Double Dip: Lift 150HA-X & 110HA-X

Lift has released some of their most anticipated foils to date with the launch of the 150 HA-X and 110 HA-X front wings. Both of these originally experimental foils were designed for pure speed, pump, glide, and efficiency. Pulling these foils out of the box, one of the first things you’ll notice is that the protective covers have been redesigned to fit the broader span of these wings. After removing these foils from the bags, it's clear that their classic, sleek, and satin black carbon finish stays true to Lift’s lightweight, minimalist style. Although they may look like the general outline of the previous HA series, like the 120HA and 90HA, a closer look unveils the intricacies that went into these latest shapes. Not only are these the widest and highest aspect ratio wings of the entire Lift fleet, the HA-X series have a unique lower camber foil section and subtly inflected, flatter wingtips that are designed to go faster and glide longer than the previous designs. Even though the 150 and 110 are both part of the same series, the two wings are very different in their specifications. The 150 HA-X presents a surface area of 150in2 (970cm2), a 39” (99cm) wingspan, and a 10.1 aspect ratio. The 110 HA-X has a significantly smaller cord length and surface area at 110in2 (710cm2), but keeps a similar wingspan at 38” (96.5cm), to bear the highest aspect ratio of the entire Lift lineup, at 13.1. To keep the variables to a minimum when testing and comparing these wings, I paired them both with the low drag and efficient 25 glide tail and 32 inch mast.

My first experience of the 150HA-X was in 1-2 foot beach break conditions with plenty of little peaks around. The 150HA-X felt smooth right off the drop and was effortless to pump to waves out the back. The first thing I noticed was how fast it moved and the significant amount of ground that each pump covers. Even though I originally thought a wing this wide would be hard to turn, the 150 was comfortable to lean into to do carves and banking connection turns. The slightly inflected wingtips also mitigated the broader wingspan to significantly reduce ventilation through wingtip breaching turns. Next, I took the 150HA-X on our local three-mile downwind run and was very impressed by its speed range. An ideal blend between the pump and drive of the 170HA and the speed of the 120HA, the 150HA-X fills the gap between both those foils. Great for popping up on a SUP downwind set up and even with a good low end, it still has desirable top speed for chasing down bumps in front. The final test with the 150HA-X was done on a 4’2 Lift 3 eFoil with the folding propeller and the 38 Glide tail. From all the wings I’ve tried with eFoils, this combo has been my favorite for letting off the power and gliding across waves with the finger off the trigger.

The 110HA-X is a very different and higher speed experience compared to the 150HA-X. Falling into the category of a race foil, the simplest way to describe it is like a 90HA that’s been stretched out to increase pump and glide. Testing it first in the surf, the lower camber of this foil made the lift very neutral through steeper and faster sections. Although it has a slightly higher stall speed than the Lift 120HA, the pumping speeds and overall velocity were similar to that of the 90HA, which makes it an extremely fun foil to downwind on decent to good bumps. The top end speed of the 110 unlocks new lines and essentially allows you to continuously chase and overtake bumps that are moving too fast for most other foils. This speed range makes it ideal for setting personal best downwind times and taking steeper groundswell drops than previously thought possible. The other unbelievable characteristic of the 110HA-X is its ability to breach a significant amount of the wingtip without causing any hesitation or ventilation across the foil. The sensation of hearing the wing breaching without feeling any shudder made this foil fun in the surf, allowing you to load up and accelerate this wing through turns with tons of speed.

Both these foils will bring a smile to your face, especially for those who are already loving the previous Lift wings. To summarize, riders looking for a fast but cruisy surf and downwind wing can’t go wrong with the 150HA-X. For riders looking to break speed records, race, and rip a foil that unlocks faster lines, the 110HA-X is the one for you!