Initial impressions of the Ultra mod Pro mast
Rider: Mediocre foiler. Age 38, average fitness, (too much beer) **
height: 74” weight: 90kg/200lbs
Discipline/ conditions: jet ski tow in to down winder on Lake Ontario wind rollers 4-6ft, December in Canada. Water temp 46f , 6/4mm wetsuits
Forward and disclosure: My current quiver is Axis, I’m a fan but not economically affiliated with them, I Own Lift Gear as well and affiliate for them/ have a side gig doing Efoil lessons and sales.
While Iam a fan of certain foil brands, I’m fairly agnostic about what I ride and have no problem saying if something feels better or not.
I have experience with aluminum masts from , Liquid force, Slingshot, Axis
and Carbon masts from: Axis, Lift, Armstrong
As a heavier foiler whom rides larger wings Previously the Axis HMPC was in my experience /opinion the undisputed stiffest and best feeling connection of what I had listed, its what I had been riding previously so much of this is in comparison to that.
Setup:
- Axis tray 110
Ultra pro mast 800
Advanced plus ultra short fuse
Spitfire 1030 / skinny 55
Controls : we have been riding this same set up in similar conditions previously with the AXIS HMPC 82 / Ultra short ADV fuse. Those are the only changes.
Thoughts:
It’s undeniably better. The new mast is much stiffer and faster than the HMPC. You notice it right away. It’s so fast it’s gonna take some getting used to. The tapering edge is really cool It’s like there’s 2 gears and you can feel it accelerating when you get high on the mast. I felt i had extra speed on my run and found could plow through the back of bumps to the ramps more often as opposed to fading back.
Its got a much different foil section than the HMPC, it actually seems fatter at the edges and more durable. I stepped on both as my scientific stiffness test, the HMPC bent a little and the ULTRA was like a sidewalk
Do you absolutely need it? No
is it an improvement : YES
should you try it if you have the chance ? Definitely.
