I ride the silks with the 85 mast probably 75% of the time and the 75 mast 25% of the time. I think the 80 is the stiffest mast which is why they recommend it for winging but I'm 80kg and don't notice any negative flex implications with the 85. I'm in very choppy conditions often (although I dont know how they compare to the North Sea) and agree that I wouldn't want to be much shorter than the 85. YMMV
Select to expand quotejoller said..Jeroensurf said..
Great review.I,m 97kg and riding mostly North sea (Europe) conditions where we have mostly wind waves. Less strong as the Gorge but often bigger waves and your findings are very similar to mine. I demoed the 1050 and didn't want to give it back so swallowed the Price tag and kept it. 
Regarding to some other foils like Armstrong HA and Code the AFS is a bit bigger in cm2. So if you like to brag, I ride a tiny....cm2 foil, other brands make foils for a similar range with less cm2.
Comparing to Armstrong the Silk 1050 sit in a similar range as the HA880 with a little bit less glide that the HA880 but faster and better/tighter turning, so besides the questions on the beach why I ride 1050 instead of an 800something there is no downside in it to me.
The Silk isnt a pure Ocean glider, that where they have there Pure HA for 
, but riding waves and steep bumps it is the best foil I tried so far. For me the range of the 1050 is insane wide, but In power full breaking steep waves of 2m+ It can become a bit hand full when riding close to the pocket. That is where I grab the 850 and haven,t seen so far conditions where that one gets too big. I haven,t tried the Cedrus V2, but owned the V1 and with the AFS I have simply less ventilation (and feels a lot faster).
I was lately able to swap my set with a friend on the Axis HM mast with an Spitfire900 wich should be made for a similar range and to me that set felt like stuck in 3th gear compared to the Silk 1050. I don,t have a ton of experience on Axis, but felt a bit underwhelmed with it.
Which mast are you riding the Silks on in the North Sea? 80 or 85 UHM?
I see that Laurent (the designer) recommends using the 80 mast (not sure if this is for winging), but in choppy sea and waves this may be too short.
I have the UHM80 and it works fine for me. perfect size.75cm would be too short for me but before the AFS I owned a Cedrus 85cm wich is 88cm with adapters etc and for me it was longer as needed.
Hey, would one of you with the AFS UHM masts measure the total length of the mast? I'm trying to figure out if the nominal length includes height of the fuse or not.
Similarly I'm currently on an equivalent 86 mast and managing the chop well and feel like it is a tiny bit too long.
I would Prefer to have the foil closer to wave energy at the surface without having to fly high, so a shorter mast.
The benefits: Easier to launch - depth wise and less resistance starting; stiffer; less weight; less cost; more direct feeling.
I'm not interested in jumping, just riding waves and swell and carving (and dealing with chop) in light, medium and strong wind. I also want just 1 mast.
Think I am going to give the 80 a try (thanks @jeroensurf). I believe it's total length is 82 - so 80 from top of mast plate to top of fuse, with 2cm into fuse.
My 75cm mast is 75cm plus the thickness of the foil fuse. I loaned out my 80 to a buddy but if you are still questioning length I can measure that one when I get it back.
I think the 80cm is best all around but there are some unique performance gains on the 75 that make it a lot of fun for the right kind of rider. It's what I ride every day.
Are you able to handle choppy conditions with the 75 mast? Does it make you work super hard in the chop?
(a lot of this comes down to rider skill)
When I first learned to foil I heard a quote from Dave Kalama that was something along the lines of "If you aren't learning pitch control, you aren't learning to foil." and I took it to heart. For the longest time I rode a 66cm on small days and a 76cm on big days. 80 is the largest I've ever ridden consistently (I disliked 86). Even in open ocean I was successful with the 66.
So yes, like you said, it comes down to rider skill. The only time I'm hyper aware of it is when I'm going directly upwind through steep breaking swell and sometimes I do bare off if I think I'll breach the backside of the swell (similar to going through breaking waves).
Really the only time I breach my 75 is when I'm surfing too aggressively and am laid over toeside on extreme carves. Usually I can save it when I feel the foil tip leave the water. This pretty much never happens to me on an 80cm mast.
Select to expand quoteNoFoilRoad said..
Hey, would one of you with the AFS UHM masts measure the total length of the mast? I'm trying to figure out if the nominal length includes height of the fuse or not.
I try to measure it tomorrow for you but do you think 2cm make a lof of difference?I use mine in flat water, Northsea Chaotic waves and like last month in 3-4m Ocean swell in Ireland and can,t remember my last foil out with it.One of the best things I like from the AFS stuff is that its very ventilation resistant. you can push and make cray angles without any problem where I got with my Cedrus and Kujira/Cabrinha foils at least once a session ventilation crashes.
Select to expand quotejoller said..
Are you able to handle choppy conditions with the 75 mast? Does it make you work super hard in the chop?
(a lot of this comes down to rider skill)
For me, a shorter mast is a more direct, connected feel in turns, closer to surface so easier to glide in downwind swell, no issues with breaching. The issue I do fencounter with a shorter mast in big water is more related to how far I can lean/pinch going up wind without kissing the top of waves. Having been on both a 75 and a 90, I've settled on an 80" mast as the best all around performer/compromise for myself.
I have the 80 and 85 UHM masts that I use with the Silk 850 and 1050. I also have a NoLimitz v2 93 and have used the AFS UHM 95 Race mast. My most sailed location, it really helps to have a long mast. 80 was just too short in the big square chop if you want to drive the foil and ride fast when BAFing, getting upwind, etc... the 80 is nice when flagged out and riding bumps and wakes. Other locations the 80 was more doable. 85, while not that much longer, seems to be much better all around size for winging here... that combined w/ skinnier boards has made my life a lot easier. I have limited time on the 93 and 95 masts but they feel good for blasting but not as good for riding swell obviously.
My trip to Oahu, I brought the 85 which was fine... I might bring the 80 next time though (or both)
Select to expand quotesunsetsailboards said..
I have the 80 and 85 UHM masts that I use with the Silk 850 and 1050. I also have a NoLimitz v2 93 and have used the AFS UHM 95 Race mast. My most sailed location, it really helps to have a long mast. 80 was just too short in the big square chop if you want to drive the foil and ride fast when BAFing, getting upwind, etc... the 80 is nice when flagged out and riding bumps and wakes. Other locations the 80 was more doable. 85, while not that much longer, seems to be much better all around size for winging here... that combined w/ skinnier boards has made my life a lot easier. I have limited time on the 93 and 95 masts but they feel good for blasting but not as good for riding swell obviously.
My trip to Oahu, I brought the 85 which was fine... I might bring the 80 next time though (or both)
Hello, I am used to sailing with long 1 meter masts and mikeslab foils, I use AFS silk 850 in prone and I love it. Recently I have been testing the silk with the 80cm uhm mast in wingfoil with tails since it is a really nice foil but I find it difficult to get used to such a short mast, especially in maneuvers. Do you think the extra 5cm of the 85 can make a difference for me in waveriding?
Thank you
Select to expand quoteUrsus said..sunsetsailboards said..
I have the 80 and 85 UHM masts that I use with the Silk 850 and 1050. I also have a NoLimitz v2 93 and have used the AFS UHM 95 Race mast. My most sailed location, it really helps to have a long mast. 80 was just too short in the big square chop if you want to drive the foil and ride fast when BAFing, getting upwind, etc... the 80 is nice when flagged out and riding bumps and wakes. Other locations the 80 was more doable. 85, while not that much longer, seems to be much better all around size for winging here... that combined w/ skinnier boards has made my life a lot easier. I have limited time on the 93 and 95 masts but they feel good for blasting but not as good for riding swell obviously.
My trip to Oahu, I brought the 85 which was fine... I might bring the 80 next time though (or both)
Hello, I am used to sailing with long 1 meter masts and mikeslab foils, I use AFS silk 850 in prone and I love it. Recently I have been testing the silk with the 80cm uhm mast in wingfoil with tails since it is a really nice foil but I find it difficult to get used to such a short mast, especially in maneuvers. Do you think the extra 5cm of the 85 can make a difference for me in waveriding?
Thank you
Longer mast will be slower rail to rail and potentially hit bottom faster depending on your conditions. I wouldn't expect it to ruin your day but it will be a little different. If you are trying for 1 mast and the 85 will wing better for you then I wouldn't worry too much!
Select to expand quoteUrsus said..sunsetsailboards said..
I have the 80 and 85 UHM masts that I use with the Silk 850 and 1050. I also have a NoLimitz v2 93 and have used the AFS UHM 95 Race mast. My most sailed location, it really helps to have a long mast. 80 was just too short in the big square chop if you want to drive the foil and ride fast when BAFing, getting upwind, etc... the 80 is nice when flagged out and riding bumps and wakes. Other locations the 80 was more doable. 85, while not that much longer, seems to be much better all around size for winging here... that combined w/ skinnier boards has made my life a lot easier. I have limited time on the 93 and 95 masts but they feel good for blasting but not as good for riding swell obviously.
My trip to Oahu, I brought the 85 which was fine... I might bring the 80 next time though (or both)
Hello, I am used to sailing with long 1 meter masts and mikeslab foils, I use AFS silk 850 in prone and I love it. Recently I have been testing the silk with the 80cm uhm mast in wingfoil with tails since it is a really nice foil but I find it difficult to get used to such a short mast, especially in maneuvers. Do you think the extra 5cm of the 85 can make a difference for me in waveriding?
Thank you
before the AFS Silk, I was riding the 90cm Fanatic mast or the 90cm Project Cedrus mast with SAB (about 93cm total). I also had and AFS Pure 900 with 97cm UHM Performer mast (super nice setup). I rode the 80cm UHM mast with the Silk 850 and 1050 for awhile and it was doable in some spots and hard at my main spot. It just depends on how you want to ride. I find that measly 5cm going to the 85cm UHM mast makes a huge difference. I would not have thought so, but now for winging I just use the 85. It turns great also albeit it is a little bit different but not necessarily in a bad way.
I took some video yesterday on the 1050 & 85 and you can see how often the winglet breaches while I'm sailing... which tells why +5cm actually makes a difference.
one of my customers bought the 95cm UHM mast with 2 degree rake for his Silk 850. He loves it. I didn't get to test that combo, but I have 93cm NoLimitz V2 mast for AFS also, and will do further testing with that.
Select to expand quotesunsetsailboards said..
one of my customers bought the 95cm UHM mast with 2 degree rake for his Silk 850. He loves it. I didn't get to test that combo, but I have 93cm NoLimitz V2 mast for AFS also, and will do further testing with that.
Those 2 degrees also make an important difference, now I am using a one degree wedge waiting for another wedge with 1.5
Select to expand quotesunsetsailboards said..
one of my customers bought the 95cm UHM mast with 2 degree rake for his Silk 850. He loves it. I didn't get to test that combo, but I have 93cm NoLimitz V2 mast for AFS also, and will do further testing with that.
Those 2 degrees also make an important difference, now I am using a one degree wedge waiting for another wedge with 1.5
Here's the 80 in super windy conditions, not the biggest swell here but you can tell it's not too bad going up and down the swell.
www.instagram.com/reel/C9xT4XpvLAk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
