Did you just see someone whiz around on an electric surfboard and now you’re wondering what an eFoil is?
eFoils are becoming increasingly popular in the water sports world. Adrenaline surfing junkies are always seeking the perfect ride. Some like kite surfing, some like windsurfing we love the sport of foiling!
Whether you are an experienced rider or a beginner, sit back and grab your favorite drink because welcome to the eFoil experience. Buckle up because we’re going on a efoil flying rodeo!
What is an eFoil?
At Epic Foil’s, we define an e-Foil as a remote controlled electric surfboard powered by an electric battery that can reach speeds up to speeds of 20-30 miles per hour, no waves or wind required.
The unofficial official definition of a eFoil is a foil attached to a surfboard that is propelled by an electric motor. Unfortunately, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary hasn’t been able to get around to defining the eFoil just yet.
eFoiling allows the rider to glide above the surface of the water without any manual effort. Some eFoils can travel 20 miles on a single battery charge. How crazy is that?
One of the best way to describe eFoiling is the stoke of surfing and the experience of floating at the same time. So hoverboarding, windsurfing, or even kite surfing?
It’s up for you to decide when you ride an eFoil.
eFoil History: Who Created the eFoil?
Nick Leason, co-founder of Lift Foils, crafting a new lift efoil board.
There are a long list of engineers and professors who experimented and crafted their own eFoils but none of them were built for commercial use.
Nick Leason is the genius who put all the pieces together to develop the first commercially available eFoil.
He co-founded a Puerto Rican based startup with his father Michael Leason, called Lift Foils back in 2010. They started out selling regular hydrofoil boards. The father and son combo then pioneered the first brand of electric foil to hit the market in 2018.
Lift Foils are considered the gold standard for both Foil boards and insane eFoils with over 300 demo locations available worldwide.
How Much Does an eFoil Cost?
The short answer is an eFoil can cost $4,000 up to $25,000 depending on the eFoil maker and model it is.
Crazy right? For that same price you could get a jetski (personal watercraft) or even a boat!
The brand of efoil, the generation of efoil, and what country the efoil came from will all impact the price of the efoil. Carbon fiber material is much more expensive compared to polyester and epoxy which are how most surfboards are made. The other materials must be adapted to handle saltwater, notorious for ruining wiring and materials.
Not to mention most efoils are handmade so it’s difficult to keep up the pace of demand. But that’s the price you pay to ride time fly on some of the best efoils known to man.
As technology progresses there is speculation that efoils may become more cost effective but don’t hold your breath! eFoils are expensive for a reason.
Why do eFoils Cost so Much?
The long answer is eFoils are complicated to produce at scale and it’s still a relatively new water sport.
The ocean is a difficult environment to engineer because saltwater causes corrosion. Engineering must be flawless and the right materials need to be used to prevent that corrosion but must be lightweight and durable enough to be seaworthy. It doesn’t help that inflation has added to the cost of materials as well.
eFoil board prices could come down in the years to come as more board makers enter the market the sector and are able to improve designs suitable for mass market production.
Test riding eFoil boards
Major brands like Lift foils offer paid demos as a down payment for the initial purchase.
Test rides allow you to fly on an efoil for about an hour. For most riders, it’s their first ride so it’s okay if you don’t have the best performance riding wives on an eFoil your first time.
One thing to note, be careful of the wings. If you hit yourself or hit the wings on the bottom it can seriously injure someone or damage the wing of the efoil.
The History of Hydrofoil Boards
The eFoil didn’t just come out of nowhere. It took generations of engineers and scientists across the world whose contributions resulted in the first hydrofoil surfboard.
The performance of hydrofoil ships were a little shoddy at first but really came around as the years went on.
Hydrofoil technology began with Italian Inventor, Enrico Forlanini. He got the ball rolling with ladder hydrofoiling on ships in 1906.
By 1909, hydrofoil ships could speed up to 35 knots (40pmh).
It wasn’t until the 1960’s when countries developed their own hydrofoil ships for their militaries. Needless to say, the naval architecture of these ships got…pretty intense to say the least.
Once the technology became increasingly popular and accessible to the general public when foil innovation began to take off from inventors and innovators in their garages across the world.
Banana George surfing on Hydrofoil water skis. Courtesy of Hydrofoil.org
The first “water ski” hydrofoil was engineered by Walter Woodward and tested by Frazer Sinclair. This began the movement of towed hydrofoiling for water sports enthusiasts using boats.
But when was the first hydrofoil attached to a surfboard?
It wasn’t until 2009, when Australian inventor Brett Curtis built and rode the first paddle-in hydrofoil surfboard. Brett shared his invention to a few forms. A few years later pro surfer Kai Lenny made the hydrofoil go viral by pumping around to catch waves instead of tow-ins.
Although Laird Hamilton got it going, Kai Lenny is one of the most innovative and creative surfers on a hydrofoil today. He was the first rider to land a backflip with his hydrofoil at Jaws, a world famous big-wave surf spot in Hawaii.
At this stage in time, we’re still a few more years until the sport of surfing gets it’s first propeller based propulsion system on a surfboard.
How Do Hydrofoils Work?
Foiling refers to the use of hydrofoils attached to the hull of boats, which provides additional stability and lift at planing speeds. Much like an airplane they allow the plane to lift off water and gain more stability and speed. Once it gets enough stability and speed, hang on you’re in for a ride.
Hydrofoiling on a surfboard requires a difficult amount of body coordination to generate both speed and the maneuverability around waves. But again how does it work?
Experienced riders are able to catch waves and ride them all the way back out the line up and catch another wave.
When the rider “pumps” the surfer shifts their weight driving the foil through the water column which lifts the board out of the water. The rider creates a pressure difference below and above the wing.
The board presses down and the wing presses up to create speed lifting the board out of the water and shedding drag. Once the foil is out of the water, the hydrofoil ships can reach top speeds.
Resistance curve showing the reduction in drag once the vessel becomes airborne as opposed from staying in the water.
Riders whi are able to
What’s The Difference between a Hydrofoil boards and an eFoil boards?
The main difference between a hydrofoil board and an eFoil board is the efoil is automated by electric battery power. The hydrofoils propulsion system is dependent on the speed of the rider, while the eFoil just needs to pull the trigger, stand up, and ride!
The ride on an efoil is certainly smoother than a hydrofoil. We would also argue it’s easier to catch waves on a efoil vs a hydrofoil as well.
However, both use similar technology. The hydrofoil and the electric hydrofoil use carbon fiber as the deck on the board.
eFoil Board: Use an electric motor
A foil board or a hydrofoil needs the rider to either be towed or needs to pump to generate enough speed. While the efoil experience is driven by a silent electric motor going faster at higher speeds than a hydrofoil.
eFoiling allows the rider to cruise using an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery to push the foil through the body of water’s surface, without the towing or manual effort required to pump.
The eFoil propulsion system is automated while the hydrofoil requires manual riding to lift out of the water’s surface.
Which Foil has the Ultimate Ride?
Well to be frank at Epic Foils, we love both!
Of course, the electric hydrofoil can take you faster speeds, improved maneuverability, has a better ride time, and its performance on the water is second to none.
However, there’s something about surfing a hydrofoil. You have to earn that experience, it can’t be bought like an eFoil. It requires riders to have surfing skills, fitness, balance, coordination, and plenty of waves to perfect.
The foiling experience is always changing and we appreciate your support as we navigate this flying rodeo we call foiling.
Got a question on how and where to buy an eFoil on today’s market? Contact us here
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