The new Droid in its Dacron construction displays a new level of performance that comes straight from the UPE versions of the Team Series collection developed by our Pro riders.
Power, maneuverability and control, everything comes together to deliver strong performance, as Warrick explains to us in his feedback:
A great step forward
“My thoughts on the Droid Perf 2024 in 6m2…
Every big wing I have owned has been a great step forward on the last one. So each is superior to the last, absolutely no doubt. My history: SuperPower v2 in 7.5m2, then the SuperPower 2023 in 6m2, the Droid 2023 in 6.5m2, and now this one. BUT I think this Droid has turned a very important corner. At 97kg, this 6m2 is the biggest wing that I need.
It’s true that this also does rely also on having a Cruzader. I have used it in everything from almost no wind at all (with my Cruzader and Sirus 186) to around 18 knots, gusting to 23, with a HIPE Pro and Ypra-S XL.”
The feel of a small wing
“The Droid Perf has the feel of a small wing. The agility, pumping ease, sensitivity and responsiveness is all from a 5m2, but with big big power. It is at least the same power as my previous 2023 Droid in 6.5m2, probably more. It is possible to pump it with a much higher frequency than before, due to the very high canopy tension and compactness. Pumping with higher frequency means the board does not slow much between each pump, and the take-off comes so easily. I lean forward a little and “scoop” the air from front to back whilst pulling the wing down and this gives SO much speed to the board.
In the very light conditions, tiny pumps are enough to continue through wind holes, and the lightness of the wing really helps too. To give you an idea, I take Veloce v2 XXL in all light conditions down to 8 knots, with some small gusts – it is enough. Below that, I take the Sirus, and then I still can launch and fly the foil! Sure, my technique slowly improves, but the new board and wings support this progression hugely.”
It feels small, but with massive power
“In conditions with more power, I love this wing. It feels small, but with massive power. It is an absolute joy to come up onto foil, brace your body and sheet in – the acceleration sensations are awesome, and the wing just sits locked where you place it whilst the speed builds up FAST! I took it with the two rigid handles and always ride it like this. I am interested to feel it with the boom as I am sure that the boom will add even more stability and speed.
In manoeuvres it’s supremely agile, and very intuitive, as before, but with this new design, it starts to feel more like the handling of a Neutra, but with big power.
My home spots are not blessed with constant wind – very often they are extremely gusty. The feeling is that the Droid takes gusts and turns them into instant power rather than absorbing them too much – this I really like. However, if you don’t want the boost, it is easy to adjust for the gusts due to the agility of the wing. It’s easy and intuitive. So whilst the programme for this one says 8-18kn for my weight, I have ridden it in more, and it is totally manageable and the extra power and speed is really fun! And with the help of the Cruzader and Sirus, I have ridden it in less also.
The upwind is better than the previous generation of Droid – the previous one would take a good upwind tack, but you could not put too much power in the wing. This one allows you to carry much more power whilst making upwind angles, so the average speed on the spot is up.”
Just another reason to love this brand
“In summary, at my 97kg weight, along with a Cruzader and a 1500cm foil, this wing makes a light wind set-up which can ride the days which we couldn’t ride before, right up to 20 knots with total control. Love it.
And the stitching pattern looks cool as a penguin’s balls, and such a great idea to use this in different directions from the material plies to give a properly tensioned “lay-up” as if it was a composite construction. Even with such excellent implementation of the large concepts like that, GONG still finds time to include the details like camera leash loops for the FlyMount system at the tips to keep the camera safety leash out of shot. Just another reason to love this brand.
Great evolution, very happy!”
