China's foil assist system

China's foil assist system - 7 Larky V2

Sun 22 Jun 2025
Author: John Nayler
Want one?
7 Larky gave me their current discount codes for people watching this video to get V2 for less.
Get USD $250 off with the discount code at check out: 250OFF
Buy 2 and get USD $600 off: Put 2 in your cart and use the discount code at checkout: foilwithfriends
Global Shopify: https://7larky.com/products/hydrofoil-assist-slbt01

THE STORY BEHIND THE EXPERIENCE
First of all, thank you to the Seven Larky team for recently allowing me to test ride your product range in China. I really appreciate the opportunity and their hospitality alone is all I have received.
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Anyway, my recent travels to China, siteseeing and exploring has me blown away at the advancing tech on top of a 4000 year old culture of hard work and innovation. Everything from the nation's payment system by QR codes to the myriad of world leading electric vehicles has me coming back for more.
I stumbled across the Seven Larky / 7 Larky foil assist systems on a recent trip while looking desperately for a wing foil rental and had a WTF moment. Foiling frothy as ever and never able to get a wave in the small conditions along the Chinese coast generated an immediate "I must have one"... and then "does it work?"
Though painful, I spent a day travelling by train, plane, train, Didi to get to a test foiling offered.
Happy I did, as I found the Seven Larky team very pleased that a foreigner had turned up. ... and I found out through the translator that they have developed a number of foil assist drive products with a history back to efoils.
At this test opportunity, I was able to ride the featured V2 foil assist system on my Cloud IX foil set on a reservoir. I have 3.5 years of surf foil and wing foil experience, but only a little in the way of assist and efoil experience. Nonetheless, a couple of sessions later and my intimate knowledge of my favoured Cloud IX FS1000 foil allowed me to rapidly progress and take control. In the days after I was able to test the V2 foil assist drive at a nearby beach in chopping small waves, cross onshore. Not ideal. The Seven Larky V2 had plenty of power to lift me onto foil using either board at my disposal. If anything was an issue, it was keeping the trigger at the minimum throttle during take off and flight. Riding a 60 litre 4' 7" board was superb (featured) if not a little heavy. Having seen assisted foilers back at the GC using light small boards, I had an aborted attempt on a 40 litre 4'8" board because I sucked at it.... and switched back to the 60 litre so I could get the best from the session.
In the end I found the Seven Larky V2 Foil Assist Drive an excellent, easy to use assist system. The battery is enclosed and some friends have already queried if that is a shortcoming, which I guess it is in one way. On the other hand I have to compliment the robust nature of the sealed unit. You monitor the battery level by checking the lights through the window on the front of the battery so most sessions were only aborted when the battery was nearly empty... and then motored slowly home. The Seven Larky V2 foil assist drive also relies on an external Bluetooth aerial that has to be stuck to the deck of the board with velcro sticky pads. I ended up buying a really cheap hot glue gun to make it a little more permanent. 🙂
My best effort on flat water for a full battery was 20+ minutes of flight time travelling 5.6km. I reason that I can only get more efficient and hope to get to double the distance and flight time when I am out in the waves.
The carry case they showed me includes everything you need including mast-through-battery-to-board with T Nuts, long lengths of thread and stainless wing nuts at the top, various screws, mast bracket, rubber packing, controller, battery charger and a wireless charging pad for the controller.
All up, it's a value for money foil assist system that worked well and I can't wait to get the two that I ordered which are due to arrive by air freight in the next couple of weeks.

#foiling #surffoil #foilsurfing

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