I practically hugged and kissed the FedEx man the day my eFoil arrived. He was a little more than curious about what was in the box and why I was so excited.

"This is my eFoil! Its an electric hydrofoil capable of going 25mph over the water!".

He finished chirping the barcodes on the remaining packages, looked at me a little sideways, and wished me luck. Love that guy.

Lift Foils: An Electric Start to this Business of Foiling

Nick Leason, president/owner/founder of Lift (liftfoils.com) and his team are are on a mission to share the experience of foiling with everyone and strongly believe that electric propulsion is the answer. They've spent over five years researching the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries and power electronics to deliver a killer product that not only exemplifies creative and thoughtful engineering, but also delivers an insanely user-friendly and thrilling ride.

EFoil Kit: Box, Board, Battery & All

The entire kit of parts is impressive from the moment you open the box. Every eFoil comes with a beautiful padded board bag and accessory bag for your battery charger and foil wings. Simple step-by-step instructions give you the confidence of knowing you're only a few short hours from riding once you've popped the box and explored the contents. The first step is to get the thirty-pound lithium-ion battery on the charger so that you'll have plenty of juice for your first session after you've assembled and installed the foil.

The battery charger is no small device itself and instantly makes you aware of the seriousness of the battery and the charging process. The charger is about the size of a small shoe box connecting to the battery via a charging cable and communications cable. Fortunately, the time to charge is a rapid two hours which is impressive, considering you get a full hour of ride time with each charge.

The 5'0" board is absolutely gorgeous; a beautiful shape with a high gloss finish and comfortable diamond-plated deck pad. Two recessed O-rings on the deck unlock a hinged door to reveal the true genius of the eFoil. The inner compartment houses the battery and the control box for all the electronics. The hatch is lined with a soft waterproof seal to keep the interior as dry as possible. However, everything under the hatch is waterproof once the battery is connected. The battery connection is made using a hefty cable that twists onto the battery contacts and forms a water-tight seal protecting the electronics from any moisture. The communications cable connects the brains of the control box to the battery and is responsible for transmitting the input from the wireless controller to the motor for speed and power.

Lift Has a Lot of Lift in those Wings

Lift has always been in the business of building high performance foils. It was only natural that they would put that experience and knowledge to use in designing the eFoil. One of the most versatile aspects of their engineering is the fact that the entire family of Lift foils are compatible with the eFoil. You can attach any of the wings from their classic or surf series to the eFoil mast, giving you plenty of variation when it comes to riding performance and efficiency. I went with the 170cm wing which is the smaller of the two popular wing sizes. The 170 requires a little more work to get up and ride, but offers a more responsive experience with tighter turning radiuses and more maneuverability. The other popular offering is the 200cm wing which creates more lift at slower speeds to maximize energy efficiency and ultimately extend the length of riding sessions.

I assembled the foil and mounted it to the board in a short amount of time. The mast is very similar to the standard Lift surf foil mast, with the obvious difference being the motor/propeller mounted near the base of the mast and the electronics running from the motor back up and into the control box. Once the mast was mounted to the board, I dialed into a few instructional videos on the Lift website presented by Nick himself, and by the time I was fully educated on the safety and maintenance of the eFoil, my battery had reached a full charge. It was time to go.

The complete rig (board and foil) weighs about 60 pounds when the battery is installed. It’s just heavy enough to be a little challenging to carry long distances. However, once it’s in the water, the weight is gone and the board floats itself nicely way above the water line. The wireless handheld controller is also very well designed. It’s simplified down to 4 buttons and 3 screens, making it very easy to power up the controller, set the amount of power output via the governor, and keep track of your battery life during your ride.

In the Water: On Plane and Off Plane

Once you're in the water, all you need to do is lie on your belly, apply more nose pressure than you think you should, and slowly pull the trigger on the controller. At that point the prop is spinning and the board is nosing out of the water and gaining speed. The key is to keep your weight forward and continuously apply downward pressure on the nose as the board accelerates to a planing speed. Once the board is planing, it’s critical to maintain consistent trigger pressure while you slowly and surely get to your feet. It’s very easy to squeeze a little harder or lighter when you start pushing on the deck to get to your feet, but doing so causes you to come off plane and plunge back into the water. One of the ways to help simplify the trigger pressure challenge is to set the power governor to two bars, which allows most people to pin the trigger against the handle of the controller and still have enough power to get the board planing.

When you're on your feet, the eFoil is incredibly stable and easy to ride. I've ridden a variety of foils on a variety of boards and I can say the eFoil is the most stable ride I've ever experienced on an inaugural flight. Once I was up, the balance of the board and the control of the lift seemed really easy and comfortable. I couldn't believe how stable and smooth this 60 pound board felt once I was up and foiling.

Performance

I was fortunate that my first ride was on a glassy day. Riding over glass certainly makes getting to your feet a little easier and elevates the overall experience to a whole new level. Once I was on my feet and feeling stable, the obvious next question was "how fast can this thing go?". The instantaneous power and torque from the electric motor is insanely contagious. Riding over flat water at 20mph feels like you're going 100. The faster you go, the more downward pressure you have to apply to the nose. Speed gives you lift, so counterbalancing that lift simply requires that you lean further forward. The suggested stance is wide and slightly open with your front foot closer to the heel side rail and your back foot closer to the toe side rail. Adjusting your foot placement is surprisingly easy due to the stability of the foil and width of the board. Once you're feeling comfortable, it’s time to look up and recognize that your world of exploration and water adventures just got a whole lot bigger. It’s time to buzz across the bay, chase down a bump, or explore some remote beaches while you feel out the nuances and advantages of your motorized foil board.

Foiling for Everyone!

Nick and his crew have done more than create a new innovative product. They've pioneered an entirely new product category with an emphasis on quality engineering and superior design from day one. Everything from the construction of the board, the development of the electronics, the performance of the battery, and the overall riding experience speaks to the level of commitment and dedication they made in entering this market and setting the bar high. As you ponder the $12K price tag, consider that the battery alone retails for $3500, so the value of the foil system is punching up towards $2000. The carbon constructed board is another $5000, and that's without factoring the R&D value of the electronics and general assembly. This is a revolutionary design and it’s one of the first to market which means it’s going to be pricey. While it’s not for everyone, it will certainly speak to the enthusiasts who appreciate complex engineering done well, and those who want to be among the first adopters of cutting edge technology.

Great job Lift! Thank you for pushing the envelope on what's possible and for having the courage to be the first to market in this exciting new product category. Looking forward to connecting with you this winter in PR!

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Demo Day in Burlington, Vermont

A few weeks after purchasing my eFoil, I got a call from my Cabrinha kite rep, Evan Netsch, letting me know that he'd just started repping for eFoil. Evan was headed up the East Coast, scheduling demo days with a number of his kite shop accounts and he asked if I'd be interested in participating. We took a look at the long range forecast on Lake Champlain and found a window with little to no wind that looked promising. I immediately went to work stacking students into a few demo slots that I knew would fill up fast.

On the day of the demo, Evan took us all through a 20-minute dry land run discussing the mechanics and safety precautions of the eFoil followed by a dry run demonstration on how to go from prone to standing to foiling. We had a full class of 5 to 8 students ranging in age and athleticism for each session. Each one of them was able to spend time riding both the 5'0" and 5'6" board lengths with a combination of the 170cm and 200cm wings. Evan took the time to ride side by side with each student coaching and instructing them on how to move efficiently from their bellies to their knees to their feet.

Every single student was able to get up on foil during the demo. Some of them got it right away, others took a little time to settle into their comfort zone before finding success. Regardless, all encouraged one another and learned from each other before erupting in applause with every successful take off. The anticipation and exhilaration of watching each student progress from their initial attempt to the reward of flight bonded this crew together in a way that only water sport kinships can provide.

Seeing the smiling faces of the students as they approached the boat, and listening to them babble through an adrenaline-induced intoxication of what it felt like to fly, reminded me why I signed up to become an affiliate partner in the first place. It’s about getting people so super stoked about a new sport that they can't even calm themselves down enough to tell you about it. That day went down as a huge win in my book. Thanks Evan. You rock.