Hydroflyer Cruiser Review
The Hydroflyer Cruiser is unlike any eFoil we have used to date. It’s an interesting hybrid of an eFoil, a Jet Ski, and an eFoil scooter. We had been using traditional eFoils in our school and shop for a few years now, but the Hydroflyer Cruiser caught our attention. The eFoil instructor in me loves the benefits for new eFoilers, and the professional athlete in me is drawn to the potential for jumps and aggressive riding.
We’ve been testing this for a few months now and we wanted to give an objective review on what you can expect from this high-end eFoil. The good, the bad, and the real story behind this bold new style of eFoil coming to the market.
In this blog, we’ll cover the following:
1 Who the Hydroflyer Cruiser is for
2 Safety of the Hydroflyer Cruiser
3 Durability of the Hydroflyer
4 what to expect from the Hydroflyer Cruiser on the water.
5 The Hydrofoil Foil Wing System
Who it’s the Hydroflyer Cruiser for?
There are three types of riders this was aimed at. Beginners, athletes, and people who won’t settle for anything but the best.
Rental centers and eFoil schools love the Hydroflyer for its ease of use. The handlebars provide extra stability. Unlike other eFoils, there are four points of connection for the rider to control the board. Most riders of average weight can stand up on the board and float before takeoff. Learning to eFoil is usually a process and this product cuts that process in half if not more. This is the easiest eFoil to get up and go on with the least number of falls.
It’s a luxury item and is quite popular on yachts. This is not a cheap eFoil. It’s one of the most premium available. This is a pro and a con for us. Other eFoils come in at less than half the cost and are incredibly good. We love the Waydoo Flyer One Plus. That said, the cost is worth what you get. This is by far the nicest eFoil we have tried to date but it might be out of some people’s price range.
There is a huge draw to the extreme athletes who want to do jumps and tricks. We’ve been using this to get air on flat water days. The hull was made by an America’s Cup designer. The bottom hull is shaped to get onto a plane fast with no resistance. The air and water flow are designed to perfection for a fast frictionless start. The scooped-out deck is for a stable flat riding platform. You don’t have to be moving to stand up. It’s made for aggressive touchdowns that won’t buck you off the board. When we’re out doing jumps, we can easily touch down and recover quickly. This is a huge benefit for athletes and beginners who will be touching the eFoil board down often.
The maximum rider weight is 260 pounds, and the Max speed is 31 miles per hour. You can expect an average ride time of two hours. Ride time varies on a lot of things. We’ve had touch-and-go lessons that last up to almost 4 hours. A heavy rider gunning the throttle will get much less ride time.
Safety on the Hydroflyer Cruiser
The Hydroflyer is the safest eFoil we have used. With the handlebars, you can turn the foils away from you on a fall. There is a bar pad for the handlebars and a kill switch on the throttle. If you fall it will cut the power like a jet ski. Getting back up is easy. The Hydroflyer Cruiser will self-right after a fall. There is a reverse button. This is great when you get too close to a dock or the boat. The takeoff is almost automatic thanks to the weight distribution.
It comes with an 82cm mast but as an added learning feature you can use a fin with a propellor without the foil. It’s by far the easiest eFoil to learn on. The extra buoyancy, stability, and 4 points of connection from the handlebars and the added safety of using the handles to control falls with a kill switch.
Durability of the Hydroflyer Cruiser
Part of the price is the quality of materials used and the engineering behind the design.
The handlebars screw on like a mast. It’s rigid and durable, not retractable or fragile. This is a huge plus for us. It uses titanium bolts, so it is light and strong. The connection between the handlebars and the mast below is strong and reflected in the way it rides. We were worried there might be some disconnect but you have perfect in-tuned control of the foil beneath you.
These benefits come at a cost of weight. The Hydroflyer weighs 93 pounds with the battery. Just a bit heavier than a standard eFoil. That said, for small riders, it can be a bit to carry into the water. Once on the water, the handlebars give extra leverage, so it doesn't feel heavy, and the turns are effortless despite the swing weight. You would genuinely have no idea this was a 93-pound eFoil while riding.
Hydroflyer Cruiser Review - What to Expect on the Water.
Simply put, ease of use, power, and control. There are three power settings. The finger throttle on the bar has a lot of throws. You can easily set it to power level three on modulate the power as necessary. We rate this as a huge bonus. There is a level of refinement and useability that stands out here. The power is phenomenal, you can use a rope to tow people into waves. The extra power is a benefit for heavy riders who need help and athletes looking for speed or to tow regular foils into the waves for foil surfing.
The Hydroflyer gives you options. You can use the handlebars to turn it but also it will turn like a traditional eFoil. It’s all in the weight shift! Some riders will choose to stand with their feet forward like riding a bike or skis while others will stand off set more like a surfboard or standard eFoil. You can remove the handlebars with four bolts and use a handheld remote for a surf-style eFoil. The shape of the hull was expertly thought out and the weight distribution makes this easier to pop up on, it feels automatic.
The turns are controlled and sharp. We love to ride aggressively and charge fast on this one. For our friends and students that are new, the control is intuitive and it’s easy to take it slow. You won’t find a better ride in the eFoil world to date. After your ride, it only takes 90 minutes to fully charge the battery.
The Hydrofoil Foil Wing System - Unifoil
Hydroflyer has partnered with Unifoil, a tried-and-true foil from the wind sports industry. There are three models available.
- The Vortex wing – Low aspect for ease of use
- The Viper 190 – Medium aspect for glide and playful riding
- The Hyper – High aspect for pump and glide
It’s a modular hydrofoil system so you will have access to any Unifoil wing in their range. We love that the Hydroflyer team partnered up with Unifoil whose only focus is producing the best wings. This attention to detail and design will stand out on the water if you give one of these a try.
In summary, this is our favorite eFoil in 2024. We would love to see future models with a reduction in weight and price but from an engineering and construction standpoint, those two things are at odds with each other. We stock lighter and more economical eFoils but the Hydroflyer is our top recommendation for beginners and those looking for a high-end eFoil built for sport and aggressive riding.
If you want to learn more about eFoiling, hydrofoiling, or even wing foiling, give me a call or shoot me a text. My name is Chris Bobryk, I run eFoil Miami and teach lessons daily! (786) 505-2305