Looking for opinions on the best foil brand/setup specifically for SUP foiling in 1–2 ft surf in Florida.
I’m currently riding a Lift 220 HAX and I’m already able to pump back out and connect waves, so I’m not necessarily looking for the easiest beginner setup. I’m more interested in what brands are making the most fun wings for small-wave SUP foiling while still having really good low-end performance.
What I’m looking for:
Strong low-end lift and easy wave catching in weak 1–2 ft surf
Good pump and glide for getting back out and connecting waves
Fun, surfy turning and good rail-to-rail feel
Predictable enough for SUP foiling without feeling overly locked in
Something that feels like a noticeable upgrade or different experience from the Lift 220 HAX
For people who have ridden multiple brands — Code, KT, Lift, Axis, F-One, Unifoil, etc. — who do you think currently makes the best small-wave SUP surf foil?
What front wing, tail, mast, and size would you recommend for this kind of riding, and how does it compare to the 220 HAX?
1-2ft surf on the sup foil for me generally ends up being on the Code 985X
My go to stab is a 142AR but generally if it’s that small I’m wanting to add a bit of glide/pump in the way of a 110R stab.
I run a 80cm mast but if I was only SUP surfing I’d rather be on the 75cm. Short fuse makes things a bit looser/snappier with the big front wing.
This is all combined with a 6’4 87L Appletree Midlength board as my SUP
If I wasn’t on code and they were readily available here I’d like to give the F4 range a good test. I’ve ridden and enjoyed the flitelab flux, the armstrong HA and MA v2’s. Wasn’t a big fan of the Axis Surge.
I’ve only got a few days on a Surge, but my impression was that it would be a great SUP foil as it is very lifty, a bit pitchy, fast, and turns off the top great. That said, I never over-foil on Code, and found myself in the water a few times due to pitch control. But that was prone, so thought maybe a SUP would help with that!?
From my experience, I don’t like the classic Axis lift onto foil moment. I find it very abrupt compared to the more gradual rise on other foils. This to me is most detrimental when taking off and dropping into steeper waves. I don’t want the board to be skimming and then suddenly at full mast height.
It was overly pitchy (I’m not really up to date on whatever the latest ultra mega crazy short fuse and tail combos are) but it was a pretty middle of the road setup.
It felt sloooooww not so much actual speed where it was probably fine but the feeling of drag was like nothing I’ve felt on any other surf foils. To the point I thought I was dragging weed.
On the flip side things that were good. Plenty of lift for the size as you mentioned, as a result decent pump despite the draggy feeling. Tips out turns we’re easy with no unexpected breaches.
For what it’s worth the Axis riders in the local crew love theirs but having ridden a bunch of different brands foils this was the outlier for me.
Sure have, I’ve owned or used all the S series between the 615s up to the 1300s.
Personally at my weight (70kg) the 1300s was just a little too big for me. The 1130s was a better fit as my “biggest foil” I wasn’t able to optimally pump the 1300s as I couldn’t push into it with enough weight and it was more likely to get “locked in” than the 1130s in my case. But if you are heavier than me then it’s certainly one to consider and I have bigger mates who like theirs.
The S series certainly has more glide and pump than a similar sized X series but for pure surfing I still will take an X unless I’m purely interested in a pump session.
I am going to add here that I am a code “team rider” for whatever that is worth (I’m not a fan of undisclosed bias in the foil industry hence mentioning it I’m verrrrrrry low down on the list though basically just a shop discount)
But will also reiterate that I’ve also really liked many of the other surf foils from different brands I’ve tested as well as being super keen on riding some I haven’t had a chance to yet. There’s so many good options these days I think it’s really all about picking the right size/aspect/design for your local conditions and skill level.
I have gone down the rabbit hole of SUP Surfing and have not looked back. The problem with lower aspect “MA” foils is that they are a little too slow and take a lot to maintain. I personally am having an absolute blast on the Cab Prestige 1150. I am 140 pounds and that wing is way to big to prone. But on a sup you dont really want a little wing, and your not going to do the same turns you will on a prone board. The 1150 is very floaty and easy to maintain. I attached a video talking about it. https://youtu.be/TFabBQYfcfA
For me I’d say I want the same modern MA surf style foil for both disciplines (you can really turn smaller SUPs pretty hard!)
But I do generally need to be a size up compared to what I would prone in the same conditions, mostly to counter the little extra weight and the prone is still much easier to pump (until the lighter/hollow boards become an affordable option)
On the flip side I’m also less concerned about needing to stay up on foil the whole time with SUP as it’s so much easier to get around the lineup (paddling a more efficient board with the paddle or prone) and because chipping into each wave feels easier to me than prone I don’t feel I need to completely maximise linking as many each sup wave vs prone.
Your experience agrees with what i’ve seen. I only know one guy that SUP foil in the surf and he absolutely rips on a short hollow soap bar board and the same or smaller front wings than me. We are similar weight and i prone. He is able to connect waves in a set. So i don’t understand why you would prioritise glide and pumping over turning when you have the range and early takeoff of the paddle and a fast floaty board.
I would say it’s just a nudge up from the regular prone foil or in essence a surfy downwind foil. Eg Code 850S was perfect for downwind and perfect for SUP surf with nice pump and glide, but a bit too fast glidey for prone where you can mix it up in the pocket and want something slower. So yes would agree it’s roughly the same and depends on the rider
I would second this. My go to for most of the micro conditions down here (fellow South Florida resident) is the 1300s short fuse 142 ar tail at 85kg. Gets me out in pretty much any condition we have no matter how small, virtually unstallable in my experience and rolls well for its size. PM me if you want to try it out.
Where do you foil out of?? I’m stuck between code and Kt! Do you have any experience with the Kt gear? The code 1300s seems like awesome wing for the bad conditions we get in South Florida
Mainly Delray and Jupiter, occasionally elsewhere depending on the day. Ya most people I know are on Code or KT. Haven’t been on the KT gear but the word is that the low end is slightly better so you can ride a smaller wing but you sacrifice efficiency.
