Duotone Academy | Launching and Steering Your Parawing

The Importance of Ground Practice

Like any wind sport, progression starts on land. Practicing on the beach helps you understand how the parawing reacts to wind, your movements, and line tension before adding the complexity of balance on a board. Spend time getting comfortable with the equipment in a controlled environment.

Setting Up Your Parawing

Before your first flight, follow these key setup steps:

Unpack and Prepare: Remove the parawing from its bag and inspect your lines, handle, and canopy for any twists or tangles.
Position with the Wind: Stand with your back facing the wind. This allows the wing to naturally inflate and makes handling much easier.
Grip the Handles Correctly:
- Use one hand to hold the colored front end of the handle.
- Use your other hand to grab the colored mid-panel of the parawing. These color-coded points help with proper orientation and muscle memory.

Getting the Wing in the Air

Once positioned correctly, follow these steps to bring the wing to life:

Lift and Release: Raise the wing and let it go gently, holding on to one handle.
Pump the Wing: Pull the handle a few times toward your body until the parawing unfolds and starts to catch the wind.
Stabilize the Flight: Once the wing is flying, slightly pull down on the back end of the handle to power up the trailing edge. You should feel steady lift and responsiveness.

Steering and Control

Smooth, responsive control is what separates beginners from confident riders. Here’s how to steer effectively:

Twist to Turn: To steer, twist the handle and your arm toward the direction you want to go.
Maintain Line Tension: Always keep slight tension on the rear lines. This ensures your steering input transfers directly into movement and keeps the wing engaged.

Try flying the wing side to side while standing. This practice helps you get a feel for the balance between power and control — crucial for when you transition to the water.

Powering and Depowering the Wing

Learning to control power is what keeps you upright, balanced, and safe.

To Power Up: Pull the back end of the handle to create more tension on the back lines. This increases the wing’s angle of attack and generates more pull.
To Depower: Pull the front end of the handle to release tension and reduce the pull.
This simple control method gives you instant access to both speed and stability — a critical skill for adapting to gusts or adjusting during turns.

Progressing to the Water

Once you’ve mastered land handling, you’re ready to combine everything on the water. Your focus should be on maintaining that same smooth control as you:

Balance your stance and keep your core engaged.
Steer predictably with minimal hand movement.
Manage power and depower seamlessly through gusts or transitions.

By developing these habits early, your sessions will become more fluid and controlled, letting you focus on gliding, carving, and eventually linking long runs.

Final Thoughts: Enjoy the Journey

Every great parawing session starts with control. The more time you spend practicing these fundamentals, the faster your confidence and skill will grow. Whether you’re perfecting your first beach drills or heading out for that first flight, remember — progression comes from precision, not power.