CHOOSING THE RIGHT LIFT3 EFOIL
Part of our job at Hawaii Efoil Experience is to help you to select the right size board. Once you learn the foiling fundamentals, and you find yourself falling in love with the efoil, our next step is in sizing the board and foil that will best suit you.
We will consider three variables to make a suitable recommendation for you. If you are unable to meet with us, or are just trying to make a sound decision from your research online, then we hope that the rest of this article is helpful.
5’9” EXPLORER
Anybody can ride this efoil. This board has the most volume to easily float riders up to 300 lbs. This volume also provides the most stable ride. It doesn’t matter if the rider is younger, older, experienced, or a complete newbie. The 5’9” Explorer is a great efoil to share with family and friends of all experience levels.
This efoil pairs well with the 250 Surf V2 / 48 Surf V2 foil combination.
5’4” CRUISER
The Cruiser efoil is shorter than the 5’9” counterpart, but it offers a ton of stability for almost any rider up to 275 lbs. Its shorter status gives this efoil board more maneuverability that will have most riders making beautiful turns in no time. If you have some board skills already, this is an easy choice to start with. Most of our students quickly “check-down” from the 5’9” to the 5’4” by their second lesson.
This efoil pairs well with the 200 Surf V2 / 48 Surf V2 foil combination.
4’9” SPORT
As the name implies, the Sport gives the rider the thrill of having the sporty model under their feet. This efoil is the most versatile in the Lift efoil lineup because it offers a great balance of stability and performance. This board allows the rider to work on some dynamic turning, and builds the skills of an experienced foiler even further. The smaller size has the added benefit of being easier to transport and to handle on land. Even the smallest of cars can transport this board.
This efoil pairs well with the 200 Surf V2 / 38 Surf V2 foil combination. If you want a more lively ride, try the 150 Surf V2 instead.
4’2” PRO
As the “Pro” model, this efoil board can be intimidating, but don’t let its size fool you. Although this is not intended to be a starter board, riders of little experience have found this board to be the perfect fit for them. After just a few starts, you can quickly adapt to the smaller size. Once you are on foil, the feeling is like nothing else you have ridden previously. The small size of the board disappears from your peripheral site, and you feel like you are flying on air. It is definitely our favorite efoil board of all the Hawaii Efoil instructors.
This efoil pairs well with the 150 Surf V2 / 38 Surf V2 foil combination. Many riders on this board move into the high aspect foil lineup to get more dynamic turns out of their rides.
TIPS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR LIFT3 EFOIL
From an instructor’s perspective, we can attest to the success of our students on each one of the four board sizes from Lift Foils. We would offer you this advice when deciding between each board size.
TIP #1 - For the two bigger boards, the 5’9” and the 5’4”:
- If you are looking for an easy ride on calm waters, choose the 5’9”
- If you are looking for a board to share with family and friends, choose the 5’9”
- If you weigh less than 250 lbs, or are shorter than 6ft, the 5’4” would be a better choice
- If you like slow speeds, cruising flat waters, and enjoy the groovy turns on foil, choose the 5’4”
TIP #2 – For the two smaller boards, the 4’9” and the 4’2”:
- You need to learn trigger control and board leveling before you will be successful with the shorter boards. The smaller volume of the boards require that most riders get the board level and planing on the water before the rider is able to stand. This requires a very good understanding of using the trigger to get just enough speed while balancing the board in a level position.
- Both boards are fantastic in the surf
- Both boards are easy to transport by hand to the water, and fits into small cars and storage spaces