eFoiling should be getting a whole lot easier yet also more exciting, according to Lift Foils. The Puerto Rican company has announced its new Lift5 and LiftX boards, which are reportedly both quicker to assemble and more capable than their predecessors.
Should you be unfamiliar with eFoils, they typically take the form of what is basically a surfboard with a streamlined mast extending down from the underside, in the rear. At the bottom of that mast is a foiling wing and a motor/propeller module.
The board starts out floating flush with the water's surface, but rises up out of the water as it gains speed. It ultimately ends up zipping along with the wing just beneath the surface, the board itself completely free and clear of the water. Such a hydrodynamic setup allows for some pretty fast speeds, along with a generally exciting ride.
Lift Foils invented the things and began selling them back in 2015, although non-motorized foiling surfboards did exist before then. The Lift5 and LiftX are the company's latest models, following the 2023 release of the Lift4.
Designed in collaboration with renowned surfboard shaper Sean Ordoñez, both of the new boards feature a lighter, more streamlined carbon fiber body that has a double concave bottom for smooth touchdowns, along with "sharper chine rails [outside edges] for crisp transitions."
Both of the boards also sport Lift Foils' new Lift Connect System, which allows the carbon fiber mast (along with the wing and motor) to be connected to the bottom of the board via the simple click of a lever. Although this task never seemed particularly difficult, it did previously require hand tools.
The double-walled battery on both models likewise just "clicks" into place in the board's deck, and features a new inline cooling system that builds upon the company's existing liquid cooling technology.
Described as being "the quietest eFoil available," the Lift5 is designed mainly for shooting across the surface of relatively flat water.
The LiftX, on the other hand, is made to surf actual waves – just like a non-motorized foiling surfboard. Its motor can still be used to get out to the break point, but the rider shuts that motor off and starts foil-surfing for real once they catch a wave. In order to keep things as streamlined as possible, the propeller blades can be remotely folded in and retracted when the surfing starts.
Lift Foils tells us that the Lift5 and LiftX will be available for preorder as of Feb. 25th, with shipping set to follow starting April 15th. We're still waiting to hear back about pricing and specs. That said, if the new boards are anything like the Lift4, they'll be able to go at least 30 mph (48 km/h) and run for up to 2.5 hours per charge.
Source: Lift Foils