I am thinking that it may be a good winter project for me to build an Efoil.
I am a Controls Engineer.
I understand most of the motor, ESC, remote, wiring and battery aspects, but have some questions on boards, foils and recommended sizes.
I am not a small guy. 6’5" tall and 275lbs.
It seems most of the talk on this board is that efoil boards should be made as small as possible.
I see a lot of boards here are 5ft or less, with talk of 4ft long boards.
How practical is this for larger riders?
Any foil suggestions for larger people?
I have been looking at Gong foils. They have a few large ones that they say are for people over 100kg, which may work and their foils in general seem to be liked for efoil applications, at least on this board.
Other questions:
If I was to build an efoil, I would want my family to be able to ride it as well.
At some point if we are all having fun, we may build more boards, but would like to start with one both from a cost point and until we know how much we would use and enjoy it.
If I build a larger board and foil it for someone my size, what will it be like for my wife or son to ride?
My son is currently a 100lb kid who is growing like a weed.
My preference would be that I could build a board that would be fun for all of us to use, preferably without needing to change foils. We would all be beginners at this point. Avid sailors, canoeists. We have SUP’s a few times, but prefer to canoe or kayak.
Thoughts on a setting up one board to be successful for this application?
I’m still a beginner so it’ll be nice to hear more people chime in. I’m 220lbs so we’re in the same team Here are my 2c.
I think the learning time is not so long with the right foil so it makes sense to have a bit shorter board already from the start. If you make it thick you’ll still get the volume you need to start easily as a heavier rider.
15-20cm thick 150-160 cm long board should work well for all of you. I think shorter boards than this does not make so much sense as they will be hard to paddle if you run your batteries empty ( and believe me, at some point you will)
Look, there is nothing wrong with getting a 200L inflatable. As you progress you can go 170 or 140L. Whimsifoil carries all at same 450€price. Have ridden the 140L now for a week, and can verify that boxdit is identical, no problem at all.
I will go back to 200L again next week as there is really no downside to go big, as long as you doublefold and put in trunk.
Im 6’6” And 220 lbs.
I am around 95kg, board is maybe like 27. I can easy start with Gong Pro M, which is the smallest of their wings. My board should have around 100L maybe. It is sinking below water level when I kneel / stand / lay on it at zero speed. Check my build -> newcomer build
My brother in-law is 240lbs and he loves the second board I built.
He tried my Lift 4’4" board but it didn’t go well for someone his size to learn on.
The issue when learning is getting started from a stop. The board pitches up when the trigger is pulled. So, the rider must put their weight forward to keep the nose down while picking up speed. With a heavy rider and a small board it’s really hard to do this without the board going underwater. And if the board is submerged at all the signal to the controller is lost and the rider has to start all over.
One you learn to e-foil I’m sure you could ride a small board. But, for learning a board that will support your weight will be a big help.
I agree with that. When I was making rc submarines we were using FM at 75MHz. Signal was fine even a foot under water. Maybe it has something to do with interference? With rc subs it was no issue losing signal for a bit but a 60lb board traveling over 20mph might pose more a problem.
A large person standing on the board is a much greater windcatch than the board itself. I’ve ridden in in about 8m/s winds. And you have to shift weight abit going upwind compared to downwind, but I believe you have to with all boards.
I can mostly compare Whimsitech 200L with 140L and I will not ride 140L again, no point. Same speed, agility, but harder to start/stop without getting partially wet in our cold waters.
If I was riding in hawaii, then I would probably go for 50L lift board with antenna mast, just because its possible.
If you are a big guy on a short board, like me at 95kg on 150cm board. Try a bigger stabiliser to keep the nose down when starting.
I started with a 320cm2 stabiliser and it was a bit of work to keep the nose down when starting. I went to a 450cm stabiliser and it made a massive difference. Not as loose when on the foil, but thats not necessarily a bad thing.
So you are buying the inflatable boards and building the box and foil setup?
How complex is the joint between the board and the drive train? Flange on one side, bolt on flange on the other?
Thanks, I had read your build details a few times before you posted this.
Will likely read them a few more.
Experienced opinions always appreciated.
From a few different comments it looks like I should narrow my thoughts to the 60-72 inch board length.
The signal cutting when underwater is a pain in the ass when you’re learning, but I have become used to it. I feel like it’s an important safety feature. When you fall the motor stops. When in the surf, swimming back to the board I often hold the remote under water to make surf the prop doesn’t start up on me if the trigger gets bumped.
I’m not sure I’d switch to a signal type that works under water. Just run your antenna all the way to the nose of your board.
Yep, thats pretty much it. I welded box in 3mm alu and made top/bottom flange in cf covered 15mm divinycell. Has worked really well and my top temp is 39 degs with passive cooling.
You meed to find someone who can weld alu though. Perhaps you can also ask whimsifoil to buy a box.
Here are my 2c.
