Gong HIPE Review (Inflatable Wingfoil Board)

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This episode reviews the highly touted Gong HIPE wing foil board. We look at pricing, design, customer service, and performance on and off of the water. Is the inflatable board a good direction to go for wing foiling? Or should the hard board be your stable go to gear?
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[@claudiobertadeazevedo4669]

Awesome GROUND SCHOOL like video, the way you transfer your thoughts, the sequence, amount of info and well organized are KEY, one of the best channels, you will never gonna go unemployed, any big company will hire you to make INFO/TRAINING videos

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Oh wow. Thanks for the kind words Claudio.

[@montecitourbanfarms]

Thanks for sharing your experience about the board. I have the 5’5” 145liter HIPE and I really like it. I thought I had not gotten the correct screws but after emailing them I was made aware that they were in the repair kit and so there was no issue. I do happen to keep an arsenal of back up screws in my garage these days for when they get damaged or lost on the beach. As for carrying the board I was frustrated as well about how to carry it at first but then learned to just through it over my shoulder since it’s not that heavy for me to carry that way. Also since I wear a life vest every time I go out the mast sits comfortably on my shoulder. Thanks for the videos and I love your foiling work out training video I have been using that one for months and feel the increased stability in my wing foiling.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Montecito for sharing your experience and the kind words.

[@schtisoo]

Do you use this board on lakes or in waves? Looking for the same board and size. I'm 70kg and want to use it in the mediterranean sea..

[@roadrunnermakmak]

I bought a complete Wing pack with wing, rigid board (Mob2taste-not the ideal one for foiling but an "allround" thingy) and a foil in spring 2020. Ordered a sup paddel as well as a longer mast afterwards. Had small issues (pads coming off the deck of my board -they changed the product already). Gong instantly sent me new ones! All in all I am very pleased. Communication was good most of the times, too. I guess it depends who is answering your Email (if you "get" J.R. - Jackpot! ;-). Answering is always within 48 hours. Given the price (!), the quality is excellent, exceeded my expectations - especially for the foil and wing. Now ordered a hipe 5´3 and also will order a faster high aspect ratio foil next year (the XXL-rise was OK for the beginning but now I want more speed and agility ;-). Thx for your nice and fair review and sorry for your bad luck with the missing parts; i doubt this is the rule...

[@bewarethebear3319]

Thank you for a very informative video. well articulated and precise..

[@MichaelRuhe1706]

Hi! I ordered just recently and had a small fault on the board - the glueing of the top mat was a little loose at the back. So I contacted Gong and got a very satisfying solution for that small issue and they were quick and friendliy. I report this as I think, they noticed your comment and similar ones and improved a lot. I am super happy with my set (Gong 6.0 V2 board and Allvator XL foil with 85 cm mast and 65 cm fuselage). Thank you for this video, as it brought up the idea of going for a Gong!

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Great to hear Michael!

[@markwatson5329]

I wish other sports equipment reviews were done like this. Very impressed

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Mark. Appreciate it!

[@DieKolbiesAbenteuer]

Thank you! My HIPE 5,5 is now delivered and i will see what happend on the water. THX

[@MattLV]

Great experience with Gong here. Slow communication yes, but super fast shipping with DHL and great products. No hidden shipping charges and then advertised as "free shipping" - just clear shipping prices - still an excellent deal nevertheless. I bought 2 kites and 2 foils from them - love them all. Thumbs up fro Gong!

[@REDboardriders]

Awesome review. Great stuff.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx. Can’t wait to see the RED on the water!

[@SalvadorSantiago]

Thanks for another great video! Really like everything you publish. I received a Hipe 4'11 in September, and have learned to wing with it. Not difficult as long as there is enough wind (I'm 68 kg, long time foiler). The better you become, the less wind you need. My package arrived complete except for 1 strap screw which is hexagonal instead of torx... I guess I won't bother asking for an exchange... :-) Keep up the great work!

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Salvador and congrats on your progression!

[@Lucky-uk1bv]

You should definitely contact them and record the conversations and then post it, that would be funny!

[@AdamsHadEnough]

This was extremely helpful. Thanks!!!

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Adam

[@AdamsHadEnough]

@@TheOKKiteboarder I just had the chance to ride the 5'1", your review is bang on.

[@mikeb1039]

nice review.

[@enzodebredo]

thanks for your review!! i wait for the fone~!!

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Edo!

[@nickyeargin1]

Very intresting stance you have! gonna have to try that :>>

[@moffmo]

*Calmly explains bad customer service* - "Sorry for my rant" haha.

[@prolifedoc]

I have been waiting for this report! Thank you!! We need US dealers to avoid shipping costs. Looks like it is going to be a wait until Summer... Looking forward to the report of the F1 inflatable in the Spring.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Completely agree Dr. Bill.

[@aquatonic]

Gong don’t have dealers - that’s why their prices are so good.

[@christophemeletiou9078]

Good review, having tested the 85l Hipe myself I can confirm it's stickiness to get going in lighter wind. My 75l F-One Rocket V2 gets on the plane much easier.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Great to hear Christophe. The 75 Rocket is my next upgrade. Thx!

[@jeromesurffoil7033]

I just received my 3rd gen HIPE. Shipped to TX no issues. I thought I was missing the foot strap hardware but they were packed in the repair kit. Gong customer service was prompt and very polite. No issues and the product is very nice quality. I would buy again.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Good to hear. Huge upside with travel.

[@bmrbca3658]

@Jeromesurfs What size did you get and how do you like it?

[@jeromesurffoil7033]

@@bmrbca3658 I got the 6'/160 liter HIPE. I like it, the quality is really solid. It's really stiff as the other reviews say. I can't give a useful review about it because I'm just a beginner and I only have less than a dozen sessions on it. I will say I did not have any issues with the purchase or shipping. Once Gong ships the order you get the tracking info. They use a freight forwarder that picks it up and then hands it over it to DHL. Takes about a week from France to TX.

[@bmrbca3658]

@@jeromesurffoil7033 Thanks. Did you have to pay any customs or import fees?

[@jeromesurffoil7033]

@@bmrbca3658 I didn't have to pay for customs or import fees. I paid for shipping which was 125 euros. The order came in 2 boxes, one for the HIPE and one for the full foil setup. HIPE box was pretty big! I do export shipping at work and the Gong shipping cost is in line and reasonable for the size of the shipment.

[@SimcoeAce]

My experience with Gong: I bought a Gong foil for kiting a year ago. It's an excellent foil & I am very happy with it. Delivery to the US was quick & reasonable ($100). Communication with Gong was a little problematic - not sure if it's a language thing ... or a "sales culture" thing. They may be experiencing some growing pains due to the success of their product & business model.

[@jaylendevon4104]

i know Im pretty randomly asking but does anybody know a good place to watch new series online?

[@theojoziah4598]

@Jaylen Devon I dunno lately I've been using Flixportal. Just search on google after it =) -theo

[@jaylendevon4104]

@Theo Joziah Thanks, I signed up and it seems to work :D I really appreciate it!

[@theojoziah4598]

@Jaylen Devon You are welcome =)

[@sflasurf]

In the summer of 2020 I found Gong. But never been able to pull the trigger on the HIPE when it was released. Because of shipping, it is expensive for an inflatable board. I have experience with inflatable WIndSup and can assure you that over time the plate on the bottom will be an issue. You have to be very careful with folding (not to crack). I think that many wingers, including myself will be very happy next year with the release of new products. You mentioned FOne, but there is another well known company from the USA that will release a new wing board. Look at the second week of January 2021. That is all I can tell you. There are a few direct market board manufactures in France that make great products (Wing Boards). You have make sure that you will really need an inflatable board. Somewhere a manufacture (can't recall who) stated that most inflatable owners (80-90%) keep them inflated and never use it for travel. I have to agree. For beginners it seems friendly to have a softer board. But the stability might be an issue. The future is short with high volume wing boards. The Quatro Wing Drifter and Takoon Comet SW are great hard boards.

[@olivierg2008]

Juste ordered the 5.5. Got it delivered 2 weeks later

[@kshred3043]

FWIW, Gong initially wanted to charge me 80 Euro international shipping for a set of 5 Allvator top plate screws/brass T-slot nuts plus a US box stop set (rubber bungs). The combined price was 20.42 Euro. When I queried the shipping charge they said it was a mistake and reduced the shipping down to 45 Euro. I thought even that was outrageous for 100g or so of goods and did not proceed with the order. Admittedly this was for DHL express which would have been fast but even so. If Gong truly wants to be successful they need to rework their shipping price structure and find a way to offer less expensive shipping options.

[@tomas2992]

Same issue here. I finally bought the screws on Aliexpress for next to nothing and .... FREE shipping.

[@raghuram2815]

Thanks for the very descriptive video with some great aerial shots to demo your explanation! You mentioned in the video about F-one's inflatable boards. Aren't they out yet? Have you or anyone else at GreenHat Kiteboarding tried those? Curious to know how they work (in the 120-140L sizes) for a Wing-Foiling beginner.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

The inflatables I am speaking of from FOne are not out yet. They will not be a tuttle attachment. I don’t know anyone who has tried it out yet.

[@raghuram2815]

@@TheOKKiteboarder have you or anyone you know of...tried the converters/adapters that some are selling for the Tuttle connection? I don't know the details of it,.whether that causes any issues.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

I haven’t, I just wouldn’t mess with it. There are better options coming soon. Also the current FOne has too much flex in it.

[@AdamsHadEnough]

@@raghuram2815 I have used the Power plate adapter for windfoiling. It's great, but heavy, they work well if they are your only option.

[@pattayapimp]

Let’s hope Starboard makes one so you get good service

[@tomnichol6341]

Thanks so much for yet another wonderful vid. Very timely for me. I have been having more upstream problems with Gong. I haven't been able to successfully order a 6'5" Hipe ( pronounced 'eep'. The 'H' is silent). Each time I click the purchase button, the next day I get an email with the added shipping fee to Oregon. I then complete the Visa credit card fields. Two hours later I get a cancellation notice. None of the criteria for cancellation were met (wrong CC# or > 5days since the order was placed). I did this three times. I then tried my debit card...same exact result. Attempt 5 is to wire from my band to Gong's bank...this involves a trip to my bank before noon and $45. I was going to do this today but have paused. I will wait to see more about the new inflatable f-one. Keep the excellent content coming....

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Thom. I just thought I was doing well pronouncing it heap😂

[@sflasurf]

What was the shipping cost to OR? Do you really need an inflatable? Why 6.5... where are you winging?

[@tomnichol6341]

@@sflasurf shipping for 6'5" + foil was to be $319. I have windsurfed 30 years, kited 10 years and foiled zero times. This is going to be my wing learning setup. First with the fin in front in SUP mode, then later add the foil in once I get better at the wing and a SUP.

[@sflasurf]

@@tomnichol6341 You will outgrow the 6.5 really fast. With 30 years WS experience and kiting 10 years, you want to go to max 5.5 length. The reason I asked about location, is even with light wind (on a lake in OR) that is big. If you are in the Gorge, I would go much smaller in volume. You need a few times on an SUP and then go smaller. I am not talking about liters (that depends on your weight), rather ability to carve. Windance will have 2 new wing boards next year. The FOne inflatable with track system and the other... you figure it out (see what brand they carry) that will be interesting. Honestly, I would wait until the spring. New products and shipping rates should go down. Bigwinds doesn't have much stock either right now. See you on the water next year.

[@tomnichol6341]

@@sflasurf That is great advice thank so much. I plan on learning in The Dalles inside the islands which is effectively a lake. I had wanted the 6'5" due to the removable fin that can help keep upwind when learning. I think waiting until spring is a solid plan. Thanks again

[@Christian-sh9uh]

I had a similar customer service experience with them when I requested a Deep Tuttle head with my Allvator and they sent a flat plate, took over a week and dozens of emails to rectify. I have since bought the Hipe 5'5", it also has minor imperfections but ok. I would not recommend it to complete beginners as I find it really unstable, I'm 80kg.

[@bmrbca3658]

@Christian Do you think it's the size or is the board not stable? Would moving up to the 6' solve the problem?

[@bluejuice57]

My 5'3" Hipe is awesome, works well with 4.2 and 5m wings. 🤙

[@mikemiller774]

Hi, why did you go with such wing size combo? e.g. not something like 4m and 6m. Seems 0.8m is such a small difference considering overall wide wind range wings can be used.

[@bluejuice57]

@@mikemiller774 The 4.2m slingshot classic was my first wing. Now deemed heavy in the ever evolving wing design. 🤙

[@posko76]

Sorry to hear your gong customer service experience wasn't a good one. I too have had bad experiences at first. My problems were all solved and defective products replaced. I've gone on to become very good friends with JR (their American employee) even stayed at his house when I was in their area a couple of years back. A really accommodating guy who always goes out of his way to help customers. The company has grown extensively during the corona period from what JR tells me. They've gone from 12 staff to near 50 to keep up with demand. New staff still learning to ropes, massive growth, huge demands all combined to overload the system. They're constantly trying to better themselves and all feedback positive or negative will help them. Great video!

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

That’s great to hear, thanks for the insight.

[@mikkelpeterdam7198]

Once again super review. Where do you by the strap to the board, there goes around your body rather then your knee. Hello from Denmark

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thx Mikkel. It’s the Armstrong waist leash. Reduces the frequency of stepping on the leash while winging.

[@deltaskilo6932]

Hi thank you for your exceptional thorough examine of hype I would like your help on something I have noticed. On the 9 min 11 sec of your video there is a bar that unites the handles of your duotone wing. Can you please tell what it is ,how it helps you and a link if someone can buy it.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Deltas it is an Armstrong bar. It is a great especially if your handles don’t fit your spread comfortably. It is great, but costs $99, it should be more like $30. But it works.

[@mikemiller774]

Overall benefit of inflatable seems to be it's size and price. Because unless you have a van or similar car space, fitting 5'1" and bigger is an issue.

[@tomas2992]

100% my opinion. If you need to buy more screws and you are far from France, you are pretty much "screwed" since transport is skye high. Equally the width of the board makes it super difficult to carry due to the lacking handle. A real problem for larger hipes. And yes, the waiting list. You sign up several times to the same list - a lot of patience (too much...) is being required. If you look for easy click & buy, then you need to move on. But if you can live with these issues, its a great board to get started no doubt.

[@Lucky-uk1bv]

Another excellent and very professional review - thanks. I will not be dealing with arrogant arse holes and prefer anyway to deal with my local shop where I know I will be completely supported in instances mentioned. If travelling small is your concern then get a 33L board with straps and big front front wing (1768) and pump it underwater until you get up.... And then do a video on it... :)

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Brad, I’m not touching a 33L board! Also, my Gong screws showed up in the mail yesterday. 😆

[@AdrianKerr]

I hope gong step up

[@oldkiter]

Just FYI I have the 5'5' Hipe on route with delivery in next couple of days to SoCal. The price was 659 euros total with delivery which came to $755 USD.

[@oldkiter]

Also want to say that I appreciate all of your videos and the information!

[@oldkiter]

I have received my Hipe 5'5". Received it in 5 business days of shipping notification. All items expected were received in the box.

[@bmrbca3658]

@@oldkiter How do you like your 5'5"? I've read a few comments where they said the 5'5" was not stable, kind of tippy. So I'm wondering if the volume is overstated for the size

[@ajachild]

I am currently a newbie to the Wing/Sup foil world. Currently getting my 95l Naish Rapture Sup set up to be a foil board, hoping not a disaster and then couldn’t help but order a 5.5 (145liters) “Eep” (haha). I am still practicing winging on a Sup but hoped one of the above boards would be the one to get me going on wing foil easier. Do you have any idea if longer board with less volume or shorter board with more volume should be the one to start with? Did you try it as a SUP foil on Little waves? Lastly thank you so much for this review. I have watched the unboxing clips to death. Received my EEP 2 days ago, just in tome for Italian lockdown due to covid. So now I stare at it longingly! Great review. Liked and subscribed!!!! 🤙🤙🤙🤙

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Shorter board with more volume is the direction to go. These boards are getting shorter and wider for a reason. The decreased swing weight of a shorter board is also a big positive.

[@Lucky-uk1bv]

@@TheOKKiteboarder Agree. I am 73kgs, started with 120L SUP 8'' 7" and 1500 front wing, hard to get up and unstable after 2 sessions. Bought 95L Fanatic 5'4" board and up in one session no problem, very stable easier to do jibes

[@randyfromatlanta5998]

Thanks for your really helpful reviews, honesty and answering so many of the comments. I've been wondering now that you have had the Gong for a while, how has it held up? Gong now has some new lower cost Hipe's and the Euro has gone done to almost equal to the dollar. Makes it all look very tempting, but the comments here give me pause......

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Randy, I pivoted to the Lahoma inflatable and sold my HIPE. I’m sure the newer version has more nose scoop and is tuned better with the track positioning though.

[@cousinvinn]

@@TheOKKiteboarder how is the lahoma compared to the hope?

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

@@cousinvinn better for takeoff. Better track positioning. Maybe 20% lower aesthetic feel. It’s a great inflatable.

[@jwellsiii]

Thanks for the detailed review. How did you rig a short boom onto the Unit? We have Units and Echos and find that the 4.0 Unit is missing a handle exactly where you rigged a boom.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Exactly Joe. I’m not sure why they left a handle off. It’s too wide for me. I used the Armstrong boom. Overprice at $99, but it does the job.

[@jwellsiii]

Thanks! Just ordered one. I really like using windsurf harness lines on the Echo boom as they are stiff and don’t flop around. This might work out great for that on the Units and BRMs

[@benbhand]

At 160 lbs., did you feel you sunk the 85L at all, or was it just about right? I weigh closer to 150 and am tempted to go with the 70L and save a few bucks. I know it's not the same, but I have landboarding experience with the wing. Would appreciate any thoughts or considerations, thanks for the great content!

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Ben, I would choose the 70L if I had it to do over again. 👍

[@ramana3803]

I bought a gong 5'1 a while ago. I was only charged about $100 for shipping to Canada. I could not find the foot strap screws or washers in the package with the rest of the hardware. I thought, oh no, they did it to me to. Then later, I thought I would check what all was included in the orange repair tube. To my surprise, all the foot strap hardware was in a package in there. Have you ever checked the orange repair tube and checked if they were in there?

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Yes. They usually put it in the orange tube, they just missed mine.

[@davidrimmer1986]

I also couldn't find the hardware for my Gong HIPE footstraps. BUT when I emailed Gong they explained that the hardware for the footstraps is stored in the orange repair kit tube. Did you check the hardware in the orange repair kit?

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Yes that was one of the areas to check. No hardware was in my order.

[@antoinemotte8016]

Did you manage to test the F one Rocket to compare ? If yes what did you prefer ? 🙂

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

I never tested the rocket. Shortly after this video, many manufacturers came out with inflatable boards.

[@louiscypher6489]

Looking at the video I have the feeling that both, stickiness as well as bad nose dive recovery is connected to foil angles. It appears to me that Daniels flight position on the Monowing is more nose up than yours meaning (obviously) that his board is at a better angle when touching the water and (not so obvious) that your angle of attack is too high, so you have to dig in the bow to have the foil at the correct angle of attack which of course slows you down (as does the wrong angle of attack). I'd try to use a 2 deg shim to reduce the angle of attack and achieve a more nose up flight position I had similar issues with a F-One foil (F-One boards have a notably higher rocker than other boards) on a RE board. It feels like a different board if the angle is correct. Anyways the ingenious 75l F-One will stay the better board 😎

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thanks for the response Louis! Much appreciated

[@louiscypher6489]

@@TheOKKiteboarder I have done some testing on my hipe 4'8". To me with a F-One Foil set a shim of 2deg still is not enough, I prefer to ride with 3 deg (to reduce angle of attack). That gives a less nose down attitude during flight and makes the board less sticky. With too less shim angle in addition the board has the tendency to crash down during take off. Last but not least I measured the angle at the foil attachment wrt to my standard board (F- One Rocket rockerline). The difference to the Gong is 3.3deg. Please be aware that F-One foilsets are built for the large Rocker F- One boards. So might be different for your foilsets

[@thefoildesigner]

I am french and as much as i would like Gong to thrive, i must say that i have heard many complaints about their customer service and product quality.

[@sveny_foils]

the customer service is defiantly not the best and very slow. Hope my board is coming in the next few days and nothing is missing and everything is in perfect order :-0

[@Alexander-Kurtz]

Le type qui s'occupe des ventes est vraiment déplaisant et arrogant, il déteste son travail, du moins c'est l'impression qu'il projette.

[@jimmycricketlopez2746]

Sorry to hear that. Being French and all

[@stanleychurchill5175]

Yeah customer service is non existence. They have a new guy in charge... Completely lost. As useful as a dead frog

[@blazicgal4566]

Hi I just got Gong hipe 4'11 board and Gong rise L foil. If anyone got any questions just reply.

[@BlocksPlayTV]

What is the backpack size and can you fit your wing and hydrofoil also into the bag?

[@tyvain]

Hello, I see a 'Armstrong control bar' on a 4m duotone unit. How good is it ? I was looking foward to buying one for my 4m unit. Do you advice it ? Thank you.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

It’s great...just overpriced 😞

[@tyvain]

@@TheOKKiteboarder you convinced me, I ordered one... overprice is not an argument for wing addicts :)

[@nickrhodes3378]

My 5'1'' arrived at the end of September, I learned to wing with it (and with your 3 prior videos, among others!) and haven't used any other board, so can't compare. Your videos are great, so much good info. But I can see how someone could suspect some conflicts of interest going on with this one. Not questioning your testimony, but I do think you were very unlucky, and the overall message may read like a "buyers beware" that is not collectively statistically justified. Even thought I haven't used any other board for winging, I think you are spot on regarding the "stickyness" on the low-end, the low margin for errors during touchdowns, and the somewhat slippy deck (which may also undermine the low-end). Overall though, I think it is a great board for not only getting into winging, but, in this particular size (85l), to progress to a solid intermediate level and develop a good technique. It's rock solid but also very safe (took it in the head several times with no helmet), comfy for the knees, and no need to worry about dings. My board also came with some minor visual imperfections, but they are purely aesthetical. Quality seems to be pretty good.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thanks Nick, it sounds like you agreed with most of the points. My customer service encounter was my personal experience, but now it seems from other responses that it’s not isolated. I hope you found the review to be fair. That at least was my goal.

[@huzcer]

what weight are you Nick - asking from point of view of using this board to learn. thanks.

[@nickrhodes3378]

@@huzcer I'm 77 kg, kitefoiling, SUP and windsurf (from a long time ago) background. Had a first downwind session on a big SUP, no foil, to get the hang of the wing. With the HIPE, spent the first 15-20 min struggling to find the balance point at the kneeled position and to stand up without tipping over; then some more time to get used to foiling with the wing, and was foiling upwind just fine at the end of the first session. If you are a kitefoiler not much heavier than me I would say go for it.

[@huzcer]

@@nickrhodes3378 cheers. and you don't find it restrictive now that you have got the hang of it? (read a bit about needing a big board to learn on then need to change to a small one after). I'm 82kg.

[@nickrhodes3378]

Not yet. It's a great compromise.

[@mikemiller774]

The board volume of 5'1". Is it correct that actual buoyancy in kg would be: volume - 6.6kg = 78.4 kg? And adding foil there brings additional weight. I am just curious, how this exact board with foil attached will hold a 85kg rider just standing on it with holding a wing. Will it slowly sink? or...

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Mike, I’m not sure. I don’t think it will sink with an 85kg rider, it may sit deeper in the water, but not sink. I’m also not sure Gong has the correct volume measurements on their inflatable lineup.

[@mikemiller774]

F One released a Rocker Air inflatable board...with a tuttle box. That seems awkward, at least it looks like can't attach Moses masts.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

That’s correct

[@oceanlance]

Still waiting for your review on the F-one inflatable. Will you be making it soon? I am considering getting the 5'4" 90L or 5'10" 125L for travels.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

I’m sorry oceanlance but I didn’t get access to the board and then the fanatic and Lahoma inflatable boards came out with the carbon plates. I went with a review of those 2 instead and that video can be found under my YT channel.

[@oceanlance]

@@TheOKKiteboarder Thank you - I checked that one out. Great reviews!!

[@manfred4145]

Hey OK kiteboarder. The problem with Gong customer service seems to be cost related. I dont get it why it is cheaper to ship goods from China to EU or US but it is so expensive to ship between US and EU. Believe me that strugges you have with Gong we experience in EU with Cloud (dont ship to EU at all), Switch or even Slingshot. It is always better to go with your local supplier so I will stick with Gong but for you might be better to wait for Slingshot inflated wing board.

[@bozmar1]

I hope they will release in the market a hard tail and inflatable nose board for wingfoil

[@fabefo]

So the padding of the bag is not good enough for a deflated inflatable board? The padding seems more than adequate to me. It's a great trolley and it comes free with a groundbreaking (construction-wise) and pretty good board.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Yes. I think the concern as stated would be in checking for air travel and everything that would be in the bag, not just the inflatable board. I don’t disagree as stated. It’s a great bag, just wouldn’t trust for check in.

[@fabefo]

​@@TheOKKiteboarder Already took it (with complete foil setup and and 5m wing) in two flights, no issues. The bag is spacious enough for one to include extra protection as needed. But shame on Gong, giving us a moderately padded board bag/trolley/backpack that doesn't allow one to bring along cover-free foils (sarcasm...)

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

That’s great fabefo. Thanks for the update!

[@adolfallesch7648]

Got my 5' 3" today. Everything is there. No issues. FYI...THE FOOTSTRAPS are lame.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Let me know how you like it.

[@olofstraatman6655]

Do you think an inflatable wing board needs another foil position , because of the lack of bottom shape of the board? I think more toward the back , to create more lift

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

That hasn’t been my experience. Mine has been farther forward for more lift.

[@olofstraatman6655]

@@TheOKKiteboarder oke , thanks . But i have a 7-5 hipe . That is a big board . If i put the foil forward . I lift the nose outof the water

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

@@olofstraatman6655 correct, because the forward placement has more lift.

[@olofstraatman6655]

@@TheOKKiteboarder i meant that if I put the wing in the front , I am not able to pump the nose up , if my back leg is right above the foil .

[@TylerKaraszewski]

So the question remains, is it supposed to be pronounced like "heap" or like "hype"?

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

It’s Heap

[@RyanLee-cj8nk]

When is the F one comparison coming?

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Still no FOnes out yet.

[@travelandtech2185]

You can say hiiiiiipe not heeeep! :) great video.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thanks! 😃

[@AdamsHadEnough]

Not if he wants to pronounce it correctly. Either one translates terribly though😂.

[@ottobass4860]

I had the same bad experience with Gong customer service. Had to threaten them with going to a small claim court before they refunded me finally.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Sorry to hear that Tom.

[@DavidHu]

Thanks for the rant. I will definitely not buy from them if that's how you treat a customer.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

For the record they did send me the missing hardware. About a month after I released this video. 👍

[@juancito4013]

Here from Spain, very bad experience with Gong. Too much marketing, too many videos, colours, sizes... but just low cost materials and a terrible after-sales service. "So by their fruits you will get knowledge of them". You better look for a solvent brand. Good luck and thank you so much.

[@TheOKKiteboarder]

Thanks for sharing

[@AngusMcIntyre]

Dodgy finish, bits missing? No thanks

[@surfbasar]

Customer support is baaadest i ever had. They sent me a pump seoarated to the board, and i had told them please send it together. They did mot. I had to pay 70.- tax for delivery a 20.- pump to switzerland switzerland 😡 What said customer support? Sorry we made an error, but you have to pay the 70.-. Never again i buy something from gong!! Th

[@Pedro-kp4ev]

Terrible board. I have had 2. 1st one the inflation valve came off. 2nd one thr seams came apart. Both used lightly and looked after. Contacted gong as boards were still under warranty but they refused to answer my emails

[@mattonm]

Note to Gong... You just lost a bunch of sales!!! I'll go with one of the other boards and won't ever buy a Gong product. Customer support is essential and calling customers liar is just wrong!

[@stanleychurchill5175]

Gong inflatables are not good. Like toys. I had 1 and it lasted 1 month before the valve popped. Customer service didnt want to help. Nasty

[@ClivehWright]

Wow, I will never buy a Gong product. Dreadful customer service!