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The North Foil is unique in design and has rails connecting the front and back wings (which are identical in width). The primary benefit of this is in safety – there are no sharp wingtips to worry about, making the whole set up safer and also meaning that if someone is teaching you then they have less to worry about, and also if you find yourself careering towards the swim zone you don’t need to freak out quite so much!
The North Foil LTD is aimed at the entry level and cruising markets – the price point is relatively high but this is a pretty bombproof foil so you needn’t worry about it only lasting you a few months…
On the water and the long mast gives stability through bumpy water and reduces surfacing during learning. The foil itself is slow to plane but relatively easy to rise. As you accelerate it naturally rises up at a more easily manageable pace making it a great foil on which to really get your initial feel for foiling. The rails give it a locked in ‘anti yaw’ feel which is sometimes difficult to correct if the angle is wrong but you get a feel for this. Then it can take some persuasion to turn corners, but as the foil is so manageable this can be a plus and one of the test team did execute their first foiling tack on this setup.
The board is large and voluminous with a double front strap setup and good comfy pads, and the whole rig tends to ride at about a 45 degree angle, which allows it to drift downwind quickly but sometimes makes positioning your weight hard work. Overall the North Foil LTD is a unique product. It is a quality and well-finished foil with a full carbon mast and wings, and the typical North attention to detail is there.
In a sentence: A very safe and easy to use foil. The North Foil LTD will get you up and riding as quickly as any other foil on the market and then provides ‘fun cruising’ for the recreational foiler.
