I've been trying hard I rode this electric hydrofoil board for over an hour, and I was bleeding for almost half of that time. I have an open wound on my hand, inflicted after an electric jet propulsion motor launched me and his eFoil board out of the water, sending a splatter of wet limbs, metal, and carbon fiber into the mix.
This time I don't know which part of the board I hit. It's difficult to track which fall hit which part of the body. I floated up for a moment, gasping for breath, my hands bleeding, and my toes, knees, and elbows bruised. Then all I want to do is get myself back on top of the board.
The appeal of eFoil is perhaps obvious. An eFoil is a small, self-contained personal watercraft that resembles a short surfboard, but has an electric hydrofoil underneath that propels it up to 30 miles per hour. The motor is mounted on the mast below the water, with fins attached to the sides. When the motor kicks in, the board pops out of the water and slides about a foot above the water for a smooth ride that feels like flying. Efoils shot to fame a few years ago when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was photographed riding his Efoils and unfortunately became the face of the product. Now, the industry is growing and companies are offering more ways to fly over water than ever before.
Flite is an Australian company that has several eFoil models ranging in price from $7,000 to $17,500. Flite wants to make this flying surfboard more accessible to beginners, and that's where his $12,995 Flitescooter comes in. This entry-level model was presented at his CES in January 2023. Flite positions itself as an easy-to-learn device perfect for resorts. , yachting enthusiasts, and families.
At Flite, we want you to think of the Flitescooter as a Segway for the ocean, an easy-to-install surf-skimming device that will appeal to beginners and watersports mavericks alike. It's meant to be a fun and relaxing way to spend time, but in my experience, Flitescooter isn't always smooth sailing. In fact, I had a hard time getting used to riding the Flitescooter and ended up tumbling smoothly into the water many times.
The Flitescooter's inflatable platform features a carbon fiber core and is designed to increase both buoyancy and portability. The foil, stem and board can all be disassembled for easy transport. A removable handle, similar to the handlebars on an electric kick scooter, ostensibly makes it easier to control, but we found that the handle doesn't necessarily make it easier to maneuver. (More on this later.) When inflated and assembled, the Flitescooter itself weighs 61.7 pounds. Flite offers three battery sizes, with 13-pound, 24-pound, and 32-pound options. This makes it easier to transport than a jet ski, but more difficult to transport than a surfboard.
Square batteries are replaceable. Snap into the core of the board just below your feet. Flight says the hydrofoil's battery lasts about an hour and a half before needing to be recharged. Having ridden it for about the same amount of time, the battery was below 20%, so I feel the company's estimate is correct.
Flite foilboards come in a variety of propulsion options, from rotating propellers to jet engines. Flite's latest foray into motor technology is the AMP Jet, built directly into the newly designed board. Unfortunately, that model cannot be tested yet. One of several Flite models you can already buy, his Flitescooter that I rode only comes with Flite's existing jet motor. The Flitescooter's jet engine is completely enclosed, so there's no risk of readings being lost by the spinning propeller. That said, the fins on the side of a hydrofoil are sharp and wide, so you have to be careful not to kick the fins when splashing or falling. That's what you'll do a lot.
Pause here to provide the tiniest credentials. I wakeboarded, surfed, snowboarded, and chilled out on a paddleboard. I'm by no means a water sports expert, but I can at least somewhat maintain my balance on this kind of luxury raft. Nevertheless, whatever the Kraken had apparently chosen to possess my flight scooter was clearly trying to keep me in the depths.