Considering Cedrus
Yes. We have been focusing on hydrofoil mast design for over 10 years. Cedrus launched the stiffness revolution with the introduction of the Classic in 2018, and it took other brands 4 years to catch up with "high modulus masts." Now we are proving that our patented profiles and shapes offer better performance and drag characteristics at high and low speeds. We believe that by staying focused on the mast, and leveraging our 20+ years of design, engineering, and manufacturing experience, we can deliver the best products. Our clients agree, and you can read/watch independent reviews here.
No. We have designed Evolution Cedrus to manage the loads from the biggest riders and foils. This being said: large foils are slow. The unanimous feedback we received before designing Evolution masts was a desire for better performance at speed. Evolution masts are designed for performance. They will work fine with larger foils, which are typically used for dock-starting or very light wind foiling at low speeds. But many of the masts designed for these forms of foiling are very thick, heavy, slow, and shorter length. Please understand that pairing a longer Evolution mast designed for high speeds with big foils designed to go slow may not yield the best performance. Please contact us to discuss your desired use case if you have concerns.
The assembly process conservatively takes 3-4 weeks from raw carbon to a finished, painted mast, but we typically have a backlog of orders. We try to keep the lead-times accurately posted on the product pages, so when you make your deposit, you should have a fairly accurate estimate. At times, depending on mast model, lead-times can be up to 8-12 weeks. So if you are interested in a mast, it's best to place your order as soon as possible. It's rare that the lead time ever falls below a month and we have never had excess capacity to make popular lengths to store inventory like we've hoped!
No. We do not design or machine adapters to interface with non-Cedrus masts. Please do not contact us to request this. Each adapter costs ~$1,000 to design/prototype/manufacture.
We try to stock inventory of the most popular brands. As the foil industry is growing and changing quickly, it is very difficult to keep up. Contact us if you are considering Cedrus but don't see the adapter you want or need.
We are slowly building inventory of popular length masts. If the size you want is grayed out, we may have more of that length somewhere in the assembly process, but none are finished and ready to ship. You are welcome to contact us for lead times or simply purchase the "custom deposit" option and put the length you want in the note section.
Purchasing a Cedrus Mast
We are slowly ramping production at our new facility, and as a result focused primarily on custom orders direct-to-consumer. This also ensures that we can accurately communicate with our clients in the event of delays or order changes. When we have the capacity to assemble popular/stock lengths, we will sell through retail partners. Contact The Foil Shop if you would like to purchase a mast through retail and not wait for the custom assembly process. At this time, we have no other dealers, locally or abroad, and masts are sold direct.
Yes, we have shipped thousands of masts all over the world. Your mast will be declared and insured as "water sports equipment: other." Our new store calculates all duties, tariffs, fees, taxes, and shipping up-front, and allows you to pay in full. We pay more for this service, so there are no surprises on delivery day. If you have advanced knowledge of importing goods to your country, contact us and we can explore alternative invoicing methods.
Shipping costs are destination and mast length dependent, and calculated at checkout. We typically ship via UPS Ground in the continental US and Canada, and we ship UPS International Expedited worldwide. Domestically, adapter-only orders will ship via USPS Priority mail. A complete shipping cost will be provided at checkout, which will cover the cost of insurance and customs paperwork, if applicable.
No. We typically ship fully insured and do not want to risk you or us having to deal with international or foreign governments. In the event that we need to make a claim, or provide aide due to final delivery issues, we need the paperwork trail to be consistent and accurate. We know the US dollar is strong and that no one likes paying fees/duties/tariffs/etc, but please understand that by selling direct we actually avoid a lot of markup that would otherwise be charged by wholesalers, distributors, or shops.
Please order your adapter(s) at the time of your mast deposit. This is the only way to ensure that they are available to deliver with your mast. Order processing for custom masts is already extremely time consuming and expensive; additional, separate orders for adapters and accessories further complicates the process and could result in mast delivery delays.
We're a small business, which means we all share various tasks of operation, including fulfillment/shipping. Yes, even the founder/engineer/owner will print shipping labels and pack boxes. But we can't always do this the day of or even after an order. This is why we don't offer overnight or even 2-day shipping: we can't guarantee we'll be able to pack an adapter or mast the day it's ordered. If you need an adapter or accessory for an upcoming trip and have a tight schedule, send us a message. Cedrus masts are custom made to order, and we try to keep lead-times updated on the product pages, so when you place a deposit, take note of that lead-time. Furthermore, please keep in mind that sometimes production can be delayed due to reasons outside of our control. For example, in the last 3 years we have had production stops due to weather-related events: freezes in Texas shut the refineries where our adhesives and epoxies are made, excessive heat has prevented us at times from paint, and fires and floods have stopped UPS and FedEx deliveries. Please do not email us requesting updates or schedules; we will reach out if there are any significant delays or changes to the schedule.
As Cedrus masts are custom made, and significant time and resources are spent planning production, the deposit is non-refundable. In some cases, if a mast has not gone into final assembly, we can change the length. It is not possible to change or cut down the length of an assembled mast. We understand that during the assembly process, sometimes clients change their mind about foils they want to ride or something new arrives; we will do our best to accomadate adapter order changes and ship you what you want. But please be patient as again servicing each client is very time consuming and we are working really hard.
We reserve the right to continually improve our products, without constantly updating the website. Making stuff is really hard, and through continuous improvement efforts, we strive to constantly make the mast better and more efficiently. Carbon fiber has natural variation in weave patterns and after sanding, affecting the cosmetics, but not the structural performance. Molding operations can leave visible part lines, but again function will not be impacted. Painting is incredibly resource intensive and challenging... getting a perfect surface is nearly impossible, especially if that surface is black. A Cedrus mast is more like a hand-shaped board than a mass-produced foil mast, and no Cedrus is perfect. Every single product that leaves our facility undergoes QC in the assembly and fulfillment process, and sometimes we need to decide if a cosmetic blemish could have functional impacts and should be reworked or not. Small scratches in anodizing or minor defects in paint may exist in masts but will not have functional impacts (corrosion, hydrodynamics, structural issues). You likely won't notice anything, as we are very critical of our own work. But if you do, please understand that we also noticed it and felt that it would not impact the performance of the product in any way. Thanks for your understanding, and enjoy foiling, because your gear is going to get abused!
The mast will ship with a mount connected using our M8 Titanium hardware torqued to spec (20N*m). Adapters and Fuselages ship with hardware to connect to the mast, material of choice at the time of purchase. We do not supply hardware to connect the mast to your board, as each board requires different length screws and T-nuts. We do not supply hardware to connect OEM fuselages to our adapters, as again it is not possible for us to control the fuselage design or know what hardware lengths are needed. Please ensure you have at least 16mm and ideally 20mm of thread engagement into the Cedrus adapter. Inadequate thread engagement will result in failed mast helicoils and loss of foils. We cannot be responsible for loss of foils due to improper screw lengths.
Owning a Cedrus Mast
Please review the Owner's Info Page for detailed instructions on the use and care of your mast. While our goal was to design a product that does not need an instruction manual, the marine environment is very hard on equipment and it's important to understand how to operate and care for your foil.
Please read the Owner's Info and Instructions Page for notes on using adapters. In general, it requires a little more attention to cleaning and ensuring hardware is tight before use, but is otherwise no different from using an OEM mast setup. In fact, many adapters are actually stronger than OEM setups and thanks to the modular nature, can be repaired or replaced. Please note that we cannot be liable for the loss of foils connected to Cedrus adapters using M6 hardware. We know some brands continue to sell fuselage connection systems employing M6 screws, which are more sensitive to torque levels and can fail catastrophically if not tightened properly or overloaded. Thank you for your understanding.
This can happen for a number of reasons. First, every brand has different levels of tolerancing within their manufacturing. Fuselages can come from different factories, or be made at different times, leading to ever so slight differences in fit. Or, a heavily used fuselage with a tapered connection may fit more loosely on a new OEM mast or Cedrus adapter due to wear. Adapters can be shimmed using adhesive-backed foil/metal tape, or lightly sanded if needed to fit perfectly, but we suggest keeping the tight fit. You can contact us if you need help with your adapter connection, but please understand that slight differences in fit are completely normal, even among OEM products. Many of our adapter designs come direct from the OEM manufacturer, and are machined to extremely tight tolerances. Brands are also getting better at designing proper tapered fits, which do not bottom out when tightened, so this issue is much less likely now than it was even a year or two ago. But in closing, if your fuselage fit is too tight or too loose, and it's brand new, you need to talk to the fuselage/wing brand and validate fitment in various OEM masts to prove that it's an issue with the fuselage. Our machining tolerances are tighter than molding tolerances. If your equipment is used, then you will need to shim or sand accordingly. We do not modify designs to accommodate individual fitment issues, and our batch-to-batch variation in adapters will not result in different fits.
We have never had a mast break or fail under normally expected use conditions. We have no rider weight limit, and never have. We essentially offer a limited lifetime structural warranty on our masts. This does not cover impact, bottom strikes, or letting your foil wash up in the shore break. As mentioned in the Owner's Info Page, the mast should last a lifetime if properly cared for. In the event of failure due to manufacturing defects, we will repair or replace your mast. For normal wear & tear, corrosion, or finishing related issues, we will evaluate such instances on a case-by-cases basis and offer repair/refinishing services at cost. The same goes for adapters: obvious design or manufacturing defects will be replaced. However adapters can be considered wear items, due to the nature of their use. Connecting the fuselage over years can wear the interface, and corrosion is more likely to occur if connected to a carbon fuselage. Just like you replace tires on your bike, you may need to replace adapters on your mast due to fatigue, corrosion, or abuse loads (bottom strikes). Furthermore, foils that connect to adapters using M6 hardware (or equivalent) may lack necessary strength and failure of such will not be considered a warranty-related item.
Please read the Owner's Info and Instructions Page for our recommendations on using grease. Whether or not you use grease, it is important to check your hardware before each foil session.
Yes! We have repaired many masts due to bottom strikes, impacts with sea-life, seized bolts due to improper use/care, and we've refinished masts to look new again after years of use. Please contact us for a quote to repair or refinish your mast if needed. Please do NOT attempt to repair any damage yourself!
If you've made it this far down the FAQ, of course. Please see the contact page to message us.