Foilboard

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Laird Hamilton, an influential big wave surfer and waterman, began experimenting with attaching hydrofoils to surfboards, with the aim of achieving faster speeds and smoother rides on large waves.[5] Dave Kalama, a renowned stand-up paddleboarder and big wave surfer, also contributed significantly to the advancement of foilboards, focusing on refining the design and performance of foilboards, particularly in the realm of stand-up paddleboarding.[6] His efforts helped expand the application of foilboard technology, making it accessible to a wider range of water sports enthusiasts.[7] Laird Hamilton later discovered the foilboard's capability to harness swell energy with the use of a jet ski, pulling the rider into a wave.[8]

The original stand-up design, used with the use of snow board boots, allowed the rider to glide with the moving wave by harnessing the kinetic energy with the underwater swell.

In 1999, Mango Carafino, a prominent waterman of big wave Jaws tow-in surfing, designed the first Hydrofoils and brought them to the market.

In 2009 an Australian Inventor Brett Curtis built and rode the first paddle-in or prone hydrofoil. He posted photos on surfing forums 'Swaylocks' and 'RealSurf' of a friend, Alex Budlevski, riding the foils in 2013.[9] 3 years later Kai Lenny made surfing hydrofoils famous.

Hydrofoil kiteboards allow the rider to achieve the same result with the use of a kite.[10] The hydrofoil minimizes the effects of choppy or rough conditions. Due to the hydrofoil's underwater characteristics, the rider can angle higher into the wind than on traditional kiteboards which ride on the surface of the water.

On the Island of Maui, Mango Carafino began the development of fabricating hydrofoil boards for riding with the use of a kite. Carafino later went on to fabricate Carafino Hydrofoil foil boards in China, at the Jin Li factory, with the assistance of Maurico Bauldi and Paulo Iannetti. For over ten years, the world laughed at Carafino, calling him a kook for introducing a board too futuristic for the industry to accept.

Carafino introduced the hydrofoil in 2008 in Frejus, Cote 'd Azur, France. There the French began to race with the Carafino Hydrofoil board, creating the competitive aspect of Hydrofoil Kite Board Racing. The sport later went on to experience back yard designers tweeting the foils to garner more speed when racing. Finally, the Olympic sailing federation incorporated the Hydrofoil Kiteboard into the Olympic class. In 2014 Carafino left the industry, apparently as a result of the flood of competition and knockoffs of his design. Laird Hamilton innovated the use of the board riding in swells with the assistance of expert waterman Terry Chun of Kauai, North Shore. Carafino may be considered the God Father of creating and carrying the sport of Hydrofoil Kiteboarding from the Island of Maui, Haiku, North Shore to the rest of the world from 1999 to 2014....

Rush Randle, a noted acrobatic surfer and big wave windsurfer, is credited with being the first ever to mount a hydrofoil to a windsurfing board, performing forward loops with the hydrofoil mounted below on the outer reefs of Maui.

Foils are used on wind-surfboards through design development from Neil Pryde Maui, inventors of hydrofoil sailing "windsurfing" boards. Using a moderately sized sail, a foil windboard can achieve speeds over 6 knots faster than the apparent wind. With advancements in hydrofoil design the energy required to stay on foil was reduced to levels achievable by human power alone. Kai Lenny pioneered a technique now called "pumping" in which the rider shifts their weight over the axis of rotation, driving the foil through the water column which generates lift.[11]

In 2009, professors Jakob Kuttenkeuler and Stefan Hallström, from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, published their Evolo project. Evolo was a vehicle invented, designed and built by 15 masters students studying Naval Architecture and Lightweight Structures, who received an assignment from the two professors which combined an electric motor with a hydrofoil to create a personal watercraft that was controlled with weight shifting and motor speed.

In October 2016, Dan Montague former head of R&D at the Naish International posted a youtube video from Jetfoiler showing an electric hydrofoil surfboard (now commonly known as an eFoil) flying above the water in Fiji.[12]

In 2017, Lift Foils, a small company in Puerto Rico, developed the first commercially available electric-powered hydrofoil surfboard; it went into production in 2018. The board has an electric motor, propeller, and carbon fiber foils and carbon fiber mast below the waterline. A rechargeable lithium battery and electronic speed controller are encased in a waterproof compartment inside the carbon fiber board. Motor speed is controlled by a wireless handheld Bluetooth remote with a trigger actuated accelerator.[13]

After Lift many other companies brought efoils to the commercial market, including Levitate Foils (California), Fliteboard (Australia), Waydoo (China), Takuma (France/Japan), Foil (USA), MSLR (Canada), Flying Rodeo (Slovenia), ArtFoils (Russia), PWR-Foil (France). There are efoil DIY maker/builder communities online.[9]

In 2021 a father and son crossed the English Channel on propeller-powered hydrofoil boards. They covered 23 miles in one hour and 44 minutes at speeds of up to 35mph on a single battery charge, arriving with 4% charge left.[14]

Like Surfing, using a Foilboard presents safety concerns for riders. The risk of drowning is a principal concern, which can be mitigated with a strong swimming ability and a deep understanding of the ocean and its dangers. Participants should wear helmets, full-length wetsuits, and booties, and always use a leash to prevent the board from getting away.[15] Riders should start in flat, open bodies of water and avoid crowded areas, as the hydrofoil's sharp edges and unpredictable behavior can pose danger to others.[16] Adhering to beach flag warnings and restrictions is crucial to ensuring that riders are aware of hazards such as when lifeguards are not on duty or when waves are unexpectedly large.[17] Lastly, it is important to conduct regular maintenance of the hydrofoil to ensure safe operation over sustained use.[16] It is recommended that beginners consult experienced riders.[15]

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  Foil by Mango Carafino
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  Windsurf Hydrofoil with Deep Tuttle Box fin system
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  Hydrofoil on windsurf board
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  The Lift eFoil, an electric hydrofoil surfboard

• IQFoil
• Wing foiling