Having looked at the new Axis mast dropping in at $4k, it doesn't seem to be that much lighter than the HM version. Who is doing the best bang for buck mast? That is, stiff,not too heavy, with reasonable price point (not 4k). Fully branded set up or independent....

Best bang mast is an aluminium mast...

Lift x2 mast is great, haven't had the chance to use the m2 yet but that's supposed to even betyer

Really happy with my Code HM Mast, I also had no issues on my Unifoil Katana but it was a tad draggy.Other mast I'd strongly consider is the NoLimitzV2

Weight is not really the big saving factor in going to UHM masts it is the stiffness that is the real winner.

Here is our UHM mast that is only $1500 Aussie and also comes with an Aussie-made cover that fits the fuse and tail wings plus free freight!! This mast fits on our ONE gear but is also compatible with any Axis fuses. So really a UHM mast that is cheaper than most HM masts.
www.oneoceansportsaustralia.com/one-foils/hm-foil-mast

can see how 4k could produce a mast twice as good the armstrong mast which to me is still as good as it gets.

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Foily said..
Lift x2 mast is great, haven't had the chance to use the m2 yet but that's supposed to even betyer

It was a great bang for the buck, until it started cracking around the base plate. Customer service on the warranty was absolutely top notch though. Was $850usd for a HM mast but they only kept it around for six months and now the new one is nearly double the price (but now 15mm x 120? not sure on the chord).

I can't say I felt ANY drag difference between it (being 17mm x 123) and an Axis 19mm alu (19mm x 120) with a Foilparts.com Lift doodad unfortunately. Liked the ride of the carbon better, the Axis 19mm while the best bargain in the mast game is almost too stiff

I put the returned monies from Lift into a V2 No Limitz and am very happy so far. It's actually a couple $100+ cheaper than the new M2 Lift mast and potentially universal if you get the Takuma foot.

That "ONE" mast looks like the best bang carbon option for an Axis only setup.

You can also pick up used Cedrus original carbon masts now around $500usd. They're even stiffer than the Axis 19mm and considerably lighter with a similar profile.

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Alysum said..
Best bang mast is an aluminium mast...

Ha! Indeed true. I forgot to include 'carbon' in the post. Who does a good alu mast that doesn't leak or have a doodad?

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paul.j said..
Weight is not really the big saving factor in going to UHM masts it is the stiffness that is the real winner.

Here is our UHM mast that is only $1500 Aussie and also comes with an Aussie-made cover that fits the fuse and tail wings plus free freight!! This mast fits on our ONE gear but is also compatible with any Axis fuses. So really a UHM mast that is cheaper than most HM masts.
www.oneoceansportsaustralia.com/one-foils/hm-foil-mast

This is definitely far better than 4k. Anyone had any experience with these one masts?

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stevet73 said..

Alysum said..
Best bang mast is an aluminium mast...

Ha! Indeed true. I forgot to include 'carbon' in the post. Who does a good alu mast that doesn't leak or have a doodad?

paul.j said..
Weight is not really the big saving factor in going to UHM masts it is the stiffness that is the real winner.

Here is our UHM mast that is only $1500 Aussie and also comes with an Aussie-made cover that fits the fuse and tail wings plus free freight!! This mast fits on our ONE gear but is also compatible with any Axis fuses. So really a UHM mast that is cheaper than most HM masts.
www.oneoceansportsaustralia.com/one-foils/hm-foil-mast

This is definitely far better than 4k. Anyone had any experience with these one masts?

I will see if I can get a few of the guys I know who have one to do a review or jump on here if they have accounts and give their thoughts.

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paul.j said..

stevet73 said..

Alysum said..
Best bang mast is an aluminium mast...

Ha! Indeed true. I forgot to include 'carbon' in the post. Who does a good alu mast that doesn't leak or have a doodad?

paul.j said..
Weight is not really the big saving factor in going to UHM masts it is the stiffness that is the real winner.

Here is our UHM mast that is only $1500 Aussie and also comes with an Aussie-made cover that fits the fuse and tail wings plus free freight!! This mast fits on our ONE gear but is also compatible with any Axis fuses. So really a UHM mast that is cheaper than most HM masts.
www.oneoceansportsaustralia.com/one-foils/hm-foil-mast

This is definitely far better than 4k. Anyone had any experience with these one masts?

I will see if I can get a few of the guys I know who have one to do a review or jump on here if they have accounts and give their thoughts.

You have me very interested in your mast

I have a one UHM carbon mast, I'm 88kg and I use a ONE SDR1049 wing and the Axis ART 1201 wing with the mast. Its super stiff and the biggest thing I've noticed is the torsional stiffness with the big wings. I've used aluminum mast with the same wings and you can really feel the difference in the speed and just the liveliness of the carbon over the dead feel of the Aluminum just makes you want to ride faster.

It depends what your front wing is. When I was riding the 1210 the cedrus aluminum was GREAT! I owned both the carbon and aluminum for a bit and ended up gettting rid of the carbon one because I could barely tell the difference.

that being said I wouldn't want to ride that mast for a sub 1000 sq cm wing.

Stringy just released an axis to code adaptor. I think this makes the Axis HM or ONE mast pretty appealing and universal.

www.jimstringfellow.com/products/axis-mast-to-code-fuselage-adapter

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baldy123 said..
Stringy just released an axis to code adaptor. I think this makes the Axis HM or ONE mast pretty appealing and universal.

www.jimstringfellow.com/products/axis-mast-to-code-fuselage-adapter

Good intel, thanks! Just ordered one.

Shoving that little piece of aluminum into a fully carbon setup is going to be a corrosion nightmare that is going to chew up the precision of that coder wing connection. At the end of the day that's why I left the Cedrus system. Either you leave the foil assembled and the adapters corrode inside the fittings or you disassemble, prematurely wearing your the carbon side of your connections.

I feel like the universal masts are a great way to try something new without fully committing but your going to ultimately be better off on the native system long term (for anything other than Takuma LOL!)

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baldy123 said..
Stringy just released an axis to code adaptor. I think this makes the Axis HM or ONE mast pretty appealing and universal.

www.jimstringfellow.com/products/axis-mast-to-code-fuselage-adapter

That adaptor won't work w/ the HM, only works with the axis all mast, replaces the axis "doodad".

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Holoholo said..
That adaptor won't work w/ the HM, only works with the axis all mast, replaces the axis "doodad".

On his Insta pic about it he replies to a question asking whether it will work with the axis carbon masts - his answer is "yes". Looks like it fits on the outside of the doodad for Ali, not that it replaces the doodad. So would assume it just fits around the outside of the carbon mast as well. Could be wrong just my observation and what his comment says.

Big ooops, my bad- you're right!

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baldy123 said..
Stringy just released an axis to code adaptor. I think this makes the Axis HM or ONE mast pretty appealing and universal.

www.jimstringfellow.com/products/axis-mast-to-code-fuselage-adapter

I ordered a couple a few days ago(before they were on the website) so should have one soon.
I just have to decided what Code foils to get.
The thing is the adaptor is another link in the chain so to speak and the Code guys have done such a good job with the design of the their set up that it probably deserves to kept all Code.
I spent so much on my HM Axis mast already though and it was a game changer with bigger foils.

@ Paul J

the One carbon mast looks great. I would like to know if you have done any testing on it that you could show us? Can you offer any comparisons to the Axis high modulus mast or Ali mast? The One mast is 1.5mm thinner and its narrower at its minimum chord ( not sure how much exactly) so it should be faster/ more efficient than the Axis high mod. How does it compare in torsional and bending stiffness?
Also in your vid you mentioned the overall length of the setup from top of the base plate to the bottom of the fuse is 84cm. Is that the same/ longer/ shorter than the Axis 820mm mast?
Sorry for all the questions just quite interested in the mast and thought its better to ask on here so everyone can get the info. Definitely deserves its own thread.

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Youngbreezy said..
@ Paul J

the One carbon mast looks great. I would like to know if you have done any testing on it that you could show us? Can you offer any comparisons to the Axis high modulus mast or Ali mast? The One mast is 1.5mm thinner and its narrower at its minimum chord ( not sure how much exactly) so it should be faster/ more efficient than the Axis high mod. How does it compare in torsional and bending stiffness?
Also in your vid you mentioned the overall length of the setup from top of the base plate to the bottom of the fuse is 84cm. Is that the same/ longer/ shorter than the Axis 820mm mast?
Sorry for all the questions just quite interested in the mast and thought its better to ask on here so everyone can get the info. Definitely deserves its own thread.

Hey mate, no real numbers testing sorry just all by feel(old school and low budget). you can feel straight away its way stiffer than say the HM Axis mas just by giving it a wiggle on the beach when they are next to each other and the torsional flex is way way stiffer on the ONE mast. No numbers as I say but very obvious even by the feel.
From what I know the ONE mast is .5mm thinner than the new UHM axis mast but they have the dogleg so hard to say overall between these two masts and I have not seen one of their new mast so don't want to speculate. It is definitely thinner in all ways than the standard HM
I jump back on the 19mm Alloy mast from time to time just with all the wing testing we have been doing or if I swap someone while on the water and the Alloy mast feels ok but just a bit dull and I just seem to ride way slower on the alloy mast. When I jump back on the UHM mast everything for me just comes alive and it just makes you want to ride faster.
Length yes if measured like Axis measure it would be 84cm or I like to say 80cm of wetted surface area on my scale. We found this a good one-size mast for pretty much everything so a good one to release first.

We will do some real numbers testing once we get the rest of the foil set 100%(Fuse and tail wings) sorted and we can free up a little time after Xmas.

The other thing I will mention is the price as I get asked a lot why is it so much cheaper and it's simple, In Aus we now just deal mostly directly so we just put most of the extra margin back into the product and are able to reduce the costs at the retail side. Most guys when they have gone direct over the years usually just buy cheap and sell cheap and still try to make a good margin for us we are just trying something a bit different these days and trying to make the best product we can while keeping the sport as affordable as possible. If it works on our side and we get the numbers over time we can keep the prices low and hopefully give a good affordable high-end product. Really the UHM mast should be mid $2000's at least.

Always happy to answer any questions so feel free to ask away!

Hey Paul J,

Thanks for the reply sounds pretty sweet. Definitely like your approach and I have had a few one boards over the years which I have been very happy with. Very good solid construction.

I asked on the Axis FB group and apparently the Axis 820mm mast, when measured from the top of the baseplate to the bottom of the fuse, is 840mm for the Ali and 822mm for the Power/ High mod carbon version.

Might have to ask Santa if he can bring me a new Ultra high carbon mast

I think this is a hard question to answer, because everyone values different things and will therefore have a different answer. I wanted to clarify a few things on behalf of Cedrus since the video was shared. Yes it was the most expensive, but it was also the fastest and stiffest. We have worked very hard to make Cedrus not just universal, but actually higher performing than OEM masts.

If you are on a budget, and define "bang for the buck" in terms of $ spent/foiling obviously you cannot beat a good aluminum mast. A nice aluminum mast like Axis 19mm or the Cedrus aluminum are just as stiff as many expensive carbon masts, at 1/4 the cost. If being compatible, universal is valuable to you, then the Cedrus would be a better option than Axis, but it is more expensive. If you like Axis foils (we do!) then no need for a Cedrus. Simple.

If you value lower drag, or more stiffness, or ventilation resistance, then moving to carbon makes sense, at a high cost. But make sure you get a mast with good design that IS actually less draggy, and/or stiffer, less prone to ventilation. Don't just assume more $$ = better. A lot of these carbon masts with long chord lengths have a lot of drag, especially when ridden low in the water. They are also quite heavy, if that matters to you. I believe we have reached a point in the industry where masts should be discipline-specific. Just like you have high speed foils and low-speed, a mast can be optimized too. A high speed race mast is not going to be good in the surf. So make sure you understand what you are looking for in a mast. Is it speed? Glide? Stiffness? Weight? Those are all competing objectives, which is why we offer two different masts now.

As for corrosion, when cared for, Cedrus can last a lifetime. If you do live on the beach and like to leave your foil assembled on your porch, then mixing aluminum/carbon can promote corrosion. But as long as you remove the carbon fuselage from the mast/adapter when not in use, corrosion cannot occur with the mast. It's really simple. So if you drive to the beach with your foil dis-assembled, it's really no different from any other mast. We have less than 1% warranty rate over 7 years of production, and can easily repair masts. So if you value TIME, buying one mast over a 5 year period is a lot of value / "bang for the buck." Many of our Evolution Launch customers have been riding the Classic for 2-5 years now, while many others may have bought 3-5 masts in that timeframe.

In closing, I would also be very careful with 3rd party adapters that connect to masts via M6 hardware. We have been designing/making/supporting adapters since 2018. The only lost foils we've ever seen are those which couple to the fuselage with M6 hardware (projectcedrus.com/general/hardware/). We've never had any lost foils due to the adapter. The new Evolution masts use not only M8 hardware, but additional 10mm stainless pins to further manage the loads and provide a stiffer interface.

Any owner of the One Ocean Sports UHM mast who could do a quick review? I'm looking for a good, decently priced carbon mast for my axis foils that would be a real upgrade from my 19 mm alu masts.

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soopadrien said..
Any owner of the One Ocean Sports UHM mast who could do a quick review? I'm looking for a good, decently priced carbon mast for my axis foils that would be a real upgrade from my 19 mm alu masts.

There are a few more of these masts out there now so I am sure a few might reply here, a bunch of the new 78cm masts are also out now as well so hopefully get a few replies on that mast as well.

Here is a vid I shot a little while ago, I got a little side tracked while filming but kind of get there in the end.

?si=5bHGJWdi2vBnNlgg

if code and armstrong can do a HM mast for 2K and Paulnst one can do it for 1500, then one wonders why axis need to make one that costs 4k retail - i'm sure it's awesome but as i said before is it twice as good as the others. I doubt it very much.

I have one of the new 78cm UHM One Ocean masts and have used it for about 6 sessions so far. (SUP, prone and downwind).

It's excellent. It's directly compatible with axis gear without any adapter. The mast to fuse connection is really tight, feels very solid. No problems handling the axis 1201.

It's by far the best value mast out there. $1499 inc delivery and comes with a great cover.

Hi there, I am not sponsored by ONE but have known Jacko and Ange for a long while now. I have used ONE products in the past and I find them strong and they tend to last a long time. I have the ONE UHM mast. If I am totally honest, I wasnt necessarily convinced I needed a carbon mast. My thoughts were that with my lack of skill I simply wouldnt notice the difference, but I ended up settling on the ONE mast (84cm). When I ordered it, it turned up and it looked awesome. The finish on it was first rate and once again, I was a bit suprised by how nice it looked. I liked the fact that you could fit it wit AXIS stuff, that was another thing that was on its side (did I mention I am a bit cheap). I should also point out that I am a bigger guy, 103kg and I have trialed a couple of carbon masts in the past that flexed like a MF and made me think that I was better off just staying on the 19mm Alloy from AXIS. This mast gets used a lot with my 1401 and now my 1180. I can feel no flex, it's super stiff and the connection to the wing is great. I am now thinking of getting the shorter mast (78cm) to use for proning and for foil drive usage. They are half the price of most on the market and have a quality standard that out paces most.

This thread got me excited for alternative carbon options However the 19 mm aluminum works great with small foils.
I recently bought the Axis Fireball 1070. I'm in Northern California surfing bigger nastier conditions and typically ride the Axis Carbon 75. I was breaching a fair amount in the bigger chop, both front and tail wing. So I borrowed a friends Ultra High Modulus 90 cm. It solved the breaching problem and worked great. Then he wanted it back for a wing session. I dusted off my axis aluminum 90 cm and .. It too worked great! The hype around the Power carbon was originally related to the bigger wings Axis 1300, 1401 and even the 1201. This was stepped up with the Ultra High modulous. But the fireball is 877 cm, a relatively tiny wing. In the energy I'm riding the drag (if much) is not noticeable and it's plenty stiff for blasting down bigger takeoffs, pumping and traversing open ocean swell.
It's back to the future and you can spend your money on foils.

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Beasho said..
This thread got me excited for alternative carbon options However the 19 mm aluminum works great with small foils.
I recently bought the Axis Fireball 1070. I'm in Northern California surfing bigger nastier conditions and typically ride the Axis Carbon 75. I was breaching a fair amount in the bigger chop, both front and tail wing. So I borrowed a friends Ultra High Modulus 90 cm. It solved the breaching problem and worked great. Then he wanted it back for a wing session. I dusted off my axis aluminum 90 cm and .. It too worked great! The hype around the Power carbon was originally related to the bigger wings Axis 1300, 1401 and even the 1201. This was stepped up with the Ultra High modulous. But the fireball is 877 cm, a relatively tiny wing. In the energy I'm riding the drag (if much) is not noticeable and it's plenty stiff for blasting down bigger takeoffs, pumping and traversing open ocean swell.
It's back to the future and you can spend your money on foils.

How you finding that fireball? Looked the goods when shannon was riding it over here.