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The Foil Zone => Wingsurfing, Windfoiling, Wingfoiling, Wing SUP => Topic started by: red_tx on June 11, 2021, 08:32:55 PM

Title: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: red_tx on June 11, 2021, 08:32:55 PM
Team Wing Dingers, How do you store your wings?

I was thinking about this earlier and then I saw Badger's thread.
Thought this might be a more appropriate long term subject line.

I basically throw my wings on the ground in my garage, ever so often flipping them until they are dry. This happens after they lay outside for a while.. Now that I have multiple wings they lay on top of each other in the most inefficient way taking up almost two garage bays. !  :)

I am hoping to see creative wing hanging rigs here.

Thanks in advance.
-red
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: PonoBill on June 11, 2021, 09:01:15 PM
Mine are wadded up in my truck. Admin would have a little fit if he saw them. Works fine, smells funny--though that might have been the old wet socks I found this afternoon.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Badger on June 12, 2021, 03:03:17 AM
I can't leave mine outside or in the garage unless it is hanging because the mice would eat holes in it for sure.

I'm okay with wadding it up but that takes up space in the house. Right now it's on the floor under the dining room table which we rarely use.

Putting it in the bag is a hassle and I don't want to risk wrinkling the windows.

Mostly my question in the other post was about hanging and whether that will hurt the fabric or the bladder. It sounds like that's a bad idea.

I don't have a lot of money and can't afford to let my equipment get damaged or dirty. I will probably want to sell it next year when the new and better wings come out.

The way I'm doing it now is to inflate the wing when I get home and let it dry as much as possible, then wad it up and bring it inside. If it's still damp the next day I'll inflate it again until it's dry.

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Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Wingingtanuki on June 12, 2021, 04:59:12 AM
I try not to fall the last fifteen minutes or so of my session to start with the drying process.
Then I lay them on the grass and take the board apart.
Finally they get folded up and put into the bag and into the trunk of my car.

If no winging weather for more than a few days then into the garage.

It's 90 degrees here now.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: surfcowboy on June 12, 2021, 08:25:46 AM
I’m semi-tweaky about gear and it seems these are way more resilient than you’d expect to being put away wet.

I’ve mostly stopped hanging or laying mine out. I’ll repeat it here, IKEA bags are great loose fit wing carry and storage. But many kiters confirm that properly kept in the bag is fine too.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: cnski on June 12, 2021, 06:37:14 PM
I'm mister OCD neat and tidy guy and probably wouldn't sleep at night if my wings were wadded up wet and in a ball. I hang my wings ALL THE TIME to dry in my outside shed. I have limited space and no garage to lay them out flat. I have not had an issue with hanging my wings and am careful when I inflate them to see if the leading edge bladder has a twist.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Phils on June 12, 2021, 06:49:38 PM
I used to be super meticulous about making sure they were perfectly dry before putting them away in their bags.  After talking to several people here, I now just roll them up and bag them.  We do use them frequently here at the Gorge.  If I was putting them away for several weeks, I would make sure they were completely dry.  If I want to dry a wing, I will lay it out in my van overnight.  I try to minimize sun exposure.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Badger on June 13, 2021, 09:04:27 AM
I’m semi-tweaky about gear and it seems these are way more resilient than you’d expect to being put away wet.

I’ve mostly stopped hanging or laying mine out. I’ll repeat it here, IKEA bags are great loose fit wing carry and storage. But many kiters confirm that properly kept in the bag is fine too.


I like the idea of those IKIA bags. I've never seen them before.


Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: WingNut Ohana on June 13, 2021, 10:05:04 AM
I wipe them down with a towel at the beach before rolling them up. Much faster than waiting for them to dry.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: liv2surf on June 13, 2021, 10:14:00 AM
I roll both wingtips in to strut (partially deflated yet still rigid) and place in my Prius V car (until next session). Foil board (at the ready) rides on top.

I am type A for getting onto the water if and while there is wind... not so much for treating my gear après session - this system has served me well.

I try to dry partially (shake off excess water, hold in wind if I can be bothered - e.g. if someone to talk to) before placing in car.... but don't stress over this (have rubber trunk liner). I like to imagine imagine rolling is slightly preserving to the canopy material compared with rolling + folding. And if so, this would be the only "nice" thing I do for my gear.

KI "crack the windows" to ventilate car if hot or wings are wet or both. On wettest days (e.g. with rain) I might brings wings into garage, lay out (still rolled) and turn to get dry.

This 'system' worked amazingly well with Cabrinha Crosswing X2 with their svelte strut with separate inflation point.

My system will require tweaking with new Mantis wing with more typical fat strut (and single point inflation) which behemoth can be seen on top.  I may need to start folding wings and using bag like everyone else :(
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Pasquales on June 14, 2021, 04:01:28 PM
I have a slingwing that doesn't have windows.  It lives stuffed in the backpack it came with.  Occasionally I'll rinse with water, let air dry, then back in the bag.  After almost a year, haven't noticed any issues.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: wingdingjoe on June 15, 2021, 09:44:50 AM
https://www.epickiteskiteboarding.com/videos/how-to/how-take-care-your-wing/?utm_source=Epic+Kites+Kiteboarding&utm_campaign=5cbbe344f9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_27_2021_14_4&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e145387d78-5cbbe344f9-67598385&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_27_2021_14_4)&mc_cid=5cbbe344f9&mc_eid=d9d67f4e0f#.YMjV5LKYOj0.link

That link is probably WAY LONGER than it needs to be.. But im in a hurry.. You get the idea.. If you watch Dimitri.. He seems to be VERY concerned in this video that the strut bladder can fall and not refill at the front of the strut during inflation. I think this method would add 15 minutes to my inflation time! Lol
Any reason to think that, if you DON'T HANG the wing to dry it,
 that this "strut bladder alignment routine" is so terribly important every session?

Have a year treating my  1st gen Swings horribly and (knock wood) no bladder problems at all.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: EastBayFoiler on August 02, 2021, 05:19:38 PM
I fold mine up, bring it home, and partially reinflate it, so it can dominate on wall of my small studio while it dries (6M in a 400sqft studio). Then the next day I take it back out and repeat the process :P  It's maybe a bit dumb, but my options are not great in general. I also don't want have a smelly wing in my apt or car.

Also, just curious how dry is dry? There's always a little bit of water in the hem at trailing edge of my wing. Will ignoring that and packing it up cause it to stink over time?
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Badger on August 03, 2021, 04:23:21 AM
I've gotten my wing wet about eight times now since I started. The place where I practice gets the wing covered with eelgrass, straw, sand, mud, and amphipods. Leaving it dirty would ruin it so as soon as I get home, I inflate it to medium pressure and rinse it off with the hose.  Then hang it from a tree branch to dry.  I'm pretty sure hanging will not damage it as long as the bladders are full of air. The branch is low enough that the tail lightly touches the ground. I wrap a bungee cord around the branch and attach both hooks to the leading edge handle. A light breeze will lift the wing into the air which is okay as long as it's not too windy in which case I might hang it in my barn or garage instead. I wipe off any water droplets with paper towels and let it dry as much as possible. Once it's dry I lay it on the grass, roll each wingtip up to the center strut, pick the wing up like a dead body, bring it in the house and gently lay it on the carpeted floor where it will stay until my next session.  I doubt many people bother taking the time to do all this but I like to go the extra mile when taking care of my stuff. I have a very low income and these things cost a lot of money.

How dry is dry?  If I can see or feel any moisture at all, it's not dry. If the wing is still damp when I bring it inside, I'll open it up on the floor to let the air get to it and any minor dampness will usually disappear pretty quickly.

I'm lucky that I have a house with plenty of room to do this. An apartment can present some challenges. If you are winging in saltwater, many will say to just leave it wet. The salt will prevent any mildew. Some say that chlorinated water is bad for the fabric so I'm not entirely sure that rinsing with a hose is the best idea either.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: PonoBill on August 03, 2021, 09:11:19 AM
I'm hard on equipment but I do a decent job of fixing it. I've never had a problem with a bladder for all my abuse other than a lifeguard deflating a wing with a knife and a pesky thorn in North Kihei. When I feel particularly motivated I let the wings dry completely, roll each wing separately, squeeze/fold up the strut and pack it in the bag, but most times I fold wingtip to wingtip, roll them together, and stuff in the bag. It's been hot here in the gorge. Most days a wing is totally dry in 15 minutes. I tie the wing to the tether cable (yup, we've got those here) put away my board and other stuff. Change to dry clothes and my wing is ready to roll.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Vancouver_foiler on August 04, 2021, 09:51:03 PM
I'm hard on equipment but I do a decent job of fixing it. I've never had a problem with a bladder for all my abuse other than a lifeguard deflating a wing with a knife and a pesky thorn in North Kihei. When I feel particularly motivated I let the wings dry completely, roll each wing separately, squeeze/fold up the strut and pack it in the bag, but most times I fold wingtip to wingtip, roll them together, and stuff in the bag. It's been hot here in the gorge. Most days a wing is totally dry in 15 minutes. I tie the wing to the tether cable (yup, we've got those here) put away my board and other stuff. Change to dry clothes and my wing is ready to roll.

So what about the lifeguard/knife story. It's been a slow news day-do tell!
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: EastBayFoiler on August 14, 2021, 03:28:34 PM
I just wanted to share my Earth shattering epiphany about drying wings. I got out of the water and flew the wing over head and gave it a vigorous pumping. It just dumped all the water off and was practically dry almost immediately!
I'm sure I'm not the first person to figure this out but it was pretty awesome. Now I can store my wings dry without extra handling or effort!
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Badger on August 15, 2021, 05:36:44 AM
No matter how vigorously I pump mine after rinsing with fresh water, it still takes at least a couple of hours to dry. Maybe rinsing in saltwater dries faster.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Dontsink on August 15, 2021, 06:01:09 AM
No matter how vigorously I pump mine after rinsing with fresh water, it still takes at least a couple of hours to dry. Maybe rinsing in saltwater dries faster.

Same here,shaking takes the big droplets out but the material stays wet.
It is not the saltwater,it actually evaporates slower than fresh,and the moisture hungry salt crystals stay there so it is never fully dry.

However new wings absorb a lot less water because they are less porous,the resin in the dacron and ripstop is less broken down,so they do dry quicker and shaking them out will probably give better results.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: PonoBill on August 15, 2021, 08:19:09 AM
I'm hard on equipment but I do a decent job of fixing it. I've never had a problem with a bladder for all my abuse other than a lifeguard deflating a wing with a knife and a pesky thorn in North Kihei. When I feel particularly motivated I let the wings dry completely, roll each wing separately, squeeze/fold up the strut and pack it in the bag, but most times I fold wingtip to wingtip, roll them together, and stuff in the bag. It's been hot here in the gorge. Most days a wing is totally dry in 15 minutes. I tie the wing to the tether cable (yup, we've got those here) put away my board and other stuff. Change to dry clothes and my wing is ready to roll.

So what about the lifeguard/knife story. It's been a slow news day-do tell!

Old story (I try to stick to things no older than a week). I lost my wing about half a mile out in Ma'alaea bay and had to prone in and got met on the beach by about every emergency service Maui has. A tourist saw the wing tumbling along and thought someone was in trouble. the head lifeguard dispatched a jetski to grab it so it didn't get reported by more tourists and the driver didn't know how to deflate it, so he used the stab method. All-wet just bought that wing, professionally repaired on Maui.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: EastBayFoiler on August 15, 2021, 09:15:57 AM
No matter how vigorously I pump mine after rinsing with fresh water, it still takes at least a couple of hours to dry. Maybe rinsing in saltwater dries faster.

The only thing I can think of is that I do it at the beach when I get out of the water. It definitely moves a ton of water and the wind takes is away. I'm flying my wing overhead and pumping enough to make the sail snap back and forth. It's been super effective for me.
Title: Re: How do you store your wing(s)?
Post by: Badger on August 15, 2021, 11:04:33 AM
Same here,shaking takes the big droplets out but the material stays wet.
It is not the saltwater,it actually evaporates slower than fresh,and the moisture hungry salt crystals stay there so it is never fully dry.

I was thinking the same thing.  Saltwater never seems to dry fully.  My boards stay wet for weeks if I don't rinse them with fresh after.  I went swimming in the ocean two weeks ago and the towel I dried off with is still damp.

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