Hydrofoiling: Lift Hydrofoil Product Overview

Lift Hydrofoils have been in the foil game for a long time. Their commitment to building quality carbon foils has made them a favorite of many foilers, and their latest designs are next level. Let's take a quick look at how their foils differ from others.

Wings and Fuselages

Lift is the only brand I am aware of using a one-piece wing, fuselage, stabilizer type design. The primary benefits are efficiency, rigidity, simplicity, and weight. This all results in a more efficient foil that is easier to control. The downsides of this system are the replacement part cost and packability. Some argue that the wing is cumbersome to pack for travel, although I find that the packability is just fine when you put the wing with your board rather than in a separate carry case. It is quite flat and is no wider than your board will be. Just be sure to pad it well. As for past compatibility, sorry, but these wings are not compatible with older model Lift masts.

One of Lift Foil’s best new design benefits is simply a wider selection of wings. Breaking out of their long history of accessible speedy foils, they now offer wings that allow for slow, moderate speed, as well as wake, surf, and paddle boarding as well. The new 150, 170, 170 fish, and 200 that have been released recently really make Lift Foils a comprehensive foil manufacturer that can meet the vast majority of riders' needs within their brand.

150 Wing

The Lift 150 wing and fuselage is excellent for covering a vast speed range while remaining agile and fun to ride. This wing will be most appealing to lighter riders in the surf or light wind kiteboarding, as well as larger riders looking for a moderate speed foil.

170 Classic & 170 Fish Wing

The Lift 170 wing/fuselage is a nice step up in size from the 150. It will provide a similar feel with some more lift and stability for riding with less speed or with a heavier rider. We recommend this wing for light surfers in small waves, medium-sized surfers in chest-high or larger surf, medium to large kiteboarders in light to moderate wind, and moderate wind for the XL riders.

170 Classic Fuselage vs. 170 Fish Fuselage

The difference between the 170 Classic and 170 Fish is not in the wing design but rather the fuselage. The Classic is the same rigid design as the other wings in the lineup, while the 170 Fish fuselage features a tapered tail section that allows for just a few millimeters of flex as it progresses to the tail wing. This makes turning and pumping a bit more lively and dynamic when compared to its totally rigid version.

200 Classic Wing

The 200 Classic, or Cruiser as we call it, is fast becoming a favorite wing around the shop.  It provides maximum lift at low speeds and allows you to ride without much kite or wave power.  Being a Lift design, it has a massive speed range and will still hit top speeds near 20 knots, so it is no slouch there either.  One of my favorite things about this foil is that it is a blast behind the kite and also works really well in smaller waves for prone surfing, paddle boarding, and wakefoiling, which kind of makes it an ultimate one foil solution. Smaller riders might find this wing to be a bit too much at higher speeds, but average to heavy riders should seriously consider this wing in their quiver.

Masts

Lift 28”, 32” and 36” masts

The MHL Lift Masts are full carbon construction, and like most carbon masts they feature a one-piece mast and collar. This keeps everything rigid and lightweight. As with the wings, these newly designed masts are not compatible with the older style three-piece wing/fuselage sets. Lift offers masts in 24”, 28”, 32”, 36”, and 40” to meet any need that you might have.

We find that the real superstars for your average Joe are the 28” and 32” masts. When paired with their slow to moderate speed options, they provide enough length to ride fairly quickly and adjust for choppy conditions. Some benefits of these masts include reduced weight, shallow starts, more forgiveness while riding nearshore, and reduced drag for light wind riding. Those riders choosing higher speed options such as their 110 wing or race wings will need to choose the 36” or 40” for maximum depth when heeling hard against their kite.

Bags

One nice surprise that really goes unnoticed by a lot of buyers is the quality custom fit bags that Lift provides with your mast or wing purchase. They are really a necessity for taking care of your foil, and having a bag that fits well reduces scratching and handling mistakes.

Written and produced by Tucker Vantol, Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic

Tucker Vantol

Mackite's resident surf and "Hydrofoil junkie." You can either catch him on the phones or on the water at dawn testing new gear. He is proficient at a myriad of sports, a shaper and passionate about getting his water time. When he discovered kiteboarding it took over as his predominate sport. The same could be said about hydrofoiling.