CrazyFly Cruz 690

For a brand which (until now) only had two foils, CrazyFly have done remarkably well. The UP won the freerace category in our Ultimate Test last year and – paired with one of CrazyFly’s foil boards – their UP and MASTER foils have been real carbon treats… But with this level of performance comes a hefty price tag. With this in mind, CrazyFly have now introduced a more price-conscious member to their foil family. Their Cruz 690 comes in around a third less expensive than the UP which brings it in line with other foils in the alu/carbon marketplace. It is not just the price though, the Cruz 690 also has some additional surprises up its sleeve. The wings are injection-molded carbon providing a weight reduction as well as a less brittle and more durable construction, and the mast is hollow providing reduced weight and increased buoyancy (something you might need if you are planning on pairing it with CrazyFly’s insanely light new Pure foil board). The overall effect is that this is a seriously light foil – CrazyFly claim it is the lightest aluminum foil on the market, and we can’t think of a lighter foil in this construction.

At 690cm2 you might understandably question whether this is a wing that is going to be suitable for less experienced foilers – with many other wings in this sector of the market coming in at 800+. The Cruz 690 is – however – a fantastic example of how far foil technology has come and how size doesn’t always matter… If you look at the profile you can see that this is significantly wider than that of the UP for example, and is in fact more comparable to a surf or wing foil. This profile promises more lift with less area, and mirrors foil design elsewhere in the incredibly rapidly developing world of foil science.

On the water and the Cruz does indeed perform as the wing shape suggests, it lifts early and gradually – you can accelerate and the foil will begin to lift progressively without trying to leap out. So this would be a great foil for someone with good board skills and balance who would find that they would not outgrow it after a few sessions. Once you are up and riding the Cruz proves itself to be a super fun foil – it is very nimble and you can throw it around, we rode it in some rolling swell and you could really carve it around and enjoy some nice ‘surfy’ feedback. It also responds well to pumping, whether you are trying to pick up some swell or are working to get it up and going in marginal conditions.

Unlike some aluminum foils, the Cruz is silent, even at higher speeds, and the whole set up feels very solid and responsive. For transitions there is that extra second of float compared to the UP so if you are mastering these then the Cruz would be a good option to step on to for a few sessions.

In a sentence: The Cruz 690 brings many of the latest innovations in technology and in foil design and slots it into a very solid and very enjoyable package: this is foiling as it should be in 2020.