Ride Engine Futura Surf 76 2020
Reviews / Hydrofoils
13,092
At A Glance
Ride Engine’s Futura Surf Foil package is designed for both surf foiling and wingsurfing. The key thing to note here is the Manta 76 front wing which has a 1500cm2 area. This is on the smaller side (but by no means the smallest) so is ideal for lighter riders or windier days and going faster.
As a surf foil, it is designed to catch small to medium waves whilst having the speed to be playful and carve whilst on the wave.
Both the front and rear wings are a carbon composite construction whilst the mast, fuselage and mount plate are aluminium. This means that it isn’t the lightest on the market, but it’s by no means the heaviest and comes with a much more affordable price tag than a full carbon set up.
The 61cm mast is mainly designed to be the right length to catch the power of the wave when surf foiling. When wingsurfing though it’s a good length to give you the space to pump without the twitchiness or nervousness of being too high off the water.
This package comes with two different mounting options for the mast, forward over the wing and central over the fuselage. This drastically changes the position of the foil under your board and therefore gives you lots of options to get the setup just right for you. I have been using it with the mast-mounted over the fuselage for winging; I believe when surf foiling the mast may be better being mounted over the front wing.
On The Water
I used this foil with the Slingwing V2 on both a custom 90L board and the 45L Ride Engine Dad Board. My first impressions on the water were simply of enjoyment and ease, the Manta 76 has good lift and feels super stable whilst flying. I was immediately making my gybes were on other foils I might have fallen in.
I enjoyed several flat water sessions on this foil as well as a couple of downwinders. While downwinding, it was the perfect weapon to catch ocean swell, sheet out the wing and just surf. The foil felt fast while doing this but not out of control; I could feel the potential for hours of fun with this foil. This wing doesn’t have the highest aspect ratio meaning that it doesn’t pump as well as some, this does, however, give it great manoeuvrability on the wave.
For
Great lift and stability, good speed for downwinders and gliding on ocean swell. Turns well on the wave.
Against
The mast may be too short for some riders, but this can easily be changed. The aluminium mast adds weight, but the price point is far lower than a full carbon set up.
Overall
You know you’re in good hands at Ride Engine with Santa Cruz waterman Coleman Buckley at the helm. They have put together a really good package here. A great foil for windy days and riding fast on ocean swell, the bonus is that if you want a light wind foil as well, you buy the Manta 84 or Slingshot Infinity 99 wings to attach to your original mast/fuselage.
This review was in Issue 6 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit Ride EngineRelated
By Jack Galloway
