Electric surfboard
Electric surfboards were created with the technological advancement of batteries and electric drives (e.g. for electric cars, e-bikes, electric skateboards). This type of drive can also be used for water sports.
history
Electric boats already existed in the 19th century, but the lead-acid batteries used were too heavy and bulky for light sports equipment. The first motorized surfboards emerged in the 1980s and were still powered by gasoline engines. Only the development and mass production of light, high-performance lithium-ion batteries and the price drop for nickel-cadmium batteries associated with their market launch made it possible to build electrically operated boards in an economical, uncomplicated manner.
The first prototypes were presented in the 2000s.
At the beginning of 2017 there were around six manufacturers of electric surfboards, including Waterwolf in Munich, Sashay GmbH with the Lampuga brand in Hamburg, Waterrebel in Berlin, Radinn in Scandinavia, Aquillasurf in Spain and E-Foil in Puerto Rico. Sashay GmbH, which had sold around 400 electric surfboards from 2011 to spring 2017, filed for bankruptcy in April 2017; it was taken over by an investor who continues to run the Lampuga brand.
Description and operation
A distinction is made between electric surfboards with propellers and jet propulsion. The outputs are currently between 450 and 14,900 watts, which means that speeds of up to 50 km / h can be achieved. A battery charge lasts between 20 and 45 minutes.
Some boards look like conventional surfboards for surfing , others are similar to wakeboards or inflatable SUPs . The e-foil, which hovers over the water with a hydrofoil, is exotic .
The legal situation for using the E-SURFER is still complicated. As of 2017, there are three lakes in Bavaria (e.g. Starnberger See ) that are approved for electric surfboards. According to the shipping office in Berlin, an electric surfboard can be operated like a jet ski if it has a license plate.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Investor takes over insolvent manufacturer of e-surfboards. Reimer Rechtsanwälte / www.presseportal.de, June 30, 2017, accessed on October 21, 2017 .
- ↑ E-Surfer - Electric Surfboard - Electric surfboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017 .