Foil Drive systems use a 2.4 GHz wireless signal between the V3 Controller and the Foil Drive unit. The signal is designed to work through the board, but the construction of your board and how you position the controller can affect connection.

Most boards work extremely well with Gen2. However, small, heavily reinforced carbon boards, fully submerged boards, and boards with carbon foil tracks can make signal transmission more challenging.

The good news is that in many cases, connection can be significantly improved through controller positioning, board position, and take-off technique.

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How the wireless connection works

The controller communicates wirelessly with the Foil Drive unit using a 2.4 GHz radio signal.

The signal is not directional like a laser. It radiates outward from the controller, and the Foil Drive unit's antenna receives the signal.

Two things have the biggest effect on the signal:

• Water
• Materials between the controller and the Foil Drive unit

Water is the biggest signal blocker

Water absorbs 2.4 GHz radio energy very effectively.

This means that if the controller and Foil Drive unit have water between them, connection can become much more difficult.

For example, when a small prone board is completely submerged, the controller may be above the water while the Foil Drive unit is below it. The signal then has to travel through water before reaching the unit.

As the board starts moving and more of the board rises above the water, water drains away from the board and the signal path improves.

This is why getting the board moving is an important part of establishing and maintaining connection.

How the board affects connection

The Foil Drive signal needs to pass through the construction of the board.

Fibreglass boards

Fibreglass generally allows the 2.4 GHz signal to pass through relatively easily.

Large, high-volume fibreglass boards are therefore typically the easiest setup for maintaining connection, particularly when learning.

Carbon boards

Carbon fibre can reduce signal transmission more than fibreglass.

Carbon is not a solid, continuous sheet — it consists of woven fibres and resin — so some signal can still pass through. However, different boards can have significantly different construction, including:

• Number of carbon layers
• Carbon fibre weave and orientation
• Amount of carbon used
• Local reinforcement
• Board thickness
• Internal construction
• Foil track construction

Because Foil Drive is a retrofit system designed to work with many different boards, there can be significant variation between boards — and even between different model years of the same board.

A carbon board does not automatically mean you will have connection problems. Many riders successfully use Gen2 systems on carbon boards, including small boards.

Carbon boards with carbon foil tracks

Boards with full carbon foil tracks can present an additional challenge.

The carbon track area can add another substantial layer of signal-blocking material between the controller and the Foil Drive unit.

This is particularly noticeable when combined with:

• A small board
• A heavy rider
• The board being completely submerged
• Rough or moving water
• The controller being held high above the board

These setups can still work, but controller positioning and take-off technique become more important.

How to improve connection

If you are experiencing connection issues, work through the following steps.

1. Check the signal indicator

The V3 Controller displays the wireless connection strength in the top-left corner of the screen.

The system can operate with a connection even when signal strength is reduced, but maintaining a stronger connection provides greater margin when conditions become difficult.

2. Keep the controller close to the board

The closer the controller is to the board, the easier it is for the signal to find a path through the board and reach the Foil Drive unit.

This is particularly important with:

• Small prone boards
• Sinkers
• Full-carbon boards
• Carbon-track boards
• Boards that are completely underwater

If you are struggling to establish connection, bring the controller closer to the board before increasing throttle.

For difficult setups

If necessary, temporarily place the controller directly against the deck of the board.

This can dramatically improve the signal path because the controller is no longer trying to transmit through a layer of water between itself and the board.

Once the board starts moving and water begins clearing from the board, the controller can generally be moved away from the deck.

You do not need to ride around permanently holding the controller against the board. This is primarily a technique for establishing connection and getting the board moving.

3. Keep the board as high out of the water as possible

Before applying throttle, position the board so that as much of it as possible is above the water.

This is particularly important on small prone boards.

The more of the board that is above the water, the less water the signal needs to travel through.

For example:

Better:

Controller → board → air → Foil Drive unit

More difficult:

Controller → water → board → Foil Drive unit

Water between the controller and board can significantly reduce signal strength.

4. Release the throttle when connection is lost

The system has a safety requirement that the throttle must return to 0% before the motor can re-arm following a loss of connection.

If you lose connection, do not repeatedly pull or hold the trigger.

Instead:

1. Release the throttle completely.
2. Position the controller closer to the board if necessary.
3. Wait for the connection to re-establish.
4. Slowly apply throttle.

Allowing the controller and Foil Drive unit to reconnect before applying throttle is particularly important when the board is moving in and out of the water.

If you continue holding the throttle while the connection is being re-established, the motor will not immediately restart.

5. Start moving before changing your position

Once you have established connection, use a small amount of throttle to get the board moving.

As the board accelerates, water begins to drain away from the board and more of the board rises above the surface.

This creates a progressively better signal path.

Once the board is moving and connection is stable, you can transition into your normal take-off technique.

Controller positioning

For maximum signal in difficult conditions, keeping this side of the controller close to the board can help.

This is particularly useful when:

• You are riding a full-carbon board
• The board is completely submerged
• You are riding a small prone board
• You are a heavier rider
• You are riding in rough water
• The board has carbon foil tracks

For most riders and boards, normal controller positioning is sufficient.

If you are at the edge of the system's connection range, however, experiment with the controller's orientation and position relative to the board.

Finding the best position on your board

Not all areas of a board transmit the signal equally.

Some sections of the board may contain more carbon reinforcement than others.

If you are having trouble establishing connection, try moving the controller to different areas of the deck.

The centre and nose areas can sometimes provide better transmission than heavily reinforced areas around the rails or foil tracks.

Once you find a position that reliably establishes connection, use that position as your starting point.

Carbon tracks: Fill the tracks with foam

If your board has carbon foil tracks, make sure the track cavities are properly filled with the recommended foam inserts during installation.

For carbon-track boards, filling the track area is particularly important.

The most important areas are:

• Between the front and rear foil bolts
• Around the bolt area
• In front of the front bolt

Filling the remaining track area can also help.

Refer to your Foil Drive User Manual for detailed installation instructions.

Take-off technique matters

Connection is not only determined by the hardware.

The difficulty of maintaining connection increases as you combine more challenging conditions and equipment.

For example:

Easier setup

Large board + fibreglass construction + board above water

More challenging setup

Small board + full carbon construction + carbon foil tracks + board submerged + rough water

The harder the setup, the more important technique becomes.

A common mistake is trying to perform the entire take-off technique before the board has built enough speed to clear water from the deck.

Instead:

Establish connection → get moving → clear water from the board → build speed → complete your take-off.

Once the board is moving and planning across the surface, the signal path generally becomes much easier.

What about cruise control?

Cruise control does not change the wireless signal strength.

However, the speed you select can affect how much of the board remains above the water.

If the board slows down enough to sink back into the water, the signal path can become more difficult.

If you are experiencing connection issues while using cruise control, try a slightly higher speed so the board maintains better water clearance.

The trade-off is increased power consumption, so use the lowest speed that reliably keeps your board moving and maintains a good connection.

Troubleshooting sequence

If your Gen2 system is not responding to the controller, work through these steps:

1. Release the throttle

Return the trigger completely to 0% and wait.

2. Check your signal

Look at the connection indicator on the controller.

3. Move the controller closer

Bring the controller close to the board.

4. Reduce water between the controller and board

Keep the board or nose as high out of the water as possible.

5. Try another position

Move the controller to another area of the deck, particularly toward the centre or nose.

6. Establish connection before applying throttle

Wait for the connection, then slowly apply throttle.

7. Get the board moving

Once the motor starts, build speed so water clears from the board.

8. Transition into your normal take-off

Once the board is moving and connection is stable, move into your normal riding position.

Does a carbon board mean Foil Drive won't work?

No.

Carbon construction can reduce signal transmission, but it does not automatically prevent the system from working.

Thousands of different board constructions exist, and riders successfully use Gen2 systems across a wide range of carbon boards.

The most challenging combinations are generally small, heavily reinforced carbon boards with carbon foil tracks that remain submerged during take-off.

In these situations, understanding how water, board construction, controller position and take-off technique interact can make a significant difference.

The key things to remember

Water is the biggest signal blocker.

Carbon can reduce signal transmission, but carbon boards can still work very well.

Keep the controller close to the board when establishing connection.

Keep the board as high out of the water as possible.

Release the throttle and allow the system to re-arm after losing connection.

Get the board moving before moving into your full take-off technique.

If you have a carbon-track board, ensure the tracks are properly filled with foam.

With the right setup and technique, Foil Drive can be used successfully across a very wide range of boards — including small carbon boards and challenging prone setups.

If you are still experiencing intermittent connection issues after watching the Masterclass video, we have released an External Antenna which will boost your connection between your unit and your controller. Click here to learn more.

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