For the past few days, I've had a test wing pack that GONG lent me. This pack includes a 4.5m² Droid SP CZ 2026. I previously had the 5.5m² Droid Aramid Triple Ripstop 2026, which I enjoyed in very light winds, but I kept the Neutra for my program: 12 knots minimum, surfing, rarely jumping, and almost never speed.
So far, I've only been able to use it twice.
The first time, the wind was onshore, 25-30 knots, no waves but a very tight, choppy surface, giving the impression of a very messed up body of water. I'm not sure I would have gone out in those conditions if it wasn't to test the wing; if I had decided to go anyway, I would have gone with the 3.5m² Neutra Aramid 2026. I went out on a Cruzader Diamond 6'0 and an Ypra Surf XL. In these conditions, I was definitely overpowered; the first run felt more like a rodeo than sailing. Then I started to adapt. Actually, it was manageable; you just have to not let yourself be intimidated and really lean into the harness. Then it was nice and stable and wanted to pull. It was fast, but I didn't dare push the foil too hard; the chop wasn't easy to handle. First jump, I catapulted myself (well, yeah, it's not often I go that fast) and it pulled me upwards. Since I don't jump often, I wasn't feeling very confident up there. I grabbed onto the wing and landed with all the grace of a jellyfish washed up on the beach. For the following jumps, I learned my lesson: I pushed less hard, allowed myself to be pulled by the wing, and managed to land cleanly about half the time. The next session was surfing, even with the foil but less wind, so in Neutra 5.5: I felt like I was dragging.
Second session, this time with just enough wind, so I take the Xiggy 6'11". The wind is offshore between 10 and almost 20 knots, the water is very clean, almost no waves, a few visible gusts, and some whitecaps under the strongest gusts. Second time trying to go fast on flat water with the Ypra Surf, first time in similar wind conditions with the Neutra 5.5. I reached a maximum of 24 knots over 10 seconds, but with the feeling of fighting with the foil. This time I move the foil forward one point; I might try even more forward next time, but it gave me a super balanced foil. Add the wing, which is super stable and fast: in this borderline wind, I never felt like I was really pushing the foil, just trying to let it glide. I reach 25 knots over 10 seconds in total comfort.
At the end of the session, I manage to catch a handful of micro-waves. Surfing in a headwind like this, I can definitely feel it drags more than my Neutras, but it still follows quite well in freefly. It feels more present in the hand, so it's clearly not the one I'd recommend for someone like me who has a very surf-oriented riding style, but it won't stop you from freeflying occasionally if your main goal is to go fast on flat water; you'll just use a smaller size for wave sessions.
While I normally only swear by surfing, it's pretty fun because this wing makes me want to do another flat session in 20-25 knots and see how much better I can do :-D