Hydrofoil

A memorable year, 2017 saw high-flying hydrofoils make a step down from boats to boards and bikes and new water toy debuts ranging from personal submarines fit for James Bond to underwater propulsion systems slapped on like a smartwatch. Here are our favorite water toys of the year.

​​You could say that the the aquatic equivalent of the car is the motorboat, and the aquatic equivalent of the motorcycle is the Jet Ski – but what about the equivalent of the e-bike? That would be the Manta5, an electric-assist pedal-powered hydrofoil.

Puerto Rican-based Lift Foils is set to launch a 25 mph electric hydrofoil surfboard in September. The US$12,000 eFoil can be recharged from a household power outlet in 2.5 hours, or the $3,000 Lithium Ion battery can be swapped for continuous usage.

Straddling the line between inspired and insane, the Quadrofoil ​Q2​ is a two-seater, four-legged hydrofoil ​watercraft that has a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). Four years in the making and expected to ship early last year, the watercraft is finally reported ready for production.​ ​​

The hydrofoil tech on the all-new Edorado 7S twin-drive electric boat promises a comfortable mix of speed and range while not digging that deep into your wallet - or at least not so deep as other speedy, high-tech electric boats.​​​​

Parrot is already known for its drones that fly through the air and roll/jump along the ground, but until now the French company hasn't had much to do with the water. That'll change next month, however, when Parrot releases its Minidrone Hydrofoil.

The year in water toys kicked off in a big way at Boot Düsseldorf 2014 in January and it ran strong the year through. In fact, we'd say the past year saw reveals and market launches of some of the coolest water toys in recent history.

Unlike the U-boat Worx HP Sport Sub 2 that's designed to outperform octopi under the sea, the Quadrofoil is designed to provide high flying performance above it. When Gizmag first reported on the PWC in 2012, the unique hydrofoil was still in its prototype stages, but now it’s ready for production.

Retractable hydrofoils have been quite in vogue throughout this year's boat show season. The HY-X from Swiss hydrofoil outfit Hydros is the latest, previewing an eventual 41-foot (12.5-m) yacht that will be able to motor across the water or fly above it.

While large and luxurious, Sunreef's line of catamarans isn't necessarily the pinnacle of speed. The company is set on changing that, injecting a serious mph upgrade by pulling its dual hulls out of the water with a new retractable hydrofoil system.

The Kormoran from the Austrian company of the same name can speed on (and above) the water as a catamaran, trimaran, monohull and hydrofoil, making it one of the most versatile vessels to ever hit the high seas.

This gravity-defying US$40k catamaran rises completely out of the water at speed on a pair of hook-shaped hydrofoils. It looks like the work of David Copperfield, but it’s real, and it’s set to start a revolution in the sailing world.