Foilstate

A more detailed review of the nomad 700, after a few sessions proning and winging in chest-head high. TLDR This (air)foil is most efficient and happy in low to mid speed range, to carve and pump in the waves without ever stalling despite it’s small size/span. It can go very fast and still carve at top speed, but it will not give you this dragless gliding feel towards the top end like flatter foil section (enduro).

PROS
+ Huge speed range, with equal foot pressure at all speeds
+ Very friendly low end. Possible to pump from a hole back up to speed without burning too much energy
+ Very friendly top end, easy to control and still super nimble
+ Very friendly pumping, super instinctive, tolerates big pushes, approximate input, high angles of attack, without stalling
+ Great turning and best in class foam/breach recovery (>sk8)
+ Solid connection points and stiff setup (close to Afs, but not quite like uhm)
+ Bomber construction (it seems so far after shorebreak battles) and not so pointy tips
+ Price point

CONS
– Very draggy feel on the top end, not super efficient on the top 30% of the speed range (parachute/break feel). That is in contrast with an enduro 700 that feels very free and most efficient in the top 50% of the speed range. If you are in a big wave focused on carving, this loss of efficiency is not a problem though.
– Not the most glidy airfoil (?) althought tests of the atlas are incoming, the nomad is (only) AR 8-9.
– Aluminum fuselage (corrosion, tefgel++)
– (Takes a little while to get used to this airfoil proning (1h))

Overall, this foil probably fits people carving breaking waves, proning or winging. For freefly winging and downwind, maybe people will prefer something like an enduro (?) But what a radical design choice, really impressed with this commitment and how much it’s bringing to the scene. Will report back once I have spent time on the atlas.

ktfoiling ktfoil @ktfoiling @kdmaui