Moses Hydrofoil Silente 2016
Reviews / Hydrofoil Boards
6,964
At A Glance
Moses have been designing kitesurf hydrofoil boards since 2008, making them one of the first foil manufacturers, as a result they certainly know their stuff. Made in Italy, every foil is created with extreme care to give the best performance possible.
The Silente is their original foil. It’s designed as a free ride foil; strong, affordable and durable. The T-40 board that comes with it looks really smart, it’s been created to help you when you start riding, give you stability and good control of the foil.
First impressions were how insanely cool this setup looks! Many brands’ entry level foils have aluminium masts, this one however comes with a full carbon fibre foil. You’ll have plenty of admirers on the beach that’s for sure.
On The Water
Trust us when we say it makes life so much easier when you have a light foil board. Trying to keep your kite in the sky whilst you carry an awkward shaped board to the water is very difficult. Which is why it’s such an advantage having a carbon fibre board, especially if you are learning. In fact, it’s astonishing how many entry level boards weigh an absolute ton.
Once you’ve got it to the water, the Silente will start hydrofoiling at really low speeds and it’s an absolute dream to ride. Nothing quite compares to the perfect silence of foiling as you hover above the water and the Silente does it so well (as the name somewhat suggests!).
The foot straps have lots of adjustment to suit your preference and, for us, felt like they were in just the right place to control the foil. They even had space for our wetsuit boots, which is a must when you are foiling in the UK during the winter months! As is the case with most foils it tracks upwind like no kiteboard you’ve ever seen before - perfect for covering some serious distance. What we feel separates this foil from most other freeride foils is its tacking ability. Add its low speed foiling to the stability it provides and it gives you the best possible chance of sticking your first fully foiling tack (the next best feeling to foiling itself!).
As well as looking the part, the T-40 board is pretty forgiving on the water. If you have a small nose-dive, it is pretty likely to bump you back up. As mentioned on their website, the Silente has a top speed of 26 knots and that’s going some! We don’t know whether we quite reached the top speed, but it definitely felt like we were hanging on for dear life and we definitely had a big adrenaline rush when we pushed the limits.
For
It looks incredible, is easy to ride, lightweight and super fast - everything a foil should be.
Against
Some might find the carbon fibre aspect a little too delicate for their liking and you certainly wouldn't want to hit a sandbar at top speed. Don’t get us wrong they are tough, but can easily be scratched so requires a little more care to keep it in tip-top condition.
Overall
This lightweight foil is a true all rounder, perfect for getting you started and quick enough to be competitive in a race, it will see you through many stages of foiling fun.
This review was in Issue 56 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Moses HydrofoilRelated
By Jack Galloway
Jack is a fanatically keen kiter from the South West of England, he loves riding just about anything with a kite from foil boards to surfboards and everything in between. He's competed in the Red Bull Ragnarok snowkite race on numerous occasions as well as some world class kite racing events. He's our Web Editor for the magazine, as well as one of our testers where his vast knowledge of the sport and different kites and boards comes in handy!
