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hilly said..
You tell them at order what it is for and you get a fitting for your intended use. For Armstrong you might need 2 fittings if you want to efoil and use it for a boost to get onto a swell.

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baldy123 said..
The Armstrong tapered mast is a pain for pod placement. You would definitely need two size of pods to suit e-assist and e-foil mode with armstrong.

was wondering about ordering extra pod that is closer to the size of lower mast section but since it is unlikely to fit perfectly i might as well mold a spacer or just wrap rubber or tape. maybe bike handlebar tape?

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Youngbreezy said..
The whole family can use it and it's way cheaper than a normal e foil, your actually saving money really. Or at least that's what I'll tell the Mrs

i went with the safety angle. my wife actually insisted i get one so i don't get lost at sea.

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WHS said..

i went with the safety angle. my wife actually insisted i get one so i don't get lost at sea.

Genius! The safety angle gets them every time!

Hi. Do you reckon a Foil Assist (non Plus model) would allow a 40kg child (on appropriate board and wing) to continuously foil on flat water?

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Jimm said..
Hi. Do you reckon a Foil Assist (non Plus model) would allow a 40kg child (on appropriate board and wing) to continuously foil on flat water?

Yes but the length of time would be limited to the battery:-)

The Standard FD does not have external cooling therefore the ESC will overheat and go into limp mode with continued use. eFoils are a food blender at the end of a long stick, use with caution.

I am going to order a FD plus!!
Because shipping to Europe is very expensive I have to make sure that I order the right stuff.
Should I just get the alu propeller, no spares?
I am planning to get the biggest and the smallest battery.
I don't want to Efoil so I am getting a 900mm cable, or should I get a longer cable in case I change my mind?

Mine shipped
I got 900mm and Ali prop will let you know how it goes in a week.

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Camarillo said..
I am planning to get the biggest and the smallest battery.
I don't want to Efoil so I am getting a 900mm cable, or should I get a longer cable in case I change my mind?

Pretty sure Efoiling with the assist plus will get boring pretty quick but I ordered 1250mm cable just to see how it works. Even if it's only fun for like 5-10 sessions it will be worth it. Plus be a great set-up for my daughter or beginners to learn to foil. Don't see the down side.

I think the small battery is a good idea and I kinda regret not getting one. Have a friend that is going to want an assist as soon as he tries mine so maybe order one then depending on how much of the full battery I'm using.

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WHS said..

Camarillo said..
I am planning to get the biggest and the smallest battery.
I don't want to Efoil so I am getting a 900mm cable, or should I get a longer cable in case I change my mind?

Pretty sure Efoiling with the assist plus will get boring pretty quick but I ordered 1250mm cable just to see how it works. Even if it's only fun for like 5-10 sessions it will be worth it. Plus be a great set-up for my daughter or beginners to learn to foil. Don't see the down side.

I think the small battery is a good idea and I kinda regret not getting one. Have a friend that is going to want an assist as soon as he tries mine so maybe order one then depending on how much of the full battery I'm using.

The boring aspect of the efoiling is true if you only did that in a session, but there are some uses where it has made it super fun.

- Learning to ride switch by efoiling on your bad side
- Efoil out to your surf break, then use the foil drive just to get into waves
- Efoil out of the surf break area after a wave
- Efoil then release trigger and practice pumping
- Wind dies down, luff the wing and efoil

- Haven't tried yet but thinking about practicing foot switches while flying too

Anyway - there's always something new I'm finding that is more accessible thanks to the foil drive.

I have 2 batteries for the original assist which has been nice so I ordered two with the Plus.

Received Foil Drive Assist Plus last Sunday. I ride Axis however have a carbon mast. Putting the motor onto the mast I could tell straight away that it would not fit as the Ali and Carbon masts have different profiles so I bought an Ali mast which fits like it should. The Youtube video on setup was most helpful for me in setting up. Glad to have bought the new mast as the Foil Drive team say don't use too much tension on the screws.

After charging the handpiece and the battery I went out for a session to try. There were a few wingers out in marginal winds. I tried the handpiece on the lower hand position on the paddle and this was not right. So I ditched the paddle and just used the hand controller. I was using a hps 980 with around 1300cm2 area and a Sunova 6'4" Aviator (I am around 85kgs wet) with the motor about 25cm down the mast. On full power and a bit of forward weight the board lifted onto the plane. I efoiled for around 15 to 20 minutes using 60% power. The Aviator is a good machine for this as it just bounces off the water without slowing down. I had to fly pretty low to stop the propeller ventilating. All good, just where to mount the controller the only issue. People on the beach said I was going quite fast - faster than the wingers.

Next time was on flattish water but with the wind from 15 to 25 knots. Mounted the controller at the top right of the paddle and used the thumb to pull the trigger. Much harder to get up, but the conditions were not friendly. On down wind runs the wind swell was too close slowing the board down and took longer to get up. Used 50% battery.

Today the water was flat with light wind. mounted the controller on the paddle on the top left hand side. As it can easily fall out (unless I stuffed up) I had it just under the top of the paddle handle where it could not fall out. It was a little funny to use (with the right hand mount) but this was the best so far. I used 40% battery in the next 20 minutes or so. Just practised paddling and low power in to the wind and the turned downwind to efoil. Came in with 8% remaining.

I went to Standup shop in North Freo and have borrowed a 1050 foil. Will try this in the morning to compare foils. Not sure of the area but is is quite a bit bigger with a thicker profile.

So far I am happy. The controller is the only niggle I have but that will be sorted with time and practise. I know one other person here with the standard foil drive. He uses his 95l wing board without a paddle. This is easily do able and the paddle is just another complication. He thinks the hand strap for this is not too strong and has changed his. I will keep this in mind. Looking forward to the lighter winter days to get out on the ocean.

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MokesMax said..
The boring aspect of the efoiling is true if you only did that in a session, but there are some uses where it has made it super fun.

Mokes I guess I should have said even if it gets boring it's still worth getting a longer cable to be able to use as an efoil for me. I'm on Lake Tahoe which is a very clear alpine lake which makes just cruising on a glassy morning fun. I expect if I have success using as an assist DW in the middle of the lake that will be much more exciting and a better use of the Foil drive plus! I agree about how many uses it potentially has for developing skills.

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WHS said..

MokesMax said..
The boring aspect of the efoiling is true if you only did that in a session, but there are some uses where it has made it super fun.

Mokes I guess I should have said even if it gets boring it's still worth getting a longer cable to be able to use as an efoil for me. I'm on Lake Tahoe which is a very clear alpine lake which makes just cruising on a glassy morning fun. I expect if I have success using as an assist DW in the middle of the lake that will be much more exciting and a better use of the Foil drive plus! I agree about how many uses it potentially has for developing skills.

Oh yeah - good call, sounds like fun on the lake. 5mm wetsuit or just always stay dry! Take some video around emerald bay - that would be a dream place to foil

Anybody know the gauge of the power wires on the FD Plus. I want to know the voltage drop for the different wire lengths?

I've only used it once but my 88kgs needed 90% to stay in flight. I was wondering how much power my longer cable is adding to resistance.

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Fishdude said..
Anybody know the gauge of the power wires on the FD Plus. I want to know the voltage drop for the different wire lengths?

I've only used it once but my 88kgs needed 90% to stay in flight. I was wondering how much power my longer cable is adding to resistance.

What foil did you use?
And how long is your cable?

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Fishdude said..
I was wondering how much power my longer cable is adding to resistance.

I asked Foildrive and they said that they limit the length to keep any falloff from occurring. Not sure when the length would start creating resistance but sounds like an extra 35cm (for efoiling) doesn't have an effect.

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Camarillo said..

Fishdude said..
Anybody know the gauge of the power wires on the FD Plus. I want to know the voltage drop for the different wire lengths?

I've only used it once but my 88kgs needed 90% to stay in flight. I was wondering how much power my longer cable is adding to resistance.

What foil did you use?
And how long is your cable?

I used a Gong Fluid XL 1500cm and a X-over med stab. Then tried a 2000cm Curve XLT.

I did quickly find out that my mast needs needs some shims because getting flying was more of a struggle than it should have been. I never noticed the boards tail rocker before now. So I'll shim it put on a fast stab before next go round see if something changes.

It looks like the wire is 14 guage and best I can tell the amp draw looks like 12amps, so voltage drop does not look to be significant at all at these lengths.

Just received FD plus! Can't wait to try it.

These guys are reading my mind when it comes to development. They just came out with a Small Battery Parallel "Y Lead" so you can get 2 small batterys and use as med. Even better if you could also use 2 med to make a large. The Efoil guys on the other hand are heading in the wrong direction for me. Think they're hanging out on too many yachts. Would like to see a future FD option for internal wiring in mast even if it took some DIY. I have a feeling I'm not going to want to take it off. Stoked!

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WHS said..
Just received FD plus! Can't wait to try it.

These guys are reading my mind when it comes to development. They just came out with a Small Battery Parallel "Y Lead" so you can get 2 small batterys and use as med. Even better if you could also use 2 med to make a large. The Efoil guys on the other hand are heading in the wrong direction for me. Think they're hanging out on too many yachts. Would like to see a future FD option for internal wiring in mast even if it took some DIY. I have a feeling I'm not going to want to take it off. Stoked!

Still waiting 18 days in freight so far. But we have progress, it is 100 ks away in another depot. Dangerous goods freight is so tedious it seems to take a week to get to the next stop
Touch wood this week

Mine took weeks in freight too.

Yah! Box here

Attaching the controller to the paddle is the only issue. Supplied holster needs insulation tape to stop it falling out so why not use insulation tape only? Any good hacks out there? Supplied float/safety looks pathetic.

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hilly said..
Attaching the controller to the paddle is the only issue. Supplied holster needs insulation tape to stop it falling out so why not use insulation tape only? Any good hacks out there? Supplied float/safety looks pathetic.

Hi Andrew
Just use gaffa plastic tape to hold it all together because the screw/bolts will eventually fail after time/the whole plastic grip will fail/break because of the force & pressure over time (I have gone through two hand controller mounts that just crumbled to pieces) so I just tape the plastic holster to the shaft so I can still slide the hand controller in & out to recharge it when needed, also it is a much better/closer fit & also a bit flexible (in case of any knocks etc) doing it my way:-)

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Johndesu said..

hilly said..
Attaching the controller to the paddle is the only issue. Supplied holster needs insulation tape to stop it falling out so why not use insulation tape only? Any good hacks out there? Supplied float/safety looks pathetic.

Hi Andrew
Just use gaffa plastic tape to hold it all together because the screw/bolts will eventually fail after time/the whole plastic grip will fail/break because of the force & pressure over time (I have gone through two hand controller mounts that just crumbled to pieces) so I just tape the plastic holster to the shaft so I can still slide the hand controller in & out to recharge it when needed, also it is a much better/closer fit & also a bit flexible (in case of any knocks etc) doing it my way:-)

How do you stop it from falling out?
I have it bottom hand so it points down and will fall out of the holster.

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hilly said..

Johndesu said..

hilly said..
Attaching the controller to the paddle is the only issue. Supplied holster needs insulation tape to stop it falling out so why not use insulation tape only? Any good hacks out there? Supplied float/safety looks pathetic.

Hi Andrew
Just use gaffa plastic tape to hold it all together because the screw/bolts will eventually fail after time/the whole plastic grip will fail/break because of the force & pressure over time (I have gone through two hand controller mounts that just crumbled to pieces) so I just tape the plastic holster to the shaft so I can still slide the hand controller in & out to recharge it when needed, also it is a much better/closer fit & also a bit flexible (in case of any knocks etc) doing it my way:-)

How do you stop it from falling out?
I have it bottom hand so it points down and will fall out of the holster.

The controller is a friction/pressure fit in the holster and shouldn't fall out when inverted

Mine does. Tried it both ways, one way goes in further but still falls out.

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hilly said..
Mine does. Tried it both ways, one way goes in further but still falls out.

I attached a string as loop on the bottom on the controller. Then the loop the string goes through to one of the screw which from the holster. Its okay.

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hilly said..
Mine does. Tried it both ways, one way goes in further but still falls out.

Easy as just use the little grey rubber worm that was supplied, watch the utube video from the guy in Hawaii (he has a European accent) Foil Drive Tips I think (not the English guy:-)

Received my Plus yesterday!
Having owned the original FD I wanted a bit more grunt as I'm 90kg and want to efoil in both stances, natural and goofy, to speed up my learning curve winging my SUP board.
I also want the ability to flat water efoil as my parents have a lakefront home and when it's glassy on the lake it would be so awesome to go for a 20 minute foil. I might also be able to get my wife and adult children to try riding the efoil (throttle limit function will be perfect)
I also wanted to be able to run a smaller front wing in the surf to catch fatty waves further out
So today I did some experimentation with my 3 GF wings, M280, M200 and GT1250

I won't bore you with all the videos I tried to take from the end of the wharf on my phone, but I'll put a few in for reference

Outcome of today's initial session are:

Mast all the way forward - way too much lift even with my stance as far forward on the board as possible
GoFoils work best for me in the rearward track positions.

M280 - no need to paddle, just pull the trigger and get up and go cruising, I managed to sneak a look at my controller whilst up on foil and 80% is enough to keep my up

M200 - maybe a paddle stroke or two to get up and definitely need to keep the power above 80% to stay up

GT1250 - definitely need some paddle strokes to get up and pretty close to full throttle to stay up

All the above is on dead flat water, no bumps, no wind

New cruise function - preset at 36% so just 3 quick taps on the cruise trigger to engage. This feature is simply awesome. No more squinting in the sun or having the cruise speed vary wildly when you hit bumps or chop.

Main battery readout on controller - another awesome feature. Previously I would have to wait until I fell off (so not very long then) so I could look at the battery level in the box before I climbed back on the board

Thanks to Paul and Ben for such an awesome product and outstanding support

If you thought just pulling up at the beach/lake/river with any type of foilboard gets the general public asking questions, wait till you have to explain the electric motor on the mast ??

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camerongraham said..
Received my Plus yesterday!
Having owned the original FD I wanted a bit more grunt as I'm 90kg and want to efoil in both stances, natural and goofy, to speed up my learning curve winging my SUP board.
I also want the ability to flat water efoil as my parents have a lakefront home and when it's glassy on the lake it would be so awesome to go for a 20 minute foil. I might also be able to get my wife and adult children to try riding the efoil (throttle limit function will be perfect)
I also wanted to be able to run a smaller front wing in the surf to catch fatty waves further out
So today I did some experimentation with my 3 GF wings, M280, M200 and GT1250

I won't bore you with all the videos I tried to take from the end of the wharf on my phone, but I'll put a few in for reference

Outcome of today's initial session are:

Mast all the way forward - way too much lift even with my stance as far forward on the board as possible
GoFoils work best for me in the rearward track positions.

M280 - no need to paddle, just pull the trigger and get up and go cruising, I managed to sneak a look at my controller whilst up on foil and 80% is enough to keep my up

M200 - maybe a paddle stroke or two to get up and definitely need to keep the power above 80% to stay up

GT1250 - definitely need some paddle strokes to get up and pretty close to full throttle to stay up

All the above is on dead flat water, no bumps, no wind

New cruise function - preset at 36% so just 3 quick taps on the cruise trigger to engage. This feature is simply awesome. No more squinting in the sun or having the cruise speed vary wildly when you hit bumps or chop.

Main battery readout on controller - another awesome feature. Previously I would have to wait until I fell off (so not very long then) so I could look at the battery level in the box before I climbed back on the board

Thanks to Paul and Ben for such an awesome product and outstanding support

If you thought just pulling up at the beach/lake/river with any type of foilboard gets the general public asking questions, wait till you have to explain the electric motor on the mast ??

Sounds good but just cover everything with a towel till you are ready to hit the water (thats what I do;-)
Also do you use the Foil Drive on a Kalama board? & what size? & how does it go compare to other boards etc?:-)