How Small Can You Go Board Challenge

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.

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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

Or @superlefax back in 2017 :wink:

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I think that Matic aka @drswitch from Slovenia with a 33 litre Zeeko Air race board is on the podium at the moment:
'Submarine Build

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

Ahhh a video of the young @superlefax, so wild and young back in the days. Thanks for sharing

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My recent board is: 1200x500x125mm

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Little stumpy! Love it!
@superlefax: Is it worth the hassle to go that small, do you feel you gain enough of something? (What?)

Really mm?:joy: Looks a lot bigger. :joy:

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And here I am (65kg) worrying that 118 liters might be to small for me :slight_smile:

I think that it should read cm and not mm.
*Edit. I see that you now updated your post and added an extra 0

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The thought of a backpack battery unit is hilarious. Cable bundle going down your leg into the mast. I love it lol.

Also the most dangerous thing on this forum.

Q: “Hey, where did that guy go when he fell off that efoil?”

A: “Straight to the bottom.” :joy:

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PFD, fire proof case and sub 3kg battery and the risk is gone… I was proposing an experiment, not a 14s14p backpack hahaha.
I suppose I could strap a mini case to the nose of the board…

I wanted it to be as purist as possible. You don’t need more material. The batteries are directly in front of the mast. This results in very good maneuverability. It is lighter and more compact. This makes it much more transportable, of course.
I have the complete board including foil and the propulsion unit in a small wakeboard bag. It makes in my eyes just no sense to build it longer unless you are too heavy.

This 99cm efoil board designed by Volker akka @V_S relaunches the challenge.
The takeoff is worth looking at.

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It seems to me, he can go little bit shorter :joy::joy::joy:

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19,5L (30kg/m3 XPS)
And no Box, all components inside Board. Build link

99/48/6cm

Left: 118cm Right: 99cm

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