The Plasma series from South African manufacturer AK Durable Supply stands for sporty high-aspect foils that are optimised for top speed. We tested who the Plasma is suitable for and who is better off keeping their hands off it.
Noble components with minor weaknesses - the AK Durable Supply Plasma Foil on land:
The Plasma model is available in three sizes, with 1000cm, 1300cm and 1600cm front wings. We tested the medium size with a wing area of 1300 cm2. The front wing stands out with its rounded tips, making unintentional contact with the wing less painful. The front and back wings look high-quality and fit perfectly, but we don't understand why Allen screws are used for fastening them - we recommend replacing them with Torx screws, as you then don't run the risk of wearing out the screw heads during assembly.Tip: You can find a workshop on drilling out worn screws HERE .
At just 61 centimetres long, the comparatively short aluminium fuselage is connected to the carbon mast using two thick M8 screws - here too, we recommend switching to Torx screws. As expected, the 80 mm carbon mast is stiff, the complete foil is extremely light at a measured 3.52 kilos, but will set you back a whopping 2099 euros at the shop counter. If you want it cheaper, you can also get the foil with an aluminium mast, which makes the Plasma Foil over 700 euros cheaper and costs 1359 euros. The angle of the rear wing can be varied and trimmed for either lift or control.
On the water:
The AK Durable Supply Plasma Foil gets up to speed well and is characterised by quite harmonious take-off behaviour. Due to the very short fuselage, the front wing sits almost directly on the mast, which means you have to push the Plasma Foil far forward to build up enough pressure under the front foot and keep the nose of the board stable at the top. In all the test boards we used (Tabou Pocket Air, Vayu FlyR, Kold-Shapes Nordland), we mounted the foil completely at the front end of the box. If even this is not enough, you can either move the foot straps slightly backwards or trim the rear wing more for lift.
The acceleration of the Plasma is impressive and the foil achieves a good speed level. On the straight, the Plasma 1300 Foil is very agile and light-footed, especially the transverse axis ("nose up, nose down") needs to be loaded sensitively. This means that you can get the foil out of the water for jumping with very little effort - just a little impulse on the tail and you're already whizzing into the air. On the other hand, normal freeriding requires a certain amount of sensitivity, because simply getting on and mindlessly accelerating requires a higher level of attention and riding skill with the AK Durable Supply Plasma.
A great strength is the behaviour in manoeuvres and on the wave, because the Plasma 1300 can be steered very light-footedly. You benefit from this when, for example, you want to turn jibes or foil 360s really tightly, or want to pull tight radii on swell and small surf waves with the wing in a neutral position - both work exceptionally smoothly with the Plasma 1300.
Even when pumping, the foil is wonderfully agile and the wing remains stable for a long time as the speed decreases.
Conclusion:
The AK Durable Supply Plasma 1300 is a lightweight and extremely agile foil that will impress experienced wingsurfers looking for a fast wing for light-footed manoeuvres and turns in (swell) waves. For relaxed freeriding and for those who are still practising jibes and other basic manoeuvres, however, the foil is a little too demanding - here the Tracer model with its significantly longer fuselage could be the better alternative. You will soon be able to read a test of the Tracer here on the website.
Weight, speed, agility
Flight stability for freeriding
Allen screws; price
