Sroka Freeride Hydrofoil Titanium and Kitefoil Board 2017
Reviews / Hydrofoil Boards
3,836
At A Glance
Sroka launched a fantastic entry level hydrofoil onto the market a couple of years ago. This year they are back with an upgraded board and an upgraded foil package that uses some exotic materials! This issue we got our hands on the Titanium Freeride Hydrofoil and Kitefoil board. The Kitefoil package is targeting the ‘one foil does it all’ market; from learning to freeriding this should have you covered.
As soon as the foil arrived it was apparent just how much work Sroka put into their products; seeing a serial number added by hand to parts of a foil gives off a great amount of confidence that everything is going to be on point.
Assembling the Kitefoil was incredibly simple and quick. The fuselage is split in two with all components including the mast slotting in before mounting hardware is tightened. True design work has gone into this and the split fuselage boasts quality and durability. All the bolts come with lubrication to ensure no bite. The slot-in foil and board mounting system fits like a glove with no movement.
The Kitefoil board itself is larger than some foil boards we are seeing on the market, but boasts a good sized deck complete with grip, 3 foot straps and a variety of mounting variations. For its size the board is incredibly light yet still looks very robust.
On The Water
Heading out on the Sroka Kitefoil it became instantly apparent how good the board was for a variety of riders, if you’re new to foiling the increased buoyancy of this larger board is so helpful for learning initial steps of foiling and providing stability and low wind performance when not on the foil.
“Great value for money and very easy to ride!”
The large gripped deck was perfect for tacking and moving your feet about the board, however it may be nice to see the mounting screws covered in future versions for bare foot riders, (though my boot coated feet here during the UK winter months found no issue). The shaped and contoured underside of board were a blessing when cranked over on the foil and touching through chop, preventing any catching of the rail.
After getting up onto the foil the ride was incredibly stable and smooth with no signs of wobble or instability. Considering we are looking at a foil fit for the masses and all levels, the speed of this foil is on point. It’s able to be ridden slowly without any instabilities, however if you want to push it and head out for some high wind action the speeds you can reach are far greater than we see on some of the more learning-orientated low aspect foils. As with any foil the upwind drive is incredible however one thing that really stood out on the Kitefoil was the downwind riding. The foil remained very stable and was very controllable.
Overall
All in all the Sroka Freeride Hydrofoil Titanium is a serious contender for the masses looking at kite foiling. It’s remarkably well built, plenty of buoyancy, stable, easy to master and the range of riding styles this foil suits is huge. Great for anyone looking for a solid all-round foil fit for any purpose. The price of this set up complete is an absolute bargain too so you can rest assured you are getting excellent value for money.
This review was in Issue 61 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit SrokaRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
