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 (WING 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 for use as a children's windsurfing board. The manufacturer recommends the use of a universal joint to minimise the forces acting on the thread. Overall, the board seems to be equipped to a good standard.
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 and ensure that children can also cruise 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, whether motorised with a wing or sail, and the glued-on rubber edges in the tail area prevent the board from getting too stuck.
The STX IFoil board works quite well for wingfoiling, although you can only ride strapless - i.e. without straps. Due to the long waterline, the board reaches the required take-off speed well even without active pumping. Ideally, the board should be equipped with buoyant and thickly profiled cruiser foils. Of course, a concept like this will not attract ambitious wingers - due to the dimensions, the generous volume and the lack of straps alone, the range of use for wings is limited to first round trips and manoeuvres such as turns and jibes.
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.
STX IFoil - the bottom line:
The STX IFoil board covers a wide range of uses for a manageable budget. Its suitability as a windsurfing children's board and as a windsurfing board for adults in light and medium winds is really good. However, only beginners will be really happy with wingsurfing, while our recommendation for SUPing is limited to small laps and use as a children's bathing island. So if you're looking for a board for different water sports and are prepared to compromise on pure wingsurfing suitability, this is the right choice.
Wing beginner, multiple use, price
Small lateral fins
No loops for wingsurfing
Tests of many other boards with multiple uses (wings, windsurfing, SUP) are available HERE .
