Flite & Lift Efoil Back-to-Back Ride and Review

We get on both the Flite and Lift efoils in one session to try them side to side and back to back. We were surprised with the performance and similarities between the Flite and Lift foils on the water. There are many differences but many things are the same. If we can help you get on the water with your own Efoil purchase please call us at 281-508-6485 or email [e-mail]. If you'd like to get out on the water for a session or demo call us and we can help get you efoiling at one of our two efoil session location. Thanks for watching.
Efoil session on our website:
houstonkiteboarding.com/colle...

[@SeakindlyFoilSchool]

Awesome!! Thank you!! Just a quick correction. There is no pump moving water through the cooling system. It’s a pitot type system, which just uses the pressure of the water being pushed through the system. It’s important to mention that because there are no moving parts to be damaged, it’s just a system of tubes and connectors. Thanks again!! Great job!

[@philmidler1502]

Yes it was a slip up on our side, thank you for the correction.

[@SuperDaveAgain]

Good review. I learned on a Lift but purchased a Fliteboard and have 50 hours riding it and perfecting my technique. I recently had the opportunity to go back and ride a Lift. I was shocked at the difference. The prop position on the Lift requires a lot more weight on the back foot vs the Fliteboard which by itself is nothing more than making a stance adjustment but I also noticed that because the power is not coming from directly behind the wing it’s tends to rock front to back more. Where as the Fliteboard doesn’t require constant adjustment fore and aft to maintain a level plane across the surface. Watch videos of riders on both boards and see if you can’t see the Lift rocking as if the rider is pumping the board a bit. Some of this might be also due to the Flite hand controller however as the rider is trying to hold the finger throttle in the mid range. One issue that I think was misrepresented in the video was that a Fliteboard rider has to step up from level one gear to get up. I know that for my body weight Of 190 lbs. I set the Flite controller at level 6 pin the throttle trigger and as it slowly accelerates I get to my feet. After I’m up and foiling I can continue with the trigger pinned and then bump the gears up from 7 to 13 depending how fast I want to go. (There are 20 gears but at my weight I haven’t been able to go over 13). I failed trying to get up on the Lift several times because my finger slipped off the trigger while trying to hold it halfway in as I stood up. I was embarrassed because I’m a good rider but just wasn’t used to the Lift throttle. My final realization was that I couldn’t rip off short radius turns on the Lift like I do on the Fliteboard. I’m sure some of these issues come down to what your used to but they were glaring differences for me. I’m happy with my Fliteboard. Thank you for the very good video.

[@clarkzavier1521]

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[@adenmustafa7101]

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[@kasonotis1431]

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[@calebluis2910]

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[@westonjaxx7286]

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[@brianjohnson8967]

From Boise Idaho...... Just got my 5ft board with the 250 wing from Phil. Great experience. Would recommend purchasing from HK... Phil is a good and honest communicator and can walk you through the thought process necessary to getting the right board....

[@markchatwin1689]

I am very appreciative of your comparison of Lift and Fliteboard. The take away for me is that as a Lift user you were impressed with Fliteboard and though in design they are different the two rode very similarly in the water and the quality was evident. As a potential buyer I would expect a similar feel and ride and it would come down to which company I wanted to go with. As a critique of your comparison in many instances I found you saying "they are different" but then shortly after "they were the same". At :45 to 1:13 you literally say "Very similar, just different, basically the same, very similar ride, yeh different, both high end". 3:48 you say "Here's the outcomes of these differences, Lift motor breaches and automatically brings you back on water, and then surprise Fliteboard does same thing". When I've had a breach of foil nothing is automatic in the correction, I had to change foot pressure/body position to correct the problem. Same vibe at 8:19 regarding the hand controller, I ended up with no clear understanding of the differences. Being hyper critical I was hoping you could have gotten more detailed on the differences on how power is delivered, how the water start is different, were there any differences in feel in regards of the propellor placement, or just feel in general... Since the hand controller is truly different I would like to know what board might be easier for the beginner. I got to demo the 5' Lift Sport with 170 foil in Hatteras and I remember starting with a setting of "5". I pulled the trigger and at that setting I had a certain degree of power to begin the "crawling up to your knees, getting a foot up, and then standing" process. Then as the foil engaged the speed picked up due to decreasing drag and once up "5" was a suitable slow speed for my "beginner Efoil status". As I was comfortable I punched it up to "6" and then "7". Since Fliteboard controller is different there has to be a difference in the water start in terms of the thumb input of the controller. Honestly I'm not saying I could do a better job of narrating a video like this only that I would have mapped out my narration in advance to be clear of differences and gotten more input from other riders on the differences because there has to be differences in feel just as there is with different shaped surfboards and different shaped fins on boards. Sincerely though thank you - I did learn from this video...

[@stefanberntsson4488]

Hi Mark, I can just agree on your remarks. I have tested both brands and have run most time on Lift so I might be coloured by that. Bottom line is Lift has a better feeling both in ride and in the hand controller. Both board acts pretty much the same straightforward and soft turns, but if you begin to really push your turns Lift is in another league. This board is made by surfers for surfers no doubts about it. Hand controller from Flite have more technical features showing speed, rpm etc. But is more aggressive and lacks smoothness. I also the stupid reset function each time you hit the water is annoying. The broad numbers of wings and folding prop options is something that you can’t find anywhere. 🤙

[@markchatwin1689]

​@@stefanberntsson4488 Thank you for commenting. I talked to rep for Lift and he says in Spring the board profile will change and the way cables connect will be easier. And more foil choices coming... And the folding prop option. Certainly makes it very easy to pick Lift...

[@mfng3839]

Best comparison I’ve found on YT so far. I’m a Lift owner, but would welcome anyone to Springfield, IL who has a Flite board as I’d love to see the difference!

[@JetSurfingNation]

Thank you! Finally someone made a direct comparison! Great work! Some notes: 1:28 you say how both similar they are but you are actually showing on screen just two Lifts of different colors which might be misleading to the beginner :) Later in video you show them separately of course. The mast of Flite is very different from Lift and the position of the motor making effective mast length 10 cm more. That is shown 1:54 What I did not like in flite is requirement to always put magnet to the controller to unlock the board every time. I hope this will be removed or made optional in future. No other efoils I tried have this feature and I find it pretty annoying for pro riders. I also hope both companies will make an easier plug and play solution with a battery like Waydoo has instead of attaching all those cables.

[@kevinvanbever8490]

I’ve just received my first Fliteboard Pro and all I can say is that I absolutely love it . As an absolute novice (no surfing , skateboarding, or snowboarding experience ) , I was up foiling after a few sessions . My instructor recommended a pro as the board is much smaller but seen my body weight of 72kg he thought that the pro was a perfect fit . 100% right . The only regret I have is that I didn’t buy a board earlier .

[@SteveHofsaess]

I took a few lessons and also love the flight board,, I am learning on the 150 litre , but the instructor recommends the 100litre flightboard with the 75cm mast, I am 85 kilos

[@bobeverson637]

Great comparison - the other thing I would add is that there are a lot more wing options for the lift since it uses their standard surf foils - HA, etc. that’s a big benefit for people who surf, wing, sup foil also as you can use the same wings across multiple platforms...

[@wetdreamstravel1865]

I disagree, fliteboard has 10 wings to choose from, all made for efoiling. For all riding types; surf, race, control, stability, hard carving etc.

[@jmmartin79]

Great performance review. Slight edit that you might appreciate. Carbon is actually a conductor- a very good one which is why carbon fiber wind turbine blades have such a challenge with lightning.

[@midlerp]

James, you are correct for electrical conductance but not for thermal. Carbon fiber is one of those strange materials that DOES conduct electricity but does not conduct heat. Maybe we weren't clear in the video but that is what we meant. Carbon is the way to go and I believe ended up making a much superior product with a very robust cooling system and stiff mast /board combo. Thanks for the message!!!!

[@Justin-bw8zi]

Thanks! So great to see a comprehensive head to head. Any difference in power of the motors, responsiveness of the boards, and stability/carving of the commiserate wings? Did you notice any difference in height of the masts? The carbon kit is the way to go, but the engine height on the LIFT would shorten the effectively height of the mast (particularly if thinking about surfing waves and rough water). Did that matter/was noticeable?

[@midlerp]

We could have made a 1 hr video there is so much to unpack! The small height difference was noticeable especially since we are used to the lift. But not much maybe 2 inches. We surf the Lifts all of the time and the height is a not factor as you're surfing without motor (especially with folding prop) so you have the full height. Motors were both about the same in terms of power. The pitch of the props was very different and the Flite uses a plastic prop. PLASTIC PROP!! WTF! I didn't want to say anything in the review but that is crazy...the prop should be made of something similar to gold...at least metal. The pitch of the prop seems to have more torque on the Flite similar to the race version of the Lift prop. The plastic I don't like, but on the water we couldn't tell any difference. The Flite wings were much higher aspect but had a lot more anhedral (curve down) so the affective aspect ratio was probably about the same as the Lifts we were on. There are so many wing variations it is hard to tell but the over all feel was that the Flite was easy to maneuver and fast. Hope that helps. Flite for teaching and Lift for buying....just my two cents.

[@Justin-bw8zi]

@@midlerp I would LOVE to have seen a 1hr video on the comparisons. To your pt., as LIFT foils are all custom you can apparently order (takes longer) a longer mast and I'm considering adding 2 inches when the '21 boards and tech come out next year. For me, LIFT is definitely the way to go on the 4'4", folding prop, etc. I foil in often rough water so the more clearance I can get without sacrificing too much stability makes all the difference. I'm also 200 lbs so the lift 250 surf will help me when stealing wake from other boats, etc. Do you think mast height is as sensitive on an efoil as it is on a surf foil (a couple inches makes a big difference as you have to adjust the foil height to get leverage on way). Thanks SO much for your amazing review and council!!!

[@robfrasier9412]

Great comparison! Thanks. Are you still partial to Lift?

[@midlerp]

Lift all of the way! Flite will get there but not there yet. Thanks for the comment!

[@gustavvader2207]

Great video. Thanks. For me, the cooling, CPU, and aluminum mast makes me lean to Lift.

[@casscassy9174]

I agree 👍👍

[@dratz750]

I have owned both a lift and a flight for over 2 years. I can see that generally the Fliteboard is more pleasant to ride and less likely to breach and have a big wipeout. I could save when I breach much more on the Flite. I had the folding prop on the lift but in choppy water or waves I found the fliteboard my usual go to vs. Lift. I have subsequently sold my lift and got a second fliteboard so i can interchange boards and batteries etc. One correctly is on the Flite you can start at a higher gear just like lift. As soon as you tap it in just hit the plus sign to get to the gear that you want (for me usually 7) then start foiling you don’t have to go through all the gears as you mentioned etc. Until Lift updated their newest controller etc. Flight had their app that tracks all your trips etc.which while cool i don’t use much etc. But the speed was useful when i was riding. Lift has it now on their latest board and controller finally.

[@donle9323]

I'm so torn between lift and flite now trying to buy. Leaning more towards Flite based on these reviews especially D Ratz who owns both.

[@dratz750]

@@donle9323 happy to chat and anywhere any questions Don. I’ve sold my Lift and gotten a second Flite now.

[@donle9323]

@@dratz750 hope you don't mind answering: friend of mine has a Lift 4'2" and said don't get anything above 4'9" since he had to trade his old Lift 5"7 to get a 4'2 and absolutely loves it. I went to the Flite shop today and the guy said DO NOT get the Ultra, only buy the Pro which is 5'. I am a very good with snowboading, water wakeboard, wake skate so I feel I want to learn to be advanced eventually and dont want to invest in something that I will grow out (5' Pro Flite in this case). What's your opinion?

[@donle9323]

And by the way my friend weighs 140 lbs and I'm 165 lbs

[@dratz750]

@@donle9323 sorry for the delay on the reply. So that is a fairly big difference in weight. I am about 175lbs. I have a FB inflatable and Pro now. The Pro is definitely slower to pop up on my weight. It is quick and nimble to me vs. my 5'6" lift and 6" FBIB. I personally think the ultra would be way too small for me and my weight. I would agree if your good and sporty a 5' makes sense. For me a lot of riding is open ocean off the shore so often a fair bit of chop. However i also ride in miami around the bay and lots of boat wakes etc as well. I like to think i am fairly sporty etc. and used to ski/board I think the ultra for me would be too unstable. I think you can play around a lot with wings etc. to create different set ups to keep it exciting. Alternatively see if you can rent something to try it before you buy it! Hope that all helps...

[@remickmerry3836]

How does the quality compare with the Lift and Flite?

[@brianjohnson8967]

Cancelled my order with Flight and got the Lift because: Flight would take your money but not give a firm delivery date.... Lift foils are interchangeable.... found that pump water cooling is reliable and carbon mast is better than aluminum. .

[@kippywylie]

Lift has an incredible customer support and and warranty coverage. I own a 4'9" and my controller failed.... One email and a replacement was in the mail

[@MotoMatt418]

Any constructive feedback on how the Waydoo compares to these two? Pricing differences are extreme.

[@midlerp]

You get what you pay for in this instance for sure. I have sold multiple Waydoo customers Lift efoils after horror stories of broken boards with back and forth shipping of parts from China just to end up with a unit that works intermittently. If you're a hobbiest and want something to tinker with get a Waydoo. If you want max time on the water with no issues, buy a Lift or a Flite. Totally worth the price difference.

[@blancdiamant]

Hi, is there a big difference in noise level produced by the two boards ?

[@midlerp]

Noise is about the same between the two although they both have a distinctly different sound. The motors have a quiet whine to them.

[@jeffroth9]

Is the Foil brand board less buoyant than the Lift? I had ridden a few left boards and then purchased a flight board in the longer version actually. When I’m in the water starting a ride, it seems too much more easily submerge than the lift did. I’m wondering if that’s your experience? It’s a little concerning because there’s specific instructions are to make sure that the battery door does not get submerged, but I find that nearly impossible

[@midlerp]

There are a lot of variables, I felt like the Flight boards were narrower as well which was great when you're up on the foil and experienced. Maybe not as user friendly as the lift in the same size board. The smallest lift board 4'2" has a similar feel, it will sink the nose if you just look at it wrong, but the other sizes are easy to keep above water. Thank you for the comment!

[@sunshine5349]

$12,000 for these eboards is crazy. So is the $3000-$3500 battery prices. a 2kwh battery is $300- $400 in materials. that's like a 10x markup.

[@midlerp]

I'll pay $3500 for batteries that will never explode or start on fire any day of the week. Sorry definitely disagree. The efoil pricing for Lift is total justified by their consistent lack of inventory due to demand. They CANNOT make $12,000 carbon boards and $3500 batteries fast enough to keep up with people buying them. I've owned 3 Lift efoils and love them. I also own jetskis and the efoils are a much better value when based on safety and maintenance. I spend $0/year maintaining efoils but spend thousands in gas, oil changes, winterizing, servicing, trailer parts, etc on my jetskis. Just something to think about.

[@sunshine5349]

@@midlerp in a few years there will be competitors making them for much less. only reason they are selling well now is due to no competition.

[@sunshine5349]

@@midlerp all lion batteries shoudl be treated as if they could catch on fire. if huge corporations can have battery fire issues so can this small company, dont' get cocky, might save your house from burning down.

[@JansVanlife]

A 2kwh Battery 14s14p needs 192 18650 cells plus BMS and Housing. 192 Cells 6€ (Samsung 30Q) each, that’s 1152€ plus 100-200€ BMS and housing.

[@SoloCampingAdventures]

I want it, BUT its toooooo expensive

[@alibektynshimov8964]

Bro hi. I don't understand English well. say please. management, controller Who is better?Lift or Flite?

[@JetSurfingNation]

They are both same pro level, impossible to say what is better. Different design choices but both are pro level efoils

[@Fluterra]

Fliteboard so far ahead. Not even close.

[@philmidler1502]

Please elaborate, I think everyone on this thread would like to hear your thoughts. I cannot wait to try the newest release and their folding prop, but it is tough to beat the support i've seen from Lift the last 4 years. I had a buddy who waited 3 months for a replacement plastic prop from Flight, I guess this has been resolved?

[@3vimages471]

Are you f**king joking? I was thinking max. $1000 .... maybe $1200 .... $12,000 is beyond ridiculous. You can buy a brand new, very decent quality Jet Ski for that price. Plus with the depth of the wing foil and prop. you won't be able to go anywhere near the beach as it will need at least a meter or so of water. My interest just went from an 8 to a zero .... back to buying a new jet ski.

[@wowzering420]

most new surfboards cost almost 1k

[@richardpatterson4312]

If you're broke just say your broke. No need to disparage the high quality items you and understand.

[@3vimages471]

@@richardpatterson4312 If you`re uneducated, keep writing posts like that. If you`re educated then check what you have written before you embarrass yourself again. And I am happy to pay the premium for my AMG car or my FX Cruiser SVHO. I am just not paying $12k for a waterproof hair drier.

[@lynperk]

your rental cost is ridiculous

[@midlerp]

Thanks for the comment. I don't our rental costs was listed as you need to take instruction first. All rates are instructional rates. after your first session you can rent Efoils at a much lower rate. Just curious, in your opinion what is a fair rental rate per board and per hour? Thank you for the comment!

[@JetSurfingNation]

@@midlerp 150 eur per hour rental sounds fair considering a price of equipement.

[@SteveHofsaess]

@@JetSurfingNation I paid 300 dollars for a 1.5 hour lesson and had the best day ,, I went out again the next day