Backpack Foil Assist / Foil Drive DIY Build

I’ve been working on a DIY backpack foil assist / foil drive over the past couple of months. Today was the day to try it. This is just a short, hashed together clip of it in action on one chain of 3 waves with some pumping in between. Better footage will follow.

This backpack build comes after building an original foil assist that went on top of the board, a sup and prone foil board with integrated foil assist inside and a tow boogie. Each have had their pros and cons.

The initial box on top left the weight in the wrong place, behind the back foot. The integrated solved this problem with a much more balanced feel and less swing weight but the board remained heavy. The tow boogie is awesome. The board has no electronics and is as natural as it can be once you let go of the rope but the tow boogie is heavy and challenging to get in and out of a shore dump.

My initial impression of the back pack are one of excitement. There is no doubt for me that the loss of weight on the board makes for a much nicer ride. Pumping is much improved. The build was also relatively simple compared to the others and it will more easily accommodate a bigger battery for run times that exceed the commercial foil drives. I was concerned about the cable and it being pulled and damaged during a wipeout but a dyneema cord with stretch that is slightly shorter than the cable solves that issue. Then there is the big heavy box on your back. It actually has positive buoyancy. The backpack floats due to the air trapped in the box (this is with a 12s2p). I am planning on building a 12s3p which will likely be neutral. It isn’t an issue.

Then there is the fear of having a battery on your back. The box used is very sturdy and well padded with foam in the rucksack. In the event of an issue the rucksack can be removed in a few seconds. If it had to be ditched, I would still have my board to get me back to shore. With my integrated versions (or with commercial products for that matter) you might have to leave the board and foil…

I need more sessions on it. I need to try a wider range of foils and a variety of waves but I’m really hopeful that this might offer the easiest all round solution although the tow boogie will be superb on its day.