Foil Drive Assist Gen2
I do not think the guys at Foil Drive need me to do this evaluation of the Gen2 Foil Drive. They seem to be selling out without any issues. I am here to cut through the hype and give the reality of what using the Gen2 foil drive is like and is it really worth almost two grand more than the Gen1 version new and even more money saved buying a used Gen1.
I have been using a Foil Drive almost exclusively since 2022. I spent a lot of time and money on designing a board that would integrate the Gen1 Foil Drive into the board so that it would feel as close to a regular board as possible. I achieved that and then Foil Drive came out with Gen2 and made all that irrelevant. Go figure!
I have been using the Gen2 version since November 2023. I have had many sessions on it, and I think I have a good feel for it and what it can do. I have been in ankle high surf to well overhead waves. I have done some downwind sessions on it too. I still have my Gen1 and leave it in Hawaii with a board so I can travel there easily so I am still using it.
The first question is should you get the Slim vs the Max. This was not much of a debate in my mind. I always want the lightest that I can get. My years on the Foil Drive I have learned to use it efficiently and so the small battery can easily last me over 1.5 hours for a normal session in the surf. I have done two hours when I max out the battery, but I usually come in when it is around 50%. This is the same for Gen1 and Gen2 for me. I have not noticed a big difference in battery drain. Here are some real-world examples of my battery drain on the slim. I am using the Magic Hub with two blades. I am on 31-to-37-liter boards 4’1” to 4’5”. I weight around 145 lbs.
1)Downwind attempt HB pier going south. I made it to 54th street before my battery was drained to 4%. This was a horrible run with me on foil only 5% of the time. The other 95% was me motoring and trying to gun it to get up and falling. That is 3 miles in distance.
2)San Onofre surf session of waves chest high and I was out 2.5 hours and still came in with around 20%.
3)San Onofre surf session in head high waves with mostly motoring back out to the waves at a slow speed, 20% power level or below, one hour session and came in with 40% battery.
It is important to note that I DO NOT try and power back out to the line-up on foil. I will explain why I do not do this at the end.
So how does it perform. Fantastic! I think the new version is well made and the fact that I can use it on almost any board is one of the best-selling points to use it. Honestly, I am having a lot of fun trying all my old boards and new ones with it. I am a big proponent of a universal mast, and this is the Foil Drive equivalent. I would say the only restriction is the volume of the board. I find that my lower volume boards have more difficulty keeping a signal while paddling or during take-off. Some part of the board needs to be above the water for the signal to transmit. When I sit on my lower volume boards, I sink them underwater. The signal is lost. When I swing around to get on the wave, I need to make sure I put the nose of the board high above the water to get the signal to reconnect. This places me abnormally further back on the board than I would normally be. If I get to the front too quickly the signal can be cut out since the nose is almost all the way in the water. That can be frustrating. This is enhanced in a bad way by certain carbon fiber boards. My Majek boards take a lot more finesse to keep the signal intact, but my Amundson does just fine. Of course, with my Foil Drive Gen1 specific board I have an antenna on the front so signal loss is unusual.
Is it worth almost five thousand dollars? That is hard to answer. I am 57 as of this writing and my endurance is not what it used to be. I have a good income and a very understanding wife. This combination made it easy for me to justify getting one. Since I rarely go out without my Foil Drive Gen1 getting the second generation was natural. Should you get a loan or go into debt for it? Absolutely not. I would never recommend that. Foiling without a Foil Drive is a joy, and I would still be foiling if I did not have one. If you are tired of fighting the crowd or getting a little slower physically but not mentally then the system is a no brainer. If you are an excellent pumper and can get multiple waves easily then I think this is of limited use.
Will the Foil Drive make you a better foiler? No. It may actually do the opposite. The approach to a wave is completely different with the Foil Drive vs without. The take-off is different. Once you are on the wave there is not a large difference, but there is some. The newer Gen2 has more drag to it. The base being below the board means that you need to keep the board higher off the water to keep the pod from dragging. I have gone to a longer mast to compensate for this. Despite that there are many times during a turn or trimming on a wave that I get too low and touch down. I plan on making a board with a little recess in it to help counter act that. I also keep my Pod much closer to the bottom of my board than others. If you do not do this then you need to keep the board even higher above the water. This takes some adjustment. The Gen1 allows the Pod to be much closer to the bottom of the board. I kept my prop blade one finger width from the bottom of the board. I cannot do this with the Gen2 unit.
I still ride my Gen1 Foil Drive with a Majek board in Hawaii. I have no issues going back to this set-up. It feels the same as my Gen2 as far as balance and feel. I think if you already have a Gen1 version then a board designed for it is the best and cheapest way to go. The other advantage of the Gen 1 is that it is legally transportable by plane. The small batteries are under the limit. I have flown over thirty flights with it including Mexico and never had an issue.
Right now, a new Assist plus is around $3200. Getting a Foil Drive specific board would cost around $1300 so you would have a total of $4500. This is the same price as the Slim version of the foil drive. I would recommend the Gen2 in that situation. If you can find a used Gen1 or you already own a Gen1 then it would be cheaper to just have a board made. I think the Gen1 is great and highly reliable. I am still very happy with it.
What about the Max version. I have not used one. I think the extra battery is great and would be of use when trying to downwind. If you are a larger rider, it may be better as far as battery life. If you use the Foil Drive to just assist with the paddle out and to get into waves, then I see no need for the added weight and increased height.
Ok I am going to give my opinion now. This is my two cents and word of caution to all my fellow Foil Drive foilers. I am against using the Foil Drive to motor on foil in the surf. I see videos of guys powering out of the wave and out to the line-up on foil. My only thought when I see that is that it is the quickest way to get the Foil Drive forbidden in the surf zone. It is a universal law around the world that motorized vehicles are not allowed in the surf zone. This is for good reason. You do not want a Jet-ski running you down while waiting for a set wave. Using the Foil Drive like an E-foil is elevating it from an assist device to a motorized vessel. I cringe at all the videos posted on Instagram of the guys power out to the line-up at 15 miles per hour. I use my Foil Drive in more of a stealth mode. Paddling out while getting some assistance from the motor but at a normal paddling speed. I have a lot of people say to me that I am an amazing paddler until I let them know I have a motor helping. I stay way outside and to the side so that I am not interfering with the surfers. Self-policing has been a mantra in the foiling community since the beginning. I feel that this needs to be emphasized in the Foil Drive community as well. DO NOT power your Foil Drive out through the line up. This will lead to rules we do not want.
I think the Gen2 Foil Drive is more convenient than the Gen1 for the simple reason that you can use it on almost any board. I bought it and I am happy with it. The Gen1 version is great as well. If you are on a budget then a used Gen1 is a excellent choice. You can travel with it and will make it more useful in that scenario. You can strap it to your waist like some of the guys in Hawaii do, but I do not recommend that. The best is to get a board specific for the Foil Drive. If you are lazy and do not care about the extra money then the Gen2 is the way to go.