We've seen quite a few powered surfboards over the past few years, and one company to make a few waves in the area is Germany's Lampuga. Following the recent purchase of the Lampuga name and licensing rights, the new-look company had its coming out at this year's boot Düsseldorf in January with the launch of a refreshed line of jet-driven surfboards that offer faster carving through the water and a handy battery swapping system to keep riders on the move.
We caught wind of Lampuga's first powered surfboard at boot Düsseldorf in 2015. Despite the changes behind the scenes, its stable still consists of a Rescue model for lifesavers, a pair of electric boards for thrill-seekers, the rigid Boost with a previous top speed of 34 mph (55 km/h) and the inflatable Air with a top speed of 29 mph (47 km/h).
The carbon fiber Boost has received a, well, boost, and now reaches a top speed of 36 mph (58 km/h) with power coming from a 10-kW electric engine. The 2.56-m long and 0.80-m wide (8.4 x 2.6 ft) board weighs a total 40 kg (88 lb), half of which comes from a battery that provides it with 45 minutes of carving time on each 120-minute charge.
The portable, inflatable Lampuga Air, meanwhile, is designed to be blown up when you arrive at the water's edge and broken down into a two-piece package that can be thrown in the trunk when its time to leave. There isn't a huge weight difference, with it tipping the scales at 38 kg (83 lb). Once inflated, it measures 0.70 x 2.2 m (2.3 x 7.1 ft) and a higher top speed of 50 km/h (31 mph).
Both models accelerate and decelerate by way of a pistol grip built into the handle, while steering is simply controlled by the rider shifting their weight like a regular surfboard. The Air's power comes from a removable module that now includes a swappable battery pack, while the Boost's swappable battery slots right into its rigid body.
The earlier versions of Lampuga's surfboard certainly weren't priced for the masses, and that is one thing that hasn't changed. The Air has actually gone up in price a little, from €9,900 to €10,990 (US$12,200 to $13,500), while the Boost will set you back €19,990 (US$24,600). Lampuga plans to kick off shipping in Europe in mid-2018 and worldwide thereafter. Additional battery packs are priced at €2,000 (US$2,463).
You can check out the company's new promo video below.
Source: Lampuga
