Foil Drive assist

Enable JavaScript to get the best experience.

Create new topic

Search Subscribed Active Create new topic

5 years ago

Stand Up Paddle Foiling Board Talk & Reviews Wing Foiling

FoilDrive

5 posts

FoilDrive

SA, 5 posts

29 Jun 2021 9:47pm

Scotty Mac said..
Hey Johnsey, I am kind of new to the foil drive but happy to help for sure. Most are mounting around 30cm from the bottom of the board which I am told via testing is the sweet spot. I plan to experiment with this a bit and see if I can get closer to the board. It's a lipo battery system so take the battery seriously. Always store it at 40 % charged and dont leave it at 100 % charged for more than a couple of days. Don't discharge past 15% if you can. These things burn houses down so store carefully and in the bag provided in a cool place away from flammable items. I prefer the switch at the bottom hand most are running at the top. I save the battery by just using for just getting up on the foil and you can get a gpod 3 hour session like that then but you can use it for paddling out if your tired but keep in mind that brings the session shorter. Make sure you keep the electronics in the main battery box as dry as possible. Don't open up until you have wiped it down with a towel. Keep your o ring clean. Make sure your cable gland is tighten up on the cable. Apart fom that all other screwed items only need nipped up, no need to over tighten things. Sometimes you see a bit of fog in the box but thats just he battery getting warm and humidity. As long as you keeping the o ring real clean it will stay relatively dry in there but keep a close eye on that all the time when your packing up. Any sign of anything else but humidity needs attention. There are many aspects just let me know if you have any particular questions. Enjoy!

You're all over it Scotty!

I will just add that the Foil Drive Battery contains a high quality Battery Management System (BMS) built in.
This serves to maintain the saftey of the battery by monitoring the charge cycle of the battery for over charge, over temp, internal resistance and balance of all the cells. They are all genuine high quality cells from reputable Australian and US suppliers and every battery is tested and QC checked before being sent out to customers. Scotty is right in saying that lithium batteries require a high level of respect and care. The included Lipo safe bag is additional protection we decided to offer our customers for free. Technically you should charge your phone, laptop, smart watch ect in a similar bag!

Keeping your box dry is paramount. Dripping wet hands or wetsuit sleeves over the box is not a good idea. Most guys are leaving their system in fail safe mode untill they get back to the car and get dry before opening the box. The boxes do not leak under normal surf conditions however this is assuming the seal around the lid is kept clean and free of sand and grit. We are finding the single tissue stuffed or folded into the box before each use and then used to wipe up any humidity droplets after use has been working really well.

Thanks for your input and feedback Scotty!
Anyone with questions or that want to discuss the product personally, feel free to reach out!
Cheers,
Ben and Paul

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

30 Jun 2021 2:50pm

FoilDrive said..

Had my first foil assist surf with the Foil Drive system attached on my board today (it took a while to set it all up but all good now) and it is pretty amazing as I was catching small almost nothing! - about 6 inches swell bumps as there were no waves in the bay so I am really hoping to try some proper swell bumps next session.
Also had a bit of trouble with the board feeling a bit back heavy (nose wanting to lift up) so I need to adjust / sort that out (any ideas guys?:-)
Thank Paul & Ben & Scotty:-)

hilly

8146 posts

hilly

WA, 8146 posts

30 Jun 2021 2:35pm

Johndesu said..Also had a bit of trouble with the board feeling a bit back heavy (nose wanting to lift up) so I need to adjust / sort that out (any ideas guys?:-)
Thank Paul & Ben & Scotty:-)

Move mast back

Piros

QLD

7312 posts

Piros

QLD, 7312 posts

30 Jun 2021 7:27pm

You also might want to look at the tail rocker in the board and pack the back of the foil plate with washers at the back to push the nose down.

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

30 Jun 2021 7:30pm

hilly said..

Johndesu said..Also had a bit of trouble with the board feeling a bit back heavy (nose wanting to lift up) so I need to adjust / sort that out (any ideas guys?:-)
Thank Paul & Ben & Scotty:-)

Move mast back

Yes I was going to try that as the mast is/was all the way forward but I was also thinking about the rear shim placement (currently using an Armstrong +1 ?:-)

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

30 Jun 2021 7:32pm

Piros said..
You also might want to look at the tail rocker in the board and pack the back of the foil plate with washers at the back to push the nose down.

Ok Piros but the 'One' sup boards do not have any rocker they are pretty flat?:-)

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

1 Jul 2021 8:54am

I used the foil drive for the first times this week and today it worked to drive upwind when I was done winging. Saved the walk of shame and gave peace of mind for self rescue. I didn't use it while getting up on foil as I had it on my wrist and was kind of awkward trying to deal with it and the boom. I suppose you could mount to the boom directly instead.
Mounted on my paddle for sup it was nice. I didn't have success with waves yet, have to find the right spot for it. I have it on an Armstrong 85cm mast. It sits pretty high since the mast tapers and it needs to be mounted so that it clamps on. The best thing is that it doesn't add a lot of drag to the system. While winging I could sense when the pod went into the water but it didn't bog me down or cause loss of lift. That bodes well for surfing with it.

Hdip

474 posts

Hdip

474 posts

2 Jul 2021 1:45am

This makes it look pretty good to me.

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

2 Jul 2021 7:31pm

Hdip said..

This makes it look pretty good to me.

Yes it does work as in the video but I want to know about the best hand controller position & how/what is the best way to grip it as it is a bit chunky and a bit awkward to use while you are paddling for the wave as it all happens pretty quickly?:-)

murf

478 posts

murf

SA, 478 posts

2 Jul 2021 8:52pm

Johndesu said..

Hdip said..

This makes it look pretty good to me.

There is two ways to mount the controller and that is at the top of the paddle or slightly above your bottom hand. I run it just above my bottom hand. I find i can still paddle hard and control the throttle easily with my thumb.

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

3 Jul 2021 12:05am

murf said..

Johndesu said..

Hdip said..

This makes it look pretty good to me.

Ok murf I can try the bottom position but on land the top position seems to feel the best and that is what I used on my 1st session which was not to uncomfortable but after about 1/2 an hour my left wrist was a bit sore etc, (also my hands are on the small size) so I guess I will experiment as I now know how it all works / feels:-)

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

3 Jul 2021 2:58am

Same question/issue with the throttle controller. I had it near the top of the paddle and noticed my thumb/hand having soreness trying to manage it for a long time. If it's possible to paddle hard and trigger it with the bottom hand that would be great. For my black project paddle i added some rubber strips covered in electrical tape under the throttle mount to get it to fit. My other paddle shaft is oval and the mount doesn't really work

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

3 Jul 2021 11:11am

MokesMax said..
Same question/issue with the throttle controller. I had it near the top of the paddle and noticed my thumb/hand having soreness trying to manage it for a long time. If it's possible to paddle hard and trigger it with the bottom hand that would be great. For my black project paddle i added some rubber strips covered in electrical tape under the throttle mount to get it to fit. My other paddle shaft is oval and the mount doesn't really work

Welcome to the Foil Drive club MokesMax yes I think the controller maybe needs to be a bit smaller & slimmed down so it hugs the paddle shaft a bit more perhaps - more user friendly;-)

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

20 Nov 2021 5:09am

Setting up the Foildrive on a new board - Armstrong 511 FG. Wanted to show in case people were wondering if it fits in the recessed deck. Also have been working on a way to strap the box down as it tends to fall off too often which can break the propeller (expensive). The voile straps are where I'm at so far, hopefully works as a backup to the 3d Velcro.

bjhjames

QLD

179 posts

bjhjames

QLD, 179 posts

20 Nov 2021 8:06am

Great resolution, thank you for posting.
I have been using cable ties which are clumsy.
Could not easily source Voile strap but looks like Bunnings carry something similar called Grunt Versa strap.

baldy123

462 posts

baldy123

WA, 462 posts

20 Nov 2021 6:29am

If you are goofy footed. Try a top mount with electrical tape onto the side of paddle. You can still turn remote on and off. This mount method allows you to operate the trigger with right index finger. This works for me and allows decent paddle power.

bjhjames

QLD

179 posts

bjhjames

QLD, 179 posts

20 Nov 2021 9:28am

Tks, Thats a great idea too.
I have only just got the foil drive and used it once.
I had to mount the remote bracket a fair way down the shaft to enable the remote to be removed without hitting the paddle handle. Then I found it a stretch to reach the trigger with my thumb and almost impossible to paddle with any effort and modulate the trigger at the same time too.

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

21 Nov 2021 11:09am

MokesMax said..
Setting up the Foildrive on a new board - Armstrong 511 FG. Wanted to show in case people were wondering if it fits in the recessed deck. Also have been working on a way to strap the box down as it tends to fall off too often which can break the propeller (expensive). The voile straps are where I'm at so far, hopefully works as a backup to the 3d Velcro.

Yes you can mount the rear Foil Drive box on the back of a concave deck board as I have by repositioning the stick grip strips all vertically next to each other from the center of the box x(4) which should take about 90% of the strength and then on top of the board I used a leash strap that is cut is half - half attached to the leash plug & the other half to the kick pad / board (or use the screw inserts for the foot strap if you have them) on the other side of the box that will hold the rest & keep the box in its place, no pictures at the moment but will be able to post in the near future. Also I use the bottom / middle paddle position for the FD Grip Controller as it is the best & most comfortable & when not needed just move your hand a few inches to grip / paddle with power:-)

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

27 Nov 2021 6:18am

Took the foil drive out today for a paddle now that it's all setup and the two batteries were itching to get used. I mounted the pod a little further down on this board. Combine the new board, lower pod placement, and 1850 wing and I could get up foiling super easily. With a fresh battery I didn't need a paddle at all, just have weight forward, get planing, then pop a little and off you go. As the battery goes down I could use some paddle strokes to facilitate the pumping motion along with a little extra speed and could get up as well. I did have more trouble in super choppy areas with crossing swells - it was hard to get the board speed needed. Would need to point in the right direction in those cases. I have got to say this is pretty amazing. stats for reference:
511 FG board
155lbs rider
85 mast, 1850 foil, 232 rear no shims on 60 A+I got about 2 hours on the 2 batteries with a lot of time spent getting up on foil to try and pump/Efoiling/etc. normally the two batteries would give a lot longer session

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

27 Nov 2021 11:12am

MokesMax said..
Took the foil drive out today for a paddle now that it's all setup and the two batteries were itching to get used. I mounted the pod a little further down on this board. Combine the new board, lower pod placement, and 1850 wing and I could get up foiling super easily. With a fresh battery I didn't need a paddle at all, just have weight forward, get planing, then pop a little and off you go. As the battery goes down I could use some paddle strokes to facilitate the pumping motion along with a little extra speed and could get up as well. I did have more trouble in super choppy areas with crossing swells - it was hard to get the board speed needed. Would need to point in the right direction in those cases. I have got to say this is pretty amazing. stats for reference:
511 FG board
155lbs rider
85 mast, 1850 foil, 232 rear no shims on 60 A+I got about 2 hours on the 2 batteries with a lot of time spent getting up on foil to try and pump/Efoiling/etc. normally the two batteries would give a lot longer session

Hey MokesMax how does the balance of your Foil Drive set-up compare with & without the Foil Drive? as I have found that my board/s are perfectly balanced with my Armstrong mast a bit forward but with the Foil Drive & its extra weight etc - I then need to move the mast all the way back to try to balance things out and then it is still a bit back heavy?:-)

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

27 Nov 2021 9:52am

It's a good question - I haven't really done the test where you hold the board upside down with this setup. I think I tried it with the 1125 and no foil drive and it was ok somewhere in the 5.5 range. That position with the 1125 worked for winging though it definitely felt more centered than what I was used to with the old boards (non FG 66 and 511 Armstrong).

as far as seat of the pants testing, I had it set to 5 today for mast position and it felt ok. I needed to move my back foot at least over the mast or at the front edge, and my front foot kind of at the forward end of where it would be with a foot strap. I didn't have to move my foot forward off the pad which was an initial concern, and just by shifting the rear foot seemed to work. Not very scientific :-)

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

27 Nov 2021 1:53pm

MokesMax said..
It's a good question - I haven't really done the test where you hold the board upside down with this setup. I think I tried it with the 1125 and no foil drive and it was ok somewhere in the 5.5 range. That position with the 1125 worked for winging though it definitely felt more centered than what I was used to with the old boards (non FG 66 and 511 Armstrong).

as far as seat of the pants testing, I had it set to 5 today for mast position and it felt ok. I needed to move my back foot at least over the mast or at the front edge, and my front foot kind of at the forward end of where it would be with a foot strap. I didn't have to move my foot forward off the pad which was an initial concern, and just by shifting the rear foot seemed to work. Not very scientific :-)

Ok so did you have to then generally move more forward with the Foil drive (to be better centered?;-), and also do you think the 1850 has too much lift at the start (I can not keep it down then it stalls?:-)

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

27 Nov 2021 12:59pm

Yes definitely more forward than without the foil drive. For the 1850 it doesn't have that extreme stall lift I felt on the 2400. It will do the skyward thing if I'm not forward and doing the planing approach like on the foil drive video. One problem with the 1850 is if there is a strong wave it tends to be too much lift. The 1125 was much better handling speed without going skyward, I didn't have to constantly be pushing down the front on that one

im wondering what ha wing will do best with the foil drive on smaller bumps. Not sure if the 1325 or 1525 will be a lower speed lift option than the 1125

Johndesu

NSW

574 posts

Johndesu

NSW, 574 posts

27 Nov 2021 8:07pm

MokesMax said..
Yes definitely more forward than without the foil drive. For the 1850 it doesn't have that extreme stall lift I felt on the 2400. It will do the skyward thing if I'm not forward and doing the planing approach like on the foil drive video. One problem with the 1850 is if there is a strong wave it tends to be too much lift. The 1125 was much better handling speed without going skyward, I didn't have to constantly be pushing down the front on that one

im wondering what ha wing will do best with the foil drive on smaller bumps. Not sure if the 1325 or 1525 will be a lower speed lift option than the 1125

Ok well I might try my 1125 but at the moment have had pretty good results with the 1550s V1&V2, also I might just be a bit to light (65kgs) & to eager:-)

ninjatuna

252 posts

ninjatuna

252 posts

5 Dec 2021 7:38am

Happyhaydo

NSW

79 posts

Happyhaydo

NSW, 79 posts

28 Dec 2021 2:48pm

I went out in not so perfect conditions wave ratio my friends had foildrives 30 waves to my 2 without foildrive . Yes I can catch waves with the foil but it's killing me waiting for perfect conditions. So I'm not going to mis out anymore I bought my friends foil drive that's clocked up hundreds of waves compared to no foil drive . Once your up you don't use it much.
anyhow I will give you my honest review ok ??

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

7 Jan 2022 10:29am

Tried the foil drive with the HA1125 and was able to pump up with some caveats. I was curious how this wing would work given the faster takeoff required and inability to olly up like the 1850. Once up on foil it is noticeable how you can turn down the throttle on the drive and still fly versus the 1850.

Fresh battery helped, I think I noticed less power below roughly 60pct. Also I got more tired over time so it's a double whammy impact. For reference I'm not a really strong paddler but was trying my best at the flat water pumping techniques recently posted here.

Motor pod was 11.5 inches down the 85 mast and it was a little high for me with any chop or swell if I was trying to foil around using the drive.

noticed I needed to be way forward on the board at mast position 5.

Next session I'm going to try some changes - 72mast with the pod at 12.25 inches down. Mast position 3, 70cm instead of 60cm fuse.

Today's setup:
511 FG board
Armstrong 85cm mast
HA1125 front wing
HA195 rear wing
no shim on A+ 60cm fuse
my weight 160lbs today
mast position 5
Center of motor pod down 11.5 inches

Curious what others have experienced with the ha1125 or ha1325 and the foil drive and any tips or tricks. Thanks!

Fishdude

315 posts

Fishdude

315 posts

8 Jan 2022 9:11am

MokesMax said..
Tried the foil drive with the HA1125 and was able to pump up with some caveats. I was curious how this wing would work given the faster takeoff required and inability to olly up like the 1850. Once up on foil it is noticeable how you can turn down the throttle on the drive and still fly versus the 1850.

Fresh battery helped, I think I noticed less power below roughly 60pct. Also I got more tired over time so it's a double whammy impact. For reference I'm not a really strong paddler but was trying my best at the flat water pumping techniques recently posted here.

Motor pod was 11.5 inches down the 85 mast and it was a little high for me with any chop or swell if I was trying to foil around using the drive.

noticed I needed to be way forward on the board at mast position 5.

Next session I'm going to try some changes - 72mast with the pod at 12.25 inches down. Mast position 3, 70cm instead of 60cm fuse.

Today's setup:
511 FG board
Armstrong 85cm mast
HA1125 front wing
HA195 rear wing
no shim on A+ 60cm fuse
my weight 160lbs today
mast position 5
Center of motor pod down 11.5 inches

Curious what others have experienced with the ha1125 or ha1325 and the foil drive and any tips or tricks. Thanks!

Nice. What percent did need with the 1850?
1125 = 60% to stay flying
1850 = ?

MokesMax

48 posts

MokesMax

48 posts

8 Jan 2022 9:24am

With the changed setup the 1125 performed similarly to before, maybe slightly easier to get up on foil but not a huge change. For the second battery I switched to the 1850 without changing anything else and it was easier to get up, and with paddling a little harder it would work as the battery wore down into the 40's.This setup seems like a great way to learn how to pump, first to get up then reduce throttle and practice pumping to add power.

MokesMax

48 posts