An Interview with Foil’s Best Instructor

Steven Reep is the owner of Jupiter’s Spot. He’s an eFoil instructor, seller, and operator of his demo location for Foil in Jupiter, Florida. You can find him flying around on his eFoil boards in Jupiter inlet.

He began this venture in 2021 and has quickly risen as one of the top instructors for eFoiling lessons in the country. He’s trained other Foil instructors, Fox network news hosts, and has even caught a fish on a foil.

Which if I’m not mistaken, Steven is the first person ever to catch a fish on an efoil board.

I saw a few of Steven’s videos online and noticed how succinct & informative they were and asked if he’d like to chat for a little bit. Here’s what we spoke about:

Do you surf? If so when did you start

I grew up surfing in South Florida since I was a teenager. I just love cruising on the waves which is why I prefer longboards. This is also why I love eFoils, they have the same longboard feel, but  with a motor so you can cruise forever!

Especially because we don’t get crazy swells here, unless it’s hurricane season, so efoiling is great when the waves are flat. You can be the wave yourself!

Have you ever ridden a normal hydrofoil?

I’ve actually never been on a normal hydrofoil.

I started with eFoiling but it’s not for a lack of trying. It’s funny because I think God doesn’t want me to hydrofoil.

I’ve been offered to use clients’ hydrofoils three different times after an eFoil session. And each time there was a crazy storm that interrupted it! Maybe I should take it as a sign!

What made you want to start your own business?

I love teaching and always wanted to start my own business. I was actually a Jet Ski instructor in college and a Highschool teacher for five years before I went into business for myself. 

So I was actually looking into starting my own jet ski rental business, but in doing research, advertising for eFoils started coming up. Then after getting the opportunity to ride one I realized this was the next thing in watersports, there was very little information on eFoiling at the time and quite honestly there still is today.

A lot of people haven’t heard about it either. I still have people who flag me down asking me what it is I’m riding then they end up wanting a lesson! It really is just the beginning of the wave for the eFoil industry so I jumped on it and it took off! (Puns intended) 

I first started with just teaching lessons on Lifts, but then got the opportunity to sell Foil and become a rep and now a dealer. I became buddies with Kyle, the CEO of Foil, while we were doing the demo tours. And he really liked the way  I teach and how patient I am. So now I give lessons to all the other Foil dealers how to teach so we’re all on the same page and even started doing stuff for their YouTube page. 

It has been really a fun ride seeing where this wave takes me. 

How do you get most of your sign ups?

They are so visual that social media and google ads bring me most of my business, however I get walk ups too. 

Honestly, like I said, some days I’ll ride around and someone flags me down and asks me to take a picture. It starts a conversation wherever you go because there really aren’t many of them around. Word of mouth is definitely super helpful.

So…you caught a fish on a foil board?

Yeah, I had a video that got pretty popular of me catching a fish sitting on the Foil in the bay that I teach my lessons. It was pretty cool because it showed how much volume the Foil has compared to my old Lift board. 

I’m 205lbs and could comfortably sit and catch a fish on my Foil where on my Lift I couldn’t even sit on it with out sinking. I’m hoping to try catching a fish soon by trolling in movement or maybe even bow fishing. We could get real Florida Man with it!

Noticed you were on Military Makeover. What was that like?

The famous talk show Host Montel Williams started this show to give back to veterans called Military Makeover that airs on Lifetime. They totally remodel the houses for veteran families and picked a family in Jupiter. 

So they called me and said “Hey, we want a visual cool new water sport for this family to learn while we are remodeling their house” I was honored to be a part of it and the family picked it up very quick! I was awesome to give back and be on national TV!

What made you switch from lift to Foil?

When I started, Lift was the most established and easiest board to get my hands on. So I started with Lift and then moved to Foil later on when they were more established and had dealer programs. 

Lift makes great eFoils, but there are quite a few things I love about Foil that made me switch brands. First, Foils are the only major eFoil brand made in the USA, which is awesome for quality and customer service. The factory is actually in Pensacola, Florida, so if I ever have an issue or need maintenance it just takes two days for the shipping to get it there and back.

Also, Foil has the best battery in the game, lasting up to 3 hours. I can get 3 lessons on one charge instead of one now. They also have a much lower starting point with the prices, which makes them easier to sell.

What are some of your favorite foils from Foil?

I like the bigger setups because it mimics that longboard vibe from surfing. I prefer the 5’8” Foil and 250 wing. It’s the most stable set up and easiest to teach on, but If you’re over 200 lbs you can throw that thing pretty well. I can definitely shred it up and maintain that stability. 

The big setup isn’t for everyone though. For example, Kyle (CEO of Foil) prefers the smaller set ups. He always rides the X or R with a 100 wing because they’re quicker and a little more reactive and he loves to shred it up. Smaller boards and wings have more mobility and bigger boards and wings have more stability and you sacrifice one for the other. It’s best to get the set up for the ride style you prefer. 

What do you look for in a new foil board?

I’ve been getting into the folding pop.

You can foil out there, cut through  the waves like butter going out, and then you turn around and catch a wave, let off the trigger, then you’re surfing it like a normal hydrofoil. At the end of the wave, you pull the trigger and inertia puts the prop back out allowing you to go back through the waves again and get back on the set. Never ending!

The new 4’8” Forged Carbon Foil R  is the best for surfing because the wider nose shape is better for waves and the boasted motor helps you keep up with the waves.

The traditional Cyber Deck with the pointier nose is better for lakes and calmer water..

Reading any good books/watching anything good?

Having time to write is a cool thing about having my own business. When things get slow I can pursue a few passion projects. I actually wrote a Novel titled Fleeing Tiamat that is a fictional adventure story about a guy escaping a dystopia and finding freedom and God.

Right now, I’m actually re-reading it and thinking about writing a sequel.

EDITORS NOTE: You can purchase Steven’s book on Amazon, here.

Do you prefer a larger wing or smaller wing? 

Cruising is my style, so I prefer the bigger wings.

I can go around everywhere and have no issues. One day I wanted to test the battery and I ended up foiling it for just about 3 hours and 27 miles. That was around the Jupiter inlet and I am 205 lbs, so you get lots of longevity in any condition.

Smaller wings are fun and very loose, but will suck the battery life quicker than larger wings so not my style. 

What’s your advice to someone learning to efoil for the first time?

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. The way to get it fast is to go slow and smooth. 

I always tell my clients to keep a forward base, because the nose wants to come up out of the water’s surface on a plow like a boat or a jet ski. You need to keep your weight forward on your from foot to get it on plane, which is opposite from traditional surfing. 

One problem surfers have is they go too fast. They pop up too quickly and jump the gun a bit. Instead of taking their time popping up they treat it like a wave where you only have that split second to pop up. I like to remind them you’re in control of the wave. You are in control of the board. You are the wave. Positioning and keeping your weight right is critical.

It is an extreme sport, but actually slowing it down and staying in control is the best way to master it. 

Do you have any sponsors besides Foil?

I’m a official rep for Deep Apparel, B fresh gear Sunglasses, and FLoFLops flip flops.

They are all awesome brands and I am usually wearing their gear in most of my videos and pictures. 

Coolest place you ever foiled?

The Miami boat show was an exciting experience. Kyle reached out to me and asked if I wanted to teach the FOX Sports newscaster and be on Fox Sports Foil segment and I said of course. It was really cool eFoiling in Biscayne Bay with the Miami skyline behind me and all the Fox Sports production teach and drones following me around!

It was a pretty cool experience. Other than that I’ve only really foiled in Jupiter and West Palm Beach. One place I’d love to foil is in Colorado, Kyle has some cool videos Foiling in the lakes with mountains in the background. 

Anything new you got coming up?

This month we are rolling out the new Forged Carbon fiber Decks. They have rounded noses that are better for surfing. 

The Jet prop is also coming out to help mitigate laws with stricter environmental locations where they can’t have open props.

It’s funny I’ve seen some funny posts out of Switzerland with some bumper stickers saying “eFoiling is not a crime!”

Editor: Maybe we’ll have to tell the Swiss Couple Andrea and Peer about the jet prop so they can eFoil for the first time.

What are your popular times or seasons?

Of course, as any business owner knows, sometimes it’s really busy, sometimes it’s not, it comes in waves just like anything else in life. I’m blessed to be in South Florida where it is beautiful all year long. I get a lot of Canadians and New Yorkers laughing at me when I’m wearing a wetsuit in the winter time and they are just in shorts. 

Spring break is a popular time of year too when northerners are trying to escape the cold and Summer is when the locals like to come out. The only dead time is really Fall because of hurricane season. People don’t really want to risk their vacation getting wiped out by the risk of a hurricane and I don’t blame them.

Last question: What are you working on/most excited to share with your audience?

One of the best parts of having my own business is that I can pursue my passion projects when business is on the slower side. 

I can not only write, but also give back through Charity Auctions, Youth Groups, and we even have a therapy group that comes out once a month and the counselors show them that there are healthy ways to have fun. God has blessed me a lot so I like to give back when I can. For the most part it’s consistently busy and I just focus on bringing adventure and joy into people’s lives. 

You can buy a Foil through Steven (that will include a free carrying case, and for locals a free lesson and shipping) and/or book a lesson from Steven by contacting him at [email protected] or calling (561)- 283-5541. 

Check out Jupitersspot.com for more information. 

Wrapping it Up

Steven is one of, if not the most experienced instructor that Foil has in their fleet of instructors. And a true Florida man!

We both agree this thrilling water sport has only just begun and will only grow in popularity as time goes on.

I’m thankful I caught him on a rainy day and he had time to chat about efoils, the industry, and some of the cool stuff he has accomplished in a relatively short amount of time.