A new surfing invention that has the potential to enable anyone to surf has been created by a start-up in Puerto Rico.
Lift, a small surfing company that creates hydrofoils, has been working on a new version called the eFoil which has a small electric motor attached, propelling riders through the water.
Hydrofoils use a small set of wings beneath the water to lift the craft they’re attached to out of the water as it moves forward, reducing drag and increasing speed.
By adding a motor to the hydrofoils on their surfboards, Lift says it makes it possible for anyone to quickly learn to surf, and do so on any body of water.
The eFoil uses a waterproof lithium battery connected to a small, silent, electric motor that sits below the water.
The board also comes with a wireless hand controller that’s used to adjust speed. It comes with a strap and can float, and pressing the throttle helps get the eFoil up to its top speed of 25 miles per hour.
Lift’s Nick Leason said the desire to create the eFoil came from the difficulty many have with mastering using hydrofoil boards.
“To harness the power of a wave and surf like a bird, although extremely rewarding, is difficult,” he wrote in a blog post.
“Not because riding a foil is hard, but controlling the source – flying a kite or surfing a wave – takes skill. To harness that type of power and gain excellent control is something that may take years to master.
“So I set out to make it easy.”
Leason and his team built a prototype, and following a range of tests officially unveiled it earlier this year. The eFoil is now available to pre-order from Lift’s website.
Such an experience does come at a price though – $12,000, which is just over £9,000.
