I've gone in head first . With great wind over Easter I did 4 days straight , can now get up both ways can sort of jibe . Last session logged 13km on foil (Calm water) can point well up wind and switch. I'm on a Frigate 4m & Sunova 6-3 x 21 x 94 L , I'm going to swap the board for a Axis mini Dart 6-4 x 20.5 x 100L it's over all just an easier board to stand/chug/start on ( I'm 87kg). Our wind is pretty sh!t here and I worked out pretty quickly having just one Para I will loose water time (and swear heaps more) due to the Para's small wind range. So my question is what to add to my quiver keep in mind this is for the fastest progression . I'll redo my kit including the board once I become a component Para winger. I'm thinking adding a F-One Quest 3 & 5m to my 4m Frigate . Appreciate you thoughts. Plus don't have a harness the new Manera looks the goods to me . Hopefully do first ocean DW this weekend.

Cheers Hilly and yeah stashed DW is my goal .

Definitely go the 3 Rob, as for a 5 it will get you on the water but for us up here on the bay there isn't much swell in light conditions so the 4-4.5 is the go to. Para for me starts at 17knots, any less it is just an annoying pump fest downwind and the FD is a better option. Good that you can ride both ways, so many can't and it hurts their upwind.

airsail said..
Good that you can ride both ways, so many can't and it hurts their upwind.

Thanks everyone and yeah really strange my first ever attempt on the Para I got up switch on my first reach , chugged for about 150m then boom. I haven't dinged for apx 1.5 years but could always start just as easy switch on the ding as well. I also found 15 to17 kn was my absolute minimum to start on the 4m Frigate. I just went to SurFfx and changed the board again to an Armstrong mid length 6-9 x 22 x 100L just for even more stability until I get this wired. I know it's very early days but trying to balance and pump up the board in light wind so fxxcking hard. Hilly no Maneras in the shop so I'll just grab a Ozone stash belt.

simonp said..
I've just bought a Frigate 4m second-hand but so far it's been really gusty when it's windy enough. How do you get up when the parawing doesn't have steady pull?

You don't. You just swear at the fricking thing & whoever designed the stupid things then go in & pump up the wing to save the session. If you don't get that magical 16-20 knots the 4 (4.3) is a pain in the arse. I love my PW for the 3-4 sessions each season when the conditions line up. I hate my PW for the other 1000 sessions they don't.

Welcome to the club, it's a fun one!

I'm pretty happy with the new ozone harness (the one with a bit extra padding and included hook and knife vs the belt) My hand was kind of forced as the belt doesn't tighten enough for my waist but the xs/s harness does. Was hooked in with it the other day and it's plenty comfy and still very light weight.

I'm also now using a F-One Quest 4m and enjoying it. Doesn't seem to have a whole lot of downsides (unless you want cutting edge VMG) and is a fair bit simpler to fly/manage.

I'll be adding a 2.5m or 3m (unsure as 3m would suit Sydney but I'm off to Hood in July where the 2.5 would be better)

For lighter winds than my 4m would handle I'd still just rather wing.

simonp said..
I've just bought a Frigate 4m second-hand but so far it's been really gusty when it's windy enough. How do you get up when the parawing doesn't have steady pull?

Nice runs Hilly , I'll stop switching once I get my heel side balance sorted , I keep getting yanked off the board .

Simon:- That's where you need bigger board that's easier to stand on to regain your balance when the Para rips around . Another piece of advice which I ignored spend more time on land practice flying it in both surfing stance . There's a lot of wrist control involved, I'll let the other lads on here to explain better than me . I found the wind range for the 4m Frigate 15 to 20 any less can't start any more still can't start getting ripped off the board . Try and find calmer water and cleaner wind , that alone helps so much and yeah a bigger wider board to learn starts .

DRC :- I like the look of the Quest and looking at going 3.5 & 4.5 for now . This time of year on the Gold Coast our wind is pretty hit and miss and gusty AF which makes it tuff on the Para , as I improve I'll keep tuning my gear . My goal as well is Hood in Sept for the AWSI & can only imagine what the 2027 gear will be .Thats why I want to be Para proficient this time round .

I switch on the wing but it all goes to **** on the para so I don’t bother. As hilly said (and the harness is necessary) i can track pretty good upwind but thats from 20 years of kiting Insuppose. But ultimately switching would be best but hey ….



Well done piros !! We got a couple of 18km surprise april runs today - gotta enjoy them whilst we can !

Sheps said..

airsail said..

hilly said..

airsail said..Good that you can ride both ways, so many can't and it hurts their upwind.

That's funny Hooked in I can ride upwind so well. Easily better than wingers. Lean out with one hand on the bar harness swings way round stand straight and have a ball.

You should come over east and give some of our non switchers a lesson, their upwind while riding switch is pitiful. And watching their attempts to get going in anything but strong wind is comical.

Not sure how long you've been parawinging but it's not like winging in that you can go upwind really well toeside but you need more skill and not everyone can do it. Getting up toeside is really useful too, the alignment of the body holding the wing in your front hand is excellent for pumping the board, better than riding healside in a lot of conditions ..you should try it if you can ride toeside well enough ??

I can ride toeside or heelside, I can also switch feet easily on a wing or para. I just find it more comfortable riding heelside on a long upwind leg where you spend 10 minutes or more tracking upwind on that tack.

If I’m just riding close in I often don’t switch as your on the tack for such a short time.

Even if conditions are less than ideal you build the para handling skills, balance and timing needed to progress. So when the wind is better it can all click.

Hey Rob, I'm starting my journey too... so I'm right alongside... at the other end of the world. I wing a lot, and I'm comfortable switch (from all the years of kite and windsurf). While riding switch, I can also gybe, flag out, ride swell, and pump (somewhat), so I'm hoping all this helps. I went with a POW 4m, because even with the long line complaints, I'll be doing a lot of freeriding in lighter winds, so I think it's a great place to start... specially given the current price on those.

Again thanks for all the tips . This is the board I picked up yesterday from SurfFx . Armie mid length 100L (6'9 x 22" x 5") I think it'll be perfect .

All set for tomorrow, first DW attempt just hope wind holds.

Was surprised by the grunt of a 5.5m Frigate. It yanked my 90kgs off the water in 12-15 knots. Using a 95 L Sunova Carver (6'2"x20") picked up used. Felt over powered and had to lean hard on the foil hard. But it was really fun riding one handed. Let's see how session 2 goes, with HA 980 foil.

I swapped my 4m Frigate for the Quest 3.5 & 4.5 unfortunately in that photo the wind only got to 10 to 14 and that's been it for wind since then . I chugged for an hour with the 4.5 . I got so so close a few times but just couldn't quite hold the launch . The Quest for me was way way easier to fly than the Frigate I could almost park it . Good example I could hold 2 Quest in one hand .

Piros said..
I swapped my 4m Frigate for the Quest 3.5 & 4.5 unfortunately in that photo the wind only got to 10 to 14 and that's been it for wind since then . I chugged for an hour with the 4.5 . I got so so close a few times but just couldn't quite hold the launch . The Quest for me was way way easier to fly than the Frigate I could almost park it . Good example I could hold 2 Quest in one hand .

Haha that's the classic new to parawing routine, frothing and going out in the wrong conditions. I've always been a "just send it and you'll learn something from the session" kind of guy but with parawing especially the early stages you're really just best waiting for the right conditions (say a steady 18kn). In the right wind range it's actually "not that hard" in the wrong wind conditions it can be hugely frustrating.