Starboard Wings: Five Models from 769 to 2,149 Euros

Starboard offers five wing models across a threefold price range. Here is what sits behind each — the range is laid out more logically than most.

Five models by price

• FreeWing LIFE — 769 €. Freeride and progression after lessons. Sizes 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5 m².
• Source Wing — 799 €. Progression after lessons and foiling. Sizes 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, 6.0 m².
• Viva Wing — 1 019 €.
• FreeWing AIR v5 — 1 129 €. Freestyle and foiling. Sizes 2.5 to 8.0 m², twelve options.
• FreeWing AIR Team v5 — 1 939 €.
• FreeWing PRO v2 — 2 149 €.

The key point: the size ladder reveals the job

Note a difference that is easy to miss.

The LIFE has five sizes in one-metre steps: 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5.

The AIR v5 has twelve in half-metre steps, from 2.5 to 8.0.

What that means. A coarse step signals a model for people running one or two wings for everything. A fine step is for riders matching size to wind precisely across a quiver of three or four.

The practical upshot: buying a first wing, the LIFE's coarse ladder will not hurt you. If you already ride and know a 4.5 is small and a 5.5 is big, you want half-metre steps.

An eight-metre wing — why

The AIR v5 tops out at 8.0 m², which is unusual.

Big wings mean light wind. The same logic as kites: more area, less wind needed.

But winging has a constraint kiting does not: you hold the wing in your hands. An eight-metre wing is physically heavy, and you feel it after half an hour.

So such sizes are bought for access rather than comfort: either the 8.0, or you do not ride today.

The honest alternative: a larger foil area achieves a similar effect more cheaply and without loading your arms. We covered this in our kite foil versus wing foil comparison.

Choosing a first size

The rule is simple and it works.

One wing to start: 5.0 m² at 70 to 85 kg. It covers the mid-range wind you will learn in.

Under 65 kg: 4.5 m².

Over 90 kg: 5.5 to 6.0 m².

A second wing should be two to two and a half metres smaller, not half a metre. Half a metre is barely perceptible on the water and you will simply have bought the same wing twice.

A typical two-wing quiver: 4.0 and 6.0. Three: 3.5, 5.0, 6.5.

What Team and PRO mean

The same story as kite suffixes, covered in our suffix guide.

The AIR v5 is 1 129 €, the AIR Team v5 1 939 €. A gap of 810 € under the same model name.

What you pay for: materials, weight, frame stiffness.

Why weight matters more in winging than in kiting: you hold that weight in your hands for the whole session rather than through a harness. Three hundred grams on a wing are felt more than three hundred grams on a kite.

Even so: a first wing should not be the lightweight version. At the stage where you fall every two minutes, wing weight is not your limit.

Separately: the Pistol Grip Wing Boom

The range includes a hard boom at 75 € — a part rather than a wing.

Boom versus handles is its own question, covered in our dedicated article. In short: a boom gives free hand placement, handles give less weight and a lower price.

Choosing in under a minute

First wing → FreeWing LIFE 5.0 or Source: entry at 769 €, stated purpose exactly progression after lessons.

Second season, needing exact sizes → AIR v5: twelve options in half-metre steps.

Freestyle → AIR v5, first word of its stated purpose.

Light wind → AIR v5 at 7.0 to 8.0, but consider a larger foil first.

A hundred days a season → Team or PRO: wing weight will become your limit.

On a budget → LIFE: nearly a threefold gap to the top, and you can learn on any of them.

Common questions

What size wing should I buy first?

5.0 m² at 70 to 85 kg. Under 65 kg, 4.5; over 90 kg, 5.5 to 6.0.

Why does the AIR v5 have twelve sizes and the LIFE five?

Half-metre steps serve riders with three or four wings. For one or two wings a coarse ladder is fine.

Why an 8-metre wing?

For light wind. But it is physically heavy, since you hold it in your hands. Often a larger foil is cheaper.

Should a first wing be a Team or PRO?

No. While you fall every two minutes, wing weight is not your limit.

How much smaller should a second wing be?

Two to two and a half metres. Half a metre is barely noticeable on the water.

Where to buy

FreeWing LIFE 769 €, Source 799 €, FreeWing AIR v5 1 129 €. The whole section: wings.