I'm thinking of buying AFS full carbon windfoiling foil for general freeride any comments and advice be appreciated

The AFS foils used to be a great all-round foil with a wide wind range. Then the fuselages got a bit longer and required a bit of tuning with the stab angles. Still a nice foil that you can leave assembled for many months without worrying about corrosion. I still have the 95/95 with the dismountable fuselage which I use when I travel places by plane.

I guess with the explosion of winging AFS are not developing their foils for windfoiling now ,what wing and stab do you ride

In 2021 I bought an AFS 1080 foil with the fixed fuselage and 85cm mast. I think the fuselage was 85cm long. I dont think they have updated it since, could be wrong. Build quality is top notch, although the deep tuttle head was about 1mm too long for the AHD Compact 83 box, so took some sanding back. That shouldnt have been the case, same company. It was fine for learning, and I used up to 8.5m sail on it in lightest winds. As I improved, I found it a bit hairy to ride over 20 knots, although that was with Ezzy Lion 2 cam fin sail. Another local here found the same, once over 20 knots it was hard to keep a steady flight.
I bought a Phantom Z freeride foil, carbon mast and ali fuselage, 100cm long, 2 foils, 1000 & 760cm2 higher aspect than the AFS. These are much more stable, and with the 1000cm2 I dont need 8.5m sail, 7.5m is fine. Build quality is equally as good.

I used to have the whole AFS performance range. now I have the 95mast and 95 fuse with just the 900 front wing and 240 stab.

As I said, it is my traveling foil and I'm not too worried about it running aground. I was in Zanzibar last week with it -

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PhilUK said..
In 2021 I bought an AFS 1080 foil with the fixed fuselage and 85cm mast. I think the fuselage was 85cm long. I dont think they have updated it since, could be wrong. Build quality is top notch, although the deep tuttle head was about 1mm too long for the AHD Compact 83 box, so took some sanding back. That shouldnt have been the case, same company. It was fine for learning, and I used up to 8.5m sail on it in lightest winds. As I improved, I found it a bit hairy to ride over 20 knots, although that was with Ezzy Lion 2 cam fin sail. Another local here found the same, once over 20 knots it was hard to keep a steady flight.
I bought a Phantom Z freeride foil, carbon mast and ali fuselage, 100cm long, 2 foils, 1000 & 760cm2 higher aspect than the AFS. These are much more stable, and with the 1000cm2 I dont need 8.5m sail, 7.5m is fine. Build quality is equally as good.

The 1080/(orig F800) is very rideable in 20+. Until I broke my fuselage getting blown off balance in a 35 kt gust while trying to launch (ie my "crash" was on sand, not water), it was my go-to foil for high wind freeride. Since I had an original 95cm mast which isn't available anymore, I'm just left with tears as the 85 mast, which is fine for lighter winds and all that's available and fits the original F700/800s, isn't deep enough for bridging short period wind chop in bigger conditions. It was my "desert island" foil, I could ride it from about 11-35 kts with 5.4 down. I weigh 62 kg. For comparisons, I also have used Starboard first gen 725,800, 900 and 1000 and now ride Iris X and Spark for more "performance" oriented foiling - I'm still slow. All good foils but the AFS has a special place in my heart.

All the below are stock config - no shims. I think the mast base was approx 105-108 ish from the screw. The AFS is pretty front footed but that makes it great for freeride as you have easily enough pressure to jibe without the nose wanting to dive.

4.0 Conditions


4.7 conditions


5.4

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Paducah said..

PhilUK said..
As I improved, I found it a bit hairy to ride over 20 knots, although that was with Ezzy Lion 2 cam fin sail. Another local here found the same, once over 20 knots it was hard to keep a steady flight.

The 1080/(orig F800) is very rideable in 20+.

I was referring to speed on the GPS (over 20 knots), not wind speed (in 20 knots).
Perhaps I should add I sailed with 6m to 8.5m, in lighter winds. Over 15 knots windspeed I was on the fin.
A lot has changed in foil design in a short time. From what I can see, AFS 1080 setup hasnt. It fits with their strategy of keeping kit the same for many years to keep costs down.

What they did change from the V1 to V2 fuselage, was putting the threaded tab for the bolt on the opposite side of the fuselage. V1 had it in a hole cut and then filled over to keep it in place. That could pull out after a lot of use or a big hit.

Nerdycross didnt say which foil setup he was looking at.

I was looking at the AFS W105.R WCP but I as you state they don't seem to have developed their foils for couple of years unlike Patrick and some others.

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PhilUK said..
In 2021 I bought an AFS 1080 foil with the fixed fuselage and 85cm mast. I think the fuselage was 85cm long. I dont think they have updated it since, could be wrong. Build quality is top notch, although the deep tuttle head was about 1mm too long for the AHD Compact 83 box, so took some sanding back. That shouldnt have been the case, same company. It was fine for learning, and I used up to 8.5m sail on it in lightest winds. As I improved, I found it a bit hairy to ride over 20 knots, although that was with Ezzy Lion 2 cam fin sail. Another local here found the same, once over 20 knots it was hard to keep a steady flight.
I bought a Phantom Z freeride foil, carbon mast and ali fuselage, 100cm long, 2 foils, 1000 & 760cm2 higher aspect than the AFS. These are much more stable, and with the 1000cm2 I dont need 8.5m sail, 7.5m is fine. Build quality is equally as good.

The Phantom Z and looks very interesting, I'll have a serious look at there kit its not a brand I've heard of before.

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PhilUK said..

Paducah said..

PhilUK said..
As I improved, I found it a bit hairy to ride over 20 knots, although that was with Ezzy Lion 2 cam fin sail. Another local here found the same, once over 20 knots it was hard to keep a steady flight.

The 1080/(orig F800) is very rideable in 20+.

I was referring to speed on the GPS (over 20 knots), not wind speed (in 20 knots).
Perhaps I should add I sailed with 6m to 8.5m, in lighter winds. Over 15 knots windspeed I was on the fin.
A lot has changed in foil design in a short time. From what I can see, AFS 1080 setup hasnt. It fits with their strategy of keeping kit the same for many years to keep costs down.

What they did change from the V1 to V2 fuselage, was putting the threaded tab for the bolt on the opposite side of the fuselage. V1 had it in a hole cut and then filled over to keep it in place. That could pull out after a lot of use or a big hit.

Nerdycross didnt say which foil setup he was looking at.

The 1080 was never meant to be a fast wing but faster than a lot of "freeride" wings as it's pretty thin. I think one of the AFS team riders (Julien Bernard maybe?) hit 27 kts on it with a reduced stab angle. I hit the wall around 20 kts on it but speed is not what it's for. The smaller 770 (or whatever the old 800 is) is a couple of knots faster and AFS for a couple of years had a whole set of faster compatible wings.

But, if someone wants to go fast, the newest generation of freerace and race wings are, indeed, a significant step ahead. You'll be faster on them if, for no other reason, your wallet will be significantly lighter.

For messing around with various jibes, sailing relaxed with a no-cam sail, etc. the original AFS freeride wings still do a remarkable job. The 1080 is similar to the SABFoil 799 and Phantasm G800 is planform. I have the Phantasm but haven't ridden it yet so can't say if, in fact, they behave similarly.

Yes, mine was a v1 and the insert did pull out. Part of me wants to try to put them (all three) back in although not sure whether to do that or just repurpose the wings and mast for another foil set.

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Paducah said..




The 1080 was never meant to be a fast wing but faster than a lot of "freeride" wings as it's pretty thin. I think one of the AFS team riders (Julien Bernard maybe?) hit 27 kts on it with a reduced stab angle. I hit the wall around 20 kts on it but speed is not what it's for. The smaller 770 (or whatever the old 800 is) is a couple of knots faster and AFS for a couple of years had a whole set of faster compatible wings.

But, if someone wants to go fast, the newest generation of freerace and race wings are, indeed, a significant step ahead. You'll be faster on them if, for no other reason, your wallet will be significantly lighter.

For messing around with various jibes, sailing relaxed with a no-cam sail, etc. the original AFS freeride wings still do a remarkable job. The 1080 is similar to the SABFoil 799 and Phantasm G800 is planform. I have the Phantasm but haven't ridden it yet so can't say if, in fact, they behave similarly.

Yes, mine was a v1 and the insert did pull out. Part of me wants to try to put them (all three) back in although not sure whether to do that or just repurpose the wings and mast for another foil set.

I never intended to be bothered about speed on the foil, until I turned the GPS on and 2 of the other locals here who started foiling around the same time as me started posting their sessions. Then trying to run before I could walk led to some good crashes. They thrash me on fin as they have full on slalom kit, but I was ahead on the foil until recently. Bob has done 23 knots 10s average now, but he said he found the same as me, but doesnt want to splash out on new kit. I think he repaired his v1 inserts but dont know how that ended. I've not been out for a while now.

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nerdycross said..

The Phantom Z and looks very interesting, I'll have a serious look at there kit its not a brand I've heard of before.

It the brand Nico Goyard (amongst others) uses.

I bought the 1000cm & 730cm2 as a pack (not 760 as I mentioned before). The 730 front wind is the 'X' version.
GBP 1825 it cost me. On the website now (they only sell direct now) its on offer at EUR 1364. Guess there is an updated version coming out soon. Hopefully they keep all the kit backward compatible for future spares etc.
Their PWA top of the range kit is eye watering expensive.
As mentioned, I use the foil with 6m - 7.5m now. I havent tried it with smaller wave sails and I quite like going fast but not too fast (too scary). By fast I mean faster than those on low aspect big fat foils and small sails, about 15-16 knots at a guess, but not as fast as in trying to get over 25 knots max speed. I think the mast isnt designed for 25+ as its not stiff enough. Not so interested in playing around on swells.

www.phantom-foiling.com/windsurf-shop/p/iris-z-performance