A company in British Columbia is reimagining how Canadians move on water.
That’s right: On the water, not in.
Hydroflyer’s electrically powered device levitates the rider a foot above the water, despite the board-and-battery combo weighing more than 100 pounds.
A cutting-edge e-foil option, Hydroflyer has been described by Wired as “the mountain bike of the sea,” allowing users to navigate water with land-like stability and bicycle-style handlebars.
A lithium-ion battery supplies up to two hours of fun on the water, while propeller propulsion enables the Hydroflyer to reach speeds of up to 25 knots (45km/h). A wifi controller on the handlebars controls speed. At about five knots, the efoil will begin to lift out of the water.
The company started selling product last year, offering a single model (the Cruiser) with intentions to offer more in the future (the racier Sport edition just dropped and a more beginner-friendly option is also in the works).
Hydroflyer chief executive officer Jerry McArthur, who began his obsession with hydrofoils seven years ago in his North Vancouver garage, also wants to offer more budget-friendly options down the road. The current Cruiser model costs $15,000; McArthur informed Wired that he is working on a sub-$10,000 model.
A key part of what makes Hydroflyer stand out is the firm’s board, which features a patented design that was engineered over years for optimum stability and performance.
“Even the slightest change makes a huge difference to the feel and overall performance of an eFoil,” the company says. “We designed many wing/mast/propellor combos, until we found the perfect mix of speed, excitement, efficiency, stability, and ease of use.”
Hydroflyer isn’t done innovating though. Autonomous driving and balancing technologies are among those forecast to be added in the future.
So far, such devices have mostly proven popular as water toys for the ultra wealthy—tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is one notable fan of hydrofoiling. But as costs come down, McArthur also envisions the mode of transit as a last-mile transportation option to cross rivers and bays.
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