Fliteboard Review – The Best eFoils in Focus
In 2003, Laird Hamilton brought hydrofoiling to the masses in Dana Brown’s “Step into Liquid.” His scene put a glimmer in surfing’s eye when he surfed absolutely gigantic waves on hydrofoils. It put him at the forefront of surfing’s most significant movement, efoiling. Years later, foils can be found in lineups all around the world. Efoils offer efficiency to let surfers do things they’ve never done before. Now, the market has big players of efoil or the electric-powered board equipped with a mast and wing. One of them is Fliteboard Pty. Ltd. Find out with Fliteboard is one of the market’s most prominent players in the efoil industry with our in-depth Fliteboard reviews. Who Is Behind Fliteboard? David Trewern, the founder of Fliteboard, grew up surfing and windsurfing. In one of the kite foil events, he attended in 2016 where there were no winds, an idea struck to add an electric motor to his foiling kiteboard. He had nothing but his kitchen as his workshop. He went into overdrive with his 3D printer, and a dozen prototypes later, his Fliteboard flew for the first time. Now, Fliteboard is one of the highly-awarded hydrofoil companies. It has been recognized by the world’s most credible design organizations, including Red Dot (Germany), German Design Award (Germany), Industrial Designers Society of America – Silver Award (USA), Good Design – Gold Award (Australia). Today, Trewern’s global team of experts consists of 40 permanent staff across four offices – two in Australia, one in the Netherlands, and one in New York. Fliteboard family also grew to include a dynamic network of authorized resellers and Fliteschools. Fliteboard Reviews “Find freedom. Take Flite.” Fliteboard promises an ultimate ride with its efoil models. Shopify founder Tobias Lutke describes it as the most magical gadget on the planet. Here’s what we think about Fliteboard and its innovations. Trewern’s Fliteboard is the most awarded innovation with its six patents and a few more pending. Every Fliteboard efoil package can be broken down into different vital components – the board, the Flitecell (battery), the unit that connects the battery to power the motor, the mast, and the fuselage. Fliteboard’s innovation has too many intricacies, but its marine battery is considered one of the most impressive features it has. Not to mention it is emission-free. This technology took Trewern 7 different batteries to try with 20 prototypes for each trial. It all resulted in an entirely waterproof Flitecell that offers 60+ or 90+ minutes of runtime or range, respectively, for an average adult male rider. Fliteboard efoils are a healthy balance of strength, performance, and weight savings. All of these are achieved through its interwoven carbon fiber for its board and fins, expert precision during aluminum mast crafting, and powertrain to within millimeters of accuracy. These are recorded in a dedicated app that collects session data, chronicling top and average speeds, range, location, hours, and other helpful information. The Boards Fliteboard has four board models – Fliteboard, PRO, ULTRA, and AIR. All have a price tag of $17,795. The AIR is ranked as the brand’s most buoyant, stable, and durable product. Conclusively, it is the most straightforward package to “find freedom” on. The table below gives you the best way to look at the Fliteboard efoil models via size and volume. Which Fliteboard is suitable for you? The Fliteboard PRO ULTRA AIR 5’8″ 5′ 4’2″ 6′ 100 litres 67 litres 54 litres 150 litres Best for all riders Best for starters to experts Best for expert riders Best for Fliteschools, yachts & resorts, families, heavier riders Fliteboard Colors: white, ash, black, Flite green, silver eFoil length and finish: 29” Silver 29” Black 23” Silver 29” Black Wing set: Cruiser 1100 + Flite 290 (recommended) Cruiser 1800 + Flite (easiest) Flyer 800 + Flite 290 (intermediate) Flow S 1300 + Flow 245 (advanced) Flow 110 + Flow 245 (advanced) This model is the brand’s standard offering. Constructed in a PVC carbon sandwich with an innegra deck finish, it is equipped with the 40 Ah/2.1KWh to Explore battery, also known as “Flitecell.” Its average runtime is between 60 to 90 minutes. Its slick finish (black, flite green, silver, ash, and white) matches nicely with the deck’s underpad, which houses the board’s heart – the battery compartment and the Fliteboard’s brain. Fliteboard’s large Explore battery takes 3.5 hours to charge under normal conditions fully. The operation of putting the battery into its molded home and connecting power cables can be done in under 20 seconds, either on dry land or in the water. It comes with a standard carbon wing, a thin foil, a mid-aspect shape, and down curved wingtips that give a maximum speed in the low 20mph. This unit weighs 74 lbs, making it a little challenging to carry down the beach even with its conveniently integrated handles. Fliteboard PRO Colors: Flite green, black, white, ash silver eFoil length and finish: 29” Silver 29” Black Wing set: Cruiser 1100 + Flite 290 (recommended) Flyer 800 + Flite 290 (intermediate) Flow S 1300 + Flow 245 (advanced) Flow 1100 + Flow 245 (advanced) Flow 900 + Flow 245 (advanced) Race 700 + Race 200 (advanced) Fliteboard PRO is the range-topping performance option. It houses the Sport Flitecell – a slightly smaller and lighter 30Ah/1.65KWh option that averages a 45 to 60 minutes runtime. A full cycle charge will take about 2 hours to complete. This model comes with a thin and small Flyer wing with a high-aspect design that allows top speeds of 20 to 25mph. Like the standard model Fliteboard, PRO is also equipped with the same stabilizer setup. Motor vibration is remarkably dampened compared to other efoils in the market. Clearly, its design and materials are at play. The flight characteristics are characterized by a rather severe angle of attack that increases as the board’s length decreases. Overall, the Fliteboard PRO is stable and solid. It can be a challenge, and you might feel somewhat like getting up on a small tow … Read more
