Tried a Lift e-foil today

[fernmanus]

I have a Waydoo efoil that I bought last year from Mackiteboarding. I have found it easy to use, now I want to buy a Lift. The Waydoo has a whine, It is not terrible, but when you are on clear lakes with no wind it is distracting. I do like the EPP board for learning. Battery life is only an hour, but I could get better riding time with a smaller front wing.

The efoil is a different experience than kiting, it is a perfect alternative for no wind days and can be used in places where kiting is impossible. The price is steep, but actually not bad compared to a jetski. A jetski is fun, but they are noisy and the gasoline exhaust alienates one from the experience of enjoying nature. An efoil is so stealthy that you can sneak up on fish, it is an otherworldly experience on high mountain lakes.

[nothing2seehere]

What's your purpose behind the e-foil? I like the look of the Australian 'Foil Drive' system. Mainly because I think the idea of riding swell is more fun than the idea of just blasting up and down the coast like you might on a jetski.

Mostly just flat water. Maybe ocean swells or chasing the ferry wake now and then. Probably some inland lakes when we travel. I'm looking for stable and easy to ride. I don't really care about turning speed or responsiveness. Slow and stable works for me. The reason for an efoil is to fill the gap when nothing else is really usable (no wind) or when traveling. Easier to take the efoil than my collection of kite gear.

Foil Drive probably isn't ideal for the flat water. Although - I did see the wake thief youtube channel trying one out. They are primarily dock start riders and said it made a good teaching aid to help people to understand how to properly pump foil.

For low wind fun, an electric skateboard like a one wheel can give you plenty of fun. Its a similar floating experience but much easier to travel with.

I think you are in a lucky position where there are a lot of fun products that would suit your lifestyle very nicely.

[grigorib]

Not that you need it all to have fun, but once you start serious boardsports addiction, the tendency is to push it as far as you can

[Adventure Logs]

I have about 15 hours now on my Fliteboard so I just went through all the decision making part of it all if you have any questions. What ultimately made my decision against the 3F and got the 2.2 instead was I couldn't find a local dealer that would get me the larger mast with it. If you order it from lift, it only comes with the shorter mast and I wasn't going to spend that kind of money and not get it configured how I wanted it. Also none of the local dealers would let me pay with my credit card(I got a 0% card for this purchase) without a fee so that was another con. Ultimately I think dealer experience greatly helps with these machines. I absolutely love my Fliteboard Pro and currently been only riding flat lake waters.

[RRC1962]

Thanks guys. I have noticed the tendency to push the limits, but I was more prone to that sort of thing when I was younger. I think I would learn faster on the bigger board, but I also think it won't take long to get into the groove with the 5'4 board and the 5'4 will travel better. As for wings, everyone seems to like the Surf 250/48 combo, and that's what I took a lesson on. I figure if I get the need for speed I can pick up a 200HA/38 combo. I'm trying to get this right the first time so I don't end up with a half a dozen wings hanging on the wall.

At this point I'm trying to strike balance between ease of use/learning and battery life. I can't find anyone who has done a battery life comparison between the 250/48 and the 300/48. My concern is foil efficiency and battery life. I figure other than traveling, 5" more on the board is going no effect on battery life. Might make me plane off faster and get on foil which would reduce drag, so a larger board, in theory, could extend range slightly.

So that's where I'm at right now. Probably pull the trigger in a couple weeks.

[RRC1962]

Ultimately I think dealer experience greatly helps with these machines.

This is why Lift is at the top of my list. We have a great dealer here and (1) I'd like to support them and (2) They will be a great resource should I have any issues.

[Knowone]

You will definitely learn faster on a bigger board...it's easier to get up...conversely, you will reach the point where it limits your process sooner. Several of my friends have started with bigger boards and then moved on. They have kept the larger boards and wings for there friends to try, or sold them...
Same applies to wings.
If you have already had success on the 250/38, I would recommend buying that set-up rather than the larger. Same reason, you will out grow it faster. and the larger wing, with more drag, will shorten run time.
I have no experience on either the 250 or 300. I have owned 200 and 150 v2's; now I own HA wings (200,170,120). I use the 'half' battery, and get run times of just over an hour. With the V2's it was shorter...
Once you have mastered the 250, try a HA 200. After learning on surf V2's, I was concerned that the HA's were designed for winging and kiting...that the wider wingspan would slow down the turning speed...Nope!...The HA's are more pitch sensitive, and require more skill to get planning; but that same pitch sensitivity makes it easier to (after rolling the wing) rip a turn...or not!

[elmarco]

A more affordable lift alternative, and ideal if you already have some foil gear:
https://lacroixboards.com/pages/efoil

I’ve ridden this , lift and waydoo.
It rides closer to a lift, much nicer than a waydoo.

[FLandOBX]

You will definitely learn faster on a bigger board...it's easier to get up...conversely, you will reach the point where it limits your process sooner. Several of my friends have started with bigger boards and then moved on. They have kept the larger boards and wings for there friends to try, or sold them...

+1. Agree 100%.

If I'm spending that kind of money, I'd plan for the longer term. Once you're consistently up on foil, you're probably not going to want the large board.

[RRC1962]

A more affordable lift alternative, and ideal if you already have some foil gear:
https://lacroixboards.com/pages/efoil

I’ve ridden this , lift and waydoo.
It rides closer to a lift, much nicer than a waydoo.

Interesting concept. Planing the board must be challenging with that big box attached to the bottom of the board. Looks like they don't have much of a presence in the US. Also interesting how they can make a battery system, mast and motor for less than Lift sells a battery for.