I bought the North Speedster Foil and the shorter Fanatic Mast 650 and SUP Fanatic Front wing, so I can use it for Kite Foiling and SUP Foiling.
I choose this brand over other foils due to, weight: (lighter then the Slingshot and Naish Foils) and the parts are interchangeable, as I have learned to kite foil with the shorter Fanatic SUP mast which is great for shallow water, although have now progressed to the longer mast for Kite Foiling which I think is easier on a kite in deep water as there is less chance of breaching the front wing (still need to work on gybes).

I am now learning to SUP foil which is even harder then kite foiling as you don't have the kite to help you balance, you can use the paddle a bit for balance. I can foil the board OK across crumbly unbroken waves and pump it straight on a slight remaining unbroken swell as the wave which goes into a hole. The waves are beach breaks (just over knee high so its deep enough - over waist is too big) where the waves just crumbles onto a sand bar then goes into a hole. I have tried it when the waves don't go into hole and slightly steeper and bigger, it's just scary, you wipe out and the foil hits you, better to ride with out the foil and have fins.

What I can't do on this foil is do a slow cutback then change direction back going on the wave again, once I start turning I just keep turning and can't turn back. The whole time while I'm on the foil it's just like balancing on a knife edge with me waiting to accidentally ride too high and breach the wing then the noose dive, unless perfectly balanced.

A few time I have been able to pull off the waves while foiling and head out the back, but I immediately drop off the foil when heading out the back, even when I try pumping it. It may be just technique which I don't have.

However, as every knows you should blame your equipment first for your lack of skill. For now I can only blame my equipment since I can not do what Kia Lenny can do on his foil, as I haven't seen any you tube video of anyone foiling on a fanatic foil. So far I have only seen the Fanatic promotion SUP foil video, which I think if you film me over all my SUP foiling Session and picked the best waves I would be better. Problem is it's just too hard to capture yourself surfing unless you have a camera crew. Or lots of time to setup expensive camera equipment which I don't have.

Anyway I think the foil is very well built, the mast maybe a bit heavy but maybe it's needed for strength. I attached the foil to a 8 foot pro vex 2 surfboard warehouse carbon SUP, which works OK I think, and can get up on the foil and foil if perfectly balanced on a very small open face waves. I haven't tried any other foils or boards so can't tell if its a good foil or not, it works but not sure how well.

Was wondering if anyone else has the fanatic SUP foil and if they can foil like the pros eg do a slow cutback and pump back out the back?

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mathomm said..
What I can't do on this foil is do a slow cutback then change direction back going on the wave again, once I start turning I just keep turning and can't turn back.

It may be that you are trying to turn like in surfing or kitefoiling, by banking hard the board into a turn, applying too much power.
Piloting a foil is different than surfing a board, it is more subtle and controlled. There is no "push back" from the water in manoeuvers, you have to provide all the actions yourself. I guess you will have to learn to do things more gently. I had the same problem at first, but using straps helped a lot, as it is easy to force direction changes, and thus ending a turn and entering another. Without straps, I guess you will just have to enter the turns more slowly.

Also what helps a lot is keeping your foil at a constant height on the wave face when turning. It is very hard to manage the mandatory changes in angle of the foil to keep it parallel to the water face on different parts of the wave during a turn.

"the mast maybe a bit heavy but maybe it's needed for strength", yes, a strong mast in very important. For instance, it seems from posts in the Zone that there is currently a shortage of spare aluminium SUP foil masts in the US (people bend them a lot), even though most aluminium masts are compatible between brands.

Don't worry about the pumping now. It is actually very hard. Just try to pump at the end of the rides to lengthen them, focusing on feeling the wing gliding smoothly forwards on the down movement of the pump rather than brute forcing it. With practice, you will learn to detect when the wing is working efficiently during pumping, and will be able to pump longer and longer.
Actually, it is the same as pumping in tight carving turns with surfing (as opposed to the huntington hop): that's not something a beginner should bother trying, you need more experience.

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colas said..

mathomm said..
What I can't do on this foil is do a slow cutback then change direction back going on the wave again, once I start turning I just keep turning and can't turn back.

It may be that you are trying to turn like in surfing or kitefoiling, by banking hard the board into a turn, applying too much power.
Piloting a foil is different than surfing a board, it is more subtle and controlled. There is no "push back" from the water in manoeuvers, you have to provide all the actions yourself. I guess you will have to learn to do things more gently. I had the same problem at first, but using straps helped a lot, as it is easy to force direction changes, and thus ending a turn and entering another. Without straps, I guess you will just have to enter the turns more slowly.

Also what helps a lot is keeping your foil at a constant height on the wave face when turning. It is very hard to manage the mandatory changes in angle of the foil to keep it parallel to the water face on different parts of the wave during a turn.

"the mast maybe a bit heavy but maybe it's needed for strength", yes, a strong mast in very important. For instance, it seems from posts in the Zone that there is currently a shortage of spare aluminium SUP foil masts in the US (people bend them a lot), even though most aluminium masts are compatible between brands.

Don't worry about the pumping now. It is actually very hard. Just try to pump at the end of the rides to lengthen them, focusing on feeling the wing gliding smoothly forwards on the down movement of the pump rather than brute forcing it. With practice, you will learn to detect when the wing is working efficiently during pumping, and will be able to pump longer and longer.
Actually, it is the same as pumping in tight carving turns with surfing (as opposed to the huntington hop): that's not something a beginner should bother trying, you need more experience.

From what I hear from a number of people now is the fanatic has quite a lot of flex in the hole things, this will not help at all when it comes to turning as you will have to compensate for the flex initially and then as it starts to bed/twist the other way compensate for that. I have not tried the fanatic but I have used other flexi setups and that it what I have noticed.

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charlieuk said..
a lot of flex in the hole things, this will not help at all when it comes to turning

I never tried the Fanatic, nor have heard about it, but I confirm: any kind of flex in the foil setup makes things extremely hard. I experienced it with loose screws and it was not fun at all.

When i read some details about the technology Fanatic is using, short cut carbonfiber filled compund, i was wondering how they will provide an appropiate stiffness compared to classic carbon contruction.
Seems like they have some homework to do.
Alex

The Fanatic does flex heaps not just the mast but the fuselage epescially with the big Sup wing on. (Big issue ) the connection point for the wing to the fuselage is way to small . As Alex mentioned above carbon plastic injected fuselage is also flexing as well. Not so bad with the North Speedster wing. Fanatic stayed with high aspect front wing trying to maintain low aspect features. This is what you are feeling in the turns it's very flat and narrow , hard to control in turns plus lacks that bite in the pump. Having said that it still turns and pumps just a harder foil to learn on. Don't lean it over hard in the turns just guide it around , it will come with practice . It's a really big wing don't expect it to carve like much smaller wings.

The proto front wing we tested was great and we gave thumbs up but the production wing that came out was completely different. The Speedster I still really like for kiting and is a great Wake Foiler for behind the boat it carves amazing turns.