Is 70cm mast too short for wavefoiling?

[omg]

So, currently have moses 91cm mast, but was wondering if the 70cm mast is too short for wavefoiling, typically in choppy conditions? With the 90cm mast, there's no problem, but hard to estimate without trying if the 70cm would be totally different and hitting the chop would become very frequent?

Thanks!

[Peter_Frank]

Many will say it is better, and others will say it is no good

For me, a 92 or 100 cm is just fine in waves, but my 83 cm is useless for me only use it in marginal onshore winds...

Wing will either ventilate, or the board will touch occasionally

Peter

[slowboat]

I would say 70 is too short for high performance wave foiling. I’m sure some can make it work but far from optimal.

[max]

So, currently have moses 91cm mast, but was wondering if the 70cm mast is too short for wavefoiling, typically in choppy conditions? With the 90cm mast, there's no problem, but hard to estimate without trying if the 70cm would be totally different and hitting the chop would become very frequent?

Thanks!

I usually ride a 91cm Moses but tried a 70cm mast on an MFC setup (on choppy water and small ocean swell) and was surprised how little if ever I was breaching. Was just riding the board a bit lower to the water surface.

I have decided to go with the 82cm mast though . . . an option that quite a few manufacturers are offering now as a compromise.

I have been told that shorter is better as it allows you to get into shallower areas and waves without hitting the bottom so easily..

[jespin4845]

70 is perfect if you have a narrow board, too wide and you will breach in the carves

90 feels like surfing on stilts to me... but like everyone says, preferences

85 is the biggest I’d go for a wave foil

[max]

70 is perfect if you have a narrow board, too wide and you will breach in the carves

90 feels like surfing on stilts to me... but like everyone says, preferences

85 is the biggest I’d go for a wave foil

Actually . . . I have a narrow board

[Adventure Logs]

Last week I was in Corpus and the 71cm was too short, kept breaching while the 91cm was no problem at all. For me the shorter mast is only needed for shallow starts, especially when starting off in low winds. Otherwise I can ride my 91 in just as shallow water. I just ride higher.

[Kamikuza]

I usually ride a 91cm Moses but tried a 70cm mast on an MFC setup (on choppy water and small ocean swell) and was surprised how little if ever I was breaching. Was just riding the board a bit lower to the water surface.

I have decided to go with the 82cm mast though . . . an option that quite a few manufacturers are offering now as a compromise.

I have been told that shorter is better as it allows you to get into shallower areas and waves without hitting the bottom so easily..

I cut my 90 down to 82 and I like it a lot more than either the 90 or the 75 I also have.

Shorter also makes for crisper handling response IMO...

Board design is a factor if touching down is troublesome for you -- I've got an Axis Ride and a Surf. The Surf has an outline like a surfboard and fatter rails. It bounces off the water without dragging or sucking the board down, like the Ride does. The Surf, being wider between the feet and not in front of the feet like the Ride, is also less inclined to touch when your tipping into turns. I'm unsure if the narrow rear is a pro or a con ... I prefer to get my heel closer to the center line of the board, and the lack of width limits that...

[Foil]

you can of course use a 70, it is certainly not great, and time is needed to get the hang of it, maybe a few sessions over a few days to dial into the lower ride height and avoiding sharp carves, instead only slow wide arcs,
good volume- longer board for the touchdowns which are hard to avoid on a 70 in chop/waves, smooth slow waves with clean tops are better than large random crazy stuff.
a 70 takes lots of practice to get a good session on flat water, so choppy water takes lots time and self control,
the new Moses 82 is a bit of a gem in the shallow stuff, once used to it you can crank upwind quite fast in chop once you dial in the change in altitude,
and carves can be much more playful, the tip will still pop out as you will be able to move around the surface so much more quickly so again the choice of board will help loads to keep you from getting wet.
101 mast though lets you go wild in anything apart from shallow water, no other mast will deliver such freedom of movement in the waves, for me anyways,

[jakemoore]

I like the 70 quite a lot. Just a few years ago we were getting out past big waves with no mast at all. But a difference is I don’t judge my own riding by the absence of touchdowns and my board is friendly in touchdowns. Sometimes it’s just a chop licking the board and sometimes I put the board down to scrub speed or keep from getting ejected when passing whitewater. It’s all fine with me.

SUP and Prone surfers may ride shorter.

I find longer mast helps more for kite specific riding like hiking upwind or freestyle anything where a touchdown or avvidental ventilation would be more unwelcome. Practice foot switches for example with a long mast at mid depth.

These guys have a couple cool vids on short mast as well as long.: