Quick Comparison: AFS Silk, Code X, KT Nomad

Intro

In 2025 I almost exclusively rode AFS foils with 90% of my time on my Silks. I was focused on developing my parawing skills so testing other foils was off the list while I focused on getting to know that new discipline. At the end of the season I wanted to check out a few newly hyped foils to see how they measured up to mine and if there was anything to learn from them.

Foils and Experience

Silk 850 with 142 tail:

Over a year with this foil and I ride the whole Silk quiver.

KT Nomad 830 with 155 tail:

1 week, packed with excellent sessions. Huge thanks to Tyson from KT for setting this up.

Code X 810 with 142 AR tail:

Not enough time. I've thought I was going to switch to Code foils 2-3 times in past years but I've never been able to get a great demo on them and this situation was the same.

Span:

810X: 814mm 8.2AR

Silk 850: 824mm 8AR

Nomad 830: 860mm 8.9AR

Rankings

I am going to rank the components and some ride characteristics below but want to be clear that none of this gear is bad. It's just different flavors and we all need to know what we like.

Mast

Every brands mast is good. There's nothing to avoid here.

1. Silk 850 - 75cm skinny UHM - Clear winner, far more maneuverable with a 100mm chord and super efficient at 12.8mm thick.

2. Nomad 830 - 77cm HM Carbon - A nice, solid mast. Nice finish with some subtle details on the baseplate for efficiency.

3. 810X - 80cm UHM + mast - Also a good mast. I dislike threading the bolts through the baseplate but that's no reason to avoid this mast.

Things to come: Rumors have it that Code and KT will be releasing their high performance skinny masts in 2026.

Fuse

I want the performance of slender fuses and the security of M8 bolts. So, that's how these are ranked.

1. Nomad 830 - I used the 56cm. Slender tongue and groove fuse design with triple M8 connection. I think they were planning for the future on this and not wanting anything to hold them back.

2. Silk 850 - Monoblock tongue and groove design, slender, double M8 connection.

3. 810X - I used the small fuse. Mortise and tenon design with M6 bolts requiring a larger fuselage.

Low End & Pump

If I was headed out into weak conditions this is the order I would pick these foils.

1. Nomad 830 - Absurd. I feel like I'm walking up a flight of stairs when I pump this foil.

2. 810X - It's fine. I hear Code S riders say the pump is diminished but I didn't have a major problem with it.

3. Silk 850 - The Silks have never been known for their pumping prowess and I would say they come in last in this comparison. The low end was very similar to the X.

High End

When conditions are pumping this is the order I would pick these foils.

1. Silk 850 - Dominant on the high end. The 850 is really at it's best when it's being pushed hard by the conditions and this sets it apart from the other foils in comparison.

   
   

2. Nomad 830 - In nuking conditions I didn't like the initial takeoff with the Nomad. There was so much low end I felt like I was going to buckle my setup and taco on takeoff. In flight it was fine but it felt restrained, like it needed a power source to really unlock it's upper end.

   
   

3. 810X - I did not like the high end on this foil. Perhaps it was just the day, the conditions, the location (Rufus) but I felt like this foil really stiffened up when overpowered.

Smooth and Silent

I love a super smooth and dead silent ride. This is the slick and silent ranking.

1. 810X - One thing for sure about the 810X is that is slices through swell with ease and is completely silent in the water. I was able to go from casually gliding on swell to an explosive wing powered maneuver on the 810X without having to think about it.

   
   

2. Silk 850 - All the Silks are super smooth but I do occasionally have a bit of whistling. It comes and goes and I've never been able to sand/tune it out of my foils.

   
   

3. Nomad 830 - A friend told me they think the camber collects more feedback from the water and I think this is correct. Tyson from KT told me "Don't expect this to be a Cadillac" and I'd say that's also correct. It's not a bad feeling, but in direct comparison to the other two you can feel something different happening in the water.

   
   

Carving

I like smooth rail to rail performance with the sensation of drive in my turns. That's how these are ranked.

1. Silk 850 - I like the drive that the Silks have in the carve. Nothing else feels like that and it just asks you to stay leaned over a little longer.

2. Nomad 830 - You'll be prone to accidentally learning 360s on this foil.

3. 810X - Don't read anything into this being ranked 3rd. I don't think I got to genuinely test it's carving capabilities.

Sleek Design

Which setups I think appear to be the cleanest design.

1. 810X - I've always been a fan of the way the Code fuse and tail connect. Very clean.

2. Silk 850 - Monoblock with no fuse attachment. You could argue that earns it the top spot but the tail is not recessed like Code or KT, so I placed it in second. Doing so would force the fuse to be thicker... so it's a complicated balance.

3. Nomad 830 - There's 5 M8 bolts and 2 M6 bolts on the bottom of this foil. It doesn't seem to matter but I ranked this 3rd because it's just not as clean.

Tuning

How easy these foils are to adapt to your style.

1. Nomad 830 - It's awesome that KT sets you up with a whole shim kit from the start. Great opportunity to learn more about your kit because of this.

2. 810X - Lots of fuse options for anyone who wants to alter their experience.

3. Silk 850 - Not much of an option to tune a monoblock foil like this.

Craftsmanship

1. Silk 850 - I'm pretty open about how much I love the AFS build quality.

2. Nomad 830 - Excellent. Lands in second because I've only had my hands on 2 KT kits but everything was perfect.

3. 810X - Some brands seem to have a consistent spot that their production is less than perfect on. Every Code kit I've handled the mast to fuselage joint was slightly different and on the 810X the bolt holes didn't line up well with the mast inserts. It's no drama, you can fix this with a few minutes of tinkering.

Where I see them excelling in the Gorge:

Silk 850 - Parawing: Out east: If I'm riding Rufus or Arlington this is the foil. I always use it when it's lit up. With a wing you can go anywhere on this.

810X - Parawing and wing: The Hatchery: Best when there isn't a ton of river flow from a nearby dam against it. The Hatch will give it some nice ramps to slash on in front of all the cameras.

Nomad 830 - Pretty much anywhere in the Gorge with a parawing or wing as long as you're not too overpowered. Excellent for getting away from the crowds into low powered zones.

What I learned and experienced:

Silk 850 - I've been on AFS gear for over a year now and I love riding the Silks. With a wing in my hand the 650 is my favorite foil but the last quarter of this season I switched to the parawing almost every day and it's taken me some time to recalibrate. My biggest takeaway from this comparison was better grasping that the Silks, for me, are at their best when fully powered. They maintain their playfulness while giving you the benefits of a larger surface area to perform with. The best ride of my life was on the 850 when it was 40 knots with 160,000 cubic feet per second of flow coming from the dam in front of me.

810X - I didn't get enough time on this foil. I was bummed that it was overpowered on my first day which turned me off but I got a glimpse of its brilliance on day 2 when it was a little underpowered but assisted by a wing. I was really impressed by how smooth it felt when riding at the Hatch and it was ready to attack whenever the swell stood up. I get the feeling that this is an awesome foil that might just have a narrower range than the others in this comparison.

Nomad 830 - It's been a while since I felt any kind of low end magic like this and I've never felt anything that matched that low end with such excellent pumping and carving. I have a hard time imagining why I would buy the 830 as I would skip straight down to the 700. If you are the kind of person who is really focused on riding smaller foils, KT is the clear choice. If you are also wanting to develop your skills related to riding lower span foils this is your cheat code. It makes sizing down incredibly user friendly and since you don't have to be afraid of restarts you can really focus on skill development and high performance maneuvers.

Overall and Takeaways

Surprisingly, I see all three of these foils as being suited for different days/conditions. In my head I was expecting there to be a lot more overlap from one brand to the next since these foils are all so similar in size but I found that to not be the case. I feel like there tends to be more chatter and excitement about sizing foils down, but I think the Silk 850 allows me to stay sized up. I don't need to get on a smaller foil to have fun, the only time I ever thought that foil was overpowered was in 60+ knots. Conversely, if you really want to size down, the Nomad 830 will give you the opportunity to do so and you won't be afraid of falling in and having to restart. This is huge if you are developing as a rider. Last, the 810X felt like the foil that when the conditions are just right, it's probably perfect for high level performance.

Which should you buy?

Ask yourself what your riding style and goals are first. Then try to unpack which foils attributes are going to aid you in your journey. All three are very different and none of them have any glaring deficiencies. I prefer to ride in the biggest conditions I can get and feel as though AFS is the right call for me. I have a buddy who wings the Nomad 830 and he'll probably never ride another foil. Others say the 810X is the perfect upgrade from the S series and all they want to ride. Know yourself and pick the foil that will serve you best.

Questions?

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below and I'll do my best to answer.

See you at the river,

Bryan Lee, M.S. Experiential Education.