One board for three areas of use such as windsurfing, SUPing and wings - that's what the manufacturer STX promises with this model, and at a comparatively favourable price of 799 euros.
On land: With a length of 234 and a width of just under 76 centimetres, the STX IFoil board has a volume of 170 litres - and a relatively low weight of 9.54 kilos (surf measurement). The board is supplied with a matching bag, repair kit and five simple plug-in fins that can be inserted into the underwater hull in a matter of seconds. A moderately large centre fin in the tail can provide good directional stability, while the small side fins in the centre of the board are designed to keep lateral drift to a minimum. The flat deck with a non-slip pad also has a thread for screwing in the mast base plate. The manufacturer recommends the use of a universal joint to minimise the forces acting on the thread. Overall, the equipment of the board appears to be of a good standard. The fact that the pump has very short handles is something you can get over in view of the favourable price.
Can be used not only as a children's board in light and medium winds
On the water: A volume of 170 litres is easily enough to keep children with windsurfing sails, a whole group of children in pirate mode or even a reasonably experienced adult safely on deck. Inflated to 15 psi, the board is stiff enough even for heavy adults (>85 kilos) - the deck pad is pleasantly grippy. Although the small side fins are not quite as effective at preventing sideways drift as a long folding centreboard, they do fulfil their purpose. They ensure that children can also cross on the board with a little practice. The turning ability of the board is pleasingly good, our seven-year-old test pilot Emma was even able to turn the STX IFoil easily with a small 1.5 metre sail. In light winds, the board cruises quickly across the water. The glued-on rubber edges in the tail area prevent the board from getting too stuck. However, you should always bear in mind that the performance in planing winds is not comparable with fixed freeride boards. The unprofiled plastic fins alone mean that proper planing is simply not intended with this concept.
Good board for wings with or without foil
The board's suitability for SUPing is limited at best. Short laps across the lake are possible, but long paddling tours are a rather arduous affair - due to the comparatively short dimensions in this respect - as the straight-line stability is not ideal and the paddling side has to be changed very often.
The STX IFoil board, on the other hand, works quite well for winging, although you can only fly strapless - i.e. without loops. When motorised with a wing, both light wind excursions without a foil and first flights with a foil are no problem. Ideally, the board should be equipped with high-lift and thickly profiled cruiser foils.
surf conclusion: The STX IFoil board covers a wide range of uses for a reasonable budget. Its suitability as a children's board and as a windsurfing board for adults in light and medium winds is really good. Beginners will also be happy with it for wingsurfing, while our recommendation for SUPing is limited to small laps and use as a children's bathing island.
Technical data STX IFoil Board 7'8
- Size: 170 litres
- Length: 234 cm
- Width:76 cm
- Price: 799 Euro
- Info: www.stxparts.com
