Vayu Fly

We recently tested the latest board to drop from Vayu, the Fly 4’10, in a variety of conditions – from marginal flat-water conditions, to powered up ocean sessions. The Fly is an all-round dedicated wing foil board range that provides an incredibly stable platform for a variety of riding skills and conditions, and it’s definitely proven itself as a well-balanced, carefully designed shape intended to make freeride and freestyle winging as easy as possible.

First impressions, and the board is shipped in a eco-friendly honeycomb sleeve made of recycled paper that helps protect products in transit. So thumbs up to Vayu for choosing such a packaging solution, thus eliminating plastic from their packaging while providing an incredible layer of protection for their boards at the same time.

Unboxing the board and it is immediately clear that the goal here was to provide a compact shape that optimally combines volume to size ratio. The result is a nicely balanced board packed with maximum volume in the shortest possible board size, with a clean flat bottom for maximum glide. The Fly range indeed offers a very compact platform that combines user-friendliness and performance in an attractive product. The design and the attention to detail is second to none. The deck pad is nicely textured, providing a direct connection to the board that really comes in handy when pumping – it also sports a longitudinal arch-ridge that serves as a tactile reference allowing for better foot placement.

The tail is wide and thick, with a kind of chopped off sharp trailing edge, definitely more squared compared to the previous Vayu models, proving a super glide and back foot support for take-offs and pumping, while also offering more forgiving landings in jumping. The softer pinched nose is easier to push into waves and better for sliding during freestyle tricks while still boosting enough buoyancy to easily knee start. The deck is concave helping to make the board more stable to ride and to knee start while allowing for a lower stance and better foil feedback in maneuvers.

The epoxy composite construction – with an EPS core wrapped in a multi-step vacuum process and laminated with a glass fiber layup, and a lightweight paulownia wood patch in the entire stance area as well additional reinforcement patches in other key areas – makes for a very resistant, rigid and light construction. Moreover, this board will surely stand out on the beach for its sleek and elegant lines, featuring hand-sanded matt and high gloss finish in a stylish design and color combination.

On the water I was immediately impressed by the balance between comfort and control. With the concave deck providing you with an enormous amount of feedback from the foil and the wide tail allowing for additional back foot pressure when needed making it easy to pop up the board in take-offs and touchdowns and keeping you flying in gusty winds while also offering more forgiving landings when jumping.

Despite being the smaller board in the range at 70 liters, the Fly 4’10 felt (even for my 85kgs) incredibly stable and easy to knee start thanks to its precisely-balanced volume distribution. The same volume distribution coupled with the compact and wide shape also allows you to keep the same stance position no matter if you are in displacement mode or up on the foil. The wider and thick tail, featuring a generous volume and sharp trailing edge for better water release makes take-offs easier, helping to pump the board out of water and providing instant acceleration.

In conclusion, the Vayu Fly is a modern, compact wing board that combines performance with user-friendliness in a balanced and versatile shape. The Fly is indeed a major step forward from its predecessor, making it a top-tier choice for anyone seeking a more progressive board without sacrificing comfort and user friendliness in a compact and versatile package.

Whether you're a seasoned rider or just starting your wingfoiling journey, this board will elevate your experience and fun on the water to new heights.