Lukesta said..This review is for anyone looking to upgrade their foil, doing research or curious about wind foiling or returning to windsurfing after kids.
The following notes are my honest initial impressions of the Aeon. I'm not sponsored, none of this is Ai.
For context, I'm 50, 6ft, 83kg's, semi-fit, started sailing at the end of March 2025 after an almost 20-year hiatus.
I originally started windsurfing in the late 80s, got into Slalom and a bit of Wave sailing, sailed in Perth mostly, also a bit in Lancelin, Margaret River, Geraldton, Hawaii and Bali, was no Dunkerbeck, got bored, life changed, moved interstate, jumped into cycling in the early 2000s.
Aeon Foil System purchased so far:
95 DIM-S mast,
Aluminium V2 Fuselage,
650 DNA-H 450 DNA-H Front wings,
160 DNA-H Backwing,
Shims, spare bag of bolts and Foil Bag, Torx thingo.
First impression.Wow,
Everything about the system has been carefully considered and thought through. From the fineness or thinness of the carbon foils, which are only millimetres in thickness, to the connection points. The Aeon is both a work of art to hold in your hands and to use on the water; unboxing is better than an iPhone or MacBook, each piece is like Lego, it just fits together perfectly. Interestingly, each piece sounds like a musical instrument when you hold it like a tuning fork and tap it with a fingernail.
Foil Bag:
The foil bag is sturdy and practical, wings in the main section, Fuselage along the side pockets - room for 6, Masts along the bottom with their own protective pouches, room for 3 or 4. shims, tools and bolts in the lid pockets, all with room to grow the set.
Foil Covers:
The foil covers all match the foil profile and can be used while getting ready for sailing on the board to protect the foil but also anyone around the gear on shore. They are sharp and almost invisible from some angles. Warning stickers are on each foil, the trail edge is pretty sharp.
Initial experiences:
On the water, once planning, which does take more physical commitment to each pump and sometimes a few extra pumps (not as passive like other foils) once up I quickly found the sweet spot,
The foiling sensation is mind-blowing, almost silent, smooth*, it is an effortless flying experience with predictable movement. Weirdly, it takes me back to the first time planning nearly 40 years ago, however, this time it's every time I go out.
*I say almost silent as each foil has a 'whistle' like someone left an old tap half on. Not impressed initially, I thought something was wrong, but after a few runs, I found I used the sound to find the best ride height as the pitch subtly changed. Thankfully, with foiling there is less "board-slapping" and bone-jarring. The wider boards tend to plough through the chop like an old school LT or 3 plus metre-long Mistral or Alpha board without the weight and shorter in length, keeping it nimble and easy to direct.
For me foiling almost 1 metre above the water at 20 plus knots, everything had to feel in balance, reliable and predictable to control; both front wings didn't disappoint.
650 DNA-H Front Wing
In two words, stable - powerful. The 650 feels powerful under the board. it's refreshing to take my foiling to the next level. It feels like a huge leap forward, but with a manageable learning curve. Initial short runs require deliberate movements to point upwind and downwind until the sensation of being locked in takes hold as things speed up, then it only needs subtle movements to lock in the balance point, which feels bigger or easier to find. Apart from the initial sketchy first runs, there is minimal proposing (up & down) unless I shift around too much looking for the harness lines or footstraps. The pumps to get on the foil felt longer than any foil I have tried, with a more physical push-down required to create a solid pump. Sounds obvious, but I found timing it with a long gust makes it easier, but the kick up onto the foil is awesome - it kind of feels steady but rapid, requiring only a slight front foot redirecting to where I wanted to go.
Downwind runs - exhilarating, point the board and hang on, it just keeps accelerating until my 50-year tenure flashed before my eyes. Too much too soon in my case and I didn't need any brown stains in the old wetty. I can still feel the chop, especially rolling chop, and it feels like subtle aeroplane turbulence, but it's more of a quick down-up motion, and not a holy **** porpourse motion.
Gybing took me a while to get used to, and tbh I am still working on it. Weirdly, It is counterintuitive - I was thinking you have to force it or control it to maintain ride height, but it's the opposite, it's more how I imagine a zen moment with Yoda or Spock would be - you have to go with the flow- Just point the board into a nice consistent arc and the foil wants to do the rest for you. I came to this zen-like realisation at the end of my last session, so I look forward to finding that place again next time.
450 DNA-H Front Wing
In one word the 450 wing is bonkers (in a good way)
It is beautifully made, shaped like a gull wing, It almost feels like being on slalom fin gear again . (without the slapping) where there are no excuses, it's game on, you have to be ready for the fast acceleration - whipping the sail in the right position and jump in the straps quickly. It feels like being on ice skates strapped to a rocket, locked in an endless straight-line speed in big gusts with minimal effort. I can feel the chop less than the 650, just a more subtle 'down-up' blip, but again, it doesn't change the straight line trajectory or ride height. Looking forward to trying the 375 & 350 in due course. Being narrower than the 650, feels like I could take tighter turns; however, it feels more comfortable to take gybes at speed, so naturally a similar arc to the 650 occurs.
With my limited experience, most foils feel like I'm balancing on a large invisible ball underwater - ready to let me slide off in any direction if a gust hits or chop arrives unexpectedly, but the Aeon feels more like riding a skateboard on smooth concrete, it has grip, it's predictably stable and awe-inspiring. (adrenaline chasing) Sailing across the wind Slalom style is excellent, pointing upwind is pretty good, but not as high as what a 'deeper' mast would achieve, like a Starboard 85 or IQ. In saying that, Patrik's logical idea to address this is sliding the fuselage (V1 fuselage) forward of the mast, creating more lift in front of the front straps and effectively creating more usable pumpable power.
Shims:
So far, I have only tried the +1mm and +1.25mm Shims, +1 feels like the right one so far. It's not a huge difference, maybe just more pressure required in the pumps with 1.25mm, speed and ride heights didn't appear to be affected.
95 DIM-S mast:
The 95 mast is incredible; it is thinner than expected, and when set up, there is minimal twist and bend. This becomes noticeable in the chop; it feels like a finely tuned futuristic daggerboard cutting through the water. The extra 10 - 15 cm is confidence-inducing compared to the 80 & 85 cm Aluminium masts I have learnt on. Riding higher in the water is definitely scary, but it feels right as I sped up and the locked-in feeling kicks in.
Gybing:
I'm not the best at gybing yet, on a good day, I can almost nail 40 - 60% of my gybes in the first hour, then it's a steady decline. It doesn't help sailing on the JP, the deck is too rounded and upsets the foot flow. Finding the right gybe arc seems to be key, and starting from a downwind run with commitment. There is no point hoping for the best, it's just a 100% mindset or another swim.
Interestingly and I'm not sure what this is called, it's that weird sensation of 'tripping over the board' and catapulting, or the foil suddenly rolls underfoot pointing upwind from any gust or board twitch now feels like it's been resolved, the foil doesn't ride up and under your feet like other foils, perhaps it's the reduced depth at the fuselage end of the mast minimiseing this effect or the stiffer mast means the mast twists less. Would need someone's feedback to describe this, and a camera underwater to record it.
Gear and Conditions:
For these tests I sailed in different wind conditions on the Swan River in winter, (10 - 15 & 15 - 25 with 30 knott gusts) it was tricky to balance on with such a narrow tail board and not quite the right set-up for the required control or leverage but once I was over 15 knots it felt like the foil slots into a groove and remains there in the gusts and lulls. In this review, I am temporarily sailing on a JP super ride 145L foil-ready board while I wait for a new Patrik foil board, Titanium V2 and Carbon Boom to arrive. I'll add to this review once this arrives, and I have been out a few times.
For this review, I used mostly Patrik gear, a second-hand Foil+ 6.0m 2023 sail, an old blue Neilpryde 160 - 220 Aluminium Boom, a new 380 (80% Carbon) mast and a 40 cm (100% Carbon) extender with the 35cm Carbon Mast extension & mast base. Not an ideal test board or boom, but I had to get out and try this foil. (Note: The Foilboxes in the new boards are flat head deep tuttle, my old Foil One is the older deep tuttle, and I didn't like the idea of cutting down the new Foil Mast for one board, more fun to upgrade)
Limited experience in 2025:
I have tried 4 types of foils, Neilpryde (Gen 2) the fuselage was too short and unstable at speed, Starboard Gen 1 & 2 and Severnes Redwing 1200. In hindsight, I should have started on the Patrik Foil Package Novice 1300 or 1600 foil system or the Severne Redwing, both really well made and thought through. A 85 or 90 wide Foil board, like the Patrik Foil Ride or Severne Alien. Both systems are balanced, easy to learn on and gets you to the next level faster.
Conclusions:
Being a somewhat discerning buyer, mismatched gear wasn't going to cut it; knowing the Patrik gear is designed to work together makes sailing so much easier and fun again, It just works. Less wasted money, frustration and time. Yes the gear is slightly more expensive compared to other manufacturers; however, in comparison to dropping 20k on a nice road bike, windsurfing seems better value, safer than the road and more fun in 2025. The future looks bright for the industry, especially as we're becoming aware of the time wasted on devices.
Yes I'm still beginning the Foiling journey and working towards 30+ knots, but I am enjoying the learning curve, new challenges, meeting other geat local Windsurfers, Windfoilers and Wingfoilers on the river, it's refreshing to experience life flying above the water and out in nature, while getting fit physically and mentally. This is huge!
Special thanks to, Mark at SurfSail Perth, Patrik for the dedication to making incredible gear and all the crew sailing on the Swan River! Lunny, Richard, JP, Greg, Nick as well as the online inspirational windsurfers and windfoilers like Nils Bach, SurfKasper T, Mario K?mpel, Nico Prien, Paul van Bellen to name a few. (more reviews to follow)
Lukesta
6 months ago, 27 Aug 2025
