Ezzy Hydra Pro Windsurf Sail 2020

The Hydra Pro is a light-weight, low-drag sail designed for high-speed freeride foiling. The Hydra Pro excels in the extreme upwind and downwind angles that make free-ride foiling so much fun.

The unique foot of the Hydra Pro reduces the unwanted turbulent airflow that occurs below the foot of a traditional sail. This extended foot gives the Hydra Pro a smooth and predictable feel when foiling.

For lightwind foiling, you need two sails in one: a deep and draft-forward sail to get up on the foil and a flatter sail to handle the apparent wind as it shifts forward when you get going. At the light wind setting, the Hydra’s ¾-batten above the boom produces an extremely deep and forward profile to get you flying up on the foil— the sail’s profile is much deeper, in fact, than is possible with a full-battened or cambered sail. Once up flying on the foil, the ¾-batten allows the luff to automatically “deflate” (flatten) as the apparent wind shift forward.

For stronger winds, the Hydra Pro can be set very flat—much flatter than a full-battened or cambered sail—to give the ultimate control for adrenaline-filled runs in winds over 30 knots.

With approximately a 15 cm range of outhaul tuning, each size of Hydra Pro spans a large wind range, meaning fewer sails are needed in your quiver. The Hydra Pro is a dramatic look for a dramatic new form of windsurfing.

Available in 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.5. In love with the flying of foiling, David is happy to share the Hydra Pro with everyone already dedicated to foiling and everyone yet to discover its magic.

Hydra Pro from Ezzy Sails on Vimeo.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT IN A FOIL SAIL? FOILING V.S. NORMAL WINDSURFING

First off, because the foil can fly through the water with so little drag, the wind angles are different, which means that the apparent wind (the wind created by your movement) shifts forward. Second, you need a powerful sail to pump up onto the foil, but once you’re on the foil, you want a very easy to control, light sail. And third, your board is above the surface of the water when you’re flying on the foil.

EXTENDED FOOT BATTEN

The elongated foot on the Hydra Pro takes advantage of the board’s height off the water to create a hyper efficient sail. On a normal windsurfing sail, a long foot like this would hit the water when cruising and simply not work, but when foiling, we can take advantage of this “free” space created by flying above the water. The extra long foot forms an end-plate with the board. This is very similar to how winglets work on a jet wing, and aerodynamic theory tells us that an end-plate like this greatly improves the efficiency of the sail. The extra long foot provides the needed low-end power to get up on the foil without using cambers or an extra batten below the boom, saving close to a kilo in weight. Being able to ride a smaller, lightweight sail makes foiling more fun by giving you the sensation of flying with nothing in your hands. You want a sail that “goes away.” The extra long foot also makes the sail more stable. This means that you are less vulnerable to gusts throwing you off balance when you’re flying on the foil, which makes foiling a lot easier. But at the same time, because only the foot is extended and not the entire sail, the pull of the sail remains forward for a more comfortable sailing experience.

3/4 BATTEN

The Hydra Pro also borrows the 3/4 batten concept from our hardcore wave sail, the Taka. A 3/4 batten allows the sail to luff, which means that it can easily go from full to flat. This is important for many aspects of foiling. This helps the Hydra Pro to be extra powerful when you’re pumping it but flat and responsive when flying on the foil. And, the Hydra’s 3/4 batten is the reason it can de-power so easily and change its shape for the needs of the foil. When you sail up wind, you want a flat sail, and when you sail downwind, you want a full sail. The 3/4 batten allows both to occur without having to adjust the outhaul.