Evolution Aluminum Clydesdale Mast

Yes! Evolution Aluminum Forged and Clydesdale feature the same adapter interface as Surf and Wind.

The stiffness of a mast is dependent on material and more importantly, design. UHM carbon is a stiffer material, but the ultimate stiffness of the mast depends on the layup and shape. Aluminum masts have historically not been very stiff because they are very thin in order to minimize drag. Thanks to our forging technology, we are able to have a thick mast up high contributing massive amounts of stiffness, with minimal drag below the waterline.

Yes, minor weld porosity in aluminum is normal and only becomes visual after grinding. Our robots yield extremely consistent results in terms of weld stiffness and strength, and the minor porosity has no structural impact and the pinholes do not affect performance of the mast.

We have found through months of testing that certain foils can produce acoustic and haptic feedback when paired with Evolution Aluminum. Due to the thin walls, high stiffness, and hollow channel that does not fill with water, the mast can transmit whistles and hums at specific frequencies with certain foils. Please understand the source of the noise is the vibration of the foils and tails, not the mast. We have learned to appreciate this feedback, and found that it can be mitigated by changing ride height, angle to weather, speed, tail shim, or wing loading. Rider weight, board size, and other variables like water density can affect the response. It is a complex system dynamic. All other aluminum masts are held together by screws, mounts, and doodads, and typically fill with water, and will therefore not transmit vibrations or acoustic energy from the foil. You can try a thin rubber pad between the board and mast to reduce the noise level, that has helped some people but not everyone which is why we have decided not to make it a standard feature.

Of course! Forged is perfectly capable of dock-starting and pump foiling with the biggest foils. In fact, if you're looking for an all-around mast to do it all, we'd recommend Forged. We only decided to offer the Clydesdale as an even more economical entry point to the Cedrus ecosystem, and for those riders really looking to ride the biggest foils and slowest speeds only.

No, Evolution masts are not compatible with original Cedrus Classic adapters.

No, Evolution Aluminum is completely and permanently sealed from water entirely by welding. No glues or sealants are used.

Yes. All aluminum extrusions have some very minor degree of asymmetry due to the die and extrusion process. We know because we've extruded a lot of masts and we've evaluated other brands' masts too. The slight asymmetry in the extrusion is further amplified by our forging process, and can result in a slightly textured surface due to plasticity of the aluminum inside the mast cavity. The shape and surface has no impact on mast performance. Asymmetry can actually reduce drag and noise by altering the pattern of vortex shedding off the trailing edge of the mast, and the boundary layer is very thick and turbulent near the trailing edge and not affected by slight changes in surface roughness.

No, but we offer two case/sleeve options for sale on our site if you want or need a case. All of our products are made locally and we want to keep prices as low as possible while giving our customers choices.

We have never used rubber pads on the back of our aluminum mounts. We have found that over time, the glue fails and the pad falls off. Furthermore, the pad serves little purpose. With a clean mount and board surface and tight screws, the mount does not scratch the board and provides the most direct connection without a piece of rubber. For some riders, the rubber pad helps reduce noise, but in our trials it was not consistent enough at reducing noise to justify the added costs and drawbacks.

No, that’s not a defect or damage from shipping. It’s not uncommon for masts to have a small scallop on the trailing edge where we close the weld. It’s obviously incredibly thin there, and getting molten metal to stick without blowing through has been a real challenge. Fortunately these small imperfections have absolutely no impact on performance.