North Kiteboarding Sense 135 x 47cm 2021
Reviews / Hydrofoil Boards
12,673
At A Glance
It’s recently been announced that there will be two medals at the Olympics for males and females, instead of the single medal for a mixed relay. This is great news for the sport, and from this, we’ll almost certainly see a large uptake in foiling. Therefore, the need for high-quality entry-level foil boards is key. North has embraced the foiling scene for 2021, releasing plenty of new products from wing boards to new surf foils. The new North Sense 2021 improves on the previous year’s model and is certainly a great entry-level foil board.
The construction of the Sense 2021 is lightweight with a durable Paulownia wood core. The shape has a flat tail and squared nose of the board, paired with a slightly concave bottom. This board is a low volume, neutrally buoyant board. The low volume really allows the foil to be lightweight, yet solid so transporting the board is easier (such as long walks down to the beach). The ABS rails mean that the board is super durable. North once again has done a great job at designing a board that is not only good quality but also looks very sleek.
The Sense 2021 has the ability to modify your stance to your own preference with 5 configurations. The board is best paired with the North Free-V foil straps.
Sizes– 135x47cm
On The Water
Setting up the Sense 2021 was super quick and easy due to the four-point screw-in connections system. North has made sure that the foil sits perfectly in this position for the perfect amount of lift needed to foil in just about any wind speed. This means that there is no faffing around with moving your foil around and when you are learning to foil. You don’t want to overcomplicate the learning process by moving the mast around!
The main change between this year’s Sense and last year’s Sense is the stiffness. The Sense 2021 is far stiffer, which allows more direct feedback from the board. Another thing that has been improved is the lift. The low volume combined with the neutral buoyancy allows early lift off the water. I found the Sense 2021 offered slightly more buoyancy in the water than some other neutrally buoyant boards, which makes swimming back in if the wind dies slightly easier and also positioning feet for a water start more comfortable!
Additionally, the deck pad was very soft, grippy and stretched right to the edge of the board. This is very helpful as when learning to transition, it is good to have the deck pad right over to the rails, and consequently more margin for error. The Sense 2021 also impressed me with the different making points on the board that were super helpful when riding strapless to help find the stance that suited me best. The Sense is also a great board to use wake foiling and was perfect for pumping and just cruising along. The board is best paired with the Sonar 850 front wing.
Overall
The North Sense 2021 is a fun beginner to intermediate foil board that offers great feedback and early lift. The lower price point of this foil makes it a good option for anyone’s quiver and is ideal for getting out on those light wind days. The lightweight and durable nature of the board makes it your perfect travel companion. If you’re debating whether or not to try kite foiling, then we would highly recommend this setup!
Videos
This review was in Issue 88 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit North KiteboardingRelated
By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.
