When to renew your wing foiling gear?

A question that no How To has really covered though we all come to face it at some point: Should I renew my wing foiling gear?

The answer will obviously vary a lot from one person to another, but we have gathered here the pointers you should follow to know if now is the right time to renew your gear 😉

1/ When your gear has had its day.

Crashes, UV, sand, gusts, transport… even with the best technologies, your gear wears and tears as any equipment. If the wear of your equipment is excessive, there is no way around it, you should renew it or repair it for obvious safety reasons when at sea.

2/ When you want to change programs!

The gear is often dedicated to a specific program. If your program evolves, it’s time to upgrade your gear. The key is to clearly define what you want to achieve on the water without being overly confident (go for gear suited to your level ;)).d

3/ When you want new sensations.

Upgrading your gear is also a great way to experience new sensations, which also helps general progression. By upgrading your gear you will shake up your habits. Your practice and your vision of the sport will change. A change of gear represents a gain of experience which guides you in your future choices. Moreover, it is an endless source of heated discussions about the “best gear” with your surf buddies ;).

4/ When you want more fun!

If each session is a blast and the sensations are there, don’t change anything! If you want to unleash your foil, send higher and stronger, then upgrading your gear will be a huge boost… and the pleasure benefit will be immediate.

5/ When you want to be at the top of performance.

Wing foiling is still a very young sport that is evolving enormously, both in terms of gear and the way it is practiced. And it evolves all the faster as we already have the experience of windsurfing and kiteboarding. So what took 5 years in windsurfing takes 6 months in Wing foiling for example. Our team riders and our developers are constantly pushing the realm of the possible with a stunning evolution of performance from session to session. Flying higher, faster and stronger is supported by the latest generation gear. If such are your intentions, the question of the renewal of the gear may tickle you a little more than others!

In our young sport, the performance leaps that bring new gear come with much more comfort for everyday riders. It would be wrong to think that the latest developments of gear are only of interest for pro riders. Most of the progress of gear is in the ease of use, whatever the level of the practitioner. We now go higher and faster with less effort. Everything becomes simpler.

It is sometimes frustrating, but our sports are very expensive. At GONG we do our best to lower this barrier, but it will remain. So there is one thing to remember: what worked yesterday will work tomorrow. The obsolescence of gear is above all linked to your desire to change. This desire may be necessary because you have made strong progress, or because you’re a teenager that gained a foot in height 😉 ? It can also be purely for fun: changing toys for the love of beautiful gear. And that is not debatable. Either way, what worked yesterday will work tomorrow. A good board will be a good board. This is very true in surfing, which is a less “mechanical” sport.

How to minimize the need for renewal?

Our goal is to give you a clear idea of the performance gain that this or that piece of equipment could offer you, not to encourage you to buy it. To limit your need for renewal as much as possible, there are a few simple solutions:

1/ Choose suitable gear To buy badly is to buy twice. We are convinced that the best way to limit the unnecessary replacement of gear is to provide you with the right advice. This explains in particular why our product sheets are the most detailed on the market with a team of technical advisers, a forum, a Facebook group and a shaper/boss who are available to provide you with information.

2/ Take care of your gear The best advice we can give to someone who wants to renew their gear regularly on a limited budget is to buy quality gear and take extremely good care of it. The degree of wear largely determines your resale price, and therefore your budget for renewing your quiver. So follow our advice to take care of it!

3/ Less intermediaries We know that renewing your gear can represent a substantial investment. So if you want to renew, buy directly to benefit from a price that does not add up the margins of the intermediaries.

In summary, there is no rule that dictates an optimal frequency of renewal, it is according to your means, and according to your desires. Only you can do the math and the projections. What matters is having gear that matches your level and allows you to achieve your goals, and to have heaps of fun.