How much should you budget for Wingfoil equipment?
Wing foil is a rapidly expanding discipline. In recent years, more and more riders have joined the sport. This discipline is accessible to everyone. It is also much less demanding and difficult than traditional windsurfing. It requires flexibility rather than brute force.
The expansion of Wing foil has also driven the evolution of equipment and its accessibility.
Want to know how much to budget for your Wing foil equipment? We're here to advise you to equip yourself at the best price.
There are different ways to get equipped for Wing foil. First, buy a complete Wing foil kit or purchase items separately.
The Wing foil kit
Some brands like Sroka offer you complete Wing foil kits. They provide you with an equipment package with everything you need to navigate in Wing foil (apart from accessories like wetsuit, helmet, Impact vest…).
What's included in a Wing foil kit
At Sroka we offer you two types of kits :
- The rigid Wing foil kit
- The Inflatable Wing foil kit
The inflatable Wing foil kit
This kit is the most accessible of all, it comes equipped with an inflatable foil board, a wing and its backpack. A complete foil, wing and board leashes, a pump and a backpack to carry everything. Very affordable and suitable for beginners, as it comes equipped with a foil for beginners or intermediate riders, or for people who travel frequently. You should expect to pay around 1500 to 2000 € for an inflatable kit.
The inflatable Wing foil kit
This kit is the most accessible of all, it comes equipped with an inflatable foil board, a wing and its backpack. A complete foil, wing and board leashes, a pump and a backpack to carry everything. Very affordable and suitable for beginners, as it comes equipped with a foil for beginners or intermediate riders, or for people who travel frequently. You should expect to pay around 1500 to 2000 € for an inflatable kit.
The rigid Wing foil kit
Often offered with fairly voluminous boards and large foils, you'll have easy takeoff and extremely stable flight. The kit includes the same equipment as the inflatable kit, namely a board, a complete aluminum foil, a wing, a pump and leashes. At Sroka this kit is equipped with a 5m2 sail with a board ranging from 5.7 to 6.3 (105L to 120L). And a complete foil of 1750cm2. The kit is scalable with all boards and foils in the range. It will be able to accompany you throughout your progression. For a rigid kit, you should expect to pay around 2000 to 2800 €.
It's important to note that at Sroka our foils are interchangeable. You can therefore change your front wings and stabilizers and even your board as you progress and continue to improve constantly.
Separate equipment purchase
You can also buy your equipment separately. This is mainly done by more experienced riders who know what they want, which allows you to better meet your needs and provide you with high-quality equipment « tailored to your needs ».
It's important to know that it is not recommended to mix brands, especially when it comes to boards and foils. Not all foils work under all boards, as each manufacturer has its own specifications.
The Wing foil board
It's the one that will be in contact with the water and will allow you to take off. There's no point in getting a board that's too small. Indeed, it will handicap you more than anything else. So first you need to keep your level in mind and avoid overestimating yourself… at the risk of finding yourself in much greater difficulty. It's essential to choose a board of the right size to progress. It's always useful to keep in mind that a larger Wing board will be necessary in light wind conditions. And it will allow you to get back to shore safely when the wind drops.
For a beginner, it's recommended to choose a board with approximately 20-30 liters more than the rider's weight. A rider with better control will opt for a board equal to or 10 liters more. And an expert rider will opt for a Wing board less than their weight.
The rigid Wing foil board
Offering more ease for learning, it improves glide on the water and tends to bounce more, making takeoff easier. The rigid board is the most used on the spots, available in different constructions, fiberglass sandwich (offering a solid board and cheaper than carbon) or carbon sandwich (more expensive, carbon sandwich will give you a more solid board and especially much lighter) and with multiple shapes and sizes…
And therefore all budgets. It's perfect for all riders, from beginner to expert, offering better progression potential. Allowing for more dynamism and control. You should expect to pay between 800€ to 2000€ depending on brands and constructions. At Sroka we offer you a variety of boards suited to all levels and riding styles, from the Sky Rider to the Elite, there's something for everyone and every level.
The inflatable Wing foil board
Easy to store and transport, the inflatable board is ideal for traveling Wing foilers. Indeed, it is lighter and simple to store. Although it is less efficient than a rigid board, and requires inflation to 15PSI… an excellent warm-up. Its performance remains valuable. It will be perfect for occasional riders not looking for performance, or beginners. For an inflatable board, you should expect to pay 300€ to 800€. For more information on our inflatable boards click here.
The Foil
The Foil, one of the essential pieces of equipment for Wing foil. It is therefore essential to choose a suitable foil but also a quality and scalable foil that will follow you throughout your progression. It's the equipment that has evolved the most in recent years. It's therefore preferable to opt for a recent foil and thus benefit from all the latest technologies and be able to continue to change the wings so it follows your progression. Composed of different parts, the mast, the fuselage, the wing and the stabilizer.
The carbon foil
The carbon foil, which is the most performant foil if well constructed. To learn all about carbon foil construction, we've written an article above. But it's also the most expensive. A true carbon mast, affordable and light, of good quality, doesn't exist. If it's cheap, it risks being dull and therefore flexible underfoot. For a carbon foil, you should expect to pay around 2200 € not including wings and stabilizers which will be added. A carbon foil is therefore mainly recommended for advanced riders looking to push themselves even further than with an aluminum foil.
The aluminum foil
The aluminum foil, is the most common foil on the market, indeed cheaper than carbon, it's perfect for most practitioners. Expect around 800-1000€ for a complete aluminum foil. We at Sroka offer you ultra-scalable aluminum foils with which you can adapt all our wings and stabilizers. If you're unsure between a carbon or aluminum foil read the article above.
At Sroka we offer you the best carbon mast on the market, a technological marvel that will help you exceed your limits on the spot. This ultra-rigid, high-quality and scalable mast thanks to the compatibility of Sroka foils will accompany you during all your sessions, whether you practice surfing, freeride, freestyle or racing. For more information on carbon foils, click here.
The Wing
The Wing, is crucial for getting maximum enjoyment from your navigation sessions, it's important to opt for a suitable wing. Furthermore, for your safety, there's no need to take the largest sail on the spot. Choose a sail suited to the conditions and your size. Choosing the right wing of good quality will give you increased pleasure and comfort while navigating. The SROKA V4 Wing and the SROKA V4 Elite Wing will be your ally in all conditions.
It's recommended to have a set of 2 sails depending on your size and the conditions where you navigate. For example, an 80 kg rider navigating in Brittany would opt for a 4m2 and a 5m2 to best optimize their wind range and not miss any session. A Wing foil sail costs between 500 and 1000€ depending on brands and sail quality. Sails can even reach over 2000€ for special race sails. At Sroka we offer you the Sroka Wing V4 from 720€. The Wing SROKA Elite is offered at 1500€.
Accessories
Accessories and equipment should be taken seriously, as they guarantee both your safety and your enjoyment while navigating. Equip yourself with a wetsuit suited to temperatures, a helmet and an Impact vest are highly recommended. You should expect to pay around 50€ for a helmet and 150 for a vest. The Sroka Impact vest PRO is 149.00 €. Above all, never forget your board and sail leashes, they're your lifeline ;).
In summary
To equip yourself for Wing foil you should expect:
The inflatable kit: You should expect to pay around 1500 to 2000€.
The rigid kit: A rigid kit is around 2500 €.
Separately, if you buy the different items outside of a kit.
For the board you should expect around 999 €, for the wing around 850€, for the complete foil between 1000€ for an aluminum foil and 2500€ for a carbon foil.
Accessories It's important to plan for a good wetsuit suited to the temperatures in your navigation area. So expect around 250€ or more depending on the model, for the helmet more or less 50€ and for the Impact vest around 150€.
