Is the F-One Frigate Worth the Premium Price? Here's the Ride Report

F-One's Frigate has got to be one of the most eagerly-awaited parawings so far. Even before its official release date, the preorders are almost sold out. How can a wing that no one's ridden be so hot already? Part of it is F-One's reputation for putting out quality products. This is their first entry into the parawing market because they take their time refining a product until it meets their standards. Tucker got a chance to get out on the Frigate, and he can confirm that this approach has paid off. Although it's a V1 release, it feels more like a V2. They've been prototyping and watching where other parawings have fallen short, and Tucker feels it really is a superior product. But it comes with a heftier price tag than other options as well, so is it worth it?

What Are Some Features of the F-One Frigate?

Tucker has already gone over the Frigate's features in depth in his unboxing blog, but here is a quick rundown of what you'll get with this parawing:

• Everything you need is included: Parawing, Bar, Harness Loop, and Bag
• Color-coded bridles
• Lightweight, low profile canopy
• Stiffening battens on the leading and trailing edge
• Color-coded bar with anti-snag ends
• Ultra-light bag with mesh vent

What Does Tucker Think About the F-One Frigate?

Tucker's had a sample 3.5m Frigate for about two months now, and he just received a production model 3m complete with the bag as well. The 3.5m has been holding up nicely, which is just what he expected from F-One quality.

The harness loop is pre-attached but removable. Tucker hopes that more brands will move to having the harness loop included. If you're riding upwind, being able to hook in is almost a must. You'll feel less fatigued and get longer sessions, it will help you achieve higher upwind angles, and you'll just have more fun out there without ending up with achy hands.

The canopy floats in the lightest of winds thanks to how lightweight it is and the shaping of the airfoil from the stiffening ribs in the leading edge. More ribs toward the back help smooth out the wind coming off the back of the wing and reduce chatter. This noticeably improves how smoothly the wing flies and improves its upwind ability and top end range. It's definitely one of the more technical wings on the market so far.

Tucker was also impressed with the bridle design. The A-line bridles split into 4 sections and connect to the entire front half of the wing. Tucker found that this gave the Frigate a very balanced feel and helped keep it feeling comfortable when it began to get overpowered. It was easier to control and liked to settle into its sweet spot.

Another nice perk of having the A-line connected to half the wing is the way it folds the canopy so perfectly when you run your hand up it to collapse it. It's also fairly short and lets you do this in one motion. Throwing it back out is effortless. You can also collapse the wing from the trailing edge lines, which wads the sail up tightly if you want to pack it away and ride hands-free for a while.

The range was no less impressive. The low end is great. Once you find that sweet spot and get the timing, it pumps up well. You get a good amount of power, lift, and acceleration. It works well at 45 degrees when taking off, where a lot of other wings need to be more vertical in front of you, which can lead to issues like folding in or hitting a wave.

Dealing with downwind swell can sometimes be a challenge. You can find yourself stuck between shearing the wind and going downwind with the wave. The Frigate makes your life a lot easier since it is happy to go downwind quite a bit during takeoff without backstalling or having you outrun the wing. Tucker found this particularly exciting.

If you find yourself dealing with light wind days, the Frigate can be your best friend. Tucker's 190lbs, and he was able to get up in as little as 15mph on the 3.5m. It does take a special technique to get up in those conditions, but the fact that he was able to do this successfully multiple times in one session speaks volumes about the wing.

Another standout feature is the Frigate's upwind ability. It's effortless, almost at the level of an inflated wing. Tucker was out with some buddies on wings in underpowered conditions and was able to stay upwind just as well with this parawing. He wasn't going quite as fast as they were since they were out on 5m and 6m wings and he only had the 3.5m parawing, but that alone says a lot.

The Frigate just gets better as it gets more powered up. You can push it pretty hard upwind without it collapsing on itself. The tips don't fold in. Whatever annoying habits you may have experienced from other parawings, F-One worked hard to reduce or eliminate them on the Frigate. It's got a usable wind range that very few parawings can compete with.

What Are Tucker's Nitpicks?

Tucker prides himself on delivering honest reviews, sometimes painfully so, and so he always tries to find something he doesn't like about a product. However, the only thing he could find to pick on with the Frigate was its price. Which leads us into the big question...

Is the F-One Frigate Parawing Worth the Price?

Tucker does feel that the price is justified. The Frigate uses quality materials and the build construction is top-notch. It's got features not found in other parawings, and a lot of R&D went into designing them, as well as tweaking them for each size. And all that shows in the performance once you get on the water.

Of course, not everyone can afford it, and that is perfectly ok. There are definitely some other great options that cost less, and our team would be happy to recommend the best wings that keep you under budget.

But if you can afford it, Tucker feels that this is the best parawing on the market to date and gives it a big two thumbs up. You will be able to get out in more conditions with each size you have in your quiver.

A Few More Details

So, what's up with the name? It's actually a pretty fun name. Many of you already know that a frigate is a fast, maneuverable sailing warship, and those qualities certainly apply here, but did you know that a frigate is also a seabird? They have a habit of stealing food from other seabirds, earning them the nickname "pirate birds". Which is not only awesome, but it loops back around to frigate ships, a preferred vessel of pirates thanks to their speed. Yarr!

The Frigate is currently available in one colorway. With quantities in short supply, they're focusing on getting as many into the hands of riders as possible. On the plus side, all you have to do is pick the right size and go ride!

The bag is minimalistic, yet has everything you need. It's got a little pouch for the bar, some spare bridle lines, some canopy repair material, a handle, and mesh to let sand and moisture out. It's ultra light with a little nylon reinforcement. It's perfect for stashing in a backpack or your gear bag and takes up almost no room.

F-One has really put a lot of thought into every detail of this package. If you end up picking up one or two for your quiver, you are sure to have a lot of fun.

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