I've been windsurfing for a few years but have noticed wing foiling and I'm thinking of giving it a try. I'm hoping NOT to spend a ton of money until I find out whether I can do it and if I like it.
97 kg, 5'10", 68 yo, local winds 8 to 12 typically, not very bumpy on most days

I hope I can start with my Windsurfer Go 175L or Techno 185L boards but I also have a Slingshot Levitator 160 available. I figure it might be best to begin non-foiling until I get comfortable with a wing and then use the Slingshot Levitator 160 with the i99 foil.

I've read postings saying wings have greatly improved over the last 4~5 years so if I give this a try I might take the plunge and buy a new or newer wing. This morning I saw a video by Robby Naish showing a ADX (??) wing with 2 hard handles and more dihedral. Seemed interesting but I'm not sure whether this is too much/unnecessary for a beginner.

I haven't found a wing school anywhere nearby so I might be forced to learn via watching YouTube videos that I might supplement with lessons when I go on vacation in February.

Question: what would be a good wing for me to start with and how big is big enough without going too big? From what I've read it sounds like maybe 6.5 m^2 7.0 m^2 but I'm really not sure. Thoughts?

I'm also a bit apprehensive since I've had several friends blow out their shoulders from other activities and surgical repairs can take a year to heal. Yikes! This makes me wonder about going smaller if possible.

Best bang for your buck is going to be something like the Cabrinha Mantis v3 (v4 if you can find a deal), Dakine Cyclone v2, or Takoon v2/v3. Those all have plenty of performance and can be found for a great deal. Ideally buy new so you know the wing isn't going to be blown out (misshapen), but second hand is fine if thats what budget permits. If you want to send more (honestly no reason) PPC M1 is a very high performance wing, and they are selling for 50% off now (wing is big for its stated size FYI). At 8-12 knots, you are going to want at least a 6m and probably better with a 7m. You are going to make more progress if you have some power in the wing, something closer to 14-17 knots ideally.

I haven't ever tried one of those hybrid boards, but my understanding is that the foil box position is quite a bit different than a purpose built wing board. Try to get your hands on a proper wing board if you can. I also know nothing about that foil.

If you are starting without a foil, make sure you have a skeg of some sort, otherwise you are just going to get blown downwind. You need something so that the board can grip and hold a line. Rails aren't enough. Ive taught several people to foil, and I just put the foil onto the board in an aft position. It won't really give any lift, it adds a lot of stability to the setup, and the mast and foil will help the board track a bit.

You'll need a 7 m wing to foil in 8-12 knots when you're past the beginner state. Beginners need more power, but wing larger than 7 m are not really for beginners (maybe unless they are very tall). I'm about 7 kg lighter than you, and 12 knot average wind on iWindsurf meters is currently my minimum with a 6.5 (after ~ 150 wing sessions). Measured with a handheld meter on shore, that's about 10 knots, maybe a bit less. Other guys at our local beach with similar experience are pretty similar in when they get going on similar wing sizes. Lighter and advanced wingers do better; a 60 kg winger who's doing tricks has no problems in 7-8 knots (beach measured) with a 6 m wing. But wing size needed is directly proportional to weight.

Wing handling is pretty intuitive. One or two sessions on a big board with a daggerboard or at least a center fin can be useful, but after that, you'll probably learn little that helps you with foiling.

If you can do a couple of weeks vacation at a spot where you regularly get 15 knots wind and can get decent instruction, that should make your initial progress a lot faster. Otherwise, you'll probably need a lot of patience.

Learning to wing in sub 15 knots will be a huge pain in the ass and extremely frustrating. If there is no wind, there is no grunt/pull in the wing to get you going and it will be hard to stay up and stabilized, especially if there is some chop. Unless if you are on a big wide beginnersboard. Better just book a 10 day holiday to a windy location with a school in a protected bay/lagoon and give it a go there, and then see if you like it. But in general, learning in light wind is a b*tch.

As someone who foils with wind foilers I can make a few suggestions. Yes use your WS board to just try the hand wing out and you will have some fun but will go downwind. Wing foiling is much better with a long US box so you can move the foil. Buying a foil mast to fit your WS board isnt in my opinion a good way to go (tuttle only connection). A highish volume board, around 22 wide and as long as or longer than 5.6 a 6.0 hand wing and an easy front foil (that isnt too sharp) a longish fuse with a largish tail and you should get up on your first session no problems. Get a board that you can stand on even when there is no wind - its a blast!

Where are you located?
That windsurfer Go should work ok for getting used to the wing.. I'm your weight and age and I would recommend getting a 5 or 6m wing to start with and it will make learning much easier then maybe get a bigger wing down the track.. There's nothing wrong with soft handles and they are probably even better for learning with and have some other advantages.. When you get a board for foiling get something big and stable (over 140L) and a very big foil (over 2000cm)..
Good luck and enjoy.. You will love it.

Thanks DavidJohn. I'm in CT close to Long Island Sound. I'm leaning towards a 5m or 6m that's new and cheap, perhaps a left over from 2022 or 2023. I figure if I get one that's a 5m it would be too small in most conditions but it might make my initial non-foiling/sub-planing practice much easier. I'll need to learn how to start (knees --> standing), tacking/gybing, powering up and maybe even practicing with a harness just hooking in, etc. Also I'll want to get comfortable flipping the wing when I'm in the water.

I noticed a Cabrinha Mantis v2 for under $500. Not sure how good that wing is. I'm thinking that could be a wing that could get me started but I expect to quickly outgrow it since it's unlikely to get me foiling in winds we typically see around here. For my second wing I might spend a bit more $1000 to $1500 if necessary. Forecasts are generally 10-15 mph out of the SW. in September and October we do see stronger winds.

I noticed Ride Engine makes electric wing pumps. Do they work with a wide variety of wings including Cabrinha? I watched and assisted someone struggling to inflate an inflatable SUP. It wasn't fun. I'll probably get a manual pump as well.

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Shipmate said..
I figure if I get one that's a 5m it .. might make my initial non-foiling/sub-planing practice much easier.

Quite the opposite, the 6.0 will make things easier if you have any breeze (and what's the point in practicing in no wind?). The only times when the 5.0 would be a bit easier is when you have to flip it in water with force instead of technique. Once you get the technique down (hint: move to the tips), turning a 6.0 is easy. The 6.0 will give you more power to help you get up and balance.

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Shipmate said..
I watched and assisted someone struggling to inflate an inflatable SUP. It wasn't fun. I'll probably get a manual pump as well.

An inflatable SUP has a lot more volume and pressure than a wing, so you'll be pumping a lot more. Wings usually take 7-8 psi, SUPs are in the mid to high teens. Pumping up a wing by hand is no big deal, and gives your shoulders a bit of a warmup. But note that they sell pumps of different sizes - get a taller one, your back will thank you.