LF thruster foil any good?

[Kitedicted]

I want to get into hydrofoiling and a shop has a good deal on a Liquid Force thruster with a rocket board for around 700 euros new. The mast is quite long 37 inches. Does anybody know if this foil is any good and ok for a beginner? Since foils are so expensive I'd rather spend more time learning than buying a beginner foil and having to lose money

[tmcfarla]

I had one briefly. It was a nice enough foil, but I switched out for Lift 110, which I liked more. The only real downside was the weight, I had carbon wings and it weighed a lot as I recall. Foil weight isn’t that big of a deal when riding, but once you go to lighter full-carbon setups it is really hard to go back. For the right price, thruster is a good setup, you could definitely learn and progress on it. For anything close to retail price, I think there are better options

The mast length is normal for kite use, but liquid force offers cheap shorter masts. The modern trend has been towards larger wings and shorter masts that are more wave-oriented. Whether that is right for you is based on what you want and what your local conditions are like. For flat water foiling, I think normal sized wings like thruster make sense. Unless you are in a shallow water spot, I think that mast length makes sense (some use a shorter mast for learning). It is a foil you could definitely learn on. I have used the rocket board, and didn’t like it. It is ok, but heavy. That said, I didn’t use it until after I was a proficient foiler, and was accustomed to a much smaller board (smaller is less good for learning).

[edt]

the thruster is my favorite foil I think it's fine for both beginners and advanced riders. The only problem is that you have to seat the wing really far back. I don't know which rocket board you are looking at but make sure it has slots (not just holes in the board) so you can position the foil all the way back. I can't really ride full carbon because there's so much junk in the water were I live it would explode form the impacts.

[FLandOBX]

For learning, you'll want a shorter mast (i.e., 24"). It makes a big difference when you're in the beginner stages (falling a lot). If you buy the kit, save the 37" mast for later and buy a short mast for your first few months. Should be able to find a used LF short mast cheap.

[Kitedicted]

Board looks like this, is it the right attachment? Also 5'0" or 4'8" ??

Thanks!

[Kitehume]

Yeah go for it. Same board I use with the thruster foil.

[revhed]

There is a hydrofoil section on this forum!
R H

[Leelanau]

I've had a LF Thruster for 2 years and the Rocket was the first board I owned with the original LF foil. I still really enjoy the Thruster even while also riding a Moses foil and 3 wings (633, 695 & 647). It's a really good all-around foil, early lift, solid top end, somewhat loose, skatey feel, but solid pitch and role stability. As the poster said above, only major downside is weight, and that's mostly a factor when carrying to/from the beach. It won't be among the easiest foils to learn on, but should be a heck of a lot better than a race wing. The rocket is a good board for learning and rides on the surface well, but it's heavy and as soon as you're proficient (and try a modern shorter/lighter board), you'll want to upgrade.

[UKSurf]

I would say there are easier foils to learn on than the Thruster. I have the Rocket and Impulse foil from Liquid Force and both are more suitable for a beginner. The thruster has a pointed front so this adds some danger when learning - it can flip up and smack you in the head. The Rocket Board is nice for a beginner and can be used as a surfboard also - great for surface riding but as has been stated is a bit heavy. Consider getting some foot hooks when learning.

[Flyboy]

No idea where you are, but in general there are a lot of used foils around now that can be picked up cheap. I think the Thruster is probably a decent enough foil to learn on, but the Rocket board is heavy & old design. If I were you I would look at the Gong website where you will find a range of more up-to-date designs at great prices. Gong has a complete range of board, mast & wing sizes to suit your needs now & as you progress.

https://www.gong-galaxy.com/en/product/ ... freestyle/