In wingfoiling, care matters twice over: salt, sand and UV wear on the wing, and the foil is a metal part in salt water that corrodes without care and whose screws seize up. A few minutes after every session save you expensive damage and keep everything safe. Here is the honest routine, part by part: what to use, what to watch for, how to dry, and where to store it over winter.
The 5-minute routine after every session
- Rinse: wing, foil, board, leash and wetsuit with fresh water. The foil thoroughly, salt is its biggest enemy.
- Get the sand out: out of the wing’s valves and the foil box in the board.
- Dry: airy and in the shade, never in blazing sun, UV makes the fabric brittle.
- Don’t pack it wet: never leave anything damp and rolled up, or you get mould and mildew stains.
The wing: rinse, dry, store
- What to use: fresh water and at most a soft sponge, no harsh cleaners.
- What to watch for: check valves and seams, do the centre strut and leading edge hold air? Catch small tears early with repair tape, check the handle is firmly attached.
- Drying: air-dry both sides completely, only then fold it up, better to wait a little longer than to pack it damp.
- Storage (winter): loosely folded or rolled, cool, dark and dry, not in a hot garage or car.
The foil: the most important part
The foil (mast, fuselage, front and back wing) is metal in salt water, so care decides its lifespan and your safety. Corrosion and seized screws are the most common problem.
- What to use: plenty of fresh water, the right Allen/Torx key, some anti-seize (assembly paste) or thread locker, a torque wrench helps.
- What to watch for: check all screws for corrosion and a firm fit. Aluminium foils with stainless screws tend to suffer contact corrosion, the screws seize.
- After salt water: rinse the foil thoroughly. Loosen the screws regularly, clean them, reset them with a little anti-seize, otherwise you won’t get them out one day. Dry the mast/fuselage/wing joints.
- Drying & storage: dry it off completely, caps on mast and wings, store in a padded foil cover, dry and protected from knocks. Protect the sharp wing edges (and yourself from them).
The board
- What to use: fresh water, the right key for the foil screws.
- What to watch for: foil box and screws tight and corrosion-free, pads seated, no dings on rails and underside.
- Drying & sealing: dry it off, seal small dings promptly with repair resin before water gets into the core.
- Storage: dry, not permanently in blazing sun, thread locker against losing screws.
Leash, harness & wetsuit
- Leash: rinse it, check for cracks and a firm fit, replace when in doubt, it keeps board (and foil) with you.
- Wetsuit: rinse cold with fresh water (inside and out), wash now and then with a mild wetsuit shampoo, no regular detergent, no washing machine. Dry through completely on a wide hanger in the shade, never on the heater or in the dryer. Store hanging, not tightly folded.
How to get rid of musty smell is in Removing musty smell from your wetsuit. Which thickness fits is shown by the wetsuit calculator.
Storing it away: the winter check
- Dry everything completely first, never store any part damp.
- Loosen the foil screws, clean them, reset them with anti-seize, then they won’t seize over winter.
- Packing: wing loose, foil with caps in the cover, board dry, wetsuit on the hanger.
- Storage spot: dry, cool, dark and frost-free, not next to the heater.
- In spring: check screws and torque, test the wing for air-tightness, check the leash.
In short: what really matters
- After every session, rinse everything with fresh water, the foil especially thoroughly.
- Loosen the foil screws regularly and reset them with anti-seize, or they seize.
- Only fold the wing once it is dry, never wet and in the sun.
- Check board screws and foil box, seal dings early.
- Rinse the wetsuit cold, dry it gently and completely, care for it with shampoo.
- Store dry, cool and dark over winter, go over everything in spring.
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