If you’re an avid wing surfer who’s looking for a wing that’s packed with performance features, the FreeWing AIR v3 is an excellent choice. This wing offers all-round performance at a reasonable price and with two podium spots at the latest GWA Wing-Foil competition in Cape Verde this wing is hard to ignore.
One of the standout features of the AIR v3 is its medium-aspect wing ratio and short strut, which delivers a compact power balance that makes the wing highly manoeuvrable in tacks and gybes. Additionally, this design minimizes wingtip contact with water. The firm canopy tension of the AIR v3 provides consistent power delivery and excellent flagged-out stability, giving the rider a wide wind range to work with. The stability is really noticeable when both under and over powered. Underpowered the tension and stability of the wing gives gives efficient pumpability. Over powered the stability gives plenty of control and the handles allow for minor power adjustments by sliding the hands further forward.
Another impressive feature of the AIR v3 is its offset centre strut and parallel hand position, which allows the rider to pull the wing in without bending their arms, this makes a huge difference for longer up wind stretches as the wing is at the correct angle to the wind and the arms can be locked out instead of bent which helps commit weight to the wing, conserve energy and ride upwind efficiently. The tapered strut’s wide connection at the base also helps create a stiff airframe, enhancing the wing’s stability and lift during manoeuvres.
There are few extra’s added into the wing that show the brand is really thinking about the and its place within the continually developing sport of winging. Things like the Kevlar reinforced areas under increased load (base of the handles, wingtips and leading edge seams). Also the leashes are made for specific sizes meaning its not at full stretch or massively baggy in any size.
Handles seem to be a highly debated topic. What sort of handle is best is down to you and what feels comfortable but the the Freewing v3 will have options, it comes with firm flex grip handles which would be considered as soft handles although they are almost solid in an up and down motion which gives a real direct movement to the wing from every rider movement. They can flex in and out, towards and away from the wing but under load they are out and feel pretty solid in the hand but if you drop the handle onto your board or if a handle were to hit you they will flex. As an optional extra you have the ability to change from these handles to a Carbon Pre-Preg handle by simply undoing a screw at either end of the handle. These handles promise to be light and feature a moulded grip and should give an even more direct feel if that is what you are looking for.
The price also makes this a serious contender for anyone looking for a performance wing, coming in at roughly £95.00 cheaper per size than most of its standard material competitors.
Overall, the FreeWing AIR v3 is high-performance wing that delivers performance and manoeuvrability, making it an excellent choice for any serious winger. Make sure you check out all the details on the Freewing Air v3 at King of Watersports – https://www.kingofwatersports.com/product/airush-freewing-air-v3/airush-freewing-air-v3