Paul Martin (AWSI 2026) - FOILDRIVE MAX +

What we talk about

• Paul Martin on a year of fast growth at FoilDrive, with stock already in warehouses for the Max + launch
• Why foil assist keeps growing: more people get a go, it's instant fun, and downwinders have come in and now ride much smaller boards and wings
• The weight of a motor and battery, offset by smaller boards, and how tight battery cell supply affects FoilDrive
• The Max + (Gen 2.5): 11S to 12S, a battery that forms the nose cone, new 650 and 430 batteries and about 25 per cent more runtime
• The Slim +, held up by supply of certified next generation cells, around 300Wh, and Paul asking for industry standard battery and power figures
• Take off technique: boost with your weight over the nose, easing off when the prop breaks the surface to save energy, and a planned app governor
• Newer foil assist brands: Paul wishes them well, but says a good product needs a solid company behind it
• Travel batteries for the Max and Fusion are in the works, the new batteries have smarter Bluetooth monitoring, and a firmware update will let riders track sessions in the app

About this episode

One of our favourite guests, Paul Martin. He is always a pleasure to listen to. In this episode, we learn about how things have changed for FoilDrive in the past 12 months, all about the new MAX + system and the upcoming slim + system as well as how Paul feels about competition in the Foil Assist category and much much more.

Whatever your chosen foiling discipline/disciplines, this is worth a listen! If you've got feedback, suggestions, or questions, drop them ina comment below.