What brands are making tougher wings for surf conditions ?
Been riding Duotone Slicks for last 12 months but I'm beginning to think they are a bit fragile, three punctures in last 2 weeks.

Smiks are good. Any wing will lose to a foil in the surf though.

Haven,t tried them as it is very expensive to import stuff to Europe but based on the used materials (Full Dyneema) this is probaly one of the most durable wings on the market
www.fiveowindsports.com/

I'm with Hilly on the Smiks. I've flogged mine multiple times coming in through the shore break and in the surf.

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Jeroensurf said..
Haven,t tried them as it is very expensive to import stuff to Europe but based on the used materials (Full Dyneema) this is probaly one of the most durable wings on the market
www.fiveowindsports.com/

US$1500 plus shipping and tax. OMG

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chief said..
I'm with Hilly on the Smiks. I've flogged mine multiple times coming in through the shore break and in the surf.

What about the Armstrong XPS? I still waiting for an feedback if the panel layout really did the job that the wing doesn't stretch to much. Also it's priority was wavefoiling?

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hilly said..

Jeroensurf said..
Haven,t tried them as it is very expensive to import stuff to Europe but based on the used materials (Full Dyneema) this is probaly one of the most durable wings on the market
www.fiveowindsports.com/

US$1500 plus shipping and tax. OMG

Expensive and the Dyneema doesn't look good TBH.

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hilly said..

Jeroensurf said..
Haven,t tried them as it is very expensive to import stuff to Europe but based on the used materials (Full Dyneema) this is probaly one of the most durable wings on the market
www.fiveowindsports.com/

US$1500 plus shipping and tax. OMG

Most premium wings are AUD &2000 or more now.

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Driks said..

chief said..
I'm with Hilly on the Smiks. I've flogged mine multiple times coming in through the shore break and in the surf.

What about the Armstrong XPS? I still waiting for an feedback if the panel layout really did the job that the wing doesn't stretch to much. Also it's priority was wavefoiling?

I'm delighted with mine (I have the 5.3, 4 and 3m2). I've used them often since August (so about six months). We had a great spring with regular strong wind (mostly > 20 knots, so my 3 has had the most use). I cut both the 3 and 4 on their respective first outings and had them repaired by a sailmaker. No other issues. Certainly no stretching. They have held up very, very well. I was on Strikes for two seasons before these, and they were stretched after a couple of weeks.

AFAIK the XPS was intended to be an all round wing and not built specifically for waves. I heard Armie describe it as a fun wing in an interview, so it's not the best at any one discipline, but overall a terrific wing. The smaller sizes are said to vaporise when flagged (Armie marketing talk...).

I went the other way, mainly because my preferred kite brand brought out a lightweight wing that is super cheap.

No wing is going to survive a foil attack. You can reduce the chances of incidental cuts by keep the tips smooth and relatively blunt, but even the latest top of the range fabrics will not stand up to a foil chop (I know that because that is exactly what happened to my shiny new, ultra-tough, expensive fabric wing).

Cheap is good because it's not the end of the world if the wing gets destroyed. Cheap is also good because the construction is super simple and repairs are easy.

My most used wings were bought in August 2020 and have about 250 hours over 150 sessions each. They're well and truly bagged out, but they work just fine. I could rabbit on at length about the benefits of soft, lightweight wings, I don't feel at all disadvantaged compared to the latest crop of high end wings (which I have tried several and bought one).

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Gorgo said..
I went the other way, mainly because my preferred kite brand brought out a lightweight wing that is super cheap.

No wing is going to survive a foil attack. You can reduce the chances of incidental cuts by keep the tips smooth and relatively blunt, but even the latest top of the range fabrics will not stand up to a foil chop (I know that because that is exactly what happened to my shiny new, ultra-tough, expensive fabric wing).

Cheap is good because it's not the end of the world if the wing gets destroyed. Cheap is also good because the construction is super simple and repairs are easy.

My most used wings were bought in August 2020 and have about 250 hours over 150 sessions each. They're well and truly bagged out, but they work just fine. I could rabbit on at length about the benefits of soft, lightweight wings, I don't feel at all disadvantaged compared to the latest crop of high end wings (which I have tried several and bought one).

This is an interesting mindset. Not wrong just interesting, as I find I really don't enjoy riding my older bagged out wings after using newer tech ones as there is such a massive difference in the performance. The new slicks with the mod3 fabric ride great, but I do still think they are a bit fragile and more susceptible to foil cuts than some other brands.

@Gorgo do not try a new wing as you will buy it They are so much better than 2020 wings in every way.

Ocean Rodeo is saying that the new AA Glides are heavily puncture resistant. Can't confirm though. However, they have also stated that cuts/tears wont propagate so you can keep riding and just fix at the end of the day. I'd be stoked for that. Now I just need to win the lottery so I can afford them

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MrFish said..
What brands are making tougher wings for surf conditions ?
Been riding Duotone Slicks for last 12 months but I'm beginning to think they are a bit fragile, three punctures in last 2 weeks.

I've sanded my foils tips to be less deadly. Hoping this avoids some damage. I've also got one of those anchorman leashes with a view to ejecting the wing when it looks like a bad ending coming on. I'm quite happy with NP Flys and the new Fly2 has different materials. Be nice if wings didn't bag out at all in twelve months thats for sure, but I havent seen a well used wing not look a bit blown hey!