When you’re new to eFoiling, it’s easy to get excited and forget to be smart about picking your location. Besides safe conditions, there’s obstacles, people, and much more to consider when riding on your eFoil.
As the eFoil pros of Southern California—and being something of the West Coast Fliteboard HQ—we’ve sussed out great locations and the best conditions for you to cruise on. Also, we’ve named some primary things to avoid and consider when riding your electric foil board!
Flat Water For Beginners
Something that may seem pretty obvious is going for flat water. You’re not quite the eFoil version of Kelly Slater on your first day, so go for flat water, especially if you are just starting out and learning to eFoil.
This means flat. Little ripples are cool, but it’s gotta be flat as a pancake. We highly recommend harbors and even lakes where it’s okay for motor vehicles to be on the water.
Things To Consider & Avoid On Your eFoil
There’s a lot to consider before you can get out there and start shredding. Here’s a little checklist to look at beforehand:
- Check the weather. This can tell you all about the conditions, possible storms, and so on.
- Look at the water. Even if conditions are good, the water itself can get ugly and choppy. Here’s your chance to evaluate it in person and be smart.
- Look for obstacles. Not always easy to see from the shore or pier, you need to look at the water for obstacles such as submerged trees or rocks. Murky water on lakes can hide these even more! In the sea, watch out for coral, which can cut you up pretty bad—and doing damage to these is destroying a vital ecosystem.
- Make some space. Whether you’re on a lake, river, or the ocean, eFoiling needs some space. Turns are wide and, not to mention, it’s just more fun with more room.
- Watch for people. If a lake or beachfront is packed with people, it’s probably not the best idea to bring your eFoil out there. And with the speeds of an eFoil, it can be a little dangerous too. Also, watch for fishing zones so you don’t get snagged!
- Buddy up. At JRLA and eFoil LA, we’re huge fans of the buddy system. Should something ever go wrong, you have a friend who can be your line of support and help you out!
The Best Locations For eFoiling
We’re huge fans of eFoiling on the ocean. Our squad prefers sheltered bays and gentle water, especially when you’re going out with beginners or going for an easy time. It’s pretty important that all beginners start on flat water though.
When we’re feeling adventurous, we try for some waves and easy rollers. You won’t see us at Mavericks or the Wedge, but we’ll try to coast along with some gentler waves.
Additionally, we love to bring our eFoils to fresh water. Rivers and lakes are great spots, provided they’re deep and wide enough to handle the turns and speeds of our Fliteboards.
Ride Safe
We love to ride our eFoils and in the many days and evenings we’ve spent on our boards, we’ve learned that safety has to come first. eFoils are fast and fun, but you have to be smart about the conditions, obstacles, and kinds of water you’re putting yourself into. Ride safe, fam.
