Wait, is this actually real, this is AFS? Lol, the cult is going to come after you hard on this post.
1 Like
Wow! What brand is this??
PM if you donāt want to put the name publicly. Iām very curious
Iām not naming any brand here 
1 Like
Yes itās real and I hope no one goes after him thereās no reason to. Stuff happens to gear I canāt speak for Europe but if anyone across the Americas feels wronged by their AFS product please reach out to me as I am happy to do my best to make it right.
I didnāt care to opine in this thread but since people are worried about a cult attacking people I felt the need to reply. Thereās no reason for anyone to attack anyone on here. Iāve enjoyed being here have met, sessions with and traveled to meet dozens of randoms from here. I do this to see peopleās joy so if someoneās unhappy Iāve failed.
People should feel free to air discontent with products here if they want.
May everyoneās glides be long and their carves soulful.
16 Likes
Is that mast actually a production mast from late 2024? That looks nothing like the masts I have seen in person, with non counter sunk bolt holes and those square T nuts. Did that get warrantied? It honestly looks like they shipped you some early prototype by mistake
I agree. My masts are both countersunk with tapered bolt heads. Ive never seen an AFS mast head like the one on the left. I did get the square T nuts and I never doubted that they would work (the bottom portion is the part that should take the stress anyways), but I have enough T nuts laying around that I never actually used the square ones.
Would like to understand whether this was a very early batch and whether adjustments were made.
Sucks that happened to you though either way.
Left is the new version. Right one is the old with short helicoils and screws. I am pretty sure the damage was on the old version.
I was talking about the mast plate. The new mast plates use those button head bolts?
Here in Europe yes.
Sorry to hear about your experience with AFS.
I know youāve already moved brands - but AFS will 100% warranty this (3 year warranty), so make sure to reach out to your dealer if you havenāt already.
Regarding the mast plate screws - the left is the new version (non countersunk). Itās my understanding that they are stronger and prevent issues from people overtightening them.
Havenāt heard any complaints of AFS masts being wobbly or unstable so does seem like there was an issue with your setup.
1 Like
What are we looking at in the mast plate photo. Left is afs whatās the issue? Oh I see. I think non countersunk allows more carbon near the open edge there and no outward force.
1 Like
The setup was bought Nov 2024 directly to AFS (not a retailer).
The helpdesk was always present when I reached out.
I chatted with them about all that.
They acknowledge everything.
But there is not much they would do, itās just what they produce and sell.
From my customer point of view, it feels amateurish.
Thatās why it hurts my eyes reading they are a premium brand.
Anyway, enough of AFS, I wonāt post about it anymore.
Letās go back to the topic plz.
Crazy the only thing holding the plane to the mast is two short blind nuts. Blind nuts would work fine, they just need to be 3x as deep.
The new masts have deeper and longer inserts. That is why I asked if this happened to the old or the new mast version.
What a bummer. It took me a bit to fully understand what happened. If you donāt mind sharing, how did it rip completely off? Caught in shore pound or something? Were you at least able to return it for a refund?
I think customer service should be considered as important as foil design at this point. Hereās a few good stories for ya:
I got a Cloud IX mast that looked flawless in every way, but the taper on the trailing edge was off, kind of like it missed the final shaping step. It shook horribly, impossible to ride. They replaced it immediately at no cost to me.
When my buddy snapped his No Limitz v2 it was replaced immediately, no cost to him.
When I bought Code I couldnāt get a mast/fuse socket that was snug at all. Code and N1 took care of it, no cost to me at all.
Another friend snapped his Lift classic mast after a year of use. In the most shocking customer service of all time he walked in to Big Winds where he bought it to process a warranty claim and they grabbed him an upgraded M2 mast off the shelf immediately. No cost to him.
Hereās my first AFS mast:
The threads were actually set too deep, that bolt isnāt threaded yet. I contacted Benoit telling him I was a bit nervous to tighten it down and ride. He didnāt even ask for me to send a photo of the issue. He swapped it out immediately, no cost to me.
Iāve honestly only ever had one bad experience where I had to fight with a company and couldnāt get a full refund.
Every single manufacturer is going to have duds. Thatās just a fact of life. How they handle those dud situations is what separates companies in the long run.
3 Likes
I think worth taking anything you read on the internet with a pinch of salt, these are all relatively small companies where you can directly reach the owner without any issue.
Watching their explainer video, it seems to be well-thought-out.
The broken mast end is peculiar, it looks like the end plate has detached. Square washers are fine, as others have indicated, M8 for baseplate is overkill with 4 of them. Maybe sensible to have the flat head screws to remove the awkward forces. All beyond the lay person here anyway.
For an observer - I wouldnāt let this reflect badly on AFS, these are not iPhones but handmade products, and ALL premium brands have had various production variances and all generally stand by their warranties. Acting in good faith, I donāt think you can go wrong with any mainstream foil brand. Support your local shops!
This is possibly the only thing worth saying about rider reviews on forums.
2 Likes
But a guy on YouTube who calls himself a pro told me it rides better than anything else!
4 Likes
Soā¦
Between the NoBrand Nonduro model 
and the CodeS which one do you like more in terms of riding characteristics?.
I really loved the Kujiras so i am very tempted by the Laurent Borgna designs, they are supposed to have a bit of that playful feel even in the higher aspect model.
But Code,KTfoils,Fone and Takoon are also good options.
a foiling pro is mostly just someone who was unemployed during covid
15 Likes
Iām not sponsored, although I wish I was. Iām just fortunate enough to live on the coast of North Carolina. After trying several brands, Iām stuck on Armstrong. For winging, standup, paddle up, and Foil Drive. While it may seem more expensive, in the long run, you get what you pay for. The set up Ive been using in the ocean I never took apart for a whole year. Then I was going on vacation and, fortunately, I was able to take it apart, titanium and carbon fiber, Amazing.
We have a lot of sloppy conditions, side on. I canāt believe the abuse Iāve put my foil through and each time I look at them they are fine. Highly recommend Armstrong.
5 Likes