In todays current market from what I can gather to build a nice efoil you looking at $2000usd or more. I see on aliexpress you can get one already built for around $1400 and every once in awhile a used Lift will popup on marketplace for $2500. So without having started building an efoil is there any benefits of building over buying these days?
You can probably build for as low at $1500 if you are savvy, but if you calculate the time, then it’s a lot more…
Building comes down to doing it for the love of a DIY board or you simply can’t afford more…
A very good base are the fliteboard boards and then building on from that.
I have some inflatable units that I really need to get on and finish then sell, but time has not been on my side…
In five years time maybe. As per the 1500€ Chinese models, if you add the shipping, a poor quality battery and remote…
I think if I could do it for $1500 I’d be sold now. Then like you mentioned, theres the time aspect. We wake surf all summer so wouldnt really be in a hurry but I know if I started one I’d be rushing to beat the end of summer. Heres what I’ve got just off the top of my head minus shipping as Im in US and its calculated at checkout.
Flipsky kit $720
GONG SURF FOIL ALLVATOR V2 X-OVER ALU XL $450
14s7p battery pack $600
EPS foam $150
Glass/resin/epoxy $100
Stupid question maybe but to get my feet wet what would the cons be of buying a china model, using it then adding the good parts? Say converting to the flpsky kit and different battery pack etc?
That would be a possibility. There’s this video on YT of a guy who has bought a cheap Chinese efoil and who will have to follow the route you describe as soon the important parts decline (low/slow or no support from the seller)
This video got viral and LIFT has just sent him a free efoil.
My recent viral video got the attention of my new favorite electric vehicle brand and they sent me the best electric toy imaginable…
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$4300 is nuts for a china version
Sifly are shipping now their 5000usd/€ boards. Not sure they ship to the US though.
Can get better for cheaper that these!
- Motor: 65161/65162 120Kv from whichever manufacturer has it cheapest
- Speed controller: Any HV water cooled 200A
- Remote: Maytech or Flipsky
- Hydrofoil: Buy a better Gong foil like a Veloce or even an Axis second hand. The Allvator V2 is not nice at all compared to better foils.
Board: Get a Fliteboard pro fibreglass (new) or a used one and save yourself a lot of hassle messing with resin. If you still really want to mess with resin, then buy a second hand wingfoil board and modify it.
Because you’ll get there cheaper just buying a used efoil. I bought a used lift board, ebox, battery and motor and it came to less than a new Chinese efoil.
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If you have the skills to build it yourself, you can also repair it when it fails. Even comercial efoils fail, as an efoil is used in harsh condititions. This is a big plus of diys. Disadvantage is you might make mistakes, therefore diys might be more likely to fail.
For me the big benefit of the diy board is the low investment and low threshold for change.
Think it’s too long? Just cut it. Don’t like the nose? Reshape it. Screwed up the epoxy? Try again.
I wouldn’t feel the same about cutting a purchased board, even though you could easily do exactly the same things to it.
Not alot of 2nd hand in the US. The fliteboard is $1700 alone. Flipsky kit is the cheapest I’ve found shipped. I don’t own a 3d printer so would still need to source the printed parts. Also don’t own a spot welder so probably cheaper just to buy a battery pack. All valid points you make tho
The big thing with DIY is what skills sets you have. If you are good with composites, build the board. If not, then a ready made gets you having fun faster.
I’ve diy’d 3 boards and now own a full lift efoil as well as a ‘hacked’ drive setup for the lift. I still think the fliteboard boards are the nicest though. Quality is amazing and sometimes you can get them cheap second hand on Facebook.