Okay, so i have been on this forum lurking and reading for the past few weeks.
Its taken most of that time to get my head around all the acronyms and stuff.
I have some experience in building large RC Helis and quad copters so ESC and motors and spinning blades are nothing new.
Ideally I would like a stable ride and not looking for any speed records. Im 90Kg when dry, so im looking at 130l board i think.
But guess I am looking for the holy grail in terms of simplicity and performance.
So, if you all had to start again, knowing what you have learnt, Which motor, ESC or VESC and wing Combo would you choose for your build and why.
Board: I have both a 6ft board with around 120L volume and a 5ft board with around 70L volume. The larger board is easier to go from lying to standing, but thats about it. For everything else the 5ft board is just WAY better!
Motor: I have a geared DIY unit, Flipsky 120KV and FR unit. The geared is by far the most powerful and has the best acceleration. The Flipsky is a great cheaper direct drive unit that will more than cater for 95% of the efoil user. The FR unit is the bells and whistles motor unit, but it comes at a price.
ESC: Depending on the motor unit you choose and your budget, then there are a few options in both the VESC and normal ESC side.
Wings: This is where this space becomes really interesting! Its where the real efficiency comes into play. I have been testing quite a few different wings of late and have managed to foil from 10kph (18A at battery) up to 37kph (85A at battery) with the Flipsky 120Kv motor. The geared drive and FR unit would be even more efficient that this as they have more torque. The best wing I have ridden thus far is definitely the Unifoil Hyper 170. Its extremely stable and easy to ride, it’s super efficient across all speed ranges and easy to carve. I have designed adaptors to fit the wings to both Axis and Gong masts. The wing, fuselage and stabilizer are fully carbon and are ultra light and extremely well priced in comparison to other equivalent wings.
Thanks Jezza, Ive seen many of your posts and i must say your information is most helpful.
Board: I am not sure about a 70L, despite my mass (90Kg) im not a bad wake surfer, Ive wake foiled too on a light weight board behind a boat. I don’t see getting up being much of an issue, maybe you can advise best.
Ive seen the odd mention of ready to go boards, but unsure if there’s a product yet without spending a small fortune. Ive got an old knee board floating about, but ill need to check its dimensions. Motor: I am biased to a direct drive to avoid the maintenance issues and costs of a gear box. Ideally a water proof unit that avoids the need for epoxy or continued maintenance but ill be fresh water foiling and avoid salt water. 120KV Flipsky seems to be the direction Im leaning towards. Does this need epoxy? or plug and play? ESC: assuming the above motor choice, whats the best compatibility? Again, haopy to have a unit already waterproofed. then to water cool or not water cool? Wings: Great info Jezza, Ill see if i can find one. Any links to the Hyper 170?
BATTERY: ild prefer 18650 cells. I wont be looking for ultimate ride time, but 45m to 1hr with the above setup would be ideal. Im based in Spain and have easy access to decent Samsung cells, But i might prefer to get a pack pre made up as the prospect of welding or soldering kinda freaks me out. If anyone can chime in with any help of finding battery pack ild be grateful.
I am also 90Kg and find it easy enough to ride a low volume board. Basically once the board is planing its super easy to get up by keeping the weight over the front so the foil doesn’t start to rise up. Then once standing just lean back slightly and you up…
I thing the following dimensions would be good: 5ft x 62cm x 10cm. That would give you around 90L volume.
Flipsky: It’s plug and play except I did open mine and coat the inside in corrosion X jst to remove any chance of issue if water got in.
ESC: if going Flipsky route, then get either the seal 300A esc (from them) or a VESC in the 200A and up range.
Battery: I managed about 50 minutes on a 12S12P 30Ah battery (Samsung 25R cells) when using the 170 Hyper wing. If you went 14S12P with the 30Q cells then you would easily have over an hour!
For the boards, the old slalom kiteboards work really well as a baseline. They are generally around the 6ft X 70cm size.
I managed to get a temevento foil board which is 5ft X 60cm X 8cm. For me it’s the perfect size. Light and easy to transport.
Old windsurf boards tend to be really heavy.
