Beginner Boards Wing Foil

For Whom?

• Beginners without experience: Inflatable HIPE First, or ZUMA in large size.
• Sporty beginner: LANCE or ZUMA in your size.
• Beginner in wing but already foiler: LANCE, or small ZUMA and MOB 2TASTE / FLINT for versatility.
• Travellers: Inflatable HIPE Perf.

For What?

We can sum up very simply the concepts of each board in our range:

• HIPE FIRST: the perfect inflatable board to learn wing foiling!
• HIPE PERF: the inflatable foil board with 95% of the performance of a rigid board, in an easy and scalable shape.
• MOB 2TASTE: three sports in one board: SUP, SUP foil and wing.
• ZUMA: the easy rigid board in SUP foil and wing, and with good performances.
• LANCE: the compact Zuma, very stable sideways, ideal for wing.

Which board per program?

All boards have a versatility that opens up to several programs, but here’s a little guide to choose from according to your level and the conditions of the day, with the optimum being placed first:

• Multisports: MOB 2taste, Zuma, Flint.
• Allround: HIPE Perf, Lance, Zuma.
• Light wind: HIPE First, and of course Lance and Zuma.
• Freeride / Freerace: Lance.

Which wing board size?

Beginners in wing absolutely must have a positive volume balance.

Your weight plus that of the board must be less than the volume of the board.

Do not hesitate to take a bit more volume and width if you are not comfortable with your stance or not athletic.

To be comfortable, we recommend that you take a volume of around your weight + 30 = volume.

Regarding the HIPE Perf and Zuma, the length will help beginners take off more easily, and when riding flat.

Examples for a 7kg board and different sizes:

• If I weigh 70kg, the minimum to float is: 70kg + 7kg = 77L. But with my 70kg + 30 = 100L, I would be very comfortable but without excess.
• If I weigh 85kg, the minimum to float is: 85kg + 7kg = 92L. But with 85kg + 30 = 115L, I would be very comfortable but without excess.
• If I weigh 100kg, the minimum to float is: 100kg + 7kg = 107L. But with 100kg + 30 = 130L, I would be comfortable but without excess.

In wing, we identify three main types of relationship to volume:

• Comfort

You can go for a volume sufficient to float : about your weight + 10 = volume.

Example: I weigh 80kg + 10 = 90L to float. Which means that with 90L and more I will be easy, provided I have a good level in wing.

• Sport

You can also sub liter it because the board is wide enough to be stable. So if you have a great level and want maximum responsiveness, you can switch to negative volumes. Up to your weight – 10 = volume you can go on your knees by leaning on the wing on the water.

Example: I weigh 80kg + 10 = 90L to float. Which means that with 70L my board will sink a little and I should be precise and sporty every time I start.

• Sinker

Below your weight – 10 = volume, at – 30 for example, you will have to do waterstarts by sinking the board: it’s technical, very physical,and you lose part of the low wind range. The performance gain is debatable depending on your level, but the sensation and responsiveness gain is considerable.

Example: I weigh 80kg + 10 = 90L to float. Which means that with 50L and less, my board will totally sink and I should do a real wakeboard type waterstart. In this case, less volume often makes things easier because we sink the board without worry to put it under our feet and climb on it. A small board will float less, therefore easier to get on but less quick to take off. Its surface stability qualities remain the same underwater.

Choosing the board that suits you perfectly can turn out to be a real challenge given the many parameters that define its qualities. In order to better understand all these parameters of length, width, volume, hull, technology and shape of a board, we explain all of their purposes in this How To : Choose your wing board.

Which technology? 

On the techno side, 4 rooms, 4 atmospheres!

It is essential to understand the constructions offered when you buy a board.
Aesthetics and programs are important, but construction is key! And very often, it is the obstacle course to find this information in between the marketing twists and turns …

At GONG, we are committed to presenting to you in all transparency what lies beneath the final paint layer, without blah blah.

Inflatable techno

The simple, solid and very close to rigid inflatable thanks to our revolutionary HIPE.

The carbon plate is firmly glued under the inflatable structure. This piece, composed of 1.9 kg of pure prepreg carbon and two foam stringers, is a jewel of composite know-how. By its design, it mechanically provides precisely what it takes to be as rigid as a classic board, without increasing the total weight.
In wing foiling, this is the perfect board to get started and progress. The volume is super generous, allowing you to use short lengths. And we’ve created two large sizes in 6’5 and 7’5 with an “ADS” fin box cleverly placed in front of the front foot to allow you to ride on the water without going downwind. This fin combined with your foil gives you a real grip to go upwind without flying. You can start off gently, without the stress of having to fly imperatively. The small sizes offer the highest level of performance in inflatable boards. It’s incredibly efficient, to the point that it’s hard to tell the difference in performance compared to a rigid board, except a few hundred grams more.

WOOD 2X techno

Economical, but less light.

Our entry-level construction is without blushing, comparable (if not better) than most of the high-end boards on the market sold at high prices …
The board is fully reinforced with a fiberglass lamination with a vacuum bonded wood sandwich and a super strong laminated biaxial fiberglass. Fully, that is to say the deck, the bottom but also the rails, unlike many “prestige” brands.
And the deck benefits from an additional reinforcement in a 3mm high density PVC (Airex) sandwich which limits all impacts, a guarantee of durability.
It is the perfect techno for first-time wing buyers, who are looking for an unbeatable price / solidity combo.

FSP 2X techno

Both light and very strong. This is the best-selling technology because it mixes the most advantages in a very reasonable price.

The FSP (Full Sandwich PVC): the techno that positions GONG boards in another world.
An exclusivity on the wing boards market, which comes directly to us from high-end construction techniques.
Unlike other wing board constructions on the market, our FSP boards are fully vacuum “shelled” with an extremely strong PVC (Airex) foam sandwich with a density of 80kg / m2. This density is 3 times greater than that of our competitors’ EPS foam blanks! Here again, we cover the top, the bottom but also the rails with a super strong 3mm shell! It’s 5 to 10 times thicker than the competition !!! Knees, paddles, harness hooks, the heart of your board is fully protected by a resistant and waterproof sandwich.
In FSP 2X, this sandwich is covered with a layer of biaxial fiberglass, much stronger than conventional fibers with its large fibers with a “reinforced concrete” effect.
The whole is of unparalleled durability and dynamism. It is the ultra solid techno that allows you to progress serenely on our Lance, Zuma and MOB 2taste.
Yet our FSP 2X boards remain at record weights.
First, because they are handmade using our French high-end manufacturing methods for custom boards.
Then because this super strong “shell” allows us to lighten the core of our boards to give them all the liveliness you need.

New equipment and design

The 2023 range of our wing boards features a new sleek design, taken over from the finishes used in the shape rooms for our custom boards, just like the full sandwich construction which have also been transposed years ago from our custom boards to our production boards.

The equipment is completely renewed on the 2023 boards:

• New reinforced GONG boxes to send big and new double entry rails that allows you to use our SCS system and save precious time during assembly!
• New more ergonomic GONG handle that offers a better grip.
• New stratification of the leash plug with a polished finish and absolute solidity.
• New sets of GONG footstraps, more ergonomic and more comfortable. In single version at the back and in V shape at the front for an ultra-balanced stance.
• New hard brush pad that allows for more thickness on the entire board for absolute comfort.

We invite you to analyze in detail your future board on the new 3D module of our product sheets.

Buy as an informed consumer!

Which quiver?

You don’t need many wing boards, because often you’ll do everything with the one you love the most.

But as you progress, you can be tempted by two complementary volumes. Possibly by completing a generous light wind board with a more radical board.

The choice will be led more and more towards complementary programs. For example having a 100% waveriding board and a Freerace or Freestyle board will make up a luxurious quiver. This is the big trend of 2021: a board and a wing for each style of session.

You can of course complete your quiver wing with a range of Stand Up Paddle without foil. And surf boards for windless days, so you never stay out of the water.

Which foil wings?

In general, we recommend the same assembly as for surf foil.

Beginners will have the fastest progression with a XL Front Wing (whatever their size between 65kg and 100kg) and a 45cm Stab Rise.

• If you are not confident, start with an XL Rise Front Wing.
• If you’re good, start with an XL X-Over Front Wing.

For the experienced

In the Curve range

• MT for under 70kg or very good level and steady wind
• L for under 75kg or good level and established wind
• LT for under 90kg or good level and steady wind
• XL for 75kg and over, or light beginners.
• XL-T for light and irregular wind.

The size of the front wing conditions the speed/lift ratio. The smaller the front wing, the faster you will go but the more uncomfortable you will be at low speed.

The stabs play a major role. They determine the stability of the foil and help the lift, but at the expense of the maximum speed of the foil.

Rise Stabs are slower than Veloce or Fast Stabs but are much more buoyant and therefore effective at low speeds.

Which foil mast?

Contrary to kite foil, in wing, you don’t have much opposition to the wing because it pulls gently. So, you don’t put a lot of upwind angle to the mast. So, mastering a big mast in Wing is not a problem.

And as the boards used are much bigger than in kitesurfing, the inertia is more important. So, your foil is less wacky. Everything is calmer. So, don’t be afraid of a long mast.

In other words, everything will be played out between 85cm and 100cm. You can find all our advice on choosing between these two lengths by clicking here.

Positioning of the foil?

For GONG foils, place the plate between the rear third and the centre of the US rails.

The more you move it forward, the more it will lift the board. The more you move it backwards, the more the nose of the board pearls.

Be careful not to move it too far forward. We often tend not to let their back foot work, especially when we come from Kitefoil. However, moving the foil back a little, forces more weight on the back foot and gives a more harmonious attitude and reduces effort.

Which leash?

Take a 6′ of 7mm minimum diameter or a 7’ on biggest boards.

Check its condition before each session and change it every year. It is your lifejacket and the life insurance of the people in front of you.

Strap or Strapless?

Riding strapless is sexy because it makes you feel free. But quite honestly, it’s not the best for performance…

So, it’s up to you to see if sensation prevails over performance. In wing, we’re clearly going to miss 90% of its potential without the straps.

With straps, you’ll have much more control and much less risk of getting the Foil flipping under your feet. In the waves, it’s obvious, you gain a lot with straps. You can recuperate from crazy situations just by pulling up on your feet. And in jumps, of course.

Put your straps in a central position (3rd hole) for the front, and the same goes for the back strap if you still ride with the back.

If you want to be able to get the back foot out for transitions and surfing, put the back strap on the first hole.

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