Foil Driver, what have you got to say for yourself?

Foils and Boards - Gear Talk
21

Good read, have to say I did not expect the couple of lackluster experiences, interesting to hear those.

Friends I have in Hawaii love FD. They can access bigger waves easier and ride outer breaks without the long paddle or need for a jetski. It also has taken the place of light wind winging. Wave count and skill level has went way up.

Plenty of guys with bad shoulders, backs, and knees are back in the business of prone foiling and haven’t looked back.

I had yet to hear anything but positive from everyone here.

I haven’t spent the money yet, but I also look at DIY FD or tow boogie. Have kids too.

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22

I’ll second that. My knees aren’t what they used to be and 64 year old cardio does not compare to a 24 year old! I’ve been on Foil Drive for three years its given me hundreds of hours of some of the best wave riding fun I’ve ever had - most of it while regular surfers on the inside lineup sit waiting…for… I really don’t know what some days!

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23

I think it all boils down to choosing the right tool for the job. Finally had some wind today but I knew it was going to drop so I brought both my FD setup and my wing gear and went to a park thats upwind from my house. It was light wind but enough at first for easy starts on my 48l Omen, 8m CWC, and p170. Will admit it was satisfying to work for it vs just pulling a trigger. Rode in place for an hour doing a few wing drops with the drift anchor which is still a total blast, nice riding without the weight and drag of the pod. When it’s windy and you need to ride in place wing is better then FD for me still.

But then the wind dropped and it just took way too much patience waiting for a gust. Granted I could get a bigger board and it would have been easier but I don’t like the big boards. Really don’t like riding short period waves with a dw board.

So I came in and switched to my FD and did a downwinder. And that was totally the call today. I had an awesome DW session on the FD going any direction I wanted with no wing to deal with. I would have had to carry the 8m on the dw runs and it would have been back winding often.

Glad I got both sessions in today but this seals it for me. For light wind down wind sessions I am going with the FD. Once I can use my 5.5 it will be a harder choice.

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24

So here is my experience with Foil Drive. When I started to get into prone, I had a few days in a row where the waves were perfect and started to really get it. Checked the beach everyday, numerous times a day, (I’m in walking distance to the beach) for months and never could get in to foil. Too Steep of a break, too shallow etc. Came across foil drive and was torn about getting one. Expense combined with looking at using a motor to foil as sort of selling out. After continuously not getting in the water to foil I pulled the trigger on the Assist Plus. After a bit of a learning curve, it was an awesome tool. Could get out just about every day and ride the swells there is no way you can paddle in to. Also practiced pumping on flat days, great workout and could work on technique.

Gen 2 came out, and no hesitation to upgrade. Took a couple of sessions to get used to the Gen 2. For me, an off the charts product that gets me in the water very often and having a blast.

Foil Drive gives me so much more time on foil, it allows to me to ride very aggressive and find the full potential of every wing I use and also push my limits. When you know you can easily get another wave, you can push it to the max. It is great for dialing in tuning and setups, again, the amount of time on foil is insane. It also makes my local spot work perfectly. 90% of the time, when out on a foil, I am the only one out at my spot.

I have been keeping track of my days in the water since 1/1/2024. Here is the breakdown.

F.D. Gen 2 sessions: 99 ( 83 days in waves, 11days Flat water, 5 Days downwind)
Combine the above with: 21 Paddle in days no F.D, 4 Days behind boat, 39 days with a kite.

So 163 days so far this year on foil. The goal is to exceed 200 days.

There is no way I would be at the same level without foil drive. That being said, I do look to paddle in first. If the conditions are good for paddle in, I will do that first. The problem is, for my local breaks, it just doesn’t lend itself to paddle in sessions often.

The other tool I added is an aluminum 60cm mast. (paddle in on shallow days) Total with adapters, $300. For the occasional sessions I do get with this, totally worth it. Have had a blast on this thing.

In the end. F.D. is just a tool that can be used in many ways. After just under a year with Gen 2 I still use it in many ways and will continue to do so. I would rather be out in the ocean working out than in a gym. For example: On a totally flat day with a light offshore breeze. I will get up on foil, do 30 pumps out, then 100 paddles back. I do this for 5 sets, then 1 set of 50 pumps out 200 paddle back. A few sets of these is a great workout, and you are perfecting your technique as well.

It boils down to what works for you as an individual, and what you location has to offer. I don’t see ever winging, just doesn’t work where I am, unless you just want to mow the lawn. A foil kite for me here just works great on those windy days. If the waves here were perfect for paddle in, I may have never even looked at F.D.

Just get out there on a foil any way you can.

Pura Vida!

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25

My friend and i started prone foiling at the same time, I kind of got it quite quickly he struggled a bit, he went and brought a gen 2, 6 months later his improvement is staggering, we both foil every day some times mutiple times, where my progression is slow and steady his is through the roof, hard agressive turns, white water bashes, tips out.

The repetitive nature of the FD has turned him into an incredible foiler in under 6 months! Check him out on the gram he is worth a follow @andyfoils
It’s frustrating sometimes just being sat there waiting for a wave to come just watching him but it’s also impressive, when I convince him to leave the fd at home he can still foil well, his take off isn’t as good but the skills still translate to regular prone, his pump game is not up to much but what he lacks in pump he makes up for in turns!

I enjoy the reward of earning my turns and the kick I get from pumping out and connecting on multiple waves stops me from getting the fd!
But all in all! You wanna get better at foiling and quick get yourself a fd!

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26

I also look to pump back out even w F.D. if I exit with speed, I’ll pump back out and often get 3 for 1’s just pumping. When I do sessions w/o F.D. The pumping feels effortless w/o the extra weight I have gotten a bunch of 5 for ones, and a couple of times, over a mile shore runner when the wind is side off. Great tool for learning how to pump also, if used that way. I do see lots of F.D’ers really rely on the motor and skip on pumping. It’s all how you choose to use it. Make it work for you.

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27

Question for you FD Gen2rs. I just got a Slim and tried it this weekend on my normal 4’8 prone board. Was pretty humbling trying to get to my feet. What size prone board did you start with? Do you go full throttle trying to plane and get to your feet? Thanks!

28

I live near a crowded beach break, and have been struggling to get past just occasional connections, so when I sprained my knee this spring I ordered a max so I could “stop F’ing around” and progress faster once in the water again. Now I’ve done a few flat water practice sessions after figuring out that my board(Takuma rising sun), is “THE MOST IMPENETRABLE BOARD WE’VE FOUND”, and needs an antenna. With that on and without a dedicated mast I’m committed to FD unless winging on a different setup. One thing I’ll say about sinkers is KICK YOUR FEET. I hadn’t seen that advice anywhere but it makes getting planning very dependable.

29

No longer a foildriver but when I was I was an absolute stickler for technique and have helped “coach” quite a few users.

I come at it fairly different from what you most often see and what is even taught in the FD “masterclass” where it tends to be no paddling with the arms relying entirely on the motor or sometimes a double arms “butterfly stroke” paddle. This is then followed by a slow and clumsy transition to the knees and then finally standing up in surf stance.

The way I used my FD prone setup and the way I have seen results from other users comprises of.

Positioning yourself on the board far enough forward you can control the nose lift purely with weighting and unweighting your chest

Paddle one arm at a time like normal surfing this build and maintains momentum while keeping the board flat and can often be the difference between getting on foil or not (once you are on smaller boards/foils)

As soon as you feel the foil start to engage and the board starts planing, as quickly as possible explosively popup to your feet (once again like a normal surfer) bypassing the clumsy and dangerous stage on the knees. Surf stance is when you have the most balance and control of all axis of the board/foil get there asap no flying around while still prone or on your knees or you’re just making it harder for yourself

Once up and “efoiling” maintain forward weight by shifting your hips but as soon as you are up and surfing a wave and off the motor you should be in a neutral balanced stance. Nearly every day I see FD riders with the nose pointing up in the air really tail heavy and stalling out the foil. I believe in optimising your foil setup/mast position etc for the time you aren’t powered up as that’s the fun bit and where the majority of your time will be spent once you have mastered the quick easy paddle/popup which simply becomes routine and 5 seconds each time out of a whole session.

When you are on the absolute limits of board/foil size you may need to use a bit of energy from a passing wave to get that extra bit of lift.

This all worked really well for me on a 29L board with a 720sqcm foil whether it was in totally flat water or in the surf.

The side bonus of this is most of these techniques carry over into “non assisted prone foiling” so you don’t need to unlearn habits once you get to that stage where as the idea of chipping in and being on my knees as my board goes down the face of the wave is terrifying.

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30

A longer board really helps with the pop up, it’s always a close thing, nose dive or breach when getting up on a short board.
Note I didn’t say bigger board, higher volumes really suck but length is your friend. Something around 5’4 and 30lts works well.

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31

I’m the @andyfoils Karl mentions.

A UK winter, 5mm wetsuit, boots, shitty waves was killing my foiling. I was getting worse, not better. I got the FD Gen II in Feb. I’ve progressed so much with the FD it’s incredible. I’ve gone from a Uni Progression 200 to a 125. (I’m not great at pumping, can link a couple of waves, but I find it hard with the max battery. I have the sport battery too and that’s much easier, but the battery life is 40 mins ish). And the FD gives you a different take off, so getting back into prone takes a different approach.

It’s not just a training tool, it’s the best option for increasing your turns per hour I’m aware of. And the turns can be pushed to improve quicker as the consequences of falling are minimal. Fall, get back onboard and go again.

It honestly feels like you have a dedicated jet ski driver for any session you want without the cost and hassle of a jet ski.

You can nip between banks and find quiet spots where waves are barely breaking.

The time on foil is incredible. Together with the security of knowing you can get back on foil immediately if you fall. In my opinion, this is what you need to get better quickly.

I make an effort of telling anyone I’m surfing with they have priority, I’m happy to turn off and catch the next wave. The majority of my sessions are way out the back on swell nobody else can access. Turning off when getting into the line up isn’t a problem.

The downside is the people I surf with mainly don’t have a FD so I’m on my own for most of the surf. Less social. And the need to pump isn’t there so I focus on turns at the cost of pump practice.

The weight isn’t really a problem. Or given the advantages the system provides, it’s a problem I’ll happily live with.

As a husband/father of two, with a FT job, I can go out at sub-par waves, get my fill and go home happy after an hour. I can honestly count the bad FD sessions on one hand.

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32

Fatfish, Mast location is key. I almost sold a great board because the first 2 times out on foildrive it just didn’t work. I had the mast really far forward, (setting that worked w/o foildrive), I moved the mast back, and the board was magic. My favorite board to foildrive in smooth conditions. 4’ 5" 35L, When there is wind or chop, or I want to use a smaller wing, 5’ 2" 45L. I weigh 145LBS. The 4’ 8" should work fine, I also have a 4’ 8" that was my go to for a really long time. Try moving the mast back… Compensate for motor thrust. Once up I move my front foot back to try to get that set for wave riding, move my back foot up when on motor, or pumping, slide it back when on a wave.

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33

Are you running the throttle 100% or modulating it as you need it? Holding it in hand or in mouth? Sorry for all the questions but trying to understand all the logistics and mechanics of the extra components.

34

I believe I have the remote set on the middle setting, I don’t think boost works unless you have it at the highest setting. I rarely use 100% throttle even on the middle setting. Once on plane, usually back off on throttle. If the board starts bucking, or porpoising, back off on the throttle. The only time I get to 100% throttle, is when getting onto, or catching up to a wave to ride. Remote in my hand. I have velcro on front of board and side of remote when I want to paddle with both arms, not using remote.

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35

I tried winging and prone foiling for about 2 months without foil drive. Didnt really get anywhere and pulled the trigger on FD gen2 max right when it was released. Instantly made more progress in first two sessions on FD than 2+ months combined without it.

I do want to progress on winging and prone without FD, but FD has been just too much fun to drop as others mentioned.
Whether you will outgrow it or not depends on your discipline tho. For me FD allows me to get out in the bigger conditions (overhead+) that I would never consider paddle proning even if I get better at it.

My biggest complaints for it so far is the controller reliability. Ive had sensor failure, water leak, and spring failure. Have replaced the whole remote twice and springs twice over the year, and it’s a bit anxiety inducing at times.

Overall foiling with FD has been the most fun Ive ever had on any hobbies, and knowing that there are still so much more to learn and progress without FD is exciting.

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