Electric hydrofoil SUB

[Adolfo]

I don’t know what to think about these. Normally I don’t like motors, on activities that can be done with human power.
But this may be very interesting for downwinds. You don’t need to be Kai to get the board flying. One may use the motor just for getting in the swell and then surf it, saving batteries.
What do you think?

[SUPcheat]

It would be nice if they made one with a retractible foil.  Pono, get to work.

These actually look OK for open water, calm conditions.  They don't look the hazard that wave foils in the lineup look like.

[TallDude]

Not a fan of non-human powered watercraft either. They have similar powered boards that have the rope you hold on to, be they don't ride up on a foil. These are pretty cool and totally legit. I looked at there website. They have a past affiliation with Naish. There Kite Boats are pretty awesome. I have never seen them before.  http://www.jetfoiler.com

[PonoBill]

Actually, their Kiteboat is one of the inspirations for the foils I'm making for the geezer downwind foil. they use a pitch sensor, which I'm not doing, but the two surface-piercing foils in front with a submerged T-foil in the back is what I'm building for Viento runs.

Makes me almost sure I built my wings too big though. The section that will be in the water at full speed is just from the curve to the tip, but I calculate that to have 160 pounds of lift per foil.



This, by the way, has been the worst way to build this thing. It would have been faster to make a mold.

[Weasels wake]

Throw some kind of water proof solar panel on the front of the board, to keep that battery charged, and you could go forever, maybe.
Would I want one, sure if it's free, otherwise, eh, but I love the inventivness that this is bringing.

[PonoBill]

Don't bait the physics geeks like that! The urge to show you the calculations for the trivial amount of power available from that small area is overwhelming.

Oh crap. Two square meters = 400 watts at full sun = .4 hp and that motor is at least 2 hp means five hours in the sun gives you 30 minutes at 50% efficiency.

[outcast]

T'is all good.....great tech stuff
Should be easy to drop in some LEDs for night running....stereo...cooler and a GPS

But can we get to the part about how many people are gonna die?

Sorry, I love all things tech but i sure don't want some yahoo near me with that thing!
I don't know what the jet ski fatality rate is ....but that things gonna catch up quick

[Night Wing]

In the state of Texas those boards would be classified as a motorized vessel. That means registration numbers and a "fee". Usually, registration numbers would have to be placed where they are easily seen by law enforcement officials. Putting those numbers on those boards to be easily seen is going to be problem in the state I live in.
If they can't be seen, there is the customary monetary "ticket".

Nice boards though.

[DavidJohn]

Hitting some big jellyfish or kelp seaweed would be interesting.. 

[Bean]

Nice replacement for recreational jet skis.  Virtually no wake, quiet, and a natural need to stay out of the shallow breeding areas of the back bays.  From that vantage point you might be able to see and avoid most obstructions like dead heads and manatees.

[JP4]

Do you think they'll let me take this on the Viento shuttle? 

s

Looks like the same one here:

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

that reminded me of this motorized surfboard that  some guy was peddling back into mid 80's it has the same front strap to control it.  I was asked to invest but couldn't find that kind of free cash  and it was probably a blessing as I never heard much of them again.  zIt looks like fun in bay s and smooth water. What would happen  when you are out on the ocean. and david john says  what if you hit  some seaweed or  in a shallow  bay some mud or a sand bar.
Still there is reason god isn't letting me win the lottos its because i would waste all my money on new toys like this and that one hell thing and  so much more.

[surf4food]

Not a fan.

[Weasels wake]

that reminded me of this motorized surfboard that  some guy was peddling back into mid 80's it has the same front strap to control it.  I was asked to invest but couldn't find that kind of free cash  and it was probably a blessing as I never heard much of them again.  zIt looks like fun in bay s and smooth water. What would happen  when you are out on the ocean. and david john says  what if you hit  some seaweed or  in a shallow  bay some mud or a sand bar.
Still there is reason god isn't letting me win the lottos its because i would waste all my money on new toys like this and that one hell thing and  so much more.

That's the way it is with any kind of foil, where I windsurf, there are kiters out there on foils, but that gives me little concern, they can't come all the way into the impact zone for that very reason.
Nature's justice. 

[Admin]

Do you think they'll let me take this on the Viento shuttle? 

I wonder if it could generate enough lift to fly a mid weight rider on gorge swell with no throttle.  Power in and surf.  Park and Play.  That could be really fun.  Same with big outside outside ocean groundswell.  Oooooh.