AXIS Ultimate Pump Foil Set Up

This is the ultimate pump foiling / dock starting set up. There is nothing else out there that compares. Popularised on Youtube, this set up is also known as the Wake Thief set up.

Flying above the water on a hydrofoil is an experience like no other. When Devon @WakeThief discovered the AXIS PNG 1150 Carbon Front Wing, the perfect balance of area, high aspect ratio hydrofoil, ease of pumping and use, he never looked elsewhere. The AXIS PNG 1150 helped to double Devon’s flat water pumping distance, and enable 2.5 minutes of unassisted flight on a hydrofoil. This experience kicked off his journey to fly forever on a hydrofoil. He turned his lake front into a test facility, and began an effort to tune his AXIS setup for lake hydrofoiling. He paired the 1150 with different rear wings, fuselages, and masts, before arriving at his preferred setup. The Wake Thief Edition is Devon’s “go-to-setup” to dock start, surf the tiniest wakes, and pump around the lake to create an endless wave comprised of the wakes on the lake.

The front wing of the hydrofoil is the most important factor when setting up your hydrofoil, as the lift, drag and thrust are affected most by the front wing selection. Devon has tried more than 30 different hydrofoils and likes the AXIS PNG 1150 front wing because of its large area, which allows a rider to take off at low speeds, and it’s high aspect ratio wing shape, which allows it to glide great distances due to its low drag.  This is a unique and rare combination. The large area and high aspect ratio, combined with an effective lifting foil cross section makes this wing great at pumping long distances, even for large riders.

The mast connects the board of the foil to the glider section. The AXIS Aluminium 750mm mast is long enough to fly above passing wakes, yet short enough to maintain control of the foil. The thicker, 19mm mast is Devon’s mast of choice, due to its rigidity and stiffness needed to manage the wingtip loads of the large wingspan 1150 front wing.

The fuselage connects the front wing to the rear wing, and changes the pitch control of the foil. Devon prefers the Short fuselage. This fuselage length is well tuned to the pumping cadence and speed needed for long distance pumping, yet it’s still short enough to enjoy fluid & controlled carving. Devon also likes the Standard fuselage for pumping alone, but prefers the shorter fuselage as his all-around preferred fuselage.

The rear wing helps control pitch and also provides thrust during pumping. Devon favors the AXIS 460mm Carbon Rear Wing because of its thin cross section, relatively large area, and its high aspect ratio, low drag shape. The 460 provides both excellent thrust during pumping and low drag while flying, which helps reduce the overall pumping power needed.

When the Wake Thief Edition is paired with a shorter, low volume board, (such as the AXIS Tray Carbon board) the energy needed to pump the foil is reduced because the shorter, lighter boards experience less inertia (“swing weight”) while pumping, as compared to larger boards.