GEAR: HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A DACRON, ARAMID, ARAMID X OR ARAMID CZ WING?

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Wing

26 march 2025 0

An introduction to how the materials used in your wing's construction affect its behavior.

There are many factors that determine a well-crafted wing, including its robustness, resistance, profile stability, lightness, and rigidity… Selecting the right technology for your wing allows you to significantly adjust these qualities. Just take a wing with an inflatable structure in UPE Aramid in hand to see for yourself. This is a completely different ball game from a traditional Dacron wing when it comes to weight and rigidity. The feeling is much more precise and responsive. The materials used for the canopy also play a key role in shaping the behavior and durability of your wing. Let’s explore these technologies together.

Wing foilers: Bastien, Malo, Charlie, Francesco and Clément, GONG team riders, with Neutra Aramid, Neutra Aramid X, Droid Aramid, Pulse Race Aramid CZ and Droid SP Aramid CZ.

The technologies we’ve chosen for 2025!

In 2025, except for the Plus and Pulse Race Aramid CZ, which are available in only one tech each due to their more specific uses, you can choose the Neutra and Droid in various tech options:

The Droid / Droid Boom and Neutra / Neutra Boom from the Perf Series feature an inflatable structure (leading edge and central strut) in Dacron and a spinnaker material made of Triple Ripstop.

The Droid Aramid and Neutra Aramid from the Team Series range feature an inflatable structure (leading edge and central strut) in UPE Aramid and a spinnaker material made of Triple Ripstop.

The Droid Aramid X and Neutra Aramid X from the Pro Team Series range feature an inflatable structure (leading edge and central strut) in UPE Aramid and a spinnaker material made of Code 95.

The Droid SP Aramid CZ from the Pro Team Series range features an inflatable structure (leading edge and central strut) in UPE Aramid and a spinnaker material made of Code Zero.

Overview of the different materials of the inflatable structure:

What is Dacon?

Dacron is a widely used material in kitesurfing and, like in wing foiling, it has long been used to strengthen the inflatable structure it covers. On our Perf Series wings, the DP175LL Dacron, assembled with exceptional skill and care, ensures a structure that is very rigid, durable, and lightweight, all while allowing us to offer highly performing wings at a great price. This material is used for our Perf Series range because, in addition to being more affordable, Dacron offers a more forgiving behavior compared to a highly rigid UPE Aramid wing, which has sharper reactions.

Dacron construction is perfect for those who prefer a gentler behavior. It is well-suited for beginners or for less extreme activities, such as freeride or freefly in downwind mode.

Wingfoiler: Malo, GONG team rider, with a Dacron Neutra (Perf Series).

What is UPE Aramid?

UPE Aramid, first introduced by GONG in wing foiling, is well-known and has captivated thousands of users around the globe due to the remarkable benefits it offers:

Outstanding performance in light wind conditions;
Better control in overpowered conditions;
Unprecedented lightness sensation;
Superior shock resistance;
Significantly lower pressure requirements;
A rigidity that is never compromised.

In concrete terms, UPE Aramid is the lightest and most rigid material available. At 85g/m2 (2 times less than Dacron!), this UPE Aramid present on the leading edge and the central batten ensures, in addition to a considerable weight savings (400g on a 5m2), an unparalleled gain in stiffness and reactivity. It’s simple: the wing no longer bends! We control its twisting through the Aramid axis and the design of the shape. Thus, deformations are no longer present.

In addition to its exceptional mechanical properties, this material also has a very low absorption rate. The wing gains very little weight when wet.

UPE Aramid's enhanced strength enables smaller diameters for the inflatable structure, which greatly reduces drag. This results in a wing that performs much better, with improved upwind ability and higher speeds.

The superior rigidity of UPE Aramid wings offers crucial dynamism in every phase of navigation and significantly more precise control during maneuvers. This precision increases comfort in both low and high wind conditions. Cherry on the cake, with this stiffer structure, you also get an unexpectedly long hangtime in jumps!

Wingfoiler: Malo, GONG team rider, with a Droid Aramid X with an inflatable structure made of UPE Aramid and a Code X spinnaker fabric.

Overview of the different materials used for the canopy:

What is Triple Ripstop?

The fabric used for the canopy of the Perf Series and Team Series wings is a high-quality 54g/m² Triple Ripstop spinnaker that prevents tear propagation.

Triple Ripstop is a woven fabric with three thick fibers that reinforce it at regular intervals and in two axes at 90°:

to make it stiffer,
to limit its elongation,
to enhance its shape memory,
to speed up its recovery to the initial shape,
to strengthen it under stress,
to minimize tear propagation,
to limit the spread of a tear to the nearby area.

This fabric is coated with a protective layer that forms an almost impermeable barrier to air for maximum lift, and protects it from the sun and moisture to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

When compared to other fabrics used in our canopies, its greatest advantage is its lightness, which is especially appreciated in light wind conditions. Combined with UPE Aramid for our Team Series wings, this technology makes the wing incredibly lightweight.

It also provides a softer, more forgiving feel than our Pro Team Series wings, which are fitted with Code X and Code Zero fabrics that offer greater energy return.

What is Code X?

Code X is a polyester canopy fabric that is stronger and stiffer than Triple Ripstop. Its mechanical characteristics are of a higher standard, and you can feel it instantly on the water with extraordinary responsiveness.

The Aramid X wings (a mix of UPE Aramid for the inflatable structure and Code X for the canopy) offer unmatched performance and precision. The Code X fabric ensures exceptional profile stability, resulting in immense power while riding and incredible hangtime during jumps. This is the technology that our Pro team used to dominate on the World Tour with wins in Wave and Freefly-Slalom.

Thanks to the superior strength of Code X, these wings are exceptionally durable, with consistent efficiency season after season.

At 81gr/m2, the weight increase is minimal and more than compensated for by the improved rigidity, offering significantly better low-end performance for experienced riders who can harness its responsiveness.

What is Code Zero?

Code Zero is the most rigid canopy fabric we’ve ever used. Its mechanical characteristics are simply unmatched by anything else on the market. This material was specifically designed to overcome the issues of traditional spinnakers, which tend to be too elastic. Thanks to its X-Ply structure that provides incredible rigidity, it results in an extremely stiff wing that channels all the power for top-level performance.

On the water, this results in explosive acceleration that shoots you to Mach 12 in an instant and takes you to extreme heights in jumps. For those chasing ultimate performance, this will be the holy grail.

At 75gr/m2, the Code Zero is lighter than the Code X while displaying exceptional rigidity and strength. It offers a totally new sensation, with a fabric that stays in place like a windsurf sail, but with the lightweight feel of a wing. It’s incredibly powerful.

Its ability to transmit maximum power makes it the ideal option for the new Pulse Race Aramid CZ and Droid SP Aramid CZ. The first is designed for racing, while the second excels in powerful jumps, surfing, and slalom, delivering the power of a SuperPower in the highly versatile shape of a Droid.

Wingfoiler: Malo, GONG team rider, with a Droid SP Aramid CZ with an inflatable structure made of UPE Aramid and a spinnaker in Code Zero.

Why do wings with Code Zero fabric have windows?

Sur ces wings rapides et puissantes qui seront utilisées par de nombreux riders sur des parcours de Race et Freefly-Slalom, les fenêtres apportent un max de confort de navigation. On peut continuer à accélérer fort en toute sécurité lors des tirages de bourre entre copains. Plus de perte de vitesse en levant la voile pour checker ce qui se passe sous le vent. C’était également une demande de notre Pro Team (1er, 2ème et 3ème au championnat du monde GWA 2024 en Freefly-Slalom).

Wingfoiler: Bastien, GONG team rider, with a Droid SP Aramid CZ.

A summary of wing qualities, technology by technology:

Starting with the very forgiving Dacron wings, we then move to the other extreme with the ultimate reactivity and impressive lift of Aramid CZ wings. From accessibility to ultimate performance, easily find the wing that fits you with our range of technologies.