Wing and foil aren’t exactly best friends. Still, it can happen that your foil pays your wing a little visit – and goes right through it. Besides that scenario, there are of course plenty of other situations that can leave your wing in need of repair. I’ve already been through a few myself. 🫠
A damaged wing is annoying – but no reason to panic. There are plenty of good repair services out there that can help so you don’t have to buy a new wing right away. If it’s just smaller tears in the canopy, you can often get your wing back in shape quickly and inexpensively with some special repair tape.
I’ve already “taken apart” my wing in a variety of ways 😅 – during pumping, through foil contact, once even with my head while practicing flakas, or simply falling… into the wing. Somehow, it always ends up being my 5.5, which I’ve been riding since 2022. It’s been through countless sessions, crashes, and hard landings – and still held up for a long time without breaking. But sun, saltwater, my riding style, and not always the best storage take their toll, even on the best wing. So by now, I’ve had a few tears in the canopy, most of which I’ve repaired myself.
Here’s how I went about it, the experiences (and mistakes) I made, and the learnings I took away from it.
1. Damage Check
The general rule: the sooner you spot and repair damage, the better – small tears can spread quickly otherwise. In my experience, taking a moment for a quick check outside of sessions is always worth it. That goes not only for the wing, but also for board and foil. For example, I’ve already found dings in my board twice that had let water in – and I didn’t notice it at all during or right after the session. (How I repaired a ding on the bottom of my board, you can see here.)
But back to the wing: whether I repair it myself or leave it to a pro depends mostly on the size, shape, and position of the tear. Small cuts in the canopy are usually no problem to patch up yourself. Tears along the seams or longer cuts are more a job for the pros, since those often need extra reinforcement like sewing to hold up in the long run. I’ve tried it myself, though. Doesn’t look pretty, but it’s still holding up (over a year later). Of course, there’s always the risk it won’t last – or might even tear further.
In the pictures you can see a couple of examples of tears I patched up myself.
This one, though – a rip running completely across the canopy between the leading edge and center strut, with some nasty curves – I did hand over to a pro. 😅 I had just fallen into the wing. Happens to me fairly often. Usually, the wing can handle it – and honestly, I’d rather land in the wing than on the foil. But this time, it must have already been weakened, either from wear or a small unnoticed tear beforehand.
2. Cleaning
For the tape to hold properly, the wing has to be clean and dry. I first wipe the area gently with a damp cloth, let it dry, and then go over it again with an alcohol pad to make sure there’s no dirt, salt, or grease left. Then let it dry again – and the spot’s ready for tape.
3. Fixing and Preparing the Tape
To keep everything in place, I first fix the area so nothing shifts. I flip the wing over and hold the torn edges together with painter’s tape – easy to remove later. Then I flip it back, maybe give it another wipe with an alcohol pad, and fix the wing in a way that makes it easy to work on (depends on where the tear is).
Before taping, I cut the repair tape to size – always a bit longer than the tear itself so it overlaps and spreads the load better. I also round the edges so the tape sticks better and lasts longer.
What’s recommended is spinnaker or ripstop tape. I didn’t know that at first 🫣😅. I just wanted to get back on the water quickly, grabbed the tape from my kite/wing repair kit without reading the instructions properly. The kit even had two rolls – spinnaker/ripstop and dacron tape. As I understand it now, both can be used for wing repairs, but in different areas:
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Ripstop/Spinnaker Tape: thin, lightweight nylon with ripstop weave – for canopy tears. Flexible, light, adapts well.
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Dacron Tape: thick, strong polyester fabric – for the leading edge or struts, the high-stress areas.
4. Taping
Now press the tape on piece by piece along the tear – as wrinkle-free as possible (which I never really manage 🫠) – and press down firmly so it bonds well and no air bubbles remain. A small roller or the back of a spoon can help. In my example, I used a plastic spatula (no sharp edges of course), but mostly I just pressed it on with my hands.
I always tape from both sides: flip the wing, remove the painter’s tape, clean the area again, and apply the next piece of repair tape.
Finally, check if everything’s sitting well, give the bond a bit of time if possible – and you’re done!
Tip: The repair tape sticks right away but apparently only reaches full bonding strength after a few hours. If you’ve got time, let the wing rest before heading back on the water – it might make the repair last longer.
Disclaimer: I’m not a professional. These are just my personal experiences. For bigger damages – and if you want to be on the safe side – it’s better to leave the repair to a pro.
Waiting times: When your wing is in for repair, especially during high season, it can mean longer waiting times. Even if it’s tough, just make the best of it. I usually use that time to work on my pump skills with a smaller wing, or I head out into the countryside where I’d normally go to the sea.
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration for practical companions on the road, check out our Vanlife category.
And if you’d like to bring some beach flair into your home, you might just find your next favorite piece in our Beach House Collection.
