MANTA FOILS MONO WINDFOIL 2018 TEST REVIEW
MANTA FOILS MONO WINDFOIL 2018 TEST REVIEW
THEY SAY
Mantafoils is a 10-year-old brand designing and producing hydrofoils. The Manta MONO is an all-in-one design foil, made to fit kitefoiling, windfoiling and SUP/surf-foiling by exchanging components (front wings). The MONO windfoil is very well built and easy to ride. The choice of wings for windfoiling goes from freeride to carbon race ones and even the larger SUP ones will serve the purpose! Each of them offering a different riding experience.
WE SAY
The Mono comes fully dismantled, supplied in a reinforced, EVA-buffered bag to prevent transport damage. Following the instructions provided, it is easy to put together, albeit one thing immediately jumps out at you – there are a lot of parts, joints and fixings to the Mono, so maintenance in our typically harsh, corrosive environment would be key. It is well engineered and fits together easily, the materials of the foil, its fixtures and the tool (and Tef-Gel) provided being well-considered and of high quality. Using the “Chinook size” Deep Tuttle head, the addition of the rubber-lined Load Support Plate is a neat feature, helping to reduce the risk of board damage as well as locating the foil securely in place. Manta Foils didn’t have a board available in time for testing, so we used it in a variety of foil-specific and foil-ready boards from the centre.
On the water, the first thing we noticed about the Manta Foil is how surprisingly efficient it is. Relatively high aspect, with its long front-wing span and short chord, it nevertheless generates a good amount of early lift, accelerating smoothly as you work the foil. The flight is very controlled and progressive, gliding up to feel balanced and predictable underfoot. We initially tried it in a foil-specific board and the lift was quite far back, demanding quite a bit of work through the back-foot, whilst the board adopted a low-nose Concorde-esque stance. A quick run back to shore to adjust the trim of the tail wing, using the two screws in the fuselage, and the balance can very easily be adjusted to suit every board and fin-box position. Taking the Mono into powered conditions and it continued to impress, clocking a good turn of speed whilst exhibiting little sensitivity or nervousness. It is also completely silent, feeling settled and vibration-free, which we think is a first for us on an aluminium mast. Even foils twice the Mono’s price often suffer some resonance or torsion twitch when pushed, but the Mono feels rock steady. Load and canter it to windward and the Mono’s flat wings do allow the foil to slip sideways from underneath you. Instead, adopt a more upright stance over the board and let the foil do the work. Its speed and performance then come easy, making it both fun and rewarding. In transition, the Mono’s response is balanced and well mannered, its long mast providing good margin for error in height control. The foot change still has to be quick, yet the easy lift and stability help the rider to complete the turn consistently. For its ease and performance, the Mono deserves praise heaped upon it. But then add into the mix the fact that it can be adapted to suit many different foiling sports, and retails at a commotion-creating price (albeit shipping and import duty must be paid on top of the quoted online price, so just be aware) and the world of affordable foiling has a new contender.
VITAL STATS
FOIL
• Head: Deep Tuttle
• Mast Length: 86.36cm
• Mast Material: Aluminium
• Fuselage Length: 84.0cm (Front fuselage long and standard fuselage)
• Fuselage Material: Aluminium
• Front Wing Span: 76.0cm
• Front Wing Chord: 13.0cm
• Front Wing Area (Quoted): N/A
• Tail Wing Span: 36.5cm
• Wing Material: G10 Fibreglass
• Weight: 5.76kg
Other sails in this test:
• FANATIC FLOW H9 & GECKO FOIL 133
• NAISH THRUST WS1 & HOVER 142
• NEIL PRYDE RS:FLIGHT AL & JP HYDROFOIL 135
• RRD WH FLIGHT ALU 85 & FIRERIDE V1 LTD 155
• SLINGSHOT HOVER GLIDE FWIND & LEVITATOR 150
• STARBOARD FREERIDE & FOIL 122