Foil Drive Mast position & Swing weight . Must Watch

[@brianmclaughlin7256]

Rob, I believe this is the most important video for anyone using a Foil Drive. I was struggling with mine and thought I had wasted my money. Then I found this video, made the adjustments, and now I’m flying! I’ve since shared this advice with many other foilers who were also having trouble with their Foil Drives. A sincere thank you for creating this-it’s truly a game changer. I hope many more Foil Drive users are lucky enough to see it. Thank you again!

[@Piros181]

@@brianmclaughlin7256 So glad to help Brian , thanks for the props and sharing . Just reach out if you need anything else 🤙

[@SuperComptevideo]

THANKS. I already found that this was the right solution for wingfoiling and you confirm my choice to really move the mast to the front of the board for e foiling. Thank you.

[@jsibleytube]

Note that the weight of the battery and FD unit is not relevant in this mast placement discussion. They do add weight to the system, but that weight moves forward and aft in tandem with any mast adjustment; ie, you CANNOT adjust the FD unit relative to the balance point of foil lift (except about a half inch of slot length in the bolt holes.) Moving the mast in tracks DOES move board weight (only) forward or aft. Moving the mast forward puts more board weight behind the mast. Rob seems to believe here that by moving mast forward, he removed weight from the ‘ass end’ of the system, but he actually put more weight at the rear. True to his experience though, this does mean he requires less human weight in the rear, ie on the back foot, hence his feeling of better balance.

[@geoffnicholls8539]

Thanks Rob, I tried it on my Gen1 and you’re absolutely right. What a difference! A bit more front foot pressure when off the wave but no more riding the rear foot when on the wave and so much more balanced.

[@Piros181]

That's so good Geoff

[@geoffnicholls8539]

@@Piros181 argh! My Gen2 arrived and I can’t balance my 42 litre KT because the tracks aren’t long enough. It’s now very bum-heavy and it felt pretty weird in flight and pumping, certainly not as nicely balanced as the same board with the Gen1 with the battery by my front foot. Thankfully, Amos is sending me a Sultan prone in the next few weeks, so that should sort out the balance issue. Thankyou Rob, you’re a gem!

[@Piros181]

@@geoffnicholls8539 yeah that's a big problem . There really is big advantages in boards built specifically for the FD.

[@mattstockton2433]

Great video, makes heaps of sense. That dc foils board looks sick, I’m sure that design will be the next gen of production prone boards

[@Piros181]

Yeah Dale has nailed it

[@BigDawgzWingFoilReviews]

Rob, love your videos, so spot on ! Thanks for all the tips !! Keep charging!

[@Piros181]

Thanks mate much appreciated

[@zackmack4712]

Great advice thanks. Glad you didnt rip out your rails! Im saving for the Amos Sultan Prone 55l with long foil tracks for the same reasons

[@joesmith3719]

Thanks Rob that really dialed my board in I am on a ML Armstrong 55L I ended up moving the mast about 4" up and I really didn't notice it being any harder getting up. Cheers Mate JS

[@Piros181]

@@joesmith3719 good stuff Joe 🤙

[@sailingnusa4228]

That’s gold, thanks for taking the time to do this video it’s greatly appreciated.

[@miketinct1]

Thanks Rob great advice, that worked like a dream!

[@Piros181]

@@miketinct1 Glad to help

[@petercookfoils]

Great video. Where can I find the Foil Drive forums?

[@Piros181]

@@petercookfoils Thankyou 🙏 best chat forum is on Facebook “ Foil Drive Owners Group”

[@granthore90]

Great advice Rob

[@Daniel-Sousa68]

This is video is really important! I'm struggling with mast position with FD on two boards. I will try what you said but have a question: how do you deal when motoring and don't lift to much the board? Because I think the idea of having the mast further back is because prevents the board to have the nose pointing the sky! Thanks

[@IndonesianCall]

That's awesome 🤙🏽 Where can we buy longer boxes!!!!? 😊

[@Piros181]

www.viral-surf.com/en/us-fin-boxes/5038-16-chinook-black-us-box-for-foil.html

[@johngourley5035]

Have you looked Wizard hat foil screws? I use these with my F One gear. Longer bolts with foil drive would be perfect!

[@Piros181]

The bolts are very long but yeah good idea if you can get them . Once you find the sweet though you no longer need to move it .

[@dma2067Red-O3]

Thanks Rob, I have played around with the mast position using the FD Gen2 on my Naish DW board. It feels more balanced foiling, however, there remains a slight bit of back foot pressure. I would move it more forward, except when I come off foil, the nose pearls. Alan Cadiz suggests (not using FD) to adjust mast placement such that foot placement does not need to change from taxiing to foiling. With the mast placed forward as you suggest, and it feels better to me, I need to adjust my feet back when on taxi. Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks again!

[@Piros181]

Hey Red you can only go so far forward and if the board is still dropping down have a look at increasing your rear wing size . This will help greatly in balancing it up . Re the trying without a FD fitted will help a little but ultimately you need it fitted as the max battery sits partially in front of the mast changing the balance point . Try a bigger rear wing first if you don’t have one just put in a positive shim . See how that goes .

[@dma2067Red-O3]

Awesome tip, thanks so much. I tried today with a slightly bigger tail, definitely more glidey and trimmed better on the taxiing. I went from from 362x50 to 350 x 63) and it made a big difference, I was able to pearl it a couple times on hot landings, but mostly it felt softer. Really appreciate the videos and feedback. I am wondering if I should try to move it more forward again as I am still experiencing back foot pressure. Thanks again!

[@Piros181]

Yes 100% keep nudging it forward as far as you can . Only thing stopping you is box length but if you go too far it makes the nose sink on the start . If that starts to happen come back an inch . Take a tool with you in the water so you can do it on the beach or shallow water .

[@ftaks3675]

Been using my FD gen 2 for a couple months now......what your saying is spot on.....my prone board with FD isn't the best regarding mast position and balance......With your board at 5.5 and around 65 L......how many inches is the trailing edge of your mast from your tailblock........thx for your info, I appreciate it.

[@stephenzoio1226]

Great video Rob. Have you noticed a difference in where you need to put the mast to get fully balanced when using the sport battery vs the power?

[@teamkuruvilla]

What alterations do I need to make when learning to FD taxi start after i move it forward….i have Forward Geometry Armstrong which have tracks that go way way forward?

[@Piros181]

@@teamkuruvilla more weight forward on the start

[@scoty7392]

You’re comparing balance over the wing with the SUP and flotation balance on the prone boards. A bit confusing there. 😊 But I think the point is that the FD adds weight primarily forward of the mast, i.e. same net effect as a longer board. So, to balance over the wing, the mast needs to move forward.

[@Piros181]

The Sup was just an example , picking up by the wing is the proper test . The balance in the pool was to show the extreme difference. The whole idea is to reduce swing weight , the FD adds a lot of weight to the rear of the board . Therefore needs to be forward to reduce swing weight .

[@seanparker571]

Same as an aircraft - you want the centre of mass to be perfectly over the centre of pressure for the foil. Tail heavy planes usually stall and crash without stunt level piloting, nose heavy planes are more manageable.

[@kirkbrittain1672]

Awesome info Rob, thanks! I foil behind the boat on our local lake but I want to buy a foil drive and start foiling at the coast in North Carolina. I've been foiling for 3 years now and consider myself a average rider. I have a 28 in lift mast with a 200 high aspect wing for pumping. I've seen the great video of he foil drive dudes and their board reviews. I'm 6ft 4 inches tall and 200lbs. Can you recommend a good prone board that has a flat rocker I can buy to go with the foil drive and my current mast/wing set up? I want something nimble and not too long. So many board choices and so little time! Thanks! Kirk

[@rnetsch]

hey Kirk, i'm in similar boat...Nags Head. Been foiling (wing) for a few years and doing lots of DWs in ocean. Now onto FD and sorting it out. So far so good, using lift 28 with HAX150/26 carve. My friends are mostly on 32s. One got the axis 60 dw foil drive board, very nice. I just ordered a unifoil wave killer. Where are you?

[@Truthseeker2000-e1s]

Hi Rob, where can we get the 5Ft 5 board?

[@Piros181]

Contact Dale Chapman direct here dcshapingco.com/

[@SalvaDopeLifeStyle]

Hey, great video! what distance do you reccomend for surfing with FD, 15 or 20 cm?

[@ttreevilla-rt6cr]

Could this explain why , I just cannot pump on my foil drive, and just surf foil doing good ?

[@Piros181]

@@ttreevilla-rt6cr use for sure the better balanced the board is means less swing weight and easier to pump .

[@JoseCruz-vt5wp]

I think that if you feel more balanced using the foil drive with the mast all the way forward probably you will also feel more balanced with the mast all the way forward without the foil drive.

[@Piros181]

Yes agree but on a prone board without the FD sometimes you can’t have the mast that far forward as you get boosted on the paddle in take off . With the FD you can get to your feet without dropping down the face of a wave. So people are setting their FD same position as the prone paddle in position, which is exactly how I started

[@JoseCruz-vt5wp]

Ok. Makes sense with prone board. With SUP board I noticed that I do not need to change mast position. I always use the mast all the way forward with the Lift foils with and without the Foil Drive.@@Piros181

[@surfstone5142]

Spot on thanks 👍🏻

[@gcammar]

I tried many positions of the battery box with the Plus on many SUP board and the best position for it is always right in between my feet. Then I adjust the mast accordingly to have a balanced setup (I always have tools in my shorts, so I can change it in the water very often, depending on conditions). If you care, you can check out my setup at minute 4:15 of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pojTamWVbKZ7hrc Cheers

[@Piros181]

That’s it we’ll done . Good explanation in your video . 🤙

[@paulodasilva759]

good to know, thanks

[@svensshed1564]

If Piros speaks the gods listen. It is a universal truth :)

[@Piros181]

😂😂🤙