Some day I'll get a new quiver of wings, but I haven't come across anything that I know fits my wish list:

1. no windows, I'm never satisfied by looking through a window, so always peek anyway, and plan to do more wing pack dw.
2. Hard handles
3. Standard valve. I want to be able to use any pump lying around, instead of the one that has the hard to find adaptor (duotone), that I'm always afraid I'll lose, and btw is so close to the standard fitting it drives me nuts.
4: flys and flags well
5: durable

anyone know of a wing that fits? What companies use standard valves so I can go from there?

I'm trying the or glide AA next. Maybe the dynamo would work for you? Not sure on those handles.
I too am wanting better pack down on wings for dw sup and think the super fabrics will be the way to go. Just don't forget to unpack them right away when you're done.

Try to demo the Armstrong XPS - they have windows, though. I've been on a quiver of three wings since August last year and had a very good spring and summer and the wings are holding up remarkably well.

Fair criteria... but I just want a wing that doesnt bag out after a year. I reckon materials are 50% off where they need to be. These non-recyclable petrochemical products, need to last a long time and be recyclable.

BWalnut said..

hammer said..
Fair criteria... but I just want a wing that doesnt bag out after a year. I reckon materials are 50% off where they need to be. These non-recyclable petrochemical products, need to last a long time and be recyclable.

I know the Ocean Rodeos are aiming for that. Long life and recyclable are the claims. Something that would help is if people quantified sessions and style of use over simply years of use. My 4.2m is like new after a year of use but I don't jump, use it in light winds with efficient foils, and only got 16 sessions on it.

So maybe 20 sessions x 3 years x 25 knts for my 3.6 . Give or take a leave pass

Smik v4. My version 3 SMIK had taken a beating and still performs great. Scott Mckercher gradually improves each iteration and the new V4s have better canopy materials and cut patterns. Standard pricing, buy two for the price of any Allula wing.

RossDK said..

baldy123 said..
Smik v4. My version 3 SMIK had taken a beating and still performs great. Scott Mckercher gradually improves each iteration and the new V4s have better canopy materials and cut patterns. Standard pricing, buy two for the price of any Allula wing.

I would pick the one Aluula wing any day of the week

Agree. Now that I've had standard materials, Ho'okipa, Aluula, and am testing Dyneema this week as well as extensively in the spring there's one thing I can say for sure:I'll never buy another standard material wing, the cost benefit pales in comparison to the performance gains.

Thanks all, Smik looks sick.. But does anyone sell them in the us? I like those OR AA wings but wow. But then again I don't tend to replace wings often. How do kt wings hold up?

BWalnut said..

RossDK said..

baldy123 said..
Smik v4. My version 3 SMIK had taken a beating and still performs great. Scott Mckercher gradually improves each iteration and the new V4s have better canopy materials and cut patterns. Standard pricing, buy two for the price of any Allula wing.

I would pick the one Aluula wing any day of the week

Agree. Now that I've had standard materials, Ho'okipa, Aluula, and am testing Dyneema this week as well as extensively in the spring there's one thing I can say for sure:I'll never buy another standard material wing, the cost benefit pales in comparison to the performance gains.

I'm not so sure, I agree the performance gain is usually there, but on average the wings are twice the price and there's definitely not twice the performance gain. Also hurts less the first, second, third time you stick your foil through it !

BWalnut said..

MrFish said..

BWalnut said..

RossDK said..

baldy123 said..
Smik v4. My version 3 SMIK had taken a beating and still performs great. Scott Mckercher gradually improves each iteration and the new V4s have better canopy materials and cut patterns. Standard pricing, buy two for the price of any Allula wing.

I would pick the one Aluula wing any day of the week

Agree. Now that I've had standard materials, Ho'okipa, Aluula, and am testing Dyneema this week as well as extensively in the spring there's one thing I can say for sure:I'll never buy another standard material wing, the cost benefit pales in comparison to the performance gains.

I'm not so sure, I agree the performance gain is usually there, but on average the wings are twice the price and there's definitely not twice the performance gain. Also hurts less the first, second, third time you stick your foil through it !

Fortunately I'm 250-300 sessions into my winging with no damages to wings on the water.
The new OR wings are supposedly super tough, the aluula tears don't propagate, AND super exciting is that the repairs are iron on patches that leave the wing as good as new. I'm into that!

I also just read the "Does bagging matter" article here and it sounds like the lifespan is significantly better on the aluula frames.
As they say: "Buy once cry once!"

Wow, well done. I'm new to surf foiling and that's where most of my punctures of recent have come from.

Velocicraptor said..
I'm recently on the Ozone Flux (I consider the materials to be fairly conventional), and its also really good.

I think the Flux has updated materials. Extra strong canopy in trailing and leading edge and a new type of dacron for the struts. Almost no ballooning.

I didn't like the valves of the Flux, hard to find a pump that's able to show the pressure correctly. Apart from that, a fantastic wing. In contrast to the thread creator, if I have the choice I always take a wing with a SUP valve or alternatively the Duotone valve instead of all other valve variants.

Gong team series.
Any handles you want, advanced materials and available without windows for about the cost of most wings.

Just winged for the first time in a while, and I've got to add a criteria:

6: Doesn't flip over when in the water/doesn't pull an anchorman out of the water and go flying. My units tend to do that and it sucks.

New Ezzy wings. I've got 30+ sessions on a 4m and it's still in great shape. Part of the design philosophy was based on the known fact that leach flutter degrades canopy integrity. With this in mind, he put a lot into minimizing flutter. Based on what I'm experiencing, I think it's working.

There are allot of good wings out now for sure... Just to add one more to the pile: I think the Vayu Aura 2 would tick allot of boxes. It has the SUP valve, well built with allot of nice design details, & they do some tricky things & use a special Dacron to get more stiffness out of the struts without the cost of Aluula. They are pretty new to the US market but Chinook are stocking them in the Gorge. Also tested by James Casey & Adam Bennetts to be one of the best drifting wings out there... its early days but my 4.5 is holding up great.

Velocicraptor said..

MrFish said..

NikOnFoil said..

Velocicraptor said..
I'm recently on the Ozone Flux (I consider the materials to be fairly conventional), and its also really good.

I think the Flux has updated materials. Extra strong canopy in trailing and leading edge and a new type of dacron for the struts. Almost no ballooning.

I didn't like the valves of the Flux, hard to find a pump that's able to show the pressure correctly. Apart from that, a fantastic wing. In contrast to the thread creator, if I have the choice I always take a wing with a SUP valve or alternatively the Duotone valve instead of all other valve variants.

Mate just sold his Flux's purely because he hatted dealing with the valves !!

The valve sucks with the regular adapter, but there is a threaded adapter that you can buy that is excellent. If I didn't have this adapter I'd probably sell them too!

kiteboarding.com has them in the US. Must have.

I have used both Ozone kites and wings for ages, including Flux wings. Never had any issue with their valve. IMHO, it is the easiest system to use. Just push a connector in and pump. It has always worked flawlessly with both manual and electric pumps.