Starboard Ace Foil Lightning Vs Ace Air Foil / SUPboarder Comparison
Compared by us on Aug 8, 2025
Category: Downwinding Flatwater / All-round Race Equipment & Reviews Featured Level: Advanced Intermediate
Products we compared
Starboard Ace Foil Lightning 2025
RRP: £1549 , €2049 , $2099
A downwind or surf foil board that is very stable for its width, has incredible glide and competitive price point... one that should be on any serious foilers wish list!
Pros: Great glide due to the 'ace tail' give extra waterline length and allowing you to paddle up onto foil easier with smaller foils. Boxy rails give great stability. A very well developed footpad for great visual and feel feedback. Lightweight and durable construction. A great price point when compared to other boards on the market.
Cons: The more boxy rails will catch a little more than some other boards on touch downs, although the pros these rails bring in terms of stability far outweigh this negative.
Consider buying if... You want to downwind foil, surf foil or light wind wing board with no compromise in performance that has been designed and finished extremely well. This board does everything extremely well, and should be on the shortlist of foilers looking to start or progress in those disciplines.
Starboard Ace Air Foil 2025
RRP: £1149 , €1449 , $1759
Packed full of incredible innovations, this new board closes the performance gap SIGNIFICANTLY to its composite sibling!
Pros: Packed absolutely FULL of innovations that successfully close the performance gap between inflatable and composite downwind / surf foil boards. Excellent price point. Very durable when compared to a composite board.
Cons: Its still an inflatable board so doesn't equal the composite boards performance, but comes closer than any other has!
Consider buying if... Your storage options are limited or you want to travel AND have the ability to foil ( either wing, downwind or surf) without a large composite board. Many foilers will not notice the performance gap that this board has compared to a composite board for wing, DW, pump or surf so this is an extremely affordable route into learning these disciplines. An excellent option to have as a toy on boats due to its durable construction making handling easier on deck.
What we say
Inflatable or hard? For many years the answer has always been pretty clear. But after using the newest Air boards from Starboard the performance gap between a composite board and an inflatable has got way smaller. In this video we use and compare a Starboard Ace Foil Lightning and Starboard Ace Air Foil to see how these boards work in different conditions and foil disciplines.
Got a question about these products?
Review gallery
Access all of our content and expert support!
Why subscribe? Here’s what you get;
- Access to another 200+ videos & features
- New videos weekly
- Head to Head Product Tests
- More ‘How 2’ videos
- ‘Ask the Experts’ – 100% independent support
- Support us making content you love
- Virtual Coaching with PRO ‘Video Breakdowns’
- Get a Limited Edition Gift


















