Windsurf MagazineNAISH WING-SURFER MK4 5.0 2022 TEST REVIEW

THE VERDICT

One of the original trail-blazing wings to bless the market, the Wing-Surfer continues to progress, with more bottom end power and top end stability, giving it a stunning wind range.

THEY SAY

“Designed to ‘check all of the boxes’ in terms of performance, features, and range, the future of winging is here with the Wing-Surfer MK4. This fourth-generation Wing-Surfer combines the perfect balance of low-end power, rigidity, and twist for optimum sheet-in-and-go power and speed.”

WE SAY

The MK4 has just been released and is the direct descendant of the original Wing-Surfer from this pioneering brand. “Check all of the boxes” is a tall order, but the MK4 exhibits a complete overhaul of its predecessor’s design, with different sizing intervals across ten wings, from 2.5m to 7.5m. The struts’ diameter has been increased to enhance framework stiffness, with the intended benefits of stability and power. The handle count on the central strut has then been reduced, with three elongated handles for normal use and a smaller ‘power handle’ in the rear for extra leverage and power when jumping. And like the MK3 before it, PVC windows are still very much present, for visibility and safety on the water, but have been reduced in size yet again for additional weight saving. Fittings on the MK4 are also similar, with inflation carried out via a SureLock SUP valve, the centre strut fed from a single hose, and easily deflated at the end of use via a dump valve. With a recommended pressure range between 7-9 PSI, the team all unanimously preferred to opt for a rating on the higher end of the scale, with Naish reassuringly using a high-tenacity thread along the seam of the leading-edge strut to withstand the internal forces. Once inflated, the MK4 displays a similar medium aspect planform to its predecessor, with a shallow dihedral leading edge profile and much tighter canopy. Available in three distinct colourways, it comes supplied with a coiled wrist leash with Velcro wrist cuff and a compact shoulder bag, with an external pump stowage attachment. The MK4’s introduction brings the wing count in the Naish lineup to four, with a Wing-Surfer LE (limited edition – based on the MK3, featuring an all black canopy and Naish’s skull logo) sitting alongside the “light and nimble” surf-focussed Matador, also available as a stripped-back LT version, with additional weight savings incorporated.

With its large diameter struts and high PSI value, the Wing-Surfer MK4 boasts a super solid frame, its tighter canopy combining to generate a good deal of punch and crispness to its bottom-end delivery, responding superbly to pumping. Once the board is released and foiling, the MK4 settles well, accelerating progressively and continuing to pull through both hands, feeling both compact and balanced. The handles themselves are ideal, with the right amount of tension and padding to provide the connection and control for use during long sessions, without fatigue setting in. Their longer length allows the rider to shuffle their hands and adjust their grip without letting go, to account for variable winds and power demands. We did find our front hand gravitating towards the back of the front handle to find balance, with some team riders even oscillating between this position and the front of the middle handle. In between the two there is one of two harness-line fixings, giving an indication of the Wing-Surfer’s intended wind range and this was certainly bore out during testing. Whilst its bottom end grunt has sharpened, its stiff structure ensures the MK4 has the top end stability, with excellent natural twist through the canopy, maintaining control when the wind increases. In transition the MK4 has lost none of is predecessor’s charm, depowering quickly and flying freely in the neutral position, to provide time and practicality to finish manoeuvres, the front handle’s length making the hand switch intuitive. During foiling rides, the Wing-Surfer parks well, its low neutral handle position providing control of the wing’s trim, whilst the leash tether position above the handle means the coiled leash is always unobstructive of the handle, when reaching for it quickly.