He also made a really nice youtube series about the building process. In my opinion this wings and fuselage should be not too complicated to build, since they are flat on one side. My idea was to build it with a gong mast and then add a motor to it, but I’m unsure if this hydrofoil makes sense as an efoil.
Are there any better CAD models of wings and boards out there for DIY attempts?
I do have access to CNC, 3d printer and other tools…
I think that wing profile is not the best one, it is optimized to ease the build process by hand with its flat lower side of the profile. Not necessarily the most advanced profile. If you have access to a cnc and 3d printer I would search for a better one. Maybe even buy a 2nd hand hydrofoil and mast and focus the build on the board. To build a good hydrofoil wing is probably the hardest part of an eFoil build. You could also have a look at winghopper.com, you can create molds online. Still not an easy task to chose the right profile and parameters.
You can also have a look at wingbot which can help you to design a hydrofoil wing: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wing_Bot/comments/op6poq/wing_bot_welcome_and_download_software_here/
In my opinion the best success for money is a 2nd hand hydrofoil.
Thanks for the quick reply. I just checked out tje GONG product line, because they have some stuff on sale and it might really make sense to buy professional mast+wings+fuselage in that case.
They have different categories for kite, wing, surf foils, so I’m not quite sure which one is best suited for an efoil conversion.
I hope someone can help me get a better overview or recommendations
Yes I think the way to buy a used mast and wings is the most sensible option. I do not fully understand the differences in wing types and sizes yet and was hoping for some input. Are the mast mounting systems standardized or does every brand use their own system?
I will mainly foil on a lake. Rider weight around 80kg plus gear, so lets say 90kg. How many L should my board have.
I will probably go with a 6kw flipsky motor and esc.
Yes there are standards that reputable manufactures use. Buy a cheap clone foil off the internet and who knows what you will get.
Buying used might have pitfalls as well. Someone might be unloading a foil setup that’s doesn’t work very well as it’s older design.
If you think about what the sport is called it has FOIL in the name so imo that’s a very important component in a build that shouldn’t be scrimped on.
If you look at successful builds here a lot use the Gong V2 aluminum mast 85cm with a modern foil shape depending on your riding style. The different foil shapes can be purchased separately as your needs change.
I personally like the X-Over as the long stabilizer makes things easier to learn. But that’s me.
Gong has all kinds of info on what foil shape suits a particular riding style.
My advice read a bunch here before you lock in on a strategy.
There are two problems with this design.
Battery cables are long, but they should be short.
It is hard to build a fully waterproof motor (that’s why motors are filled with mineral oil). One drop of salt water and the esc is fried. Hard to replace as you need a spare part that fits the motor case.
Better split motor and ESC, gives you more flexibility and is easier to repair/replace.
Its pretty confusing over there… The beginner kits are pretty much all the same, except the mast size. In my case I want a 65cm mast which is only available in certain kit categories.
Question is, if they have even better prices for Black Friday
exactly. The main lake i want to be foiling is only about 1,20m deep and sometimes even less. I might upgrade to a longer one at some point and different locations, but this is the closest one to Vienna where I also plan to buy a little sailing boat
Makes total sense. Have not snooped around a lot, but looking at most factory models the motor is in line with the main wing and stabilizer sits under the motor. That would be ideal for full use of mast. Is there anything like that done/developed diy yet?
Not that I know of, but I’m also pretty new to the topic, so I will go with a traditional DIY design with the motor located a bit above the wing. That should be fine to start
