Template Blog 2023

1. Check your gear before going in the water

It is strongly advisable, even essential, to check your gear when you go in the water or at the end of the session. However, if you sail regularly, you can only do it once a week. What is important to check on your wing:

Check that the wing does not have any tears or holes : get under your wing and look through it towards the sun. This way, you can easily see if there are any holes in the kite.
Pay attention to the seams on the leading edge to prevent any bursting of the leading edge if a seam is damaged.

How to properly maintain your wing foil wings during the session?

We explain how to maintain your wing foil wings to ensure their maximum lifespan. These tips are also applicable to kite surfing kites. Here are some good things to do to maintain your wingfoil or kite surf.

2. Putting your wing foil kite on the beach

When you go for a session, put your kite surf or wing foil on the beach as soon as possible. It is best to avoid sharp stones and asphalt in strong winds. Indeed, if your kite slips because of the wind, it will rub the ground and this will cause wear on the seams or spinnaker.

3. Tie your wing properly

To properly maintain your wingfoil kites, be careful not to let it fly and hit the ground. Try to hang it as close to your board as possible.
Caution: never put your wing upwind of the foil. You risk tearing your kite if it flies on your foil.

4. Be careful while browsing

5. Don't drag your wingfoil kite

Caring for your wing foil kites: how to rinse them?

For optimal maintenance of your wing foil or kite surf, it should be rinsed with fresh water after each session. Indeed, the salt contained in the seawater attacks the seams of the socks. It’s even more important to rinse them off if you don’t plan to return to the water for a while. However, if you foile often, we understand that you don’t want to rinse your kite every time. We therefore advise you to rinse it once in a while at low pressure with fresh water.

How to dry your wing foil wings?

To maximize the life of your wing, we advise you to dry your kite before storing it. Indeed, the humidity added to the salt of the seawater can, in the long run, damage your wing foil wings. In general, it can be a matter of color deterioration, detachment of valves or mold.

The best practice?

When you know you’re going to end your session soon, try to make a dozen or so tacks without falling into the water. This way, your kite will dry out. Then you will have to get out of the water, avoiding getting it wet. Holding it above your head with your arm outstretched, it shouldn’t get too wet.

If your kite gets wet when you get out of the water, you can dry it on the beach by attaching it to your board. To do this, be careful that it is not placed on something that may damage it, such as asphalt or sharp stones. In addition, you should always dry your wing in the direction of the wind. That is to say, it is the leading edge of the wing that is facing the wind, that catches the wind.

Maintain your kite surfing and wing foil kites: watch out for the sun!

Just like your skin, the spinnaker of a wingfoil or kitesurfer is sensitive to UV rays. This is why it is strongly advised not to leave your kite on the beach in the sun when you are not going into the water. Therefore, if you are not using your equipment, it is best to store it to ensure its maximum life.

As with the sun, prolonged exposure to strong winds and sand can accelerate the wear and tear on your wing. This is why, in case of strong winds, the trailing edge of your wing flaps in the wind, which damages it prematurely. In addition, when the sand flies (tramontane conditions in the south of France for example) the sand hits the wing. The sand then acts as a sandpaper on your wing foil or kite surf.

How to store your wing foil wings correctly?

When you are not wing foiling or kite surfing for a long time, we advise you to rinse and dry your kites. Then, it is recommended to store them in the Sroka wing bag provided for this purpose. Store your wings preferably high up in case rodents pass by.

Finally, whether they are kitesurfing or wingfoil, never bend them in the same way and avoid marked creases. Bending too much could weaken your spinnaker.