AK Phazer V2 5’6″ – € 1.449,- | 90 Liter volume | Length 167.6 cm x Width 68.6 cm | Reflex Carbon | 5.95 KG
AK Durable Supply Co, abbreviated AK, is a relatively new brand from Cape Town that specializes in foiling. And falls under the ever-growing Starboard family. From model year 2022 AK comes with a very attractive wingfoil line up with 2 type boards, 3 wingfoils and many separate components to put together your wingfoilset up to your own taste. The AK Phazer V2 is the first board that is now available. We went on the water with the AK Phazer V2 5’6″.
AK Phazer V2, premium at a competitive price
A new brand must always make an extra best to acquire a position in the market and to attract buyers. The AK Phazer V2 looks really cool as far as we’re concerned. The board is black with bright blue soft pads with a very nice finish give the board a luxurious look. In the bottom of the board is a very nice insert to carry the board. The Phazer V2 5’6″ weighs just under 6 kilos. With a little wind we have to be careful that the board does not blow away. In the board there are plugs to mount 3 foot straps. Also 3 super light foot straps are included. We don’t see that very often!
Finally, the price. A full carbon board often costs between € 1700 and € 2100 with many other A-brands,-. The prices of the AK Phazer V2 vary between € 1,269 and € 1,549 depending on the size. AK Durable Supply Co therefore puts the boards extremely competitively priced in the market.
We go on the water with a knot or 20 to 24 with the Ensis Flow foil. Of course we are quickly on the foil with this wind. What is immediately noticeable is that the foil in this combination gives this board much more lift than we are used to in similar conditions. And then we had already placed the foil quite far back on the board. We then placed the foil at the very back. That was better, but still a lot of lift. At the time of testing we did not have any smaller front wings available, so we have to make do with this, but it is clear that you can foil very quickly with smaller wings, which of course increases the maneuverability and the playful feeling.
The board feels very compact and it is immediately noticeable how lively the board feels, despite the relatively large volume of 90 liters. You feel very well what is happening under the board, so you quickly become one with the set. Because the deck is a bit hollow, you stand just lower which also gives more control and stability. In no time we are used to the board. Full throttle upwind or carving on the waves, it goes with playful ease and with a lot of feeling, despite the fact that we actually have too big a foil under the board and we have to push very much.
Because we have tons of lift from the too large front wing foil, we on average are very high on the foil. As a result, we had a nose drop several times. Despite the wide nose with a relatively large volume, the board dived into the water and we ended up in the water a few meters in front of our set. After some getting used to it went better, but this is a disadvantage of the boards getting shorter and shorter. They dive faster with a nose drop. That is good to take into account if you are still a novice wingfoiler. For the rest, this board foils very easily and that gives confidence to push boundaries.
Shortly after a heavy rain shower, the wind had briefly diminished to a knot or 10. We still got on the foil very easily with our Starboard X Airush 4.0m2. In these circumstances it is very nice to have 90 liters of volume, it just gives you the extra security and comfort to get away quickly. Once on the foil it is very ‘easy going’ foiling and the 1500 cm2 front wing feels perfect. You really don’t need a larger front wing and you don’t need more volume up to about 80 kg!
Ultimate experience
Last summer we were already allowed to foil with the Phazer V1. What the V2 adds in particular is the experience and the feeling. In our opinion, Wingfoiling is all about feeling of freedom and playing with the elements. The Phazer V2 greatly enhances this feeling, something we have never experienced so intensely before. That of course results in a big smile on our face :). We are therefore curious about the Phazer wingfoils, do they add even more feeling? So an update on this article will certainly follow as soon as we get the AK wingfoils.
Which AK Phazer V2 should you have?
We think that the 5.0″ (46 liters) and 5’3″ (65 liters) are best suited for the experienced (lighter) wingfoilers who wingfoil a lot at sea. The 5’6″ (90 liters) is perhaps the most versatile and therefore also very suitable for inland water. With a lot of wind, with little wind, the board goes really well without feeling like it’s running out of money. Up to a kilo or 75-80 (and an above average sense of balance) you can also learn to wingfoil on this. The 5’10” (110 liters) is ideal for learning wingfoiling and as a ‘family board’ and of course for the heavier wingfoilers (> 90 kg) and note with a length of only 167 cm this is still a compact board. The Phazer V2 6’2″ with 140 liters is best suited for heavy (> 95 kg) novice wingfoilers and for conditions with very little wind.