Outdoors

HydroFlyer e-foil brings motocross madness to the water with handlebars

HydroFlyer e-foil brings motocross madness to the water with handlebars
The Hydrofoil e-foil features a set of handlebars to afford riders more control and stability
The Hydrofoil e-foil features a set of handlebars to afford riders more control and stability
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The HydroFlyer can also be ridden without its detachable handlebars
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The HydroFlyer can also be ridden without its detachable handlebars
The HydroFlyer is priced at US$14,000
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The HydroFlyer is priced at US$14,000
The HydroFlyer e-foil before getting up to speed
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The HydroFlyer e-foil before getting up to speed
The Hydrofoil e-foil features a set of handlebars to afford riders more control and stability
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The Hydrofoil e-foil features a set of handlebars to afford riders more control and stability
View gallery - 4 images

Electric hydrofoils are gaining in popularity, with a number of companies now offering fun and environmentally-friendly ways to skim across the open water. South African firm Unifoil has just introduced a new take on this with an interesting point of difference, featuring a set of handlebars that offer more control and faster riding, while also softening the learning curve for new users.

Unifoil designed the HydroFlyer in collaboration with Canadian inventor Jerry McArthur, who had been riding e-foils for a few years and began to wonder what could make them less intimidating for beginners. With a background in dirt-biking and also riding snowmobiles, McArthur liked the idea of the rider having four points of contact to improve stability and control, which not only makes it an easier undertaking for first timers, but would enable advanced riders to perform more extreme maneuvers.

The HydroFlyer is priced at US$14,000
The HydroFlyer is priced at US$14,000

The lightweight carbon-fiber body is powered by an onboard lithium-ion battery, which the creators say allows for two hours of riding time on each charge. That will depend on how the HydroFlyer is being ridden, of course, with speed settings ranging from "mild" to "wild" and topping out at a brisk 35 mph (56 km/h). Recharging after each session is said to take around two hours.

Speed is dictated by a wireless controller built into the detachable handlebars, which relays a signal to the silent motor built into the mast. Once the HydroFlyer hits about 4 knots (7.4 km/h, 4.6 mph), the foil rises out of the water and the rider is away, skimming across the surface.

"That's when it feels like flying," says McArthur. "There truly is no feeling in the world quite like it. It's environmentally friendly – no gas, no fumes, no wake, no noise and requires no towing or trailers. The HydroFlyer has solved many of the issues facing the traditional watercraft such as a boat or jet ski.

The HydroFlyer is priced at US$14,000, and will available via the company's website from May 2. See it in action in the video below.

Introducing: The HydroFlyer - The World's Most Advanced eFoil

Source: HydroFlyer

View gallery - 4 images
9 comments
9 comments
Steve Condon
“Motocross Madness”, you say? Perhaps you should try motocross, or at least watch a video, before trying to draw such a ridiculous comparison.
This looks as boring as standing on my bathroom scale all day!
paul314
Looking at these things, it appears that the wake is minimal, which could make them less noxious to small boats and swimmers than conventional powered watercraft. On the other hand, at consistent high speed a hydrofoil could be a much worse collision danger.
1stClassOPP
I can imagine the handle bar/post activating a scissor like operation of the foil, so you won’t need a dock to launch or fear shallower depths.
guzmanchinky
I tried one of these in Florida (without the handlebars) and it was fun, yet very boring after about an hour. So I just bought a Radinn Carve which looks less smooth, but much more exciting...
Worzel
$14,000? Even $1,400 would be excessive.
Daishi
An alternate design I think I like more than this one is the Manta5 hydrofoil that was covered here a while ago ( https://newatlas.com/manta5-hydrofoil-bike/51826/ ). Instead of just standing there on the ride it's closer to a pedal-electric like a water based ebike. The Manta5 is $5k cheaper and probably has better range.
John Lethlean
The ergonomics look terrible. What a waste of money.
*Joe*
Worzel apparently doesn't know that quality unpowered paddle and surf boards can top $1000.
Christian Lassen
There's just something really awkward about standing full-front ways on a vehicle that has a vertical movement as well as a horizontal movement. Just, more unstable feeling. When you're planted one foot in front of the other, offset just a bit, you get full control over your balance and stability. When your feet are side by side, you're totally dependent on the handlebars for balance, which is, unsettling, even to look at. Kept watching it waiting for the guy to nose-dive. Sitting is a different story.