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Ryan and Hunter have spent a lot of time on the Foil Drive, and they absolutely love it. After traveling and flying with it recently, they noticed there isn't a lot of great information out there on what a Foil Drive travel kit should actually look like. While kiteboarding and wing foiling setups are covered everywhere online, the Foil Drive-specific details are a bit lacking. Here's a full breakdown of how to pack your gear, handle your batteries, and navigate the airport. Handling Foil Drive …

The e-assist market has exploded over the last few years. What was once using motorized assistance to get into waves and swell has transformed to foiling without resistance. Now, Waydoo has a solution for the foil assist market. Waydoo has been around for a while producing eFoils, and we've been using them for quite some time — they make a great eFoil. The Foil Boost is the brand's entry into e-assist, with a motor mounted up closer to the board so you can power into a wave, ride around …

Ryan and Hunter, along with Ryan Arzy from Foil Drive, chat about the carbon integrated masts that many brands are now releasing. These masts are available with the new high-power motor, providing more thrust and helping with battery longevity. After testing them at KoGL and during the sessions leading up to it, the team shared their thoughts on how these integrated units perform. Carbon vs. Aluminum Integrated Masts The concept of an integrated mast is nothing new, but the move to carbon …

Ryan and Hunter chat about the all-new Sunova Foil Drive Trench board, designed specifically to integrate with Foil Drive systems, offering a dedicated space for the motor unit and battery. Three Different Sizes The board comes in three sizes to accommodate different rider weights and skill levels: 4'10" at 40 liters 5'2" at 45 liters 5'6" at 50 liters The width on the 4'10" model is 19", and the width increases by a quarter inch on each of the larger two sizes. Board Features The Sunova Tre …

Ryan and Hunter have been using these for a little while now, and after Code took some time to dial them in just right, the team has been really stoked with the result; check out the breakdown, who's it for, and its features. Base Plate Features Starting at the base plate, there's a slotted hardware channel for mounting to the board. The slot makes it easy and seamless to drop the split bolts in — great for quickly swapping the unit out, instead of fiddling around trying to line up a sin …

Ryan sat down with Hunter and Ryan from Foil Drive to talk about the Foil Drive and how it can be used to learn pumping and improve existing pumping skills: a use case people might not think about when they first get a Foil Drive. Instant Repetition and Easy Restarts The biggest thing is that if you fall, you get right back up and practice again. When dock starting, you go out pretty far, mess up, and then have to swim on a small board all the way back. It's a long, tiring, sad swim home. With …

Riding a small board in the waves on your Foil Drive is a lot of fun: it unlocks a lot of the unit's potential, but it isn't as easy to get up on a small board as it is on something a little bit larger. Ryan and Hunter have broken it down into three of the most common mistakes or situations that cause riders to struggle getting up on their Foil Drive after downsizing to a smaller board. Tip #1: Board Angle When you first hop on your board in the water, you want that board angle to be level wit …

Ryan and Hunter get a lot of questions from people wanting to pick up a Foil Drive unit who aren't quite sure if the board they have might be a good one to start with, if their current foil will work, if they need to upgrade, or really just where to start sizing-wise. Here are the answers to a few of those questions, along with a good idea of what you may be looking at for your first time out there on the Foil Drive. Baseline Rider Weight Starting out, the guys want to note that this guide ref …

For most of the year, if you want to be on the water, you’re zipped into something thick. And once fall rolls into winter, that suit better be legit. Ryan and Jeff been riding the 6/5/4 hooded suit from Soöruz through real Great Lakes conditions. Not just quick sessions. Not “kind of cold.” We’re talking high 40s water, air temps in the 30s, wind in your face while you’re rigging. After a bunch of sessions in it, here’s what Ryan and Jeff have foun …

Ryan and Hunter have been quietly battling over this mast—and that alone says something. The new North Integrated Ultra High Mod Carbon Mast isn’t just another accessory in the Foil Drive ecosystem. It’s a purpose-built, performance-focused solution for riders who are already pushing their limits in waves, downwinders, and pump sessions. After significant time on the water, their takeaway is clear: this setup changes how a Foil Drive feels underfoot. Tech Specs | What You …

Ryan and Hunter from MACkite have been logging serious sessions this summer and fall on the Appletree Zapple S, and it’s quickly become one of their standout Foil Drive setups. If you’re looking at trench boards and wondering whether going smaller actually improves performance, this board makes a strong case. Let’s break down why. What Is the Zapple S? The Zapple S is closely related to Appletree’s Apple Slice prone board, but with one major difference: a built-in tr …

With 2025 North closeouts hitting the sale rack, we asked Jeff, Tucker, and Ryan to weigh in on the wings they'd personally build a quiver around. From Jeff's decades-long connection to the North brand to Tucker's appreciation for the consistency and polish across the lineup, this isn’t a spec-sheet rundown. It’s a look at what we believe actually works on the water, why it works, and who each piece makes the most sense for. Jeff's Go-To For 2025 North Wings North Sails and I go bac …

Foil Drive riding has pushed board design in a very specific direction. Efficiency, foil feel, and clean integration now matter more than ever, and few brands have leaned into that reality as effectively as Appletree Surfboards. After riding both the Appletree Zapple and the Appletree Zapple S back-to-back for a full season, Ryan and Hunter from MACkiteboarding break down where these two boards overlap, where they clearly diverge, and, most importantly, who each board is actually for. This i …

Foil Drive has opened the door to a new category of riding—one that blends the accessibility of e-foiling with the performance and progression of traditional hydrofoiling. To make that leap even easier, we have curated a turnkey setup built around proven North hardware: the Foil Drive North Boost Foil Drive Package. In this breakdown, Ryan from MACkiteboarding explains why this package works so well for first-time foilers, experienced wing and kite foilers, and anyone looking for a hig …

Riding the Foil Drive Max opens up an entirely different way to approach foiling—especially in a place like the Great Lakes, where conditions can swing wildly from glassy summer days to fast-moving, overhead windswell. In this discussion, Ryan and Hunter break down how they think about foil selection based on real sessions on Lake Michigan, covering everything from one-foil solutions to full quiver setups. Rather than chasing theory, this guide is rooted in what actually works when you …