For those that have been following, this may be obvious what the heading is about. For others it may be less obvious…
With all the debate around another certain board, I thought I would create a challenge to all those that think it will work. Build the smallest possible efoil board and try to efoil it!
There no guidelines here, just try do it… It doesn’t need to cost a lot, but I think it would be an interesting exercise. An easy starting point could be an old wakeboard or kiteboard with electronics box strapped between your feet. If that doesn’t work, add buoyancy until it does etc…
Small by volume or gliding area?
I guess 0 L buoyancy board with 200cm x 100cm will start to glide/ managable to ride much more likely than a 100cm x 40cm board with 30L. (just because of the momentum/leverage from the motor)
every surface should count. For ex: if you use a surf dedicated XXL front wing (5 L 3200cm2), the board surface under your feet can be much smaller than sbdy using a 1.2L 1200cm2 front wing. We are riding biplanes, the top surface helping the bottom one to reach its flying speed …
every weight counts: rider and board. As already said, a small battery with smaller capacity will take the advantage if 6kg/12lbs lighter.
the board volume: should we limit the board thickness ?
the watts drawn during takeoff ? what if sbdy uses a Flying Rodeo with ESC Max_current = 250A
Maybe should we create a performance indicator like : total weight (kg) / total flying surface (m2).
A successful takeoff with minimum flight distance is required
That’s quite a bit bigger than I am talking… My surfboards sit at around 35L of volume and I am 93kg
I have a new wakefoil board that’s 24.5L so it would be really interesting to see if I could get up on it with efoil motor attached. I would need a customised case on top (or on my back) though as it’s too thin to put anything in…
Yes, was talking 51L volume minus the 20kg or so of a completed efoil so comparable lift is at 31kg. That’s low?
I guess it’s somewhat offset by the motor assisting you to get up, but still, which volume do you really need… smallest lift board is at 10kg / 70L, seems reasonable.
My board is around ~94L. Biggest problem I have is the enough of the board goes under the water when you lay on it so the maytech remote loses reception. Need bring up one rail above the water to get the board moving then you are good to go. Need a stronger transmitter (and more robust modulation), diversity, and switch from 2.4ghz to 433/868/900MHz. Hopefully prototype something this winter with some 900Mhz devkits have around. How is everyone else dealing with reception on these lower volume boards?
Besides that if I wanted to go much lower volume, I’d switch the new slingshot carbon setup (which may even float on its own, at least with no motor attached). Although I’d have a hard time drilling into the $2000 setup…
Why don’t you just move your hand with the remote under the water right next to the receiver. I’ve found this to be way easier than trying to lift the board out the water. Once the board has a little speed then you just move your hand forward again…
I’ve been moving my hand back near where I put the antenna but haven’t been putting it under the water. I’ll give that a try next time I head out. Also just found lake has a big enough section that doesn’t freeze due to inflow… so might be able to get out this winter yet! Rest of lake has 3-5 inches of ice and I was kite skating on a few days ago.
Install the receiver near the nose of the board. Needs extra effort to buil a small compartment in the front and a tube for the cabling but the nose has to stick out for takeoff, so reception should be ok, even with 2.4GHz. Metr or other BT module can also be placed there, in case you have your mobile on you.
Haha, that was some reminiscence from a weight per square meter kite contest.
This small efoil board challenge saw life early 2020 when there was hope that Supernova would release a new riding style. I must admit that I had abandoned the idea with the company site and the company’s FB pages disappearing from the Web last November.
I’m looking forward to seeing the challenge coming back to life.
For efoils, when the board volume cannot bear the rider’s weight (sub 40 litres volume boards), there is this take-off technique: Pull the trigger while lying down on the board with just half of your thighs on the board (1’03): here @waterfox
If we go by liters, @Peter might still be holding the record with 20l in Oct 2017. That was an incredible build, I saw it first hand when I visited Peter in Germany last year. Peters Concept (Bavarian style) - #5 by Peter
