WINDSUP RIGS – A BUYER’S GUIDE
Photo Thorsten Indra
To partner our WindSUP review, we’ve compiled a round up of some of the WindSUP rigs the brands have designed to accompany WindSUPs or anyone looking an easy and beginner friendly rig to accompany their freeride sailing.
ARROWS iRIG
Brand claim – “Combine Inflatable kite technology together with the appeal and safety of a conventional windsurf rig and you get the most innovative windsurf rig ever made: the iRIG. 70% lighter than any conventional windsurf rig and with the ability to completely float on the water. Super secure – the iRIG makes learning easy and its compact packing dimensions make it simple to transport and store.”
Sizes: XS, S, M, L
Rig price from £265 (XS)
FANATIC RIDE
Brand claim – “The Ride SUP rig is designed to power SUP boards fitted with mast tracks and WindSUP boards like our Viper Air and Ripper Air. The perfect light wind WindSUP rig, it is easy to sail, straight forward to assemble and convenient to store. The rigs are supplied complete with mast, sail, boom with uphaul, extension and mast foot. Complete with a handy bag to keep all the parts together”
Sizes: 5.5, 6.5m
Rig price from £415
JP VISION
Brand claim – “The new JP rig for beginners, intermediates and schools is a full-Dacron® sail with PVC window; light, strong, UV resistant and very durable. A set contains one sail, one boom with uphaul, two-piece mast, mast foot and base and neat bag for easy storage and transport. It’s the perfect way to get yourself or family and friends back into windsurfing without breaking the bank.”
Sizes: 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5m
Rig price from £249
O‘SHEA iWIND
Brand claim – “The O’Shea iWind rig is the perfect compliment for the inflatable WindSUP. It’s designed as a novice and family set up .The sail is made from the highest quality “Polyant” Dacron® with PVC window, making it one of the most durable products on the market. In tune with our board, the whole rig packs down into its own compact bag. Rig and board for under £1000!”
Sizes: 2.0, 3.0, 4.5, 5.5m
Rig price from £249
RRD AIRWINDSURF
Brand claim – “The Airwindsurf Rig Mk1 is a 5 piece mast, 2 piece boom and a freeride sail that folds in half. The sail is a 5 batten freeride design that offers plenty of low end power to get you up and riding. Whether you’re traveling, have a small car, or if you are just short of storage space, the Airwindsurf Rig Mk1 ensures you never have to compromise on performance.”
Sizes: 5.0, 6.0, 7.0m
Rig price from £870
SEVERNE SYNERGY
Brand claim – “KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid. With no extra parts to lose, or extra rigging steps required, the Synergy is the easiest WindSUP rig to set up. Booms and extensions are fixed at the correct length, rigging instructions are printed in the tack and clew so the sail can be quickly and easily set up by anyone. This allows you to skip the complications and get on with the fun part.”
Sizes: 1.2, 2.1, 2.6, 3.1, 3.6, 4.3,
4.8, 5.4, 6.0, 6.7, 7.3m
Rig price from £349 (1.2) to £675 (7.3)
STARBOARD WINDSUP SAIL PACKAGE
Brand claim– “Designed to power SUP boards fitted with mast tracks and light-wind windsurfing boards. Starboard offers two options: the Classic and the Compact. These light windsurfing rigs are powerful and easy to assemble and come with many upgrades for 2016: a new downhaul hook pulley for hassle-free downhauling, a new boom with two-pin clips for added strength and reliability, reinforced extension and a new mechanical mast base.”
Sizes: 5.5, 6.5m
Rig price £549 (classic), £649 (compact)
www.star-board-windsurfing.com
UNIFIBER EXPERIENCE EVO
Brand claim – “Unifiber have developed their Experience EVO Dacron SUP/school rigs to be light, strong, UV resistant and durable in harsh sandy environments. Sub-planing specialists, leech control allows them to perform in both stable and gusty-wind locations. Rig packs feature neat, easy-to transport and store bags too!”
Sizes: 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5,
4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5m
Rig price £215 – £415
VANDAL START
Brand claim – “The 2015 Vandal rig packages are here to get everyone comfortably into the wonderful life of being a windsurfer. These great value rigs come with a sail, boom and RDM mast and extension. We’ve even included our lightweight, highly water resistant mast sleeve to keep the sail as light as possible and ensure uphauling is as easy as possible.”
Sizes: 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0,
3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5m
Rig price from £379 (3.5m rig)
