Why I Chose the Foil Drive Gen 2 Assist Max for Prone Foiling

Since Foil Drive is an accessory that can be fitted to virtually any foil setup, the options are nearly endless. If you're already a foiler and love your setup, adding a Foil Drive to that is a no-brainer, but what if you're starting from scratch or want to reboot your setup? Ryan from MACkite has been Foil Driving for a while with the shop's gear and is ready to share what he ultimately settled on and why.

1. Foil Drive Gen2 Assist Max

The Foil Drive Gen2 Assist Max gives you the most runtime on the water. Ryan mainly prone foils, so he needs the assist to get from wave to wave. He also enjoys winging to get into the swell, but sometimes the wind isn't right, and then the Foil Drive takes the place of the wing. (He could also paddle, but his shoulder isn't a fan of that.)

2. Max Power and Max Sport Battery

Depending on the session, Ryan will use either the Power or the Sport battery. If it's a shorter session close to shore, he'll opt for the lighter Sport battery. He feels like he gets a bit more performance out of his board with the reduced weight.

A lot of the time, though, the extra runtime is more important and he'll rock the Power battery. He can catch more waves and even downwind with it.

3. 3-blade Prop Upgrade

Ryan finds the 3-blade prop to be a worthwhile upgrade because he not only enjoys the extra torque and power, but the positions of the blades means that there's always at least one blade in the water as he transitions from the Foil Drive being in or out of the water. This keeps the propulsion smooth and predictable.

4. CWS Foil Drive Wingnut Set

Two words: No tools! Put the bolts in your tracks, lower the Foil Drive onto them, and secure them with the wing nuts. It's simple and it makes setup at the beach fast.

5. Cedrus Integrated Mast

A Cedrus integrated mast may be the most important piece of the setup. The cable for the Foil Drive propulsion unit runs through the hollow mast to reduce drag. You'll also never need to re-tape your cable to the mast. It's clean and efficient.

Ryan went with the 8-inch spacing due mainly to the choppy conditions that are typical on the Great Lakes. This leaves just enough room where he can keep the motor in the water without having a lot of water hitting the bottom of the board. If he rode in smooth conditions a lot, he might reduce the cable length and get the motor closer to the board, so take your riding spot into account as you build out your own setup.

The 8-inch spacing is also just right for when you need a little boost to stay on a wave. You can dip down without touching down, get your boost, and pop back up to finish your run. Below the motor, you'll also have plenty of mast open for pumping.

Another huge advantage of the Cedrus mast is that it has adapters so you can use a wide range of foil brands with it. Ryan has been swapping among the Axis, North and Code adapters, and there are many others available. If you've got access to more than one brand of foil, you can easily switch, even at the beach if conditions change. For Ryan, it's a huge time-saver since he might be riding multiple foils in a single session to review them.

The top plate of the Cedrus mast has a couple bolt holes you can tap through to keep your Foil Drive unit attached to the mast. Between that and the toolless CWS track bolts, setup is simple and fast at the beach.

The Cedrus mast is very high quality and can often be considered an upgrade in and of itself. It's designed to be efficient, lightweight, and low-drag.

Ryan has been very happy with this setup and plans to continue using it this spring. He's even planning to create it in a beginner-friendly setup to try to get a few more of the guys out on the Foil Drive.

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