower on a wave which you cannot do on a kite foil. Pwing takes that one step further when packed.

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hilly said..

Faff said..But how is it different to a kitefoiling (never done any kiting, so forgive me for the dumb question)? The lines are shorter; PW has no bladder... That's it?

The big plus for me going from kite foil to wing was the ability to depower on a wave which you cannot do on a kite foil. Pwing takes that one step further when packed.

Do parawings depower better than wings when not packed?

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Faff said..

hilly said..

Faff said..But how is it different to a kitefoiling (never done any kiting, so forgive me for the dumb question)? The lines are shorter; PW has no bladder... That's it?

The big plus for me going from kite foil to wing was the ability to depower on a wave which you cannot do on a kite foil. Pwing takes that one step further when packed.

Do parawings depower better than wings when not packed?

Really depends on the pw design.
Ozone and BRM v2 really flies well while fully depowered on the a-lines.
Others (such as North) have a terrible high end and can collapse when outside the range...

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Faff said..

hilly said..

Faff said..But how is it different to a kitefoiling (never done any kiting, so forgive me for the dumb question)? The lines are shorter; PW has no bladder... That's it?

The big plus for me going from kite foil to wing was the ability to depower on a wave which you cannot do on a kite foil. Pwing takes that one step further when packed.

Do parawings depower better than wings when not packed?

No

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Faff said..

hilly said..

Faff said..But how is it different to a kitefoiling (never done any kiting, so forgive me for the dumb question)? The lines are shorter; PW has no bladder... That's it?

The big plus for me going from kite foil to wing was the ability to depower on a wave which you cannot do on a kite foil. Pwing takes that one step further when packed.

Do parawings depower better than wings when not packed?

NO