This review is about the KT Foiling – Nomad range which I used while wingfoiling in Tarifa en the Netherlands. In my previous review I talked about the KT foils system. I have I had the change to test the Nomad range in different conditions, both the Nomad 830 and 700. I like to share my experiences so you can choose what suits your needs.
The sizing of the foil is done in cm2. So a 700 frontwing, is 700cm2 and a 830 is a 830cm2. It is 86cm wide and has an aspect ratio of 8.9. The main thing that really looks different on this these foils compared to other brands, is the high chamber design and the extreme hollow section going back up on the rear section. A high chamber design is often used in beginner foils. It provides more lift and slower riding speeds. Usually these foils are thicker.
For the Nomad range they also applied this technique, but trying to make the foil still very efficient and easy to turn.
My first experiences with the Nomad 830 and 700
As an 85kg person I started with the Nomad 830 on a 80 liter mid-length board. In cross-on conditions with a 5.0 wing, having normal power. From the moment I got on foil, which was almost instant, I felt this foil was very natural for me to foil on. It felt easy, going upwind in a straight line without having to do much adjustments. On the wave I could throw it around really well, without any sudden drops or having too much noticeable front or rearfoot pressure. It provided enough glide to come along with the waves. Though I still had to finetune the mast position a bit.
830 isn’t a very large surface area. But I could really notice how fast this foil went on foil, and how slow I could go with it, before it would stall. The downside of this, is that the foil also felt a bit slow to me. From KT they did tell me, you can go smaller then you might think on these foils.
So that’s what I did on a next session and tried the Nomad 700. As it was smaller, it did need a pump extra with the wing to get on foil. Or just a bit more power on the wing. But once on foil this foil also felt really easy to just cruise around with. I tried different combinations, the 63 and 56 fuselage but have only paired with the 155 Nomad rearwing. Smaller on the fuselage ofcourse means more maneuverability. The downside is that a foil becomes more difficult handle going in a straight line. On the 56 cm fuselage I have actually not experienced this. Also not in very choppy conditions with opposite currents in the Northsea, making a mess of things. I have tried the 700 on both the new KT Super K v2 – 60 liter and the KT Drifter 4 – 56 liter. It worked well on both boards.
Allthough only being a 700, the low stall speed is pretty incredible. I did sometimes felt this was really needed. Because on slow, unpredictable waves I sometimes end up in a sections with not much power of the swell. Normally I’m used to using larger foils that provide a bit more glide to move away from such a slow section. Now I had to pump more to get away with the smaller size.
The speed of the 700 is good for me. It is not a race monster. But I think for most wave conditions this foil would be fast enough, also to do some jumps. The 700 is really a nice foil to throw around from chop to chop. But also much more in the breaking part of the wave. Without the feeling it overwhelms you and it wants to spit you out.
What I had to get used to, was having more backfoot pressure. I moved the mast forward to have less. But that didn’t do as much, besides making things a bit more difficult. When I moved to far forward, I sometimes did stall easily. As I’m used to front foot riding, this was something I had to adjust to.
Conclusion
I had sessions in both Tarifa as the Netherlands that I enjoyed a lot on the Nomad foils. This range really suits my style and it an easy foil to progress to. I can really throw this foil around, without having to worry too much. For this I did had to size down, doing so these foils will appeal to the more advanced rider. This seems needed if you want to keep up the pace.
If you want more glide and have long easy runs in the back. The Atlas range probably suits your needs better, I’ll have a look at this series in a different review.
If you are a more active rider I’m sure the Nomad will be the better choice. Also I think the Nomad will work better in challenging conditions where there is a lot of water moving. Most important thing to keep in mind, is that you have to take a foil smaller then you are used to, about 25% smaller. So if you are used to an 1100cm2, take a 830cm2.