LE MAGAZINEHow to make your foil more manoeuvrable?
Whether it’s Wingfoil, Surf foil or Sup Foil, it quickly becomes interesting to make your foil more manoeuvrable. Indeed, there are many foilers who, after a certain level, want to draw curves without concessions, increase their gliding sensations and expand their possibilities. To continue progressing, it can therefore be interesting to make your foil more manoeuvrable.
In this article, we explain how to gain maneuverability through 4 options.
First of all, it is important to understand that as you gain in manoeuvrability, you will lose stability. It’s inevitable.
We could draw a parallel with an airplane: the longer the wings of the airplane, the more stable the airplane will be, but it will take much longer to turn. If the wings of the plane are shorter, it will rotate much more easily but it will be much less stable.
It’s the same principle for your foil, by reducing the wingspan of the fins, it will be more maneuverable and less stable. In this way, by playing with the size and shape of the different components of your foil, you will gain in maneuverability.
Option 1: Change the front wing
The maneuverability of a foil is closely correlated with the wingspan and shape of the front fin. So the first step is to reduce the surface area of the front fin. You’ll lose stability, but you’ll turn much more easily.
The shape of your front fin will also change the stability of your foil. A flatter, high-aspect ratio fin (S-Foil HA Ratio fin) provides more stability but reduces maneuverability. With an equal wingspan, for more manoeuvrability it is better to go for a stockier, slightly curved fin with low aspect ratio (Classic S-Foil fins). Indeed, the Classic fins are naturally more manoeuvrable because of their shape. The HA fins, on the other hand, focus on efficiency and therefore require more experience to control them and benefit from superb maneuverability.
Classic S-Foil Fins
S-Foil HA Fins
Option 2: Change the length of the fuselage
The longer the fuselage, the more stable the foil. By reducing the gap between the front fin and the stabilizer, we will make the foil more manoeuvrable.
The short (62cm) and ultra-short (56cm) fuselages will give you tight turns in the waves and radical maneuvers. However, they are much less stable longitudinally and require a higher pumping frequency. These are fuselages more intended for intermediate or advanced foilers.
Option 3: Reduce the surface area of the stabilizer
As the name suggests, the stabilizer is there to stabilize your foil. The larger the stabilizer, the more stable your foil will be. So, by reducing the size of the rear fin you will gain speed and turn more thanks to a reduction in drag.
Find here our 3 stabilizers for S-foil: The 300, the 240 and the 180.
Option 4: Play with the length of the checkmate
At Sroka we have four mast lengths, 55cm, 70cm, 80cm, and 90cm. The standard masts are the 80cm masts. However, if you have modified the previous three options, your foil will have significantly lost stability. To compensate for this loss of stability, you can opt for a shorter mast. In this way, you will regain comfort and stability. This is because the longer the matte, the more sensitive it is. So by reducing the length of the mast it allows you to have better downforce, while maintaining strong maneuverability with a small winglet, a small stabilizer and a short fuselage.
Good construction for better manoeuvrability
We have chosen to develop reactive and playful mats while keeping control. The shortened rope of our masts will allow you to gain in manoeuvrability to offer you sensational curves.
Its aluminium construction guarantees excellent rigidity, this way your foil will be more responsive and manoeuvrable.
With this design, the twist phenomenon is eliminated, so the foil retains all its control.
Video Presentation
Do we need to change everything?
Each option can be combined with another. However, it is not necessary to act on all the variables at the same time to make your foil more maneuverable, a single parameter can change everything. When you want to gain in handling, you lose control and stability. It is therefore necessary to compensate and change other variables in order to regain stability.
For example, if you have a very small fin like a 670 or a 700, you will be able to keep a standard fuselage to maintain some stability. This way, you’ll regain control and speed up more.
If you still have questions about this, or for any other request, please do not hesitate to contact us !
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