Great video Daniele - I really enjoyed it! The ex-science teacher in me wants to congratulate you for changing one variable only in your test (one with and one without FD) while keeping all the other variables the same - this is the only way to get valid results from a comparative test, so well done!!!!! I also love the authenticity of your videos - keeping in the falls, and especially when the person asks you where the battery is - at least that guy didn't ask to kiss you like the other guy ;-)))))))) To me the most important point you made is that while Foil Drive is great to be able to extend the range/distance you can go while doing a pump session, it should not be considered as a replacement for dock starting - both can be enjoyed and both can be beneficial depending on what you want to get from your session. Crazy how much power the Foil Drive Slim has at only 3.8kg!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great work as ever 😃
Hey Daniel, Thank you so much for your video! It’s really insightful to see the comparison between the same setup with and without the Foil Drive-I was genuinely surprised by the results. However, I think the real takeaway is this: how much faster can you learn to pump with the help of Foil Drive? Watching you motor between pumps was impressive, and it’s clear to me that this setup accelerates progression significantly. Without a Foil Drive, you’d have to swim back and start the process over each time, but with it, you can focus entirely on perfecting the hop and glide drill, repeating it as often as needed. Once you’ve mastered pumping, you can simply remove the Foil Drive, spread your wings, and truly fly using the same setup!! That’s been my personal experience, and it’s what I think makes the Foil Drive such a game-changer. Thanks again for sharing your video-it’s inspiring to see your progress!
Very interesting ! I was always wondering on how much the FD impacts the pumping and you gave an early answer! I am pumping with 150 and 120 liters DW boards for about 10 to 15 secs max now. I am close to 100 kg and with a curve H 5xl. What did increase my time is having a longer mast as soon the pod is touching water is game over. Moving mast forward and closer stance as well but I have no DS training. Ride on!
What wing were you on? CM2? AR? and what is your weight and the board dims. I just got my Slim V2 and can tell you that with my 1250 Takuma Kujira 2- AR 8- I can barely pump that thing far at all on FLAT water. I can dock start quite well (1:45 best time but I'm way older than you are) and I prone foil. My instinct, I haven't been IN the waves yet with the FD, tells me you'll need to generate a lot of speed prior to exiting the wave if you expect to pump back out. NO? and thank you. great video
It would be interesting to see you pumping with some waves thrown in the mix as I think linking waves and bridging bumps is why someone would normally pump with a foil drive on. Not entirely sure but I think pumping towards an incoming bump would give you some energy from the wave and same applies going down the wave
It would be great to see a comparison between the FD Slim vs Max. I think the difference in weight is about 1 kg (with the Max Power battery). Any way it would be good if you could get access to a MAX unit with the Power battery to do a comparison. Love your content!
I don't ahaha... i got it from a friend who was about to throw it away. unbelievably comfortable but super fragile and this slick texture on the belly makes it harder to swim back on low volume boards. i'd get a normal 2/3 surf wetsuit
when getting up with the foil drive you need to compensate the nose going up, that's why.. didn't manage to get up with the ketos board, yet. very hard to pick up speed, plane and get up with such small volume, but will try again
I have Manta Takeoff Air which about 6.3kg weight. All setup with 4'11'' inch board weights about 15kg. You can pump this but its not fun at all compare to pure dock start setup. I mean you need to compare foil drive setup with appropriate board with dockstart setup with appropriate board. Also you have a smallest battery for foildrive, while top-selling battery is max which is 5.8kgs. Foil drive is not about joy of pumping. The less you pump - the better (weight inertia is no joke)
the test was meant to compare the 2 setups changing only one variable so i used the same board. i think this is a very appropriate board for foil driving though
Thank you! Do you have access to Max? I tried pumping with max attached, and it was quite difficult. Also, pumping a 32L board is also more difficult than a small tray. How much you weigh? Seem like slim did not have a problem getting you up onto the foil.
will try soon max vs slim. with the 29 litres board i can flat water start up to 1200-1300 sqcm foils, for smaller foils, with the same board, you need a little bump
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Great video Daniele - I really enjoyed it! The ex-science teacher in me wants to congratulate you for changing one variable only in your test (one with and one without FD) while keeping all the other variables the same - this is the only way to get valid results from a comparative test, so well done!!!!! I also love the authenticity of your videos - keeping in the falls, and especially when the person asks you where the battery is - at least that guy didn't ask to kiss you like the other guy ;-))))))))
To me the most important point you made is that while Foil Drive is great to be able to extend the range/distance you can go while doing a pump session, it should not be considered as a replacement for dock starting - both can be enjoyed and both can be beneficial depending on what you want to get from your session. Crazy how much power the Foil Drive Slim has at only 3.8kg!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great work as ever 😃
Thank you Dominic! Really appreciate it
Thanks. It is an important test , not stupid at all. But more interesting to test the max version.
will do
Great test! waiting for the foildrive max test!
Hey Daniel,
Thank you so much for your video! It’s really insightful to see the comparison between the same setup with and without the Foil Drive-I was genuinely surprised by the results.
However, I think the real takeaway is this: how much faster can you learn to pump with the help of Foil Drive? Watching you motor between pumps was impressive, and it’s clear to me that this setup accelerates progression significantly. Without a Foil Drive, you’d have to swim back and start the process over each time, but with it, you can focus entirely on perfecting the hop and glide drill, repeating it as often as needed.
Once you’ve mastered pumping, you can simply remove the Foil Drive, spread your wings, and truly fly using the same setup!! That’s been my personal experience, and it’s what I think makes the Foil Drive such a game-changer.
Thanks again for sharing your video-it’s inspiring to see your progress!
absolutely, used it today to test a foil i've never tried before and i managed to pump it in no time
Thanks for comparing the two. Look forward to more tests.
More to come!
Very interesting ! I was always wondering on how much the FD impacts the pumping and you gave an early answer! I am pumping with 150 and 120 liters DW boards for about 10 to 15 secs max now. I am close to 100 kg and with a curve H 5xl. What did increase my time is having a longer mast as soon the pod is touching water is game over. Moving mast forward and closer stance as well but I have no DS training. Ride on!
a smaller front wing could help you!
@gaeldaniele I have Curve H3xl. But why smaller could help?
What wing were you on? CM2? AR? and what is your weight and the board dims. I just got my Slim V2 and can tell you that with my 1250 Takuma Kujira 2- AR 8- I can barely pump that thing far at all on FLAT water. I can dock start quite well (1:45 best time but I'm way older than you are) and I prone foil. My instinct, I haven't been IN the waves yet with the FD, tells me you'll need to generate a lot of speed prior to exiting the wave if you expect to pump back out. NO? and thank you. great video
It would be interesting to see you pumping with some waves thrown in the mix as I think linking waves and bridging bumps is why someone would normally pump with a foil drive on. Not entirely sure but I think pumping towards an incoming bump would give you some energy from the wave and same applies going down the wave
100% correct. linking small bumps is exactly what the foil drive is made for, will post videos soon
Very helpful!
So glad!
It would be great to see a comparison between the FD Slim vs Max. I think the difference in weight is about 1 kg (with the Max Power battery). Any way it would be good if you could get access to a MAX unit with the Power battery to do a comparison. Love your content!
totally agree. will bring it soon on the channel
Amazing content. I wonder if you could so 1 minute with the Max
nice point, will compare them soon!
40L 5'0 board also interesting to test
Nice !
I think if you use to it , it will be not much difference, but it’s open total different horizons,
agree! needs more practice
Hi! Bit off topic: How do you like the zone3 wetsuit compared to a normal surf wetsuit?
I don't ahaha... i got it from a friend who was about to throw it away. unbelievably comfortable but super fragile and this slick texture on the belly makes it harder to swim back on low volume boards. i'd get a normal 2/3 surf wetsuit
Thanks for this useful video. I am curious which motor cable you are using? Seems is it 15 or 20cm?
Hi Colin! it's the 20cm, maybe i'll get the 15 or 12 in the future
You have a lot wider stance when starting from the foil drive. Can you get up on your ketos board?
when getting up with the foil drive you need to compensate the nose going up, that's why.. didn't manage to get up with the ketos board, yet. very hard to pick up speed, plane and get up with such small volume, but will try again
@gaeldaniele can you dockstart with your ketosboard and ketos foil with the foil drive attached?
Id practice getting up straight to your feet meaning back foot then front foot up going to your knees is bad practice
thanks for the tip! makes sense looking at prone foilers, will try
I have Manta Takeoff Air which about 6.3kg weight. All setup with 4'11'' inch board weights about 15kg. You can pump this but its not fun at all compare to pure dock start setup. I mean you need to compare foil drive setup with appropriate board with dockstart setup with appropriate board. Also you have a smallest battery for foildrive, while top-selling battery is max which is 5.8kgs.
Foil drive is not about joy of pumping. The less you pump - the better (weight inertia is no joke)
yeah 15 kg is quite a lot, glad my foil and board are light and i stay below 10. i'll try how is it with the max and let you know
the test was meant to compare the 2 setups changing only one variable so i used the same board. i think this is a very appropriate board for foil driving though
Thank you! Do you have access to Max? I tried pumping with max attached, and it was quite difficult.
Also, pumping a 32L board is also more difficult than a small tray.
How much you weigh? Seem like slim did not have a problem getting you up onto the foil.
will try soon max vs slim. with the 29 litres board i can flat water start up to 1200-1300 sqcm foils, for smaller foils, with the same board, you need a little bump