Paddleboards News
How To Choose A SUP Foil Board
Dec
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In my last article I helped you choose a foil. But what good is a foil if you don’t have a board to mount it to? Many board companies like Naish, Starboard, Slingshot and Boardworks offer foil specific boards, you can have a custom foil board made or you can even alter an old board you have laying around. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of foil boards to help you decide what is best for you.
Stock Foil
A lot of SUP companies out there offer foil boards. In most cases these boards are the production surf shapes with foil tracks and/or tuttle boxes added. This option is great because it will allow you to surf without a foil if you ever desire to, two boards in one. The only down side with production boards is that in most cases the shapes are obsolete compared to what most foil surfers are progressing to.
Custom Foil
A custom shaped foil board will ensure you get exactly what you want and need. These shapes are what you see a lot of with the more progressive riders. Really short, high volume boards. These boards are shorter making them easier to pump in and through the surf. They also have higher volume to make them easier to stand on and paddle into waves. Custom shapes allow you to design the rails, haul and deck of the board to be more accommodating for foil specific riding. Certain designs can also be customized to be easier to take off on, more forgiving when the board touches down or slaps the water and the shaper can even install foot straps. With customs, the options are endless!
Retrofitted Foil
The most cost effective way to get a foil board is to alter an existing board you already own. Foil boards are not cheap, especially if you are going with a custom. If you’re not quite ready to commit to a custom or stock foil board, you can easily alter an existing board with a deep tuttle or adhesive foil mount track system. Installing a deep tuttle box will require you to cut a hole through your board and glass the box in. If you’re unsure of how to do this properly, talk with your local ding repair and they should be able to help you out. Installing the adhesive foil track system just requires you to clean the board surface and apply the mount.
Summary
There are many options available for foil boards. If you have a favorite board brand you can buy straight from them. If you want a more progressive board built specifically for your weight and riding style talk to some local shapers for a custom. If you don’t have much money to spend on a board after you purchase a foil (I get it, foils are expensive), you can save money by altering an existing board you already own. No matter what option you chose it will allow you to fly!
For more SUP Tips, click HERE.
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