Tkb Review: 2021 FCD Locust Foilboard

Sizes Available: Custom
Sizes Tested: 4’5” x 18 1/2” x 3 1/4”
Visit for more info: www.fcdsurfboards.com

TKB Says:

For our wingsurfing test we received two foil boards from FCD, and the favorite of the two is the Locust with its more robust rails and extra volume that gave us a little more range and forgiveness in a wider spectrum of conditions. Aside from its high-performance feel for wingsurfing, perhaps one of the bigger sells for the Locust was that we didn’t have to swap boards when it was time to go prone foilsurfing.

The Locust comes with FCD’s fanatical attention to materials and craftsmanship and that is reflected in the lightweight and overall feel of the board in your hand. It’s worth noting that the current version of the Locust that we tested is a bit different (perhaps refined) than what you might find on the FCD website. The Locust comes with a more rounded template that puts its wider point a little farther forward and tapers its hips back into the tail. The bottom shape gets a double concave with a soft spine in the nose that fades into flat as you get back to the foil tracks. The rocker is really flat in the back but the nose gets a fair amount of rocker to keep the nose out of trouble. The rails are a little thicker on the Locust compared to the other FCD foil surfboard we tested; they start with a rounded edge at the nose and transition to a blocky/harder edge in the tail. There’s a subtle chine that transitions from rail to hull and it wraps around towards the tail and handles the departure surface. The deck is fairly flat under your back foot with a little more concave in the nose area.

Mid-sized riders with strong wingsurfing waterstart skills will find that the 4’5” has just enough volume to give them a little extra float when the wind starts to fade. The Locust’s double concave nose does a great job of releasing from the water, making foil-ups significantly easier once you get the board up to the surface with some forward momentum. The board’s rounded rail and subtle rail chine work great to keep it tracking during accidental rail touchdowns. The Locust’s construction feels light but stiff, so every input goes directly into the foil, creating a very responsive and high-performance feel. We liked the flat deck because no matter where our foot landed it was even to the angle of the foil. The Locust was fine as a crossover for kite foiling, perhaps a little bigger than what an advanced kite foiler would typically choose, but we find a lot of value in a single platform that can comfortably and capably be used across wingsurfing, kite foiling and prone foilsurfing. In terms of foil surfing, the Locust was easy to paddle, in line with similarly sized other prone boards, and it sprung into waves of all sizes really well with a hull shape that releases from the water on foil-ups and accidental touchdowns. With all things foil, it’s a good sign if you can swap in a new piece of equipment without missing a beat.

If you’re at the top of your wingsurfing game and want to push your carving, wave riding and pumping to the next level, the Locust is a super nimble platform that has just enough forgiving qualities to help talented riders find consistency and confidence while pushing every boundary.