Shinn SupraHydro 1200 & 1400 2021
Reviews / Hydrofoils
10,415
At A Glance
When these foils arrived I was pleased to see that they came in a fully padded bag & padded sleeves for each wing. Something which can often be overlooked but essential for keeping your gear in good condition, especially if you want to travel with it.
Shinn have set out to achieve the best of both worlds when it comes to the difference between high aspect & low aspect foils. The width of the foil is narrow as you’d expect from a high aspect foil however they have included a good amount of sweep to the wing tips much like a more traditional low aspect foil would have. The reason for this is to create a foil that not only pumps & glides well but also turns tightly & is playful.
In this test I was fortunate enough to ride both the 1200 & 1400. The SupraHyrdo range however has 5 different sizes for you choose from, which are all interchangeable. The 5 sizes available are 1200, 1400, 1650, 1950, 2250. You would never need to own all of these but it’s great to know that you could have 2 or 3 different front wings for different conditions or sports that all attach to the same mast/fuselage system.
The 1200 I had on test was a MD Carbon foil, which stands for Multi-directional carbon. This is a precision shaped, CNC cut, high density EPS foam core wing, aimed to be a much more affordable yet still high quality carbon. The 1400 on test is the HM Carbon version. The stands for high-modulus, built using Shinn’s highest technology, spread-tow carbon. Both foils felt light & strong, with the HM Carbon having a more polished finish. It really will come down to personal preference and how much you want to spend.
The overall build quality is second to none, which is what we’ve come to expect from Shinn. You’ll know this if you’ve ever ridden one of their kite boards. The carbon mast is simply stunning, it thickens at the top of the mast next to the baseplate connection, this makes it feel bulletproof. The fuselage is made of a CNC shaped 6061 aircraft grade aluminium. The rear stabiliser on test was the S20.2, designed for riders under 85kg. You can choose the S20.1 for riders over 85kg. I’m a big fan of how changeable these foils are to your needs.
On The Water
As I hit the water the first thing I noticed was the speed. It was quite incredible, especially when I was on the 1200. It meant that my tacks were a breeze, I’d have so much speed going into them that it gave me tons of time to get the wing over my head and change my hands before there was even a chance of me coming off the foil. Speed also equals airtime, loading up for jumps was great fun on these foils as the more speed you have the higher you go!
The 1400 wasn’t dissimilar to the 1200 when it came to speed, it did however have a slower take off and stall speed. Which is a good thing, especially when it comes to lighter wind days.
Both foils felt super manoeuvrable, I really enjoyed carving turns on the small summer waves we get here on the South Coast. I also have absolutely no doubt that the SuperHydro would be an absolute weapon on medium to large waves too. The combination between high aspect and low aspect foils mentioned above is definitely a success. The foil had a good amount of glide, it would be great for downwinders in a wide range of conditions and as I’ve said, turns really well.
Overall
Beautifully made, the finish is incredible. It’s tough too, surviving the odd contact with the bottom unscathed. A large wing that is surprisingly manoeuvrable, it has incredible lift and plenty of glide, perfect for larger surf foilers wanting extra power in weak waves or the guys and girls looking to pump. We loved it in light winds when we were wingsurfing and were impressed with the top-end speed and the forgiveness it offered.
This review was in Issue 9 of Tonic Mag.
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By Jack Galloway
