Learning how to Parawing -
As a coach and rider who has spent decades immersed in wind and water sports—teaching kitesurfing, wing foiling, and classic hydrofoiling—I am always curious when a new discipline emerges. Living in this environment and sharing a life with someone deeply rooted at the highest levels of water sports, I’m fortunate to see how rapidly our ocean culture evolves. But for me, the real reward isn’t just testing new gear; it’s asking a simple question: How can this open doors for more riders, especially women?
Recently, I got my hands on a parawing for the first time. Here are my honest reflections as both an instructor and a rider, along with a quick breakdown of where this fits alongside kiting and wing foiling.
How Parawing Compares to What You Know
If you are already riding, here is how the three disciplines compare in practice:
Discipline | Rigging & Footprint | Control & Handling | Ideal Ocean Experience |
Kitesurfing | Uses long lines (20m+), safety systems, and a harness bar. High power and boost potential. | Driven through line tension and bar input; requires significant spatial awareness and launch area. | Dynamic, high-speed, and high-flying across wide open stretches. |
Wing Foiling | Rigid inflatable wing held directly with either a boom or handles. Paired with a foil board. | Tactile, direct control right in front of you. Great for catching swells and depowering completely. | Gliding on open ocean swells and carving downwind runs. |
Parawing | Ultra-compact, soft canopy with short bridles held directly by lines/handles—no pump, no rigid structure. | Tacked and launched effortlessly. Fits into a small drybag on your waist once on a foil or swell. | Total freedom—pack it down mid-ride to surf swells, or deploy it instantly when wind drops. |
First Impressions from the Water
What impressed me most about the parawing isn't just its portability—it’s how accessible and liberating it feels.
Zero Bulk: Without a pump or rigid inflatable leading edge, setup takes seconds.
True Drift & Packability: Once you pop up onto the foil, you can pack the parawing into a small waist pouch and drift or surf the swell completely unencumbered.
Gentle Power Delivery: Unlike the immediate pull of a kite or the physical footprint of a large rigid wing, the parawing offers a smooth, manageable pull that makes balance and transition work intuitive.
Key Points: I highly recommend first spending some time flying the parawing on the beach to get acquainted with power and turning radius of the wing. As for the first ride, I chose to go out on a light to moderate wind speed and direction. I had sucess on my first go ( here in the video) . The wind was side shore ( NE) at about 11-12 knots. I'm using the new Cabrinha Nomad 4.5. I didin't set up a harness and I was able to ride for about 20-25 minutes before taking a break, as my arms started to fatigue during the stronger gusts. I'm also using a high volume board 65L Cabrinha Swift downwind board. This made it extremely easy for me to stand up right away.
Building a Pathway for Female Pioneers
When wing foiling first exploded, many women hesitated because of gear weight, physical reach, or daunting launches. Kiting, too, carries a steep learning curve for rigging safety and line management.
The parawing removes several of those barriers at once. It eliminates heavy upper-body strain, line tangle fears, and bulky setups, making it one of the most approachable ways to experience hydrofoil flight.
My goal as an instructor now is to pioneer tailored progressions specifically for female riders looking to step into parawing. Whether you’re coming from a kite or wing background, or stepping onto a foil board for the very first time, this sport offers a clean, forgiving, and deeply rewarding way to connect with the ocean.
If you've been on the fence about trying something new on the water, keep an eye out—I’ll be sharing technical tips, setup walk-throughs, and beginner-friendly progression pathways very soon. Let's build this community together!
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