We explain how to maintain your wing foil wings to ensure maximum lifespan. These tips also apply to kitesurfing wings. Here are some good practices to adopt for properly maintaining your wing foil or kitesurfing wing .
How to properly maintain your wing foil wings during a session?
Preserving your equipment requires a minimum of maintenance and common sense.
– Be careful of the sun: It's great when the weather is nice and warm, but our friend the sun can be our enemy. Your wing foil equipment is sensitive to the sun, especially UV rays. If you're not riding, don't leave your equipment in the sun unnecessarily. If you need to take a long break, store your equipment to increase its lifespan.
– Never let your wing batter the beach: If you leave your wing exposed to the wind on the beach for extended periods, the trailing edge will deteriorate rapidly from repeated impacts. If the trailing edge is constantly battered by strong winds, you will experience premature wear. This will lead to a loss of rigidity and strength, causing the canopy to become porous and resulting in reduced long-term performance.
– The third enemy is sand: Sand is one of the causes of equipment damage. When the wind is strong, sand flies and can easily hit your spinnaker. Sand is abrasive, so you will prematurely wear out your spinnaker, essentially "sanding" the spinnaker.
1. Check your equipment before going in the water
It is strongly advised, even essential, to check your equipment before going out on the water or at the end of your session. However, if you sail regularly, you can do this only once a week. Here's what you should check on your wing:
- Check that the wing has no tears or holes : position yourself under your wing and look through it towards the sun. This way, you will easily see if the wing has any holes.
- Pay attention to the seams on the leading edge to avoid any bursting of the leading edge if a seam is damaged.
2. Land your wing foil on the beach
When you go for a session, land your kitesurfing or wing foil kite on the beach as soon as possible. It's best to avoid sharp rocks and asphalt in strong winds. If your kite slips due to the wind, it will rub against the ground, causing wear and tear on the seams or canopy.
3. Secure your wing properly
To properly maintain your wingfoil wings, be careful not to let them fly off and hit the ground. Try to attach them as close as possible to your board .
Warning: Never position your wing upwind of the foil. You risk tearing your wing if it flies over your foil.
4. Be careful while navigating
While it's important to take care of your equipment out of the water, it's just as important during your session. So, try as much as possible not to jump onto the wing if you fall, as you risk tearing your canopy. Also, be wary of lightweight foils , which are generally the carbon-foam type. These foils tend to fly off in a fall and not land back in the water immediately. When the foil flies off, it can easily tear your wing's canopy.
5. Do not let your wingfoil wing drag
We know some sessions are tiring, but that's no reason to drag your wing on the beach after getting out of the water (or even on the way in). Repeated friction could damage the seams and cause the wing to burst. Furthermore, the canopy is coated with a waterproofing finish that is not very abrasion-resistant. So avoid rubbing your wing with your hand to remove sand, for example.
Maintaining your wing foil wings: how to rinse them?
For optimal maintenance of your wing foil or kitesurfing wing, it should be rinsed with fresh water after each session. The salt in seawater can damage the seams of the inflatable tubes. Rinsing is especially important if you don't plan to return to the water for a while. However, if you foil frequently, we understand you may not want to rinse your wing every time. We therefore recommend rinsing it occasionally with low-pressure fresh water.
However, if you are unable to properly dry your wing, we advise against rinsing it. A wing that is still damp from fresh water could cause mold to grow.
How to dry your wing foil wings?
To maximize the lifespan of your wing, we recommend drying it before storing it. The combined moisture and salt from seawater can eventually damage your wing foil wings. This can manifest as fading, valve detachment, or mold growth.
The best practice?
When you know you're about to end your session, try to complete about ten turns without falling in. This will allow your kite to dry. Then, you'll need to get out of the water carefully, avoiding getting it wet. Holding it above your head with your arm outstretched, it shouldn't get too wet.
If your wing is wet when you get it out of the water, you can dry it on the beach by attaching it to your board. Be careful not to place it on anything that could damage it, such as asphalt or sharp rocks. Also, always dry your wing facing the wind. This means that the leading edge of the wing should be facing the wind and catching it.
Maintaining your kite surfing and wing foil wings: beware of the sun!
Just like your skin, the canopy of a wing foil or kitesurfing wing is sensitive to UV rays . That's why it's strongly advised against leaving your wing on the beach in the sun when you're not going out on the water. Therefore, if you're not using your equipment, it's best to store it away to ensure maximum lifespan.
Just like with the sun, prolonged exposure to strong winds and sand can accelerate wear and tear on your wing. That's why, in strong winds, the trailing edge of your wing flaps in the wind, causing premature damage. Furthermore, when sand is blowing (for example, in Tramontane wind conditions in the south of France), it strikes the wing. The sand then acts like sandpaper on your wing foil or kitesurfing wing.
How to properly store your wing foil wings?
When you're not wing foiling or kitesurfing for an extended period, we recommend rinsing and drying your wings . Then, it's advisable to store them in the Sroka wing bag designed for this purpose. Ideally, store your wings in a high place in case rodents get in.
Finally, whether it's kitesurfing or wingfoil wings, never fold them the same way and avoid sharp creases. Excessive creases could weaken your canopy.
If you still have questions about this, or for any other inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us !