Yep, I’ve got one on the way!
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Yes sir, thickness is definitely the main factor of mast drag in todays current parameters of foils! It really is just common sense! 
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In my opinion, mast drag is most important in downwind first because you’re trying to maximise energy out of tiny (sometimes big) wind swells and a lot of the time you can’t afford to come off foil in 2 miles out to sea.
Prone would be 2nd because generally your’e in waves which are much bigger and more energy than wind swells and you only need the efficiency to connect waves, you don’t really need it while you’re on the wave.
Winging would be third in my opinion because you don’t really need any efficiency at all as you’re powered the whole time (unless you’re riding tiny waves). It would one like saying that you need a super thin efficient low drag mast on an e-foil, but in reality you could ride a 30mm thick piece of wood as a mast on an efoil and all you’d have to do is crank up the power on the motor and you wouldn’t notice any difference (in terms of feels), you’d just use more battery… haha
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I reckon this is right. Though the reason it is right for most people might be that they’re at a higher level on some than the other, but for me this ordering holds true because of the following:
- Prone - Best at this, I’m riding smaller faster foils and pumping to link as many waves as possible so notice the drag, want to ride low on the mast to avoid a breach while turns so 75% of the mast is in the water
- Downwind SUP - Not great at this, riding huge foils, so stiff more important than fast, more worried about staying on foil, cruising high on the foil. Can see how this could become #1.
- Winging - have a big wing pulling me along, going fast, never pumping. Easier to pump the wing than pump the board. % of the mast as a % of the whole system including wing drag must be pretty minuscule (that old point again, taking the other side of it now!)
As I’m spending 50% of my wing time flagged out and downwinding, mast drag is important. Just depends on how you ride. If one treats winging as a sailing sport, it stays at the bottom of that list. But yeah, I feel no shame going back to the wing for a moment to get over to a bigger set of waves that I’m too lazy to pump over to 
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It’s quite a personal question, but is foiling is now at the level where they are now put a product in hands of a top influencer and he/she get paid for it when posted on social media?
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Yep for sure, companies have offered me money to promote their gear, but I’ve ridden the gear and they’ve been rubbish and I would never post and promote anything I don’t like or believe in. It seems as these companies are the ones who need to do that. All the good companies don’t need to pay anyone to promote their gear because their gear is good. But for sure there are guys out there doing that.
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Separate to mast stiffness feedback, does anyone have comment on the mast fuse connections for the NL V2? From what I see with most companies the mast stiffness isn’t utilised as the connections are super sloppy. The best I’ve seen for a strong interface is the fanatic, and the code looks pretty good too. I guess the benefit of a late entry brand is they can learn from foundational errors of others. I’ve spent a lot over the years with claims of next level masts yet the loose connections have not improved at all.
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I agree on the connection issue. That being said the new Uni gear with katana the connection is world class.(I don’t own one but my buddies feels fantastic)
One thing that’s putting me off the universal mast solutions is the aluminum carbon interface. You pretty much have to fuse it with epoxy or the aluminum corrodes and then wears on the carbon part - messing up that connection.
There are good and not as good designs in the mast fuse interface department for a solid connection. The better ones aren’t so reliant on bolt tension to hold things together like Uni, Lift, Axis. The advantage of systems like F-one, Mikes Lab and similar “sit on top” connections is the smaller diameter fuselage for reduced drag. If the bolts start to come loose in use though, they flex and then snap losing the whole plane 
I was using an aluminum Foil Parts Axis to lift adapter for a while which fit very well and was anodized. No issues whatsoever with corrosion and it still loks like new after repeatedly taking it apart.
Correct me here if I’m wrong but I was looking at the Stringy alu adapter for the NL mast (Takuma foot to Lift) and pretty sure it was only using two of three bolts for connecting the adapter to the mast. The third was in the way of one of the two bolts that would then connect the adapter to the fuse 
Not sure about Takuma to Lift, but I have the Takuma standard(3x M6) to Takuma HD(2x M8) & it uses all 3 M6 bolts. He designed a sort of keyhole slot for the bolt that was interfering so you may not be able to tell it is there from the top…
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My go to is the uni progression 170 with a katana. Best all round wing that I use for surf and downwind and I’m 110kg. They’ve dialled the wing profile. The mast fuse connect is leagues better than the old mast. I would put it in the good category but not great. Code and fanatic have zero movement from what I can see. I think code have sacrificed speed with a super chunky fuse but it allows them a super solid connect and hopefully unbreakable fuse (fuses breaking is also an issue for me).
I hope these companies are still planning on advancing the interfaces. I’m having issues with sub 1100cm^2 wing setups so stepping up in wing size would amplify the issues. Or maybe I need to give up on companies designing for heavy weight guys. I find it bizarre we all argue over mast stiffness but I’ve seen some of these masts with 1mm of empty space in brand new mast fuse connects. Giving 50mm of wing wobble!
Yeah definitely agree with the corrosion issue. My axis fuses are a disposable item. Maybe I’m a princess but full carbon is the only way for me to be happy. I get tired of both corrosion and seizing of bolts. I can leave my uni gear together for months and it comes undone with ease
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Is it possible that when winging you feel the twist more noticeably than when prone because you are going faster at at more varied angles bumps and turbulence? Maybe because you are ride much more upright and in straighter lines? This week winging I noticed I could feel mast twist on a setup that prone I don’t, and generally stiff setup. (pp140 + Katana)
Also, here is a design parameter thing that I created against my personal preferences above, and probably representative of your average prone first hacker?
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I have a NLv2. The mast/fuse connection is solid. I have zero complaints about the mast.
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I’m sure I could be more than happy with the NLv2 as my main mast, just need to do a little more hands on with the whole Takuma adapter thing. Wouldn’t be interested in it as a single system mast. (caution… nit picking ahead) Would like to see them change the base plate so that it’s not quite as ‘scalloped’ which leaves quite a bit of the mast boxes exposed. It’s so light already another 50 grams of aluminum isn’t going to be noticed. I noticed while forcibly flexing the mast via the foil wing, the baseplate has flex in it and is very thin walled where it tapers into the mast. Now I’ve never heard of a single failure in this area but my mind gets to go’in. For lighter weight folks it’s certainly a non-issue but a couple of scratches, salt water, I’m 90Kg and carve pretty hard I’d beef that thing up a bit and nobody would be the wiser.
I have the Stringy Takuma V1 → Lift adapter and it uses all 3 of the Takuma bolt holes. It’s a really clever design. The adapter connects to the Takuma interface with 2x bolts which are keyholed in. When the Lift fuse slides on, these are hidden, and one of the two Lift holes is actually a throughbolt that connects to the Takuma mount itself. The other just attaches to the adapter.
It has felt very solid. I did notice a bolt wiggling loose after long sessions, but I threw some blue Loctite on and it’s been immobile for 75 miles of foil time now.
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Yikes dude … that doesn’t seem warranted?
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Because this is the mega mast thread, here is a talking point. Pro mast only that they won’t release.
What about that kink?
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Good catch 
Their HM masts are neither light nor thin. I suppose stiff is a selling point when you need a 130cm+ front foil but I want all three features if I’m paying the big bucks. Make that four, universal adaptability too please.
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You think that’s a kink. Go look at the new evolution cedrus. More bumps on that thing than a Kujira foil.
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