DUOTONE Spirit Carve 950 2020
Reviews / Hydrofoils
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At A Glance
Duotone were relatively late to the foiling party compared to some brands out there, however by biding their time they have hit the market running with an exceedingly polished product. The range has grown in recent years, and the new Spirit Carve 950 is one of 8 foil setups in the range. Aimed at the freerider and beginner to intermediate riders out there it’s a wide, stable base platform that offers lots of lift.
Construction is a mix of carbon and aluminium, something a lot of brands are embracing these days. The Spirit Carve range features full carbon wings with aluminium masts and fuselages. Fixtures and fittings are super high quality as you would expect and the whole product feels extremely well thought out when you bolt it all together.
Depending on your style this will suit a lot of riders, from the first-timer foiler to the hardened pro in the waves. It’s not designed to be fast, but it is designed to be fun and easy to ride.
On The Water
The Spirit Carve 950 was a dream to ride on the water when we talk about kites we always say they are very subjective, what one rider loves another hates. When it comes to foils, it becomes even more critical, every foil is different, and the slightest changes in the shape produce big changes underfoot.
This makes foil testing an interesting experience; you get used to one wing, try another and can hate it at first until you get dialled in. The Spirit Carve 950 was love at first flight though. It produces plenty of lift and was easy to pop up onto the foil. Once there it offers an exceedingly stable platform to ride on.
When we test foils, we always talk about stability and manoeuvrability. The two are usually a trade-off, some give a locked-in stable feel but are hard to turn, others are twitchy underfoot yet easy to carve. The Spirit Carve 950 seems to transcend that. It’s stable, reasonably quick for a larger wing and offers a very smooth and easy turn initiation.
It will be perfect for beginners learning, but also the more advanced riders looking for a faster wing on the wave that is highly manoeuvrable. The stall speed is very low, and it’s forgiving during foot changes. Top speed is respectable, and perhaps the most impressive aspect was how it inspired confidence.
Overall
A beautifully put together product that is a joy to ride on the water, manoeuvrable without being twitchy, we loved the smooth flight characteristics and fun nature of this setup. Perfect for mellow coastal cruising and playing in the waves too! Beginners will also find it an easy route to success, especially with one of the shorter masts.
Videos
This review was in Issue 81 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit DUOTONERelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
