AXIS Boards: Tray, Froth, Dart, Downwind — Which for What

At a brand that makes only foils, the boards are for foiling too — and nothing else. Here is how they differ.

Six families

• Tray v4 / v5 — 857 to 875 €, volumes 96, 110, 125 l.
• Pump Foilboard — 952 to 1,049 €, volumes 24, 30, 37, 44 l.
• Foil Drive — 1,091 to 1,445 €, volumes 40 to 70 l. Built for an electric motor.
• Frank Mini Dart — 1,228 to 1,383 €, 50 to 80 l.
• Froth Carbon — 1,293 to 1,455 €, volumes 45 to 135 l. The widest family.
• Downwind Carbon — 1,602 to 1,645 €, 110 to 130 l.
• Frank Dart — 1,638 to 1,843 €, 100 to 130 l, lengths 7'2" to 7'8".

Plus the Prone 26 at 997 €, 4'1", the shortest board in the range.

How to read it: volume and length together

The key to the whole range lies in a pair of numbers rather than the names.

Look at the ratio of length to volume:

• Short and voluminous (Froth 90 l) — wing foiling: volume holds you before takeoff, short length stays out of the way in flight.
• Long and voluminous (Frank Dart 7'8" × 130 l) — downwind: length is what lets you accelerate on a swell without external thrust.
• Short and low volume (Prone 26, 4'1") — prone foiling: the board only has to get you to the wave.
• Very low volume (Pump 24 l) — pumping: volume hinders, as covered in our pump foil article.

The rule: volume says whether the board holds you at rest. Length says how you will accelerate.

Tray: why it is the cheapest

The Tray v4 and v5 cost 857 to 875 € — noticeably below the rest — with large volumes: 96, 110, 125 l.

High volume in a simple shape means a learner and light-wind board. It holds you in place while you work the wing and forgives start mistakes.

Note v4 and v5 in the catalogue together: two generations at one price. That is normal — an older generation does not get worse when a new one appears, and the difference is usually in shape detail. We covered the same logic in our model year article.

Froth: thirteen volumes in a row

The widest family: 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 90, 95, 105, 110, 120, 135 litres.

A 10-litre step signals a mature range. Such fine spacing exists because the brand knows 10 litres are genuinely felt at the start.

Choosing a volume:

• Learning → your weight in kilograms plus 20 to 30. At 80 kg, 100 to 110 l.
• Flying confidently → roughly equal to weight. 80 kg → 75 to 85 l.
• Advanced → 20 to 30 % below weight.

A common mistake: buying low volume straight away "so as not to change in a year". You then spend a year unable to start, and the board still turns out wrong.

Dart and Mini Dart: what the shape means

A dart is a dart, and the shape follows: narrow and long. The Frank Dart comes in 7'2"×19", 7'4"×19.5", 7'6"×20", 7'8"×20.5".

Nineteen inches of width at 7'2" of length is a very narrow board. Standing still on it is nearly impossible.

Why that shape: downwind. You paddle prone or standing, accelerating on a following swell, and a long narrow board glides where a wide one stalls.

The Mini Dart — 5'6" to 6'0", 50 to 80 l. A compromise: the same proportions, shorter and more voluminous, for entering the discipline.

What all AXIS boards share

Carbon. Nearly every family carries Carbon Foilboard in the name. The reason is stiffness: in foiling your input travels from feet through board into mast, and a soft board eats part of the steering.

Mast inserts. Every board is built for a foil — there is no plain paddling board in the range.

Prices from 857 €. The brand has no cheap entry, and that is a deliberate position.

Choosing in under a minute

First wing foil board at 80 kg → Froth 105 or Tray 110.

Second season → Froth 85.

Prone foiling → Prone 26 (4'1") or a low-volume Froth.

Downwind → Downwind Carbon 120 or Frank Dart 7'4".

Moving into downwind → Frank Mini Dart 5'10" at 70 l.

Pumping → Pump Foilboard 30 or 37 l.

With an electric motor → Foil Drive 60 l; the discipline is in our separate article.

Common questions

How does Froth differ from Tray?

Tray is the learner and light-wind board with large volumes at a lower price. Froth is the main range in 10-litre steps from 45 to 135.

What volume at 80 kg?

100 to 110 l while learning, 75 to 85 once confident, less at advanced level.

What does Dart mean in the name?

A narrow, long downwind shape — 19 inches wide at 7'2" long.

Why are all the boards carbon?

In foiling your input travels from feet through board into mast, and a soft board eats part of the steering.

Can I buy low volume straight away?

Better not: you will spend a year unable to start, and the board will still be wrong once you can.

Where to look

Tray v5 110 866 €, Froth 85 1,357 €. The section: foil boards.