Fly or ride? eFoil vs electric jet board

Two boards, both electric, both promising to turn a flat lake into a wave. One flies above the water on a wing. The other carves across the surface on a jet of water.

They look similar in the shop. On the water they could hardly be more different.

We compared eFoils and electric jet boards on the things that decide which one is right for you: how they ride, how long they last, how hard they are to learn and where you are allowed to use them.

How they ride: flying vs carving

An eFoil has a mast under the board with a wing at the bottom and a small electric propeller. Once you have enough speed, the wing lifts the board clear of the water. The ride is smooth and almost silent, and chop passes underneath you.

An electric jet board has a jet drive in the hull and rides on the surface. It feels more like surfing or a small jet ski: you carve, bounce over chop and feel the water.

Think of it as the difference between a longboard on glassy water and a shortboard in a punchy swell. Both are fun. They are not the same session.

Ride time: the eFoil's set wave

Flying above the water cuts drag, so an eFoil usually lasts longer on the same battery.

Awake makes a clean comparison, because its VINGA eFoils and RÄVIK jet boards use the same Flex battery family (Ritz Marine):

Other makers fit the same pattern. Lift rates its LIFT5 eFoil at up to 90 minutes (E-Surfer). LIND rates its Canvas jet board at up to 45 minutes (boats.com), and JETSURF its Electric 2 at 25 to 55 minutes (E-Surfer).

Speed: a draw on the line-up

Both types reach similar top speeds. LIND rates the Canvas at up to 60 km/h, JETSURF the Electric 2 at 55 km/h, and Awake both its VINGA Ultimate eFoil and RÄVIK Adventure jet board at 55 km/h.

The difference is how it feels. On an eFoil, speed is smooth and quiet. On a jet board, it is wet, loud and physical.

Learning: who stands up first?

Most riders get going faster on a jet board. You lie, kneel, stand and go, with no foil to balance.

An eFoil takes more practice. You have to learn to control height as well as direction, and a wobble at the top of the mast ends in a splash. Most people need a few sessions, ideally with an instructor and a large beginner board. See eFoils for beginners.

Water depth and conditions

An eFoil needs enough depth for the mast, so shallow water and weedy bays are a problem. A jet board has no mast and can ride in much shallower water.

In chop, the eFoil wins once you are flying, because the waves pass beneath you. A jet board has to ride over every bump.

Rules: same locals, different signs

Rules often treat both types the same, and not always kindly.

• Denmark covers electric surfboards and jet boards under its jet ski certificate (Danish Maritime Authority).
• Switzerland bans motorised surfboards, and its Federal Supreme Court upheld a fine for riding an eFoil on Lake Geneva (World Radio Switzerland).
• Tegernsee, Schliersee and Spitzingsee in Bavaria ban electric foil boards by name (Landratsamt Miesbach).

Check eFoil and electric surfboard rules in Europe before you buy.

Our verdict: pick the feeling you want

So, eFoil or jet board? If you want the quiet, floating, magic-carpet feeling and longer sessions, get an eFoil and invest in lessons. If you want to jump on and go, ride in shallow water and enjoy a wetter, more physical ride, get a jet board.

Try both before you buy. Many dealers rent them, and one session usually decides it. Browse the brands in eFoils and electric jet boards.