AXIS Foil Drive Integrated Carbon Masts

AXIS have always been proactive with Foil Drive, and in fact were among the first brands to embrace it and produce specific boards for the discipline. More recently as it’s come to masts, they have reacted quickly to consumer demand, releasing a range of two 80cm high-pod, assist-style masts to the market. These are available in differing carbon grades (Ultra High Modulus and High Modulus) and were developed working in collaboration with Foil Drive themselves. The pods are set at 15cm below the base plate, which is a sensible distance and means they are usable in a wide range of water states and will minimize any prop aeration in chop.

We tested both masts with the wave-oriented Surge 1010 and 890 front wing with a Surf Skinny 320 tail. This has enough span to flag any potential movement, but in reality there wasn’t really any. The deep socket join at the fuselage that AXIS has created and sturdy M8 bolts make for a decent mechanical connection through the carbon and eliminate any potential flex here – this goes for both the Ultra High Modulus and High Modulus variants. The trailing edges of the masts have a gentle scallop meaning the mid-section has a slightly reduced chord. It gives them an elegant appearance and a bit more speed in that mid-section where the water surface will sit.

Assembly is simple, you plug the stator into the cable hidden in the mast, four small bolts then attach this to a plastic insert. This bolts into the mast very securely with a barrel bolt that spans the carbon molding. Cable length is adjustable between the Fusion and Gen 2 Max system through a little hatch in the mast base, so you don’t need to use a barnacle cable extender for the Fusion. The necessary cable lengths are clearly marked so you don’t need to guess or offer it up. The masts have an extra countersunk aperture in the base plate which means they can be bolted permanently to the Foil Drive unit with two short M8 bolts which are provided. This avoids any stress on the cable when taking the system on and off the board. It all comes off as one piece for the battery swap once the track bolts are loosened or removed.

As we experiment more with Foil Drive, it’s clear that small incremental changes yield substantial differences in the quality of the ride and overall efficiency, and the integrated mast solves two hydrodynamic issues straight out of the box. The frontal area of the pod is minimized, and it sits further back on the chord of the mast, meaning less drag on initial take off and much reduced effect when you strike the water when the pod re-enters. That tripwire feeling of pod strike is all but gone, which is very noticeable when riding on the limit in larger swell. You’ll also notice a more eager takeoff with less initial surface drag, meaning you may be able to drop a foil size.

There’s something to be said about the AXIS range and how mind bendingly comprehensive it is – the scope of front wings, tails and fuselages you can attach to your integrated mast is perhaps the largest on the market. The sizing is close, making it easy to tailor a quiver to your weight or conditions.

Integrated masts are brilliant for many reasons – better hydrodynamics and less faffing around comes at a price, but as an investment, when you look at the overall cost of a system, as a component upgrade it produces the most benefits in one hit.

So should you go Ultra High Modulus or standard High Modulus, and how different do they feel, I hear you ask? The standard High Modulus for average weight riders will be more than adequate and comparable to other manufacturers’ integrated masts. It’s very stiff and translates the foil feeling well, particularly when paired with a trench board. If you’re a heavyweight and want to use wider span foils for downwinding for instance, the extra control and feel you’ll get from the Ultra High Modulus would be a sound investment. In the grand scheme of a full Foil Drive, it’s in for a penny, in for a pound! Under foot you can feel more translation of feeling through the Ultra High Modulus carbon and though it’s certainly a luxury, it’s great that AXIS gave the option, which is what they are famous for.