FEEDBACK: DROID UPE ARAMID

Comparison between a Perf Series wing in dacron and Team Series in UPE Aramid by Cédric who had the opportunity to change wings on the water thanks to his friend and GONG ambassador.

Wing foiler: Malo, GONG Team Rider, with a Droid UPE Aramid, Stunt FSP Pro, HM mast, Ypra Surf-Freestyle and Freestyle stab.

The opportunity to test it thanks to a GONG ambassador

“A big thank you to my friend Pascal for testing the Droid UPE Aramid 4m that he received during a GONG test tour (excellent idea on the part of GONG to make equipment circulate like that for tests). I was there that day with my 4m Plus Perf 2024 which I love for its qualities of smoothness, ease of take off and performance which is more than sufficient for my practice oriented towards freeride, freefly… without jumping.”

First impressions

“Wind was around 20 knots with some big gusts in the water that day! Pascal then suggested that we exchange our wings so that I could try this much-acclaimed Droid…

First impressions, I am absolutely not destabilized, I start easily, everything is stable, everything is very sound. I notice an overall rigidity, much greater than my dacron wing with soft handles. The advantage is that nothing moves, nothing fidgets or shakes in the gusts, you open a little, you lean towards the wind and it glides unflinchingly ! On the other hand when we take a big gust while still being sheeted in, we still feel the “impact” much more than a more flexible wing which absorbs a little more by deforming slightly, this Droid also seems to me to have quite some torque with a good reserve of power at lower speeds, it is not a wing requiring a lot of energy to start.”

Using the boom in wing foiling

“On the other hand the Droid is mounted with a boom, in this regard, accustomed to soft handles, I had a rather physical and painful preconception concerning the boom. In fact it is not at all the case. I found it rather comfortable, I tend to have some pain in my phalanges, generally on long sessions, the boom did not cause me any problems at this level. Its small oval diameter is super comfortable and above all, the possibility of adjusting your hand position while navigating according to your pace and the strength of the wind is really great. The same goes for changing hands during maneuvers, you let your hands slide without having to aim at anything! I also appreciated the forward position of the one-handed revolver grip on the boom, a semi-neutral position that is very comfortable in certain maneuvers that do not necessarily require reaching for the freefly handle. Note, for the picture to be complete, that I mainly sail using a harness. This is a very positive test regarding this Droid UPE Aramid 4m and thanks again to my friend Pascalou!”

Team Series wings in UPE Aramid are only available for pre-order. Order yours now to make the most of it this season.