Tech
This $4K electric surfboard is the flying carpet of watersports
Technically called an "efoil," the Waydoo Flyer One might be the most fun you can have while wet.
Much like anyone who tells you an e-bike is cheating likely hasn't ridden one, claiming an efoil (or "electric surfboard") is cheating just means you haven't experienced the high-speed hijinks an electric motor can offer when stuck on something that hasn't traditionally had one. Waydoo's Flyer One looks like someone made a surfboard into a lollipop, but nothing about it sucks.
The 6,000W electric motor turns a propellor attached to a mast that in turn attaches to the bottom of the board without the need for any tools. Up top, a 32,500 mAh Li-ion battery tucks flush into the board and promises between 55 and 85 minutes of riding time at speeds of up to 25 MPH, depending how heavy the rider / pilot is, and how aggressive they are with the handheld controller's trigger.
Sit, stand, take the dog — The Flyer One weighs 62 lbs and can carry loads of up to 220 lbs, so you can be that parent everyone worries about at the junior school and take your progeny along for the ride, or better yet, your terrier. Though, if you're doing that, we recommend you don't go chasing oceans (or waterfalls) and stick, instead, to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to.
Being self-powered, one of the obvious advantages of an e-foil is there's no need for waves, wind, or other temperamental things the lack of which can make things like kite-boarding, surfing, or windsurfing impossible. Also, windsurfing is so dorky, no one outside of an early '90s cigarette ad should do it.
Pricy, but selling well — There was an early bird offer on the Waydoo that brought the price down to $3,795. But we didn't tell you about that in time. Sorry. So, if you want one, you're going to have to spend a minimum of $4,099, depending on the package of extra wings, masts, spare batteries and so on you choose. Once the crowdfunding campaign is over, the starting price will be $4,795.
That price point hasn't stopped almost 200 backers from committing over $900,000 collectively to the Flyer One at the time of writing... and there are still 24 days to secure one before the Kickstarter campaign closes on July 16.
For the minimum price, you'll get a board, 31.5-inch mash, wing set, the controller, one battery, a fast charger, and a travel bag to ferry it about. Waydoo will ship it anywhere in the world (and accounts for any import duties if you're outside the U.S.) and buyers can expect the Flyer One in August (so, just enough time to get proficient before the summer is out).
Power is nothing without control — We're particularly enamored with the Jet One Controller. The trigger has 24 levels of sensitivity, and you can use the 2.3-inch color LCD to artificially limit the top speed for beginners. The controller connects to the board via Bluetooth, lets you know your speed, range, and remaining battery at a glance, and sensors in it ensure the Flyer One's propeller shuts off the moment you fall off. Waydoo calls its safety feature "FlightFreeze." We call it LimbSaver. There's also built-in GPS so you can track your ride, or potentially map out lewd shapes to share to your Instagram stories once you've run the battery flat and dried off.
Like many expensive electric playthings, we really can't argue we need a Waydoo Flyer One by any stretch of the imagination, but if we lived nearer New York's waterways we'd be exceedingly tempted to buy one. Talk about jazzing up a commute while giving the tourists something to write home about! Oh, wait, what commute, and what tourists? Like the Flyer One, those are the stuff of dreams.
