There’s been a lot of buzz lately about hydrofoils. Big strides have been made in both efficiency and speed of a technology that’s giving seafarers the ability to cut through the water with less resistance and fewer wakes while riding more fluidly above the surface.
Bay Area-based startup Valo has been developing something of its own, dubbed Hyperfoil, which takes the electric hydrofoil technology for boats and surfboards and places it on a jet ski. Powered by an electric motor capable of 108hp, the personal craft can hold one or two people as they fly 2ft above the water’s surface thanks to the fully-retractable carbon fiber hydrofoil wings beneath them.
Equipped with Skyride flight control software for active stability and agility, the Hyperfoil reaches speeds up to 58mph at over 100min of flight time between charges. 0 to 45mph in 8 seconds is a long time in a car, but with the wind in your face on a jet ski, it’ll feel like you’re flying.
Priced at $59,000, limited quantities of the Valo Hyperfoil are expected to deliver next summer in the United States. To reserve one, you can place a $1,000 down payment on the company’s website.
