There are a variety of non-boat means to travel along bodies of water. Surfboards, jetskis, water skis, and the underappreciated air chair. So many ways to make a watery spectacle of yourself, it’s kind of hard to settle on just one. Inventor Don Montegue’s new device aims to eliminate the guesswork and combine all four into one mighty vehicle: the Jetfoiler.
The Jetfoiler seems like an ordinary surfboard at first, but beneath the board proper sits a hydrofoil ending in an electric motor. Using a handheld controller tethered to the board, you can control the speed of the motor, with steering as simple as leaning left or right. When the motor is on, the board glides slightly above the surface of the water. It looks pretty cool.
A longtime tinkerer of kites and foils, Montegue developed the original Jetfoiler a few years ago and has been taking around the beaches of the world, tweaking it along the way. The vehicle hasn’t quite made it out of the prototype phase just yet, but Montegue hopes that when it’s ready, it’ll be a fun experience for riders of all ages.
