The AK Phazer Wing Foil Board Test + Review
The AK Phazer Wing Foil Board
The AK Phazer Wing Foil Board is a new line of foil boards that offers incredible crossover potential between foil surfing, foil kiting and wing surfing with a board line that ranges from 3’11” to 6’0”. AK bring their 25 year experience to bear with this awesome multidiscipline board, the Phazer. This board features super lightweight construction and a shape which excels in whichever discipline you choose to throw it at!
In this feature we give a detailed account of the 6′ and 4’8″ version of this model.
Sizes: 3’11” to 6’0 with the following specs:
3’11” x 18” (25 Litres)
4’3” x 18.5” (30 Litres)
4’8” x 19.5” (36 Litres)
5’2” x 20.5” (46 Litres)
5’4” x 24.5” (65 Litres)
5’8” x 27” (90 Litres)
6’0” x 28.5” (110 Litres)
Testing the 4’8” Phazer: Mast set up was the AK 2,000sqm
Built with AK’s Reflex carbon construction overlaying an EPS foam core, the Phazer is an incredibly lightweight board that gives you the volume and shape needed to use across multiple disciplines. We tested the 4’8” board which features three inserts forward/aft for footstraps, with the front foot getting the option to run a centered strap or a slight duck. The foil mounting surface takes a different approach with three insert options for mounting the baseplate. A lot of boards are using tracks for infinite adjustment, but that puts a lot of weight into a board and infinite adjustment may not be that important to some riders. The rails are thick rounded rails that are inspired by foilsurfing and wing surfing with a concave deck that features a thin corduroy deck pad with a tail kick that runs three-quarters the length of the board. The bottom is a single concave with a subtle V in the nose.
The 4’8” is probably on the larger size for dedicated kite foilers, but for those with ambitions for both wing surfing and foil surfing, this size is the all-around waterman’s choice for getting on your multi-sport game with a fairly wide envelope of conditions.
When you start downsizing foil boards you begin to get more specific with the amount of skill and conditions needed to handle them, but this board opens up all kinds of possibilities. Specifically for kite foiling, there’s more volume than you need, but it does work fine for low-wind waterstarts and the rails are really generous when you have accidental touchdowns. If the wind dies, the Phazer will be an easy paddle back to the beach and the fun can keep going if you paddle back out to foil surf some waves. While the sizing might still be small for beginner wing surfing and foil surfing, the 4’8” does bring incredibly low weight and high-performance for more advanced riders that is capable of spanning all the foil sports.
Testing the 6’ Phazer: Mast set up was the AK 2,000sqm
First impressions of the Phazer had to be the weight – it’s a big voluminous board at 6 feet in length, 28.5 inches in width and 110L of volume, yet to pick up it feels insanely light thanks to its high tech reflex carbon construction. AK report the weight for the 6’0” at 6.35 Kg which is astounding for such a large board.
The board has slightly concave deck, big rounded tucked rails, a rounded v in the nose progressing to a concave running down the rest of the board, and a kick tail to promote easy pivoting from the rear. It also comes with a standard US foil box and a small carrying handle.
The topside features a very large, comfy padded deck pad and multiple insert options for a 2 or 3 strap setup in the larger sizes.
The AK Phazer Wing Foil Board feels very stable on the water, and with 110L allows it to be used without worry in light winds. The volume also makes it a great board to learn on for anyone less than 90Kg or so. The efficient surf-style shape ensures it glides across the water well when pre-foiling and gives confidence that you can then use in gusts to get up and foiling quickly. The Phazer pumps really well, progressively easing up your speed up in marginal conditions and releases from the water with ease to get airborne when the foil set engages.
Once flying with the wing engaged the deck gives a large platform to control the foil and the convex deck is a great touch to aid usability. The 6’0” feels nimble when airborne due to its lightweight construction and solid foil connection via the load plate which bridges the foil box to the top deck. The nose, tail and rail shape ensure an easy free ride with little chance of catching the water.
The generous width of the 6’0” gives plenty of room to place your feet on the deck even with a 3 strap setup allowing choice between strapped or strapless riding depending on your skill set.
The Ak Phazer Wing Foil Board: What do we think?
Overall and across the range of sizes the Phazer is a versatile piece of kit with an efficient shape for surf foiling – prone or with a paddle too making it an ideal option for use with a wing, and in the smaller sizes can be used with a kite too.
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