If you want to surf on flat water, you either need to be towed by a boat, or have a built-in motor on your board. It used to be that the latter option was impossible, but now that batteries and electric motors are smaller than ever before, surf startups all over the globe are building self-propelled boards that you can ride anywhere — not just the ocean.
The latest entry into this burgeoning category comes from Onean Electric Jet Surfboards. The company has recently unveiled a pair of boards equipped with powerful electric engines — effectively allowing you to surf without waves.
The Carver and the Manta, as they’re called, both sport onboard 4400-Watt brushless motors under your feet. The boards are sandwich style with a CNC and EPS shaped core, and while their top speed is still being tested, they look pretty damn quick in the video above. The axial water pump powered by the motor is controlled with a wireless remote. The motor is silent and, since it’s electric, both of the company’s boards are safe for use in protected areas.
With more of an elongated oval shape and a tapered nose, the Carver is made to slalom, or “carve” up the water. The top speed is still being tested, but the battery can handle about 20 minutes at full thrust. It has two foot straps to keep you safely onboard.
The Manta is a little heavier and has a square shape that makes it more stable. It’s designed for smooth cruising at lower speeds, topping out at 8 kilometers an hour. It’ll cruise for two hours before the battery dies, which makes it perfect for exploring. In either case, the battery takes about two hours to charge, so you can charge it in the morning before you head out to the water. Onean does offer extra batteries for $1,300 each.
The Blade, the third Onean board is coming soon. By looks, it appears to be a smaller, even more nimble board than the Carver. Onean hasn’t revealed any stats or prices yet.
The versatility of design Onean offers here is pretty interesting, but there are other electric jet boards available. These lack some of the more convenient features you’ll find on other boards. For instance, the Onean boards don’t deflate for easy storage and transport like Sipa or Lampuga Boards, and since one of the boards doesn’t need a paddle, the remote is an external affair (not built into the paddle) that gives you yet another thing to carry.
Propulsion makes the Onean electric jet surfboards perfect for lake surfing and calmer beaches. $3,870 gets you a Carver Pack, while the Manta runs $4,090. Both come with the respective boards, a wireless remote, battery, charger, leash, footstrap and fin set for the bottom of the board. The Manta also comes with a paddle. Orders will start shipping the last quarter of 2015.
