Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Best Foilboard for Travel

A forum dedicated to Hydrofoil riders
borist
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 577
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2010 12:30 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: San Diego, CA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Best Foilboard for Travel

Postby borist » Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:37 am

Levitaz Exo, 125x43x4, travels well. While not very thick, still has a bit more floatation than many pocket foil boards.

User avatar
Adventure Logs
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1554
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:18 pm
Local Beach: South Padre Island, Texas
Punta del Diablo, Urugay
Gear: Flysurfer, Moses, Groove, Gin
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 85 times
Been thanked: 321 times
Contact:

Re: Best Foilboard for Travel

Postby Adventure Logs » Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:57 am

Nobile infinity foilboard with zen foil. 8000 miles on the back of my bike without problem

User avatar
tautologies
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 10864
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:36 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Oahu
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 156 times
Contact:

Re: Best Foilboard for Travel

Postby tautologies » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:33 am

neptune262 wrote:
Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:51 pm
Naish Hover 130 is not wide - I bought it for that travel reason - fits fine in a golf bag as is smaller than a twin tip

Size is 130 x 42 - according to Naish
http://www.naishkites.com/product/hover-130
Sorry to steal the thread. How do you like the board? Which foil did you get with it? Im thinking about the SUP foil.

neptune262
Rare Poster
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2016 10:40 am
Style: Relaxed and fun - Wave and big air
Gear: Peter Lynn ARCs, Crazy Fly Sculp, Naish Trip, Nobile NHP TT and Skim, Litewave surfboard, Litewave Vision and Wing, Naish Hover 130 Foil, Cabrinha VMG Race board
Brand Affiliation: None - whatever works for me!
Location: New Zealand
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Best Foilboard for Travel

Postby neptune262 » Sun Oct 15, 2017 6:43 am

tautologies wrote:
Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:33 am
neptune262 wrote:
Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:51 pm
Naish Hover 130 is not wide - I bought it for that travel reason - fits fine in a golf bag as is smaller than a twin tip

Size is 130 x 42 - according to Naish
http://www.naishkites.com/product/hover-130
Sorry to steal the thread. How do you like the board? Which foil did you get with it? Im thinking about the SUP foil.
I got the Naish foil and board package - but the 2017 version, so only had the one foil option (same as liquid force foilfish foils), with both 90cm and 40cm masts.

I can't comment on the new wings, so I don't know which new foil my foil would equate to, but check out the review from Houston Kiteboarding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfMD3SwdXZQ

Hopefully that rear wing attachment is not a weakness in the new design!

Regarding the Hover 130 board, it is definitely small and manoeuvrable - intermediate rider skills (as advertised) - with my low aspect ration wing, it pops out of the water really quickly with the slightest of board speed, this means I can even start in relatively shallow water, as I can get the foil working from on its side. Other boards feel more stable, as this has a very direct feel to the foil. Is a shame the board doesn't have a possibility of surf style mounting the front strap - only two straps gybe style. The double deck padding is very comfortable. The nose rocker design does help with the short mast, but can't save a full 90cm mast foil breach. I started with only the front two straps, but am now using the rear strap as well - I actually feel better board control that way and am also starting to jump with the foil now. There are more stable boards for learning gybes and tacks with, but it is an easy board to re-position if you do a "drop in the water" for a change of direction. I like how easy it is to turn with the board, it really is small and manoeuvrable with little swing weight. I am looking forward to messing around with it more in wind swell.

Pros:
Build quality is really good
Double deck pad very comfortable
Small size - same as TT - easy to travel with
Unlikely to outgrow the board as skills progress

Cons:
No front strap surf mounting option
Board only usable with the foil - no cross over

For me it was my first gear for trying foiling. I wanted something small and easy to travel with, as well as something I could progress with. Having such a small board from the start has maybe slowed my initial progression slightly, but I didn't want to invest in the 160cm board and quickly outgrow it. I have been kitesurfing for over 17years. Foiling has given me something new to learn and it does take time and commitment to get the balance nuances.

Hope all this helps you a little, sorry can't comment on the new different foils.

User avatar
Peter_Frank
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 12734
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2002 1:00 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Denmark
Has thanked: 1006 times
Been thanked: 1187 times

Re: Best Foilboard for Travel

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:59 am

Why do you want a front strap "surf" position ?

It is not a surfboard but a hydrofoil :D

Once back when starting 4 years ago, I thought the single frontstrap was good for waves and fun - I don't think so anymore.

If it was a crossover board, of course it could be needed, but it is not.

Maybe if you are super flexible or a contortionist, you would like it, I don't know...
But for blokes like me, nope.

I think it is a wrongly used reminiscent from surfboards, seriously :roll:

Of course there is nothing wrong with a single frontstrap when long so you can twist your foot, and simplicity always good - but IMO it is never needed on a hydrofoil :-?

See the pics in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2397800

8) PF

neptune262
Rare Poster
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2016 10:40 am
Style: Relaxed and fun - Wave and big air
Gear: Peter Lynn ARCs, Crazy Fly Sculp, Naish Trip, Nobile NHP TT and Skim, Litewave surfboard, Litewave Vision and Wing, Naish Hover 130 Foil, Cabrinha VMG Race board
Brand Affiliation: None - whatever works for me!
Location: New Zealand
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Best Foilboard for Travel

Postby neptune262 » Sun Oct 15, 2017 9:27 am

Peter_Frank wrote:
Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:59 am
Why do you want a front strap "surf" position ?

It is not a surfboard but a hydrofoil :D

Once back when starting 4 years ago, I thought the single frontstrap was good for waves and fun - I don't think so anymore.

If it was a crossover board, of course it could be needed, but it is not.

Maybe if you are super flexible or a contortionist, you would like it, I don't know...
But for blokes like me, nope.

I think it is a wrongly used reminiscent from surfboards, seriously :roll:

Of course there is nothing wrong with a single frontstrap when long so you can twist your foot, and simplicity always good - but IMO it is never needed on a hydrofoil :-?

See the pics in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2397800

8) PF
I would like to experiment with riding more toeside on the foil and a central strap would put my foot in the right position for that, as opposed to having my foot not being quite in the right position, as it feels at present. Right now toeside feels very unbalanced to me. I can't see the issue with adding more holes at the manufacturing stage. I will have to try riding the board strapless (as in your photos on your boards) and see my foot position. I miss the opportunity of trying it with straps first - maybe I won't like it, as you have found, but I would like to have the option - nothing wrong with that IMHO - other manufacturers put in all options for straps and even other boards in the Naish range have it.

I agree the kite to body angle with a foil on toeside can mean the kite is way more behind you than on a normal surfboard.

As we have agreed before - foiling has many different nuances and we all can get something different out of the sport - so I don't agree with knocking someone for their opinions - glad that you feel you don't need it - I would like to try it before I come to that conclusion.

Smile and ride!!


Return to “Hydrofoil”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: arjas, bitxopalo, evan, Google [Bot] and 156 guests