All Parawing terms explained simply, from Lift to Depower / power-up system. Each definition gets straight to the point to understand how a Parawing flies, is piloted and chosen.
Table of Contents
Aspect ratio · Bar / control bar · Leading edge · Line set / bridle system · Bumps · Cell · Depower / power-up system · Depower · Downwind · Wind window · Collapse · Front collapse · Harness · Angle of attack · Leash · Single-skin · No-fly zone · Ear · Lift · Power zone · Profile / airfoil shape · Pumping · Repacking · Stash · Overpowered / heavy gust · Drag · Upwind / close-hauled · Apparent wind · True wind · VMG · Waterstart
Aspect ratio
Ratio between the wingspan of a wing and its depth. A high aspect ratio, a fine and long wing, offers more efficiency and a better upwind heading, but demands more piloting. A low aspect ratio is more stable, more forgiving and easier to relaunch, ideal for beginners. The same principle applies to foils: see which foil to choose for Parawing.
Bar / control bar
Component that the rider holds in both hands and connects the lines to the wing. In Parawing, there are no handles fixed to the canopy like on an inflatable wing: everything goes through the bar. You tilt it to steer the wing and you play with its position to control the power. On the FYNIX, the bar is carbon, measures 32 cm and is not retractable; the lines slide inside it, which shortens the entire setup and facilitates repacking. Unlike the fabric, the bar should be rinsed with fresh water as soon as it's sandy, by sliding the lines inside to evacuate the sand.
Leading edge
The leading edge is the front edge of the wing, the one that cuts the air first. It's what gives the Parawing its shape and stability. A collapse often begins with the fold of the leading edge.
Line set / bridle system
Set of all the lines connecting the fabric to the bar. The bridle distributes efforts, maintains the shape of the wing and transmits your commands. A well-tuned bridle keeps the profile stable; a twisted bridle degrades flight. On a single-skin Parawing, it structures a wing that has no closed cells. To avoid knots, see how to avoid line tangles.
Bumps
Bumps are the small waves formed by the wind, which you surf while going Downwind. Stringing them together allows you to move forward by using the energy of the water, sometimes without even powering up the wing.
Cell
Cell inflated by wind, on double-skin or hybrid wings. Air entering through the leading edge pressurizes the structure and gives it its shape. Single-skin Parawings have no closed cells: their shape comes from the bridle and wind pressure on a single layer of fabric.
Depower / power-up system
Ability to sheet in, increase the power of the wing, and to ease, reduce it. On most Parawings, you modulate power by tilting the bar, which limits the amplitude of the gesture and its effectiveness. The FYNIX is the first Parawing with a true dynamic Depower / power-up system thanks to the PushBar System®: the lines slide inside the 32 cm carbon bar, you push the bar to ease and you pull it to sheet in, which changes the wing geometry in real time without changing its angle of attack. The mechanism is detailed in our technical analysis of the PushBar System®.
Depower
Ability of a wing to reduce its power on demand, to manage a gust or slow down. Most Parawings offer some form of Depower. The particularity of the FYNIX is a dynamic Depower piloted by the PushBar System®, registered trademark, patent pending, which increases the effectiveness of the Depower.
Downwind
Downwind is navigation with the wind at your back, from a starting point to a point located downwind. In Parawing, it's a signature practice: the light and packable wing allows you to chase waves and surf bumps over long distances. Our complete guide: Downwind in Parawing.
Wind window
Portion of space, downwind of you, where the wing can fly. At the center, power is maximal; on the edges, it's gentle and controllable. Piloting a Parawing is moving the wing in this window to control the traction. When close-hauled, the wing is placed near the edge of the window for better upwind climbing; when on a broad reach, it moves toward the center, where power is maximal.
Collapse
When the Parawing loses its shape and folds, due to lack of tension or pressure. It can be partial, on one ear, or total, on the entire leading edge. The cause is almost always a loss of tension in the lines or a gust that drops.
Front collapse
Sudden collapse of the leading edge across the entire width of the wing, which folds toward you. It occurs when the wing suddenly loses pressure, but also when it's poorly balanced or when the profile camber is poorly positioned. You must then release and relaunch.
Harness
Belt that transfers the traction from the wing from the arms to the hips. In Parawing, the waist belt is preferred over a seat harness, often with a Kangaroo Pocket to store the folded wing. The rhythm is simple: you hook in to navigate and to climb upwind, you unhook for maneuvers and to fold the wing. Tightness is a compromise: tight, the bar is closer to you and lumbar support is better; a bit looser, the harness rises more but rotates more easily around the rider, which greatly facilitates passing the wing into the pocket. Adjust it on land, not in water. Our complete guide: Parawing and Harness.
Angle of attack
Angle between the wing and the air flow. As it increases, Lift rises, until a threshold where the air separates from the profile and the wing stalls. Adjusting the angle of attack, by sheeting in or easing, is adjusting the power of the Parawing.
Leash
Cord that connects you to your board. It's essential safety equipment in foil: it prevents the board from going away, which matters especially since the foil is sharp and a lost board leaves the rider without flotation. Use a model adapted to foil. There are also hip leashs, convenient for keeping a phone with you during the session.
Single-skin
Wing made of a single layer of fabric, with no inflatable cells. It holds its shape thanks to wind and its bridle. Result: a very light wing, compact when folded and quick to launch. It's the typical construction of modern Parawings, including the FYNIX. Its lightness and compactness make it an ideal wing for Downwind: you can fold it and stow it during the descent.
No-fly zone
The no-fly zone is the part of the wind window located upwind, where the wing no longer receives flow and cannot fly. A wing brought into this zone stalls and falls.
Ear
Lateral ends of the Parawing. These are the softest and most exposed zones: they're often the first to fold when the wing loses tension. Watching the ears helps anticipate a collapse.
Lift
Force that lifts and pulls the wing. It's born when the profile deflects air: air accelerates on top, pressure drops there, and the wing is sucked upward and forward. It's Lift that makes the Parawing fly. It increases with surface area, angle of attack, profile thickness and air speed. Everything is explained in how a Parawing flies.
Power zone
The power zone is the central part of the wind window where the wing generates the most traction. You bring the wing there to accelerate or take off, and you move it away toward the edges to reduce power.
Profile / airfoil shape
Shape of the wing section, viewed from the side. Its curvature and thickness determine how air flows and thus how much Lift the wing generates. A hollow profile gives power, a thin profile favors speed and efficiency.
Pumping
Pumping consists of giving impulses with the board and foil to create Lift, take off or stay in flight when power is lacking.
Repacking
Gesture of retrieving your wing and keeping it under your arm to continue flying without the propulsion of the Parawing, only with the power of the swell. It's the signature gesture of Downwind: you launch the flight with the wing, then you neutralize it and surf bumps, before deploying it again when you need to relaunch or climb upwind. The faster and more natural it is, the more waves you string together. Short lines and a single-skin wing make it much easier. See our guide Downwind in Parawing.
Stash
English term used to describe the same gesture as repacking: retrieve the wing and keep it on you, under your arm or in the harness pocket, to surf without its traction. A harness with Kangaroo Pocket greatly facilitates the operation.
Overpowered / heavy gust (and underpowered)
Being overpowered means flying with a wing too large for the current wind: traction becomes hard to hold, fatigue comes fast and heading degrades in gusts. Being underpowered is the opposite: the wing lacks power, takeoff becomes laborious and board feel is mushy. This is precisely what a power management system corrects: the wider the useful range of a size, the less likely you are to find yourself in either situation. To properly size it, see which size of Parawing to choose.
Drag
Air resistance to the wing's movement. Three origins: the shape of the wing, friction of air on the fabric, and vortices created at the wing tip by Lift, induced Drag. It slows, but it's inseparable from Lift. It also depends on construction: a single-skin wing drags more, a double-skin much less thanks to its closed cells, the hybrid is in between.
Upwind / close-hauled
Upwind, or close-hauled, refers to navigation at an angle facing the wind. Climbing upwind allows you to return to your starting point. In Parawing, a good heading depends on the traction of the wing and the anti-drift of the foil. Our dedicated article: can you climb upwind in Parawing.
Apparent wind
Wind actually perceived by the wing in motion. It combines true wind and wind created by your movement. Stronger and more forward-pointing than true wind, it's what makes a Parawing move forward, even when true wind weakens.
True wind
Wind you feel at rest, wind that blows independently of your movement. It's the basis for choosing your wing size, but it's not what feeds the wing in flight: as soon as you move forward, it combines with your movement to form apparent wind. For the selection method, see which size of Parawing to choose.
VMG
Velocity Made Good: the best balance between heading and speed to progress toward a point, most often upwind. It's not pure speed: a fast wing that bears away can have worse VMG than a slower wing with a finer heading.
Waterstart
Departure from water to takeoff on foil. You place yourself on the board, you gradually sheet in to gain power, you let the board accelerate, then you stand up keeping your weight centered. It's speed that creates foil Lift: wait to have it before loading the front foot. In Parawing, boards have enough volume, which makes power adjustment smooth. All the gestures are detailed in how to pilot a Parawing.
About the author
Bruno Sroka is triple world champion of Kitesurfing and Kitefoil. Cape Horn crossing (2008), English Channel record (2012), France-Ireland link of 444 km (2013). Former PE teacher, he is the founder of SROKA Company, Breton brand of foil, Wing foil, SUP and Parawing, and designer of the PushBar System®.
To go further: what is a Parawing, how a Parawing flies, how to pilot a Parawing, the guide of 30 essential questions and maintaining your Parawing. Discover our wings in the Parawing collection.
