Naish Jet HA 1040 2022
Reviews / Hydrofoils
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At A Glance
The Jet HA 1040 is the smallest in the Jet HA range. Its 1040 squared cm surface area means that it is on the smaller side when it comes to wing foiling, don’t let that put you off though. The foil I tested came with an 85cm carbon mast, they are also available in 75cm & 95cm, in either carbon or aluminium versions.
The ‘HA’ refers to ‘Higher Aspect’ on the front wing, meaning that the wingspan is longer and narrower like a glider rather than shorter and fatter like a fighter jet. This should mean that the wing glides further but turns slower than a low aspect wing, but I’ll come back to whether that is actually the case later.
The full carbon front wing is fairly flat in the middle section and has a small anhedral curve at the wingtips. The 64cm fuselage is aluminium, hydrodynamics have clearly played a big part in its design, I particularly like the connection between the mast and fuselage which is almost seamless. Look at the pictures to see what I mean, it’s something I haven’t seen before but it makes perfect sense to reduce drag in that critical area. The rear wing stabiliser is 220cm2 and in a new high aspect design, again designed to increase pump & glide.
The overall package feels light and strong. The top of the mast uses the ‘quick connection’ for easy attachment to your board, maximising time on the water. All of the screws are Torx Head and Stainless Steel for durability.
On The Water
Oh my, I had some serious sessions with this foil. As claimed by Naish the glide was truly exceptional, I could free-fly the wing for what felt like forever and easily pump between the bumps to connect them. What surprised me however was the speed it carried through the water and the carving ability, it just doesn’t feel like a high aspect wing is supposed to feel!
I would have expected a fast stall speed with this relatively small foil but it really wasn’t the case. I was able to get on foil quickly, even while using a small 40L board and it sailed through the lulls super efficiently.
The 85cm carbon mast was a good length, long enough to get banked over going upwind but not so long that you feel unbalanced when riding high. It’s a stiff mast, adding to the pumping ability and its narrow profile, like the rest of the foil, adds to the overall speed of the setup - which is rapid.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to prone foil or downwind with the Jet HA but after free-flying the wing and foiling downwind connecting the bumps for minutes at a time, I’m confident that it would do the job well. And its turning capabilities would likely make it playful on the waves when prone foiling.
Overall
Many people have classed high-aspect wings as gliding wings that don’t turn well. With the Jet HA 1040, I feel like Naish are going against this stereotype and bridging the gap between ‘surf foil’ and high aspect foil. Speed, turning, glide, the Jet HA 1040 has it all, I can’t wait to get more time on the water on this exceptional piece of kit.
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This review was in Issue 11 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit NaishRelated
By Jack Galloway
