This review is about the KT Foiling – Atlas range which I used while wingfoiling in Tarifa, but mostly here in the Netherlands. In my previous reviews part one & two I talked about the KT foils system and the Nomad frontwing range. Now in part 3 I have had the change to test the Atlas range in different conditions for sizes 680, 790, 1060 and 1130. For optimal testing I only used one and the same board in the Netherlands, the KT Drifter 4 – 56l. I like to share my experiences so you can choose the foil that suits your needs.
The aspect ratio for the Atlas is between ten point five and eleven and generally these just work a bit less on my local spot. We have quite some water moving around and that’s something you notice a lot on front wings that become wider. However, larger span frontwings generally provide easy lift and the glide can be enormous. So although they should perform best in longer ocean swells and flat water, here they can work well out in the back where the waves don’t break as much. I tested them anyway, and I have to say the smaller sizes behaved quite well in the more challenging conditions. Something I notice on the whole KT range anyway, they are very easy foils.
The Atlas range makes use of the rear loaded Chamber design. Giving them enormous lift for their size. Please keep this in mind when I’m testing the larger Atlas frontwings and when choosing your Atlas foil. For an Atlas 960 you can easily add 25% to equal a frontwing without a high chamber design. So you can compare an Atlas 960 with an 1200 square centimeter frontwing.
KT Atlas 680
The larger KT foils can feel a bit slow while wingfoiling, atleast when you are an experienced foiler. However, the Atlas 680 actually feels quite fast. It is not as loose on the wave if you compare it to the Nomad 700, but it goes onto foil more easily and it has a very low stallspeed for its size. When pumping around I’d notice the surface area is quite small. The Atlas 680 is six hundred eighty in square centimeter and is eighty five centimeters wide. In the small swell I used it, I needed it to be high up the mast to pump along the swell, but it did do this quite well. Getting this frontwing up for some speed going for a jump felt good. It had a good release and re-entry. Even in turbulent water this foil still felt very easy to use.
KT Atlas 790
Alltough I took this foil in much less winds then the 680, it went on to the foil quickly again. On this size I did start to feel the movements of the water a bit more being 92 centimeter wide. Something I would not notice on the 680, the Nomad Eight Thirty or even the Instinct Nine Twenty. I didn’t experience a lot more glide on this one compared to the 680. I used the same 56cm fuselage and 170 Atlas rearwing. Going for a jump the release felt a bit sticky. Might have been the lower winds, but I think I felt to much drag just before the pop. Then again, if jumping is your thing, the Atlas range is probably not the one too look at, atleast not the larger sizes.
KT Atlas 960
The first size going up on which it is almost impossible not to get on foil! And once you’re up it feels like it doesn’t want to go down anymore. The glide is enormous! The downside is that this frontwing felt really slow cruising around and going upwind. But if you like an easy foil to progress to providing a lot of glide, this is a good one. On the wave it still turned using the 56cm fuselage. But it won’t be a loose as an Nomad foil.
KT Atlas 1130
I did a light wind test on this one. And I was basically the only one out of 6 people flying that session. A true light wind magic weapen I’d say. Fifty six liter, five point three and twelve knots it worked. Getting up on foil is so easy on this one, and staying up is also very easy. I only tried this one in very small chop conditions without waves. This foil will go along most small swell with ease. But the downside is that this foil feel very slow. But it beats standing still and being unable to get on foil. I also compared this one to the Instinct 1120 and the Atlas 1130 goes on foil much easier in minimal conditions where you really need to pump the foil up.
Conclusion
One thing every Atlas foil has in common, they are easy to use! They might not always be the fastest, or turn as fast. They can go extremely slow for their given seizes and get up very quick!
If you are new to riding waves and just want maximum glide, the Atlas range is a good one to look at. If you do want to go a bit faster, you just need to size down. Which makes sense as you can use a frontwing 25% smaller then you where used to.
If you want more maneuverability and ride more in to the pocket of the wave, checkout the Nomad range, also for jumping. However, also have a look at my next review about the Instinct that is coming up. There is a jumping surprise in that range.