Admin for the private Backers/Owners-only Facebook group here, and Kickstarter backer #2.
There is a lot of rumour and speculation here - some warranted - some not. The reason I created the private FB group was because there was already a large public Waydoo group and I wanted a forum for KS Backers to have a place to discuss the campaign and product with each other - it’s private because if it you post in a public group Facebook pushes updates to your friends feeds that they may not care about. I also wanted to ensure that the conversation centred around backers/owners needs and not people who are just interested in Waydoo.
Until we can all see an official report from the proper authorities on the cause of the garage fire in question, this is speculative back and forth and all undocumented information should be considered hearsay - including inconsistent and conflicting comments about the fire source from the victim.
The bottom line is eFoiling is a new growing exciting sport that everyone is passionate about - that’s great!
If any company is shipping an unsafe product it is important to raise the alarm, but also give the company an opportunity to respond and react.
The main issue I have with @FoilFiesta (and others) sharing private conversations publicly, is that they are violating the rules of the Facebook group they agreed to when they joined - specifically by sharing screenshots from a private space with people’s full/real names/avatars un-redacted. No one is trying to cover up for Waydoo, however there should be a reasonable expectation of privacy if you are posting in a private group - anyone violating that should be removed from that group. Since @FoilFiesta has still not identified themselves here or on as a lurking member of the private-backers FB group some further measures may be taken there.
Whatever is posted/discussed on Waydoo’s (3000+ member) public group is public information for all to see/discuss - those posts/names are visible to all.
As a Waydoo owner I have a vested interest in seeing them survive and thrive - to provide warranty/parts/upgrades down the road, and to continue to make eFoiling more accessible.
As an eFoiler I have a vested interest in seeing eFoiling continue to grow safely - fires and/or catastrophic equipment failure will result in regulation and restriction of eFoil operation around the world. We are already fighting an uphill battle here in Canada where their operation is prohibited based on a 20+ year old Federal law.
All new products have early issues, including the 2 leading eFoil brands. What will dictate their survival and growth is their response and customer service - with Waydoo this is still to be proven.
I’m hopeful that Waydoo will continue to improve their transparency and communication - from what I’ve seen I truly believe this is a startup company dealing with unanticipated demand/success, but who has not wilfully or maliciously cut any corners as far as ensuring their product meets all regulatory requirements.
We can argue in circles about the engineering specifics - I’m not qualified to speak to those, although many on this DIY forum are. I’m hopeful that Waydoo will take some of the feedback from this forum and use it to improve their product over time.
Bottom line, I will continue to use and enjoy my Waydoo Flyer One. As with any other product with a large battery (eFoil or otherwise), I will carefully handle the battery and closely inspect it after every use, ensuring it is used/charged safely and most importantly stored safely when not in use.
… (which we don´t know yet…as only the owner D. Hill said he “poured water out of it”…
but on the owners photos published you can see the rest of the garage with remains of tesla, surfboard, bycicle a.s.o was still there…Yes totaly true story, for shure 
