Photo: Silvio Hesse
Wings and foils are not necessarily the best of friends. Nevertheless, your foil might pay your wing a little visit – and pierce right through it. Besides this scenario, there are several others that can lead to your wing needing a repair. I’ve already experienced a few of them myself. 🫠
A broken wing is annoying – but no reason to panic. There are many good repair services that can help, so you don't have to buy a new wing right away. If it's just minor tears in the canopy, you can often even fix your wing yourself quickly and cheaply with special tape.
I've "dismantled" my wing in various ways 😅 – while pumping, through foil contact, even piercing it with my head while practicing flaka, or simply falling... into the wing. Somehow, it always hits my 5.5er, which I've been riding since 2022. It has seen many sessions, falls, and hard landings – and yet lasted a long time without breaking. But sun, saltwater, my riding style, and not always proper storage take their toll even on the best wing. So, I've had several tears in the canopy, which I usually repaired myself.
Here, I'll share how I went about it, what experiences (and mistakes) I made, and what learnings I took from it.
1. Damage Check
Generally, the faster you discover and repair damage, the better – small tears can quickly enlarge otherwise. My experience has shown that a quick extra check of the material, even outside of a session, is definitely worthwhile. This applies not only to the wing but also to the board and foil. For example, I've twice discovered dings in my board that caused it to take on water – and I didn't even notice it immediately after the session. You can see how I repaired a ding on the underside of my board here.
But back to the wing: Whether I repair it myself or prefer to leave the repair to an expert depends primarily on the size, course, and location of the tear.
- Smaller cuts in the canopy are actually no problem to tape yourself.
- Tears in the seam or longer cuts may be a job for a professional, as it often requires more – for example, additional stitching for permanent hold. However, I have also tried it myself. It doesn't look pretty, but it still holds today (over a year later). The risk, of course, remains that it might not hold eventually or even tear further.
The two pictures show examples of tears that I taped myself.
Photos: Silvio Hesse
However, I left this one – a tear that runs completely through the canopy between the front tube and the middle strut, and even makes some hooks – to the professional. 😅 I just fell into the wing. Happens to me often. Normally the wing can handle it – and frankly: I'd rather land in the wing than in the foil. Here, the wing was probably already weakened beforehand, e.g., due to wear and tear or a small, unnoticed tear that was already there.
Photo: Silvio Hesse
2. Clean
For the tape to adhere properly, the wing must be clean and dry. I first gently wipe the area with a damp cloth, let everything dry thoroughly, and then go over it again with an alcohol pad to ensure that no dirt, salt, or grease remains. Afterward, let it dry briefly again – and the surface is ready for taping.
3. Secure and prepare tape
To ensure the tape holds securely, I first fix everything so that nothing slips. To do this, I turn the wing over and tape the torn parts together with painter's tape – it's easy to remove later. Then, turn it back over, if necessary, go over it again with an alcohol pad, and secure the wing so that I can work comfortably (depends a bit on the location of the tear).
Photo: Silvio Hesse
Before taping, I cut the repair tape to size – always a bit longer than the tear itself so that it overlaps the damage and the stress is distributed better. I round off the edges so that the tape adheres better and doesn't lift as quickly.
Photo: Silvio Hesse
Spinnaker or ripstop tape is recommended. I didn't know that at first 🫣😅. I just wanted to get back on the water quickly and grabbed the tape from my kite/wing repair kit without properly reading the instructions. There were even two rolls inside – spinnaker/ripstop and Dacron tape – and as I understand it now, both are suitable for wing repairs, but for different applications:
| Tape Type | Material | Application on Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Ripstop / Spinnaker Tape | Thin, lightweight nylon with ripstop structure | For tears in the canopy. Flexible, lightweight, conforms perfectly. |
| Dacron Tape | Thick, sturdy polyester fabric | For Leading Edge or Struts – i.e., the high-stress areas. |
4. Taping
Adhere the tape piece by piece along the tear – as wrinkle-free as possible (which I never quite manage 🫠) – and press firmly to ensure a stable bond and no air bubbles. A small roller or the back of a spoon can help. I sometimes used a plastic spatula (without sharp edges, of course), but mostly just pressed it firmly with my hands.
I always tape from both sides: so, turn the wing over, remove the painter's tape, clean the area again, and apply the next piece of repair tape.
Photos: Silvio Hesse
Finally, check that everything is secure, give the bond some time – and done!
Tip: Although repair tape adheres immediately, it reportedly reaches its full adhesive strength only after a few hours. If you have time, it's best to let the wing rest for a while before going back on the water – this way, the repair might last longer. I always waited, and some tapes have been on for over a year and are still holding.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional. These are my personal experiences. For larger damages – and if you want to be on the safe side – it's better to leave it to a professional.
