GoFoil HA foil review comparison
GoFoil HA foil review/comparison
GL240, GL180, P180, NL220, NL160
GO FOIL GL 240:
Very good lift for a HA wing (even at low speed), and the lift/pitch is easy to
control. It doesn’t ‘overlift’ like LA foils do.
Very low stall speed.
On the slow side but its speed is reasonable for its size – it’s definitely faster than
comparative sized LA foils. It does not feel like it will ‘trip up’ when at speed like
LA foils do.
Awesome glide.
VERY stable ride with a cruisy feel. Forgiving of mistakes.
Turns well for its size, and can turn much tighter when used with a smaller tail.
Really easy to pump – definitely the easiest HA wing from GoFoil to dock start.
USES: perfect for light wind winging, downwinding, pumping to link small waves
and swell.
GO FOIL GL 180
Perfect amount of lift for this size foil. Really easy to control the lift/pitch.
Needs to be going faster than the GL240 to prevent from stalling, but not by
much.
Really good speed – fast enough to provide an exhilarating ride, but not so fast
that it’s hectic.
Awesome glide.
Very stable at speed and during turns.
Turns amazingly well – really easy to control. This improves even more when
using smaller tails.
Pumps really well when you have a bit of speed - feels quite bouncy when
pumping.
USES: Does everything well, in a wide range of conditions! A really versatile foil.
GO FOIL P 180
Perfect amount of lift for this size foil. Really easy to control the lift/pitch.
Needs to be going a reasonable speed to prevent from stalling, about the same
as the GL180.
Really good speed – slightly faster top speed compared to the GL180.
The glide is unreal. It has a lovely floaty feel to it. Even the smallest of waves will
keep it flying.
Occasionally can get a bit of wingtip wobble if your balance isn’t precise enough.
Turns are wider compared to the other GL’s, but it does carve very smoothly and
has very good grip during turns. With the right tail you can loosen it up and it will
turn quicker/tighter.
As long as you keep your speed this foil is a pump machine. It still takes muscle
power & stamina, but it’s so efficient that you go so much further for the same
effort.
USES: The P180 is an amazing foil when using it for its intended purpose
(pumping to link multiple small waves/swell and downwinding) but I didn’t like it at
all for winging as it tends to cavitate/wobble when it picks up speed.
GO FOIL NL 220 & 160
A bit less initial lift than the GL’s - they need to be going a bit faster than the GL’s
to get up on foil.
Need to be going reasonably fast to prevent from stalling, but it’s easy to keep
them going fast as their glide is so good.
The NL’s are all about speed - they like it, and because their glide is so good it’s
easy to keep their speed up. They are VERY fast and super stable at speed.
They don’t feel like they have top speed. They have so little drag it feels like
there’s nothing cutting through the water.
Their glide is second to none - seriously, they just keep going!!!!!
They turn amazingly well – it feels like you can push them as much as you like.
As long as you have enough speed they pump really well and they maintain that
speed while you pump them. You can keep them pumping as long as your legs
hold out.
All the sizes in the NL range have a very similar feel - the smaller they are the
faster and more maneuverable they are.
They have a very different feel compared to the GL’s – I find that they are a bit
more pitch sensitive than the GL’s, and they need slightly more back foot
pressure than the GL’s when turning.
A longer mast is advisable, especially if it’s choppy, as they go so fast it’s hard to
make pitch adjustments quickly enough to prevent breeching with a mast below
85cm, and wipeouts at that speed aren’t gentle!
The NL’s give a full-on ride. 100% exhilaration! Don’t expect a chilled session ;-)
USES: The ultimate winging and downwinding foil range. Awesome in the surf as
well, but a very different style to most ‘surf’ foils.
Words by Dominic Hoskyns
