Shorter foil mast, easier learning?
One of the manufacturers' arguments in favour of shorter masts is, "that beginners can learn to foil more easily". So if you screw a short foil mast with a length of 30 to 60 centimetres under the board, you should be able to start wingsurfing more safely and without "fear of heights". In our experience, this is a fallacy, because especially at the beginning you still have problems maintaining the right altitude. The shorter a mast is, the faster the foil reaches the surface of the water, which is usually associated with stalling and a rough return to the surface. Short masts may make sense for familiarisation during a surfing course, but if you want to buy a foil and mast and are primarily travelling in shallow water areas, you should consider mast lengths that are shorter than those used for beginners. between 75 and 85 centimetres choose. With these, you have a little more room to manoeuvre in the event of incorrect loads, which gives you time to make corrections to the flight altitude. In addition, in conditions with more wind, you don't have the constant problem of waves hitting the board and causing turbulence due to a necessarily low flying height. With more ground clearance, you simply fly over them in a more relaxed manner. And the "fear of heights"? This quickly turns into a feeling of elation, because that's exactly what foiling is all about: flying silently over the water!
So are short foil masts just a marketing idea from the industry? No, because of course there are cases where a short foil mast makes sense, e.g. at spots with shallow water. If you regularly want to go out on the water in standing areas, there is no getting round a foil with a short mast. Lengths between 50 and 70 centimetres offer a good compromise between less draught and still a nice flight feeling.
Long foil mast for wave & racing
The wavier the conditions become, the more sense long masts make. With short masts, you are faced with the problem of the foil coming free quickly in the wave trough or the wave crest hitting the board - both of which cause unrest and slow down the fun considerably. For this reason, wingsurfers often choose the longest foil mast for areas with steep chops or surf waves. 85 to 95 centimetres are then ideal. The same applies to the racing disciplines, where long masts over 85 centimetres are also the trump card.
Conclusion:
The chosen mast length depends less on riding ability than on the area of use:
- 75 to 90 centimetres is the mast length that makes the most sense for almost all spots, regardless of riding ability
- A foil mast with 50-70 centimetres only makes sense where the water depth is limited
- If you are mainly travelling in undulating areas, you should use masts with 85-95 centimetres Select
