Just found this..... looks interesting

Good find. At $3400 and a huge battery....going to be a tough sell for a a very limited market.

I have been on the kickstarter list for a Boost fin for a couple years. It is intended as a surfboard assist, 20lb of thrust in 8 second bursts. I am going to strap it to my mast base....the hope being it gives just enough of an assist to get up on foil in an unbreaking wave with sup foil, or in just barely too light wind with wing foil. Maybe it will work with surf foil too, or maybe not enough juice. Anyways, we'll see. At $200 it was a reasonable experimental cost....but there is the risk that you get what you pay for!

I've ordered one and can't wait for some paddle assist....dragging a foil around with long paddles, current, wind and fatigue is a downside to the great feeling foiling gives

This product is is exactly what I've wanted to build for over a year now but haven't the skills
This is way better than I could have done and way better than the boost fin will ever be

Like electric bicycle kits 10years ago these will evolve and like pedal assist paddle assist will be choice bro

I have a foil drive system and can say its bloody good fun.

I would say im a pretty reasonable foil surfer and downwinder and was able to test the system for the last couple of months and I can say its bloody good fun. It opens up even more spots for you to foil in as you can catch unbroken swell, if you want to foil downwind this is the tool to get you up and going very quickly. You still have to paddle as its still an assist but it takes all the hard work out. The tech in the unit is really impressive and best of all its and Australian company.

Disclaimer Im mates with the owner but its a really well designed product and bloody good fun to ride.

Select to expand quote

StephenMitchell said..
This product is is exactly what I've wanted to build for over a year now but haven't the skills
This is way better than I could have done and way better than the boost fin will ever be

I am sure it'll be better than boost fin -- but will it ten times better to reflect the price? Dunno, not likely for me. But the eFoil market is nutbar, money seems to be no object, so will be some punters I expect. This paddle-assist seems way a way better option all around.

I dabble on FoilZone and the DIY level over there is unreal ... I have no idea what they are talking about, but it seems good. A few people have posted about similar units to the FoilDrive

Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

Hi Colas

The props are a super lightweight resign printed and pretty much stop instantly under the water from what I found. As soon as either the control unit or throttle goes under water the prop stops. I have been using one for 3 months and have never got close to it.

Select to expand quote

murf said..

colas said..
Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

Hi Colas

The props are a super lightweight resign printed and pretty much stop instantly under the water from what I found. As soon as either the control unit or throttle goes under water the prop stops. I have been using one for 3 months and have never got close to it.

Yea Murf can you tell me / can you compare the ride with the foil drive unit on you board & with out it on - the same or similar wave?, speed?, drag? etc.?:-)
thanks :-)

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

On that note, the first of the Boost Fins are finally shipping, so some user reports are starting to come out. Painfully kooky. I am getting one as a foil project, very specific goal, hoping it'll open up waves otherwise unrideable. But for the general surfing population, these are going to be a laughingstock.

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..

murf said..

colas said..
Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

Hi Colas

The props are a super lightweight resign printed and pretty much stop instantly under the water from what I found. As soon as either the control unit or throttle goes under water the prop stops. I have been using one for 3 months and have never got close to it.

Yea Murf can you tell me / can you compare the ride with the foil drive unit on you board & with out it on - the same or similar wave?, speed?, drag? etc.?:-)
thanks :-)

Hey Mate

The combined weight of the Foil Drive is about 3kgs. A lot of the weight is in the battery which sits behind your back foot so it does not effect the pitch of the board when you are on foil. You can feel the extra weight when you are trying to turn super tight but when you get use to it you can use the weight as an advantage. I run the motor about 30cm below the board so when you get up to foil the motor is out of the water most of the time. When the puck of the motor his the water you can feel it but you can easily ride through as it keeps gliding and does not stop you dead. I have used the setup from 1ft unbroken waves to 5ft reef breaks so you can get into the wave way earlier.

Its a super fun addition to your setup :)

Select to expand quote

murf said..

Johndesu said..

murf said..

colas said..
Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

Hi Colas

The props are a super lightweight resign printed and pretty much stop instantly under the water from what I found. As soon as either the control unit or throttle goes under water the prop stops. I have been using one for 3 months and have never got close to it.

Yea Murf can you tell me / can you compare the ride with the foil drive unit on you board & with out it on - the same or similar wave?, speed?, drag? etc.?:-)
thanks :-)

Hey Mate

The combined weight of the Foil Drive is about 3kgs. A lot of the weight is in the battery which sits behind your back foot so it does not effect the pitch of the board when you are on foil. You can feel the extra weight when you are trying to turn super tight but when you get use to it you can use the weight as an advantage. I run the motor about 30cm below the board so when you get up to foil the motor is out of the water most of the time. When the puck of the motor his the water you can feel it but you can easily ride through as it keeps gliding and does not stop you dead. I have used the setup from 1ft unbroken waves to 5ft reef breaks so you can get into the wave way earlier.

Its a super fun addition to your setup :)

Ok I can see in the photos that the wire connects from the battery to the unit on the mast (is it secure - looks a bit messy?)& and what about the battery is it secure & water proof? & how is it secured to the board? - & what about wipe outs etc.?:-)

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..

murf said..

Johndesu said..

murf said..

colas said..
Mmm... Maybe by just holding the paddle properly you wont be so in need of a motor? :-)
First rider has the blade backwards... quite awkward to include in a promo video...

Joke aside, seems interesting, but the guard less propeller is frightening me.

Hi Colas

The props are a super lightweight resign printed and pretty much stop instantly under the water from what I found. As soon as either the control unit or throttle goes under water the prop stops. I have been using one for 3 months and have never got close to it.

Yea Murf can you tell me / can you compare the ride with the foil drive unit on you board & with out it on - the same or similar wave?, speed?, drag? etc.?:-)
thanks :-)

Hey Mate

The combined weight of the Foil Drive is about 3kgs. A lot of the weight is in the battery which sits behind your back foot so it does not effect the pitch of the board when you are on foil. You can feel the extra weight when you are trying to turn super tight but when you get use to it you can use the weight as an advantage. I run the motor about 30cm below the board so when you get up to foil the motor is out of the water most of the time. When the puck of the motor his the water you can feel it but you can easily ride through as it keeps gliding and does not stop you dead. I have used the setup from 1ft unbroken waves to 5ft reef breaks so you can get into the wave way earlier.

Its a super fun addition to your setup :)

Ok I can see in the photos that the wire connects from the battery to the unit on the mast (is it secure - looks a bit messy?)& and what about the battery is it secure & water proof? & how is it secured to the board? - & what about wipe outs etc.?:-)

Its as clean as you can get without drilling a hole through the middle of your board :)

The box the battery sits in is a sealed waterproof unit and the box is held on by that 3m super Velcro. I have never had it come off but I have seen my mates release as he used the wrong type of velcro all you do is snap it back in place again. Its very unnerving turning your board upside down to get our through a shore break at first but then you get use to it.

Select to expand quote

murf said..
Its as clean as you can get without drilling a hole through the middle of your board :)

The box the battery sits in is a sealed waterproof unit and the box is held on by that 3m super Velcro. I have never had it come off but I have seen my mates release as he used the wrong type of velcro all you do is snap it back in place again. Its very unnerving turning your board upside down to get our through a shore break at first but then you get use to it.

Ok I see & I will try to have a look at one up close & personal if I can but what I want to know is do you ever take it off or do you leave it on all the time now? is your current foildrive set up the best for you now? and do you think it is worth it?:-) many thanks :-)

Select to expand quote

murf said..
I run the motor about 30cm below the board

Out of curiosity, why not putting it as close to the board as possible?

Select to expand quote

colas said..

murf said..
I run the motor about 30cm below the board

Out of curiosity, why not putting it as close to the board as possible?

Yes I would also like to know why the motor is not closer to the hull?:-)

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..

murf said..
Its as clean as you can get without drilling a hole through the middle of your board :)

The box the battery sits in is a sealed waterproof unit and the box is held on by that 3m super Velcro. I have never had it come off but I have seen my mates release as he used the wrong type of velcro all you do is snap it back in place again. Its very unnerving turning your board upside down to get our through a shore break at first but then you get use to it.

Ok I see & I will try to have a look at one up close & personal if I can but what I want to know is do you ever take it off or do you leave it on all the time now? is your current foildrive set up the best for you now? and do you think it is worth it?:-) many thanks :-)

Hey Mate

I still do take mine of every now and again but more from a fitness point of view. I still need to get some paddling in :) but I am finding it harder and to take it off my foil.

It has opened up even more spots to foil and you do get way more waves. I can say I have more fun with the foil drive on as I am not battling for waves as I can sit so far on the shoulder of a wave it is crazy! Its not a cheap toy but I get more waves and have more fun so I would say it worth it :)

Select to expand quote

colas said..

murf said..
I run the motor about 30cm below the board

Out of curiosity, why not putting it as close to the board as possible?

Hey Colas

I have found the sweet spot for the motor is lower on the mast due to the fact when you are paddle pumping and unweighting the board the prop comes out the water too early and you loose the advantage of the power.

Sounds and looks like a great piece of engineering, well done guys. Batteries are only gonna get more efficient and smaller/lighter.

Select to expand quote

murf said..

Johndesu said..

murf said..
Its as clean as you can get without drilling a hole through the middle of your board :)

The box the battery sits in is a sealed waterproof unit and the box is held on by that 3m super Velcro. I have never had it come off but I have seen my mates release as he used the wrong type of velcro all you do is snap it back in place again. Its very unnerving turning your board upside down to get our through a shore break at first but then you get use to it.

Ok I see & I will try to have a look at one up close & personal if I can but what I want to know is do you ever take it off or do you leave it on all the time now? is your current foildrive set up the best for you now? and do you think it is worth it?:-) many thanks :-)

Hey Mate

I still do take mine of every now and again but more from a fitness point of view. I still need to get some paddling in :) but I am finding it harder and to take it off my foil.

It has opened up even more spots to foil and you do get way more waves. I can say I have more fun with the foil drive on as I am not battling for waves as I can sit so far on the shoulder of a wave it is crazy! Its not a cheap toy but I get more waves and have more fun so I would say it worth it :)

Sounds good, ask your mate if it is possible to demo one in Sydney as I am really keen to try & buy:-)

Hey All!

Sorry for the lack of input here, we have been flat out getting brand new Foil Drive Assist systems out the door! We are designing and manufacturing here in Adelaide, Australia so its keeping us pretty busy at the minute!

Trav has done an excelent job above explaining a few key points about the system however if there is anything further you would like to know, please just hit us up!


Some key facts.

3kg install weight
21kg thrust
1-2hr surf sessions
Made for SUP Foiling, Wing riding in low wind conditions, Down Wind Foiling.

Compatibilty currently with:
- GoFoil
- Armstrong (75/85cm Masts)
- Axis 19mm and 16mm Alloy
- Naish Alloy and S26 Carbon
- Konrad Alloy
- Moses
- Slingshot
- Unifoil (under development now)
- Cloud 9 (under development now)
- F-One (coming soon)


Feel free to give us a call to discuss!


Paul
0439 891 550
Ben
0422 927 919

Foil Drive
The Drive to Get You Flying!

I can get going on a swell so doesn't matter how big or heavy the waves are, I am up on the foil and set up. Can feel the swell pass under you just need to paddle up and it's all on! And I am 92kgs.... Seen guys have a ball on small stuff too. Better than a ski! Don't think I use it all the time but some days it be worth it's weight in gold!

With the foil drive I mean!

Could this be used on a prone board for dwinding ?

Select to expand quote

Scotty Mac said..
I can get going on a swell so doesn't matter how big or heavy the waves are, I am up on the foil and set up. Can feel the swell pass under you just need to paddle up and it's all on! And I am 92kgs.... Seen guys have a ball on small stuff too. Better than a ski! Don't think I use it all the time but some days it be worth it's weight in gold!

Hi Scotty I will receive by Foil Drive unit next week & I plan to install it on my 6.5 One board so I am wondering if you can give me any advice, tips or experiences regarding - installation, surfing or anything that might be good to know in advance etc?:-)
thanks:-)

Hey Johnsey, I am kind of new to the foil drive but happy to help for sure. Most are mounting around 30cm from the bottom of the board which I am told via testing is the sweet spot. I plan to experiment with this a bit and see if I can get closer to the board. It's a lipo battery system so take the battery seriously. Always store it at 40 % charged and dont leave it at 100 % charged for more than a couple of days. Don't discharge past 15% if you can. These things burn houses down so store carefully and in the bag provided in a cool place away from flammable items. I prefer the switch at the bottom hand most are running at the top. I save the battery by just using for just getting up on the foil and you can get a gpod 3 hour session like that then but you can use it for paddling out if your tired but keep in mind that brings the session shorter. Make sure you keep the electronics in the main battery box as dry as possible. Don't open up until you have wiped it down with a towel. Keep your o ring clean. Make sure your cable gland is tighten up on the cable. Apart fom that all other screwed items only need nipped up, no need to over tighten things. Sometimes you see a bit of fog in the box but thats just he battery getting warm and humidity. As long as you keeping the o ring real clean it will stay relatively dry in there but keep a close eye on that all the time when your packing up. Any sign of anything else but humidity needs attention. There are many aspects just let me know if you have any particular questions. Enjoy!

Might work ok on a kayak keel too.

I think I can see one in my future but at the moment getting the battery shipped to Nz is a problem

Select to expand quote

Scotty Mac said..
Any sign of anything else but humidity needs attention.

You may want to get some small silicate bags, they are cheap on the net.
They are reusable by drying them in the oven.
E.g: 0.08 USD a bag: www.amazon.com/Desiccant-Moisture-Dehumidifiers-Corrosion-Prevention/dp/B01MZ4ZQ3Z

I use them a lot to store long term things with rubbery plastic on them (e.g. latex wetsuit boots, computer mice) in an airproof freezer bag, as otherwise these plastic become sticky with humidity and cannot be cleaned up.

Yep or some the guys are putting a tissue in the box just to soak up any moisture. No causing any problems. Just making sure the kit stays in best condition in the long term. Great piece of engineering for sure. I went prone foil surfing yesterday and watched a couple of guys getting wave after wave on their foil assist. They were having a ball.

Select to expand quote

toppleover said..
Could this be used on a prone board for dwinding ?

Coming soon