What is the optimal length of the wind foil mast? We get that question a lot. And unfortunately there is not one answer to it. That depends on a number of variables. Today, the leading brands have a wide range of masts with various lengths. We can help you through our experiences and a number of guidelines.
The most common mast length of wind foils is between 85 and 95 cm. You also have masts of 115 cm and also very short ones of 60 cm. In general, you can argue that the longer the mast, the more space there is between the bottom of your shelf and the water. So then the chances of you hitting the water or getting too high and so your wings come out of the water the smallest.
A long mast also causes you to walk deeper into the water and also have sufficient depth everywhere. In addition, the longer the mast can bend the mast (which is to the detriment of stability during wind foiling). This in turn ensures that the mast is heavier or made of stiffer material (=often carbon), which makes the wind foil considerably more expensive again. And finally the longer the mast, the higher you come and the harder any nose drop arrives :).
Okay, but how do I determine what the best wind foil mast length is for me? There are 3 main points you can look at;
- The type of water where you are going to foil, read the waves
- How much wind you are going to wind foil
- What kind of wind foiler you are
1. Wave state
If you want to go wind foiling at sea or on the IJsselmeer and you also want to go wind foiling with a lot of wind, you have to deal with waves. It’s very annoying when you hit the top of the wave every time or that in the ‘valley’ of the wave your sheets come out of the water. In these circumstances, we recommend choosing a mast > 90 cm long. It just makes the wind foiling a lot more relaxed.
2. Amount of wind
If you want to be able to wind foil well with more wind (> 16 knots), then every movement is magnified by the speed. In other words, it becomes more difficult to keep your board at the same height. Even then it is useful to have a longer mast (> 90 cm). If you want to foil with little wind and you sail on a lake with few waves, you can handle a mast of at least 85 cm.
3. Kind of foiler
The type of wind foiler also affects the length of the mast. If you just want to cruise back and forth half wind, you can get started with a somewhat shorter mast (about 85 cm). But if you want maximum upwind and your board to be able to tilt nicely (without the wings coming out of the water) and maximum downwind, then you can’t escape a long mast of at least +/- 95 cm.
Conclusion
Don’t be fooled by fellow foilers. Think for yourself what type of wind foiler you are and under what circumstances you want to wind up. That is leading for the best length of wind foil mast that suits you best. If you have any questions or would like to test various foils, please send us an email and we will schedule a test appointment.