Has anyone tried the canard hydrofoil configuration for an efoil board?
The Zeeko Spitfire uses a canard configuration. It basically has two lifting wings, which allows for better turning and more lift per drag, but also makes it more sensitive and harder to ride.
This link is an explanation and review of the foil.
My main worries are the instability and the motor and propeller sticking past the back wing, since the canard configuration has a wing in the front rather than the back.
That article has some interesting information. I wish we had an expert for foil design in this forum to create some models.
Anyone know their price for just the wings?
I believe you need more than just the wings since the pole that holds the wings goes in front of the mast, rather than behind it like a regular foil. I suspect it would be hard to mount these wings on a different design.
I have to machine a new fuselage anyway.
We are trying this canard type as well since 3months. It works but we don´t have 30% gain, I would say about 10-15% with this setup…however stabilty is a little bit less. Still trying to find the right setup…Don`t forget …during kite foiling you have less weight on the foil and force triangle vector between you kite and foil…On just an efoil there is no force pulling towards the kite—means less stability a.s.o… You can as well ride without a stabilizer wing…just one front wing…it works but it needs experience.
I just watched the videos on this foil. Looks like a huge improvement turning wise over the conventional foil. I’d like to try one out! Maybe the riders skill level is much higher than mine is!
Its so difficult though. Every little detail could either make it shit or really great. How are we supposed to test that? There are too many variables in my view. Maybe its doable with CFA.
I suck at riding, I have only been riding less than a year, and I have been riding the Zeeko Spitfire and The Onofoil Raven 777 Canard and I find that Canards are easier to ride than a Slingshot Hoverglide or some other conventional foils. The Zeeko Spitfire doen’t have enough lift though so maybe get the XLW or the Onofoil 777. I am 165 pounds though so if you are closer to 140 pounds it would probably be fine. I find that breach recovery, turning, and riding for a long time is easier on Canards , but maybe I’m a freak. Onofoil is coming out with a new surf/ SUP canard that they say is really easy to ride and pumps well. They have a very active Instagram, check it out if you want to see something different in the way of innovation.
Hey griffon727,
A year after writing this, what is your feedback about riding canards ? Have you tried one among the XLW, XXLW, Onofoil 777 ?
We tested canard wing setup and you can get down to power values of about 600W at about 100kg total weight…But this is optimized for a certains speed and thats the point… The Canard wing setup works, but it is not as convenient as regular airplane setup when you want to achieve easy efoiling from 10-40km/h 
www.elevate.rocks
What speed did you achieve?
What is your total surface, that is with two wings using positive lift ?
Have you tried a more balanced setup with 45% surface fore and 55% aft for more directional stability ?
Have you tried the “tandem” setup, that is both wings with positive lift in standard setup (large wing fore), praised for its stability between 0 and 22-25knots, sketchy beyond though ?
Your canard is ready for that… rotating front/rear wing + mast by 180° maybe with a bit of shimming here and there ? 
So what you saying is a normal foil just with the stabiliser flipped 
Why does this make you ROFL or roll on the floor laughing ?
Because this is no longer a Canard configuration. A canard is a small wing in front of a large wing with a long front section (like a ducks neck).
You are twisting my words. I said that the canard is ready for that (is the closest configuration to a tandem) but didn’t write it will remain a canard.
'Closest configuration" because both wings of the Elevate canard project natively have the right angle of attacks and airfoil sections to become a (long awaited) tandem setup efoil.
Canard and tandem setups have the same DNA: two wings with similar airfoil sections designed with neutral to slightly positive angle of attacks providing positive lift plus an enjoyable stability at low speed for beginners.
It is not the case with standard foils where you would have to guesstimate and 3D print the correct shim to insert between your flipped stab (which becomes a wing) and your fuselage.
yes we did, works as well just you will have to balance a lot more on your back foot…and it is very unusual foil feeling…
IF you have a great front wing and mast very close to this front wing you can ride regular foil (airplane) setup as well with stabilizer producing very little downdraft…(so at positive angle of attack depending on profile) or you can even ride without stabilizer if you are already expierienced foil rider;-) This will work too… but key is that your mast or better your total CG is aligned well above the front wing…
I’ve read some times here that the downward force stab is stabilising and it would be hard to ride with positive-positive lift. I looked at the airplane case, if center of gravity is front of the wing it’s easy to see it’s needed as the pivotal torque needs to be balanced by the downward force but is it really same for efoils where a step front or rear changes CoG totally?
how is the front wing lift vector affected when AOA is changed…or when turbulent water hits the wing 
the efoils also have the motor thrust force creating torque on the board through the mast, working together with the stab downforce to push up the front so you need to stand with CoG well ahead of the mast to balance it. Seems counter intuitive to not move CoG more centered to give a standing position closer to the center of the drag?
Heck, i’m flipping my stab when i’m back riding. Or making a neutral, smaller one.
@Jezza, @SoEFoil, @ELEVATE.rocks : What do you think? Do you like the original stabs supplied with your foil for efoil or have you replaced them?
Google for Canard foil. Lots of info
I already did. I rarely just ask people to get an easy answer. It’s all theory until someone has tried it with efoil.
I haven’t ridden enough to be able to know what is good and what works from my experience. That’s why i’d like to hear from some that do.
The Zeeko Spitfire looks super agile in this video (i bet too quick for me to be able to ride it)
It’s always deceiving when someone competent rides 
