Foil assisted SUP flights; foil assisted wing flying; foil assisted downwinding; you get the idea. Foiling with an assisted boost is a really intriguing prospect with only a couple of products on the market (currently, as of April 2023). NCW’s regular blog followers will possibly have seen our chat regarding eFoiling in the past. This isn’t that. Unlike eFoiling Esea Foil’s foil assist doesn’t have the range or cooling properties of an eFoil. It’s more of a tool to boost you on foil. We spoke to our man in the know.
What’s are foil assisted SUP flights?
Retrofitting to your existing foil mast the Esea Foil pod and propeller then connect to a battery pack mounted on your foil board. In this instance a SUP foiling sled. With a squeeze of the Bluetooth enable throttle you then have power on tap to lift on foil. This opens up a variety of scenarios.
Most obviously is being able to foil on waves that are too slack to paddle into. Think fat swells with no peak or rolling pulses that don’t break at all. With foiling it’s always about the start and releasing the board’s friction. Once in the air energy is transferred to the foil which delivers lift. Having taken off a foil does the rest. But the take off can be tricky – especially with waves that are too gutless to paddle into. But with a foil assist a simple throttle trigger squeeze is all you need to boost into flight mode.
How else can a foil assist help?
One other advantage of having a foil assist retrofitted to your set up is using smaller gear – particularly the foil. For most riders being able to use their more performance orientated equipment is desirable. And a retrofitted foil assist system allows this to happen.
Suddenly, riders are able to fly with their smaller kit more often. And potentially in the types of conditions described above. What’s not to like? And should the water flatten right off then a simple readjustment of the propeller (lowering it) sees riders able to enjoy some cruising fun in the absence of waves. As stated the Esea Foil foil assist isn’t an eFoil but you can ride for a short time in this mode. Which incidentally makes it a good beginner foiling ‘tool.’
NCW’s 5/3mm wetsuit in the mix.
We’re always keen to see NCW wetsuits put through their paces in various guises. This is just another one of those situations. The sea is still cold in the UK so an NCW 5/3mm is still needed. Also, when flying through the air elevated a wetsuit needs to be able to cope with additional wind chill and keep riders warm.
Fortunately, the NCW 5/3mm wetsuit is or than up to the task. Whatever type of watersports you’re into NCW winter suits are a great choice. You can check out the full range of NCW wetsuits here. And big thanks to Esea Foil who helped with this article.