Tkb Review: 2021 F-One Phantom 1080

Sizes Available: 940, 1080, 1280, 1480, 1780cm2
Sizes Tested: 1080cm2

F-One Says:

Using a refined design to achieve higher finesse, the Phantom foils glide faster and for longer. Connecting waves whether during surfing or downwinding thereby becomes much easier and more fun. Yet, connecting waves isn’t much fun if you can’t turn and this is why carving is also part of the DNA of the Phantom foils. By working on the lift distribution, arch shape and other details we achieved a high-aspect, performance foil that can carve smooth curves on the waves and swells.

Built using the Monobloc construction with pre-preg carbon, the foils are both very light and really strong. This set-up offers better load transmission and better stiffness throughout the different parts for maximum control. The Titan connection allows to plug both an aluminium or carbon mast and the fuselage is split in two parts to facilitate transportation.

The Phantom wings are recommended with the C275 Surf stab. This stabilizer offers better glide and a looser feel. It’s the ideal match for the speed and glide of the Phantom wings. The looser feel will help turning these higher aspect wings and provide an awesome surfing experience.

Visit for more info: www.f-one.world/product/phantom-carbon-1080/

TKB Says:

F-One has tailored its Phantom line of full carbon foils with their higher aspect ratio and wider wingspan to offer super-efficient lift that allows for high speeds and incredible amounts of glide. The 1080 doesn’t disappoint with its increased high-end speed and good pump drive combined with agile carving abilities that make this a great downwinding and prone foilsurfing crossover wing.

The Phantom uses the same construction and mounting system as the F-One Gravity line of foils. The front wing and stabilizer are mounted on a robust two-piece carbon fuselage that breaks down for easy travel. The connection between the mast and fuselage has a complex keyed interface that seems to lock the mast and fuse together for extra stiffness. We tested the Phantom 1080 front wing with the C275 Surf stabilizer wing and short stabilizer along with the 75cm carbon mast. The F-One mounting uses the same size torque screw, but the hardware is a little bit smaller. Since our setup was completely carbon, the weight on this foil was featherweight, making the set feel extremely nimble and high performance.

Having spent a lot of time on the Phantom 1280, when we downsized to the 1080 for wingsurfing, the first thing we noticed is that the smaller wing doesn’t create quite as much lift on the takeoff as the 1280. Since we typically ride low volume sinker boards, right off the bat we could feel that the 1080 wanted a bit more board speed for foil-up which made us think about rigging a size up in our board choice or trending towards a bigger sized wing to compensate for the move away from slow and early lift. Once you master the extra challenge of waterstarting a smaller front wing, you will find that the 1080 is an incredibly fast wing that generates a good amount of pump drive in its speed window. It felt like we were able to hit much higher top speeds and this really paid off when chasing bigger and faster windswell as the 1080 seemed to be able to accelerate and penetrate into the deeper parts of the swell. Bigger wings tend to max out and you can get hung up on the top of a roller sometimes, but the 1080 allows you to access a lot more speed and with confidence.

While the Phantom has a high aspect shape and wider wingspan compared to say the Gravity line of foils, we were blown away at the extra maneuverability that comes with the smaller wing. The roll and yaw axis seemed much more active and tended to yield tighter and more aggressive turns. The 1080 feels extremely nimble allowing you to get that much more aggressive with your carves, both on wave faces and while riding open-ocean windswell. Turn initiation happens with less effort than the bigger Phantom wings and more aggressive riders will definitely like this feature.

The one thing about the 1080, which pertains more for prone foilsurfing and maybe to some extent downwinding, is that it likes to maintain higher speeds. The 1080 is fine for slowing down and carving sharper turns on waves, but its foil-down speed is a little higher than the 1280 we have gotten used to. We found the difference most apparent when we were trying to pump between waves””the 1080 gives you plenty of drive if you’re in its speed range, but if you start to slog a bit it will drop out. For that reason, the 1280 will likely remain our go-to choice for pump-oriented foilsurfing, but the 1080 is a compelling purchase for powered wingsurfing sessions.

With a little higher foil-up speed, the 1280 definitely wants more power and skill to get going, and its fighter jet-like maneuverability gears it towards more advanced wingsurfers that want a foil that can keep up with faster waves while carving more aggressive lines. We are of the opinion that beginners should stay on the bigger side of the Phantom line, but for talented wingers that want to access higher speeds, penetrate into bigger waves and still turn on a dime, the 1080 is the weapon of choice.