We have signed with Starboard, and from this winter Paddy in the Elements is the exclusive Starboard dealer in Ireland for wings and foilboards. The first boards and wings are on order and the range will land in Galway over the coming weeks, so this is a heads-up on what is coming rather than a review. Reviews will follow once we have ridden the boards properly at Rusheen Bay and Silverstrand, the same as we do with everything else we sell.
Why Starboard
We have been asked for years which foilboard to buy, and for a long time the honest answer was "it depends which brand we can actually get". Starboard solves that. They build one of the widest foilboard ranges in the world, from inflatable learner boards up to full carbon downwind and race shapes, and they build wings to match. It gives us one brand we can size a complete progression on, from a first wing lesson at Rusheen Bay through to downwind runs across Galway Bay, without sending anyone elsewhere. It also sits neatly beside what we already stock: Appletree for prone and surf foil shapes, Code Foils underneath everything, and Ozone and Core wings and parawings on top.
What is coming to Galway
This is the Starboard line-up we are bringing in. Sizes, constructions and Irish prices will go up on each product page as the stock arrives.
Wings
The Viva is Starboard's all-round wing and the one most of our students and intermediate riders will end up on. The new generation uses Starboard's tool-free handle system, which is a small thing until you have fitted a boom on a cold Irish beach with numb fingers. The Source is the progression wing, the easier, more forgiving option for people coming out of lessons. For racers, the X-15 Class wing is Starboard's one-design race kit.
Wing and parawing boards
The Above is Starboard's best-selling board and it is the one we expect to sell most of here. It is built for parawing, wing, SUP foil and prone, which makes it the obvious choice for anyone riding more than one discipline on the west coast. The Nomad covers the same ground with a different outline, and the Take Off is the wave and freestyle wing board for people who already know what they are doing.
Downwind and SUP foil boards
Downwind foiling has taken off on Galway Bay in the last two seasons, and this is where Starboard is strongest. The Ace Foil is the dedicated SUP downwind board, also used for flat water and light-wind winging, and the Fyre covers downwind, flat water, light wind and waves. For anyone who has been borrowing a downwind board at demo days and waiting for the right one, this is it.
Prone, wing and foil assist boards
The Phazer is the prone, wing and foil-assist board. If you run a Foil Drive, or you are thinking about one, this is the shape we will be pointing you at. The Pump board rounds it out for pumping, docking and towed foiling.
Inflatables and learner boards
Starboard's Air Foil range gives us inflatable versions of the Above, the Take Off and the Ace, plus a dedicated Air Foil Learner. The Wingboard 4-in-1 is the crossover board for someone who wants one board for winging, paddling and learning. These are the boards we will be using in wing foil lessons, so if you learn with us you will be learning on the gear you can then buy.
What this means if you are buying this winter
If you are planning a wing or foilboard purchase before Christmas, talk to us first. We can tell you which Starboard board is arriving when, hold one for you, and size it to your weight, your foil and your local spot. If you need a board sooner than the Starboard stock lands, we still have Appletree and F-One boards in stock in Galway, and we will tell you honestly which is the better buy for you rather than asking you to wait.
Everything Starboard we bring in will be available to try at our demo days, and demo fees come off the price if you buy within 30 days. Wings will sit alongside Ozone and Core in our wings and parawings collection, and the boards will go into foil boards as they arrive.
Reviews to follow
We do not publish reviews of gear we have not ridden. As each Starboard board and wing arrives we will get it on the water in real Irish conditions and write it up here, the same as we did for the Code Foils Black Series and the Ozone Flux V2. If there is a specific board you want us to test first, tell us.
To get on the list for the first stock, or to ask which board suits you, send us a WhatsApp. No deposit needed to be told when it lands; we will just let you know.
