The Naish Jet 1650 Foil on land:
Naish offers the Jet Foil in a total of five sizes, with a 1050/1250/1650/2000 and 2450 front wing. What they all have in common is that Naish has opted for a "Low Aspect Ratio", i.e. a wing shape that has around ten centimetres less wingspan in relation to the surface area than the foils with a High Aspect Ratio ( HERE to test the Naish Jet HA 1400).
The Jet 1650 Complete comes with a 75 mm aluminium mast and 64 mm aluminium fuselage as standard and costs 1469 euros. On request, the foil is also available "semi complete" without a mast; individual masts from 35 to 95 centimetres in length can then be purchased for between 449 and 519 euros.
The scope of delivery includes a matching bag, individual covers for the wings as well as the screws and the appropriate tools. The individual parts of the set look extremely accurate and are easy to assemble. The screw connections from the fuselage to the wings and the mast also make a solid impression. In contrast to many other foil manufacturers, however, Naish uses the slightly thinner M6 screws.
What can the Naish Jet 1650 Foil do on the water?
The Foil impressed in the test with an above-average smooth take-off, a characteristic that makes it easy to get airborne, especially for beginners and intermediates, even without pumping experience. With the right pumping technique, the Naish Foil can elicit very good light wind performance, just under eleven knots were enough for our testers with 80 to 90 kilos to take off with a 5-wing. Once in the air, the foil is very stable in the airflow, flies very predictably around both the roll and transverse axis and thus forgives the occasional riding error generously without the current breaking. The thick profile is responsible for this good-natured characteristic, but this is also the reason why the Jet 1650 is not, as expected, a rocket on the water.
If you keep the wing really tight in a gust, you will inevitably reach the natural speed limit of the foil - a characteristic that the Naish Foil shares with other low-aspect wings. On the positive side, even when you reach the limit, the foil remains easy to control and hardly tends to climb.
The 75 mm aluminium mast that comes as standard with this complete set is quite stiff, but only reaches its limit in wavy conditions, where you would want a little more "ground clearance". Our tip: If you want to regularly hit the water in wavy spots, you should choose the "semi complete" foil and then buy an 85 mm mast.
Conclusion:
The Naish Jet 1650 is a very easy-to-ride foil, especially for beginners and intermediates to wingsurfing. But experienced riders will also appreciate the easy-going characteristics in manoeuvres, 360s and when surfing swells. Those looking for powerful jumps and freestyle action should orientate themselves towards the faster high-aspect wings.
