Lift 4 Pro Review & End of Season Recap 2023- Verdant Ride

[@SurferBobbyLew]

Ditto I’m a nobody and lift has always been great at fixing everything!!

[@VerdantRide]

Right? Power to the nobodies… :D

[@methanesprings4085]

It’s impressive you can go that fast in glassy water. My brother and I both struggle with height judgment in flat conditions.

[@VerdantRide]

I do struggle when freestyling out in the middle of the lake when it is glass but I don't seem to have this issue when in course. I'm not sure if it is because I'm relying more on sound and feel than vision or if the simple fact of being close to floating obstacles (race gates) helps me gain a better understanding of my general board height. Either way, I've won a lot of races on glass especially since we usually race in the evening in protected coves in various lakes where glass is common.

[@perdidomar]

Thanks for the awesome vids and instruction!

[@VerdantRide]

This response was provided by the Verdant Ride GPT: chatgpt.com/g/g-fwDABnTTY-verdant-ride-efoil-news-reviews-advice 🤖 @perdidomar Thanks for the awesome feedback! I've forwarded your kudos on to Stephan. We're glad you're enjoying the videos and finding the instruction helpful. If there's anything specific you'd like to see or learn more about, feel free to let us know. Happy eFoiling! 🌊🚀

[@deahelkcunklaer2180]

Lift support has been amazing. I bought my board Gen 1 in 2018. They help diagnose everything and replace parts very quickly. Now that I'm out of warranty I do pay for replacement parts as expected but their response is excellent

[@VerdantRide]

Agree.

[@snowindirt]

Hey man. Thank you for putting out such great and useful content. One thing I have to disagree with you about. I took off the prop shroud and have been using the stock prop and it’s been great on both my 4’9” and my 4’2” boards. Lift boards are awesome and their customer support is unbeatable.

[@VerdantRide]

That's interesting. What's your average cruising speed?

[@tb6031]

My riding partner owns a Lift sport model, I ride a 4’9”. He prefers mine due to some of the throttle range you mentioned, no customer service, and a few other things. I ride in Kailua Kona, unbelievable experience riding through clear water, viewing pristine reefs and aquatic life.

[@VerdantRide]

Sorry I think I am misunderstanding you statment. RIDING PARTNER = Lift Sport - YOU = 4'9" LIFT? - He prefers your 4'9" for throttle range? I think all Lift boards have should have the same throttle range. What has "no customer service?"

[@snowindirt]

Down here in Florida it took me two trips to DMV plus a phone call to the Florida Wildlife Commission so they could figure out how o complete the registration. Eventually they came up with an "Other" classification. Keep in mind, if you get stopped down here you're also supposed to have a legal life jacket and a signaling device, aka whistle. Luckily I've only been stopped once and was given a warning for no registration.

[@VerdantRide]

Dang… That sucks.

[@benhcouk]

Could not agree more with your comments on the lack of high-performance investment. I just sold all of my Lift gear after being a customer for the best part of 5 years. Im looking for a board that is MUCH lighter and blurs the lines between prone and efoil for wave riding. Im going to try the Fliteboard Ultra L2 (18KG) and keeping an eye on their FliteLab gear also. Lift really seem to have dropped the ball on the performance stuff. Echo the comments on support from Lift. Very rarely have I needed anything but they have always been excellent.

[@methanesprings4085]

Hahaha… I like your modified lift commercial at the end. It’s because they are selling the: be at one with nature bro. Do yoga on the ocean while flying in a zen state of mind dude. Feel the connection with nature while the planets align and you carry your 70 lb board down the beach. Don’t forget to buy a $70 Lift tshirt. Made from recycled plastic and sustainable hemp products man.

[@VerdantRide]

Sometimes it is hard to see yourself through your customer's eyes. This is why (sometimes) it is a good idea to hire an external marketing agency. I know what would make my wakeboard friends interested in their products and so far, Lift has no idea how to show that side of their boards.

[@davidbryan3347]

You nailed it! I don't have the need for speed that you do, however I think you are correct they have no clue about flat lake speed demons. You are also correct in why people (including myself) can't see why the cost is so high for doing electric SUP. My background is kiteboarding and being in the Midwest catching wind is inconvenient efoil is ready when i am ready. Glad I found your channel.

[@VerdantRide]

Right on! Looking forward to seeing clips of your rides.

[@SurferBobbyLew]

The pro remote you can actually see the temperature its got a lot of diagnostically relevant information if you are ok with the price.

[@VerdantRide]

@SurferBobbyLew, This response was provided by the Verdant Ride GPT: chatgpt.com/g/g-fwDABnTTY-verdant-ride-efoil-news-reviews-advice 🤖 Thanks for your comment! The Pro Remote sounds like a great upgrade with all that diagnostic information. We'd love to hear more about your experience with it. How has it impacted your rides and overall performance? We're still using the standard remote here at Verdant Ride, so any insights you can share would be greatly appreciated! For others interested, here are the updated details: Pro Remote Tech Specs: Display: High-resolution color screen Battery Life: Up to 10 hours of use Temperature Monitoring: Real-time display of motor and battery temperatures Connectivity: Enhanced Bluetooth for improved connection stability Diagnostics: Detailed error messages and system diagnostics Water Resistance: IP68 rating Controls: Ergonomic design with a responsive throttle trigger Firmware Updates: Over-the-air updates for the latest features and improvements Pricing: Cost: $895 For more information, visit Lift Foils Accessories. liftfoils.com/products/elite-hand-controller?verdantride

[@ne4azcats]

Great video. One of the things I’ve heard about Flite is that the lower placement of their motor gives you more usable mast for the money. Thoughts?

[@VerdantRide]

Yes. That is one of the benefits of Flite's design. I don't know that it makes up for needing to send the board in to them every 6 months for inspection/maintenance or the limited ability to control the speed, but perhaps it would give you an additional 2 inches or so of breach prevention.

[@sebastiankwiatkowski2541]

You are truly crazy, I “love” you☀️☀️☀️

[@VerdantRide]

What did I do that's crazy? I "love" you too… Do we know each other? Have we loved each other? I've got missing memories I need explaining and I thought that it was aliens but now that I've read this I'm starting to wonder… :P

[@haseybaby]

Glad i found your channel! Finally some honest truth about the boards.. good and bad, refreshing to hear real experience. Keep up the great un-sugar coated reviews. Really interested in getting into this sport, just trying to figure out what is right for me. Would love to hear more about the lift pro 4 and what u think of it. Im 6’00”/200lbs.. interested in the pro and dont mind a learning curve, i just dont want somthing like the sport just to get bored w it, your style of riding is exactly what i would want out of a board. Do u think my size is too big for the pro to eventually become great at it?

[@VerdantRide]

I think you'll love it! I think you'll never EVER get bored or riding it. I think you'll be sad when your battery tells you it is time to head in. I think you'll be downright depressed when it time to pack the board up for the season. I think you'll count the days till it is time to ride again. That's what I do…

[@KV-lj6el]

Thank you for this video; your thoughts on Flite Vs. Lift are quite interesting to me. Initially, I learned about efoils and Lift, and I was drawn to them. However, as I learned more, I decided to go with Fliteboard mainly because of reliability. I wanted a high-performance efoil, but I know that reliability is even more important to enjoy your hobby. Your videos about battery issues made a strong case against Lift, and other factors, like the simplicity of the design and the reliability of the aluminum mast, influenced my decision. Putting that aside, in terms of riding, I have seen more extreme riding and carving from people with Fliteboard. I believe the motor's position plays a significant role in this. What is your opinion on having the smaller motor positioned lower and a longer usable mast length? I haven't tried Lift, only Sifly and Audi efoil, but they have similar designs. As for the trigger on the Fliteboard, you're right; it is quite sensitive on higher gears. It takes practice, but once you get used to it, it's great for harnessing its power. I am currently working on jumping. Have you tried it? What is your opinion on that?

[@VerdantRide]

I think a carbon fiber is in every way imaginable, superior to aluminum for weight/strength/stiffness when it comes to eFoil build materials. I've never had any reliability issues regarding Lift's masts. I've heard of battery issues on literally everything that uses modern batteries. Even Apple has struggled with battery performance and reliability so I don't know that one brand is ultimately pulling ahead in this arena. I've yet to meet anyone with a Fliteboard that has their fastest/lightest pro model so I still cannot speak to issues of performance. Yes, I think ultimately Lift wastes a lot of valuable mast height with their current design AND I'd go so far as to say that Lift doesn't properly understand the value of extra height in the mast for reducing fly-out and splash-down situations as noted by only offering the shorter mast as an aluminum option. I've said it many times before, "Lift should just stop selling the shorter mast because it is crap!" Once you get used to anything it is easier to use BUT given the limitations of human finger muscles and tendon tension measurements, more range in the throttle adjustment will make all riders better able to adjust the throttle for fine tuning high-speed maneuvers so I'll give the win to Lift. This is an easy thing for Flite to fix but "nobody listens to turtle" no matter how loud or often I say it. I am interested in trying the Audi mostly because all of their recent advertising is focusing on the performance of the board. Whether or not the board matches the adverts, I lik that they seem to understand that there is a market (and probably the hungriest market sector) for high performance boards for riders that have evolved past needing to be reassured how east it is to learn, ride and apparently carry the stupid board around. My opinion on jumping is, since I'm not trying to impress anyone and because I'm trying to avoid a knee replacement before I reach my mid 50s, I'm disinterested in something that I only do in emergency situations. Jumping an eFoil is kinda like riding around on one while sitting on it… It doesn't look as cool as the rider thinks it looks and it isn't all that much fun to do either. eFoils are only powered while the motor is in the water so I'm not really interested in losing 100% of my thrust and 50% of my forward momentum just to perform a clumsy bunny hop and then spend the next several seconds maintianing balance while thrust is restored and I can start carving again at high speed again. This is my opinion and I could be wrong and it probably matters little either way. If you like jumping, jump. If not, don't. I'm in the second pile for that desicion.

[@KV-lj6el]

​@@VerdantRideRegarding jumping, it is intimidating, but it is less strenuous on your legs than hard carving. Also, it aligns with the things you are saying about the general image of the brands. It will be way cooler and more productive if we see this in the commercials than carrying boards on the beach. Additionally, this is another level of skill suitable for every advanced rider. A carbon fiber mast may deliver better performance, but aluminum seems more reliable, at least based on my research. Flite doesn't have a case of a broken one, and I have seen broken carbon masts. Also, it acts as a cooling tool, which is more functional. To me, it seems that the battery issues with Lift are too much, even compared to less prestigious brands. I hope they have solved this issue, as I haven't seen recent complaints. We will see in spring; maybe it will be affected by storage.

[@VerdantRide]

I think that debating aluminum masts vs carbon fiber (beyond cost) is mostly an exercise in futility because choosing aluminum for reliability is trying to fix a problem that doesn't really exist on either board. When you nail a stump or boulder underwater at full speed, it will break at the attachment point on the board because physics says that's where the forces go. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmqzipuiepamjcU I'll likely always go the lighter/stiffer config because when I'm racing, every ounce matters and even a millimeter of vibration wobble will reduce the accuracy of my carves. I don't know that I agree with you that my cartilage wear would be lower jumping than carving. Knee injures are usually caused by lateral torsion and impacts when meniscus or patella are in the wrong place when 889.7 newtons of force are applied on the landing. Mostly I just think that jumps look kinda lame on an efoil because the recovery on landing looks slow and wobbly while the thrust force is building back up. If it had some way of continuing the velocity throughout the jump so it was super smooth (like switching to air jets when above the surface) I'd have a different opinion. Even if you were to pull off the sweetest flip or barrel roll, until the efoil can renter the water and maintain its stability, speed, and thrust so that it smoothly glides back in, it will just be one of those quirky things riders do that others will quickly tire of seeing, like people who ride sitting, lying down, or gluing an oriental rug to the deck to pull off Aladdin's magic carpet effect on an eFoil, Jumps with kites, wakeboards, motocross etc. = cool - mostly because they have smooth landings and there's no break in the action. Riders just don't look very cool when struggling and I've yet to see an efoil spend any impressive amount of time out of the water without looking like trying to ride a baby cow on re-entry. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioTdXnmPndWfaKc I'm happy to be proven wrong but I'll bet you a root-beer won't see eFoil jumping in the Gravity Games any time soon. I'll reserve my jumping skills for when I actually see an obstacle in the water I have no other choice to avoid except for breeching @@KV-lj6el

[@KV-lj6el]

​@@VerdantRideI am new to jumping , it took me a lot of effort to make it happen with the landings. I based my opinion on my personal experience I am sure that I put a lot more pressure on my legs during high speed and aggressive carving. I have a few attempts for jumps after which I managed to land directly on foil and continue foiling without touching the water with the board, it is a very cool feeling, you feel the flow. But this is very difficult you need high speed and to land with your propeller spinning at the right speed.

[@tonycarter1442]

Appreciate the honest review! Your style of riding inspired me to purchase a new Lift 4 pro, Steel Blue of course. My board arrived a few days ago w/ 36” mast, LCS folding prop, Surf 200 & Glide 32. I went with the Elite controller as well. I took one lesson on a Lift cruiser then on a sport towards the end of the lesson and was hooked. I’m a skater, eskater and snowboarder “living for the carve” as you mention. I know there will be a steep leaning curve with this board, hence the wing setup. Live in San Diego where there is a huge bay and of course the Pacific Ocean. I plan to experience the school of hard knocks, but so much want to experience the high speed carves that you have nailed. 🎯 My question is, what wings do you suggest for me to once I grow out of the stability of the surf 200 & Glide 32? Look forward to hearing from you. 🤙🏼

[@VerdantRide]

I'm addicted to the 100 Surf V2 and 36 Glide. The 32 rear is a solid stab but because high-speed racing requires me to utilize a MUCH braoder stance (back foot closer to end of board) I found that I needed additional rear stailization or I'd over-sink the rear of the board while banking. I thought that this would just be my racing rig but as it turns out, it is also the perfect freestyle rig too. It is pretty much the pefect balance for high-speed stable carving. It isn't a very effecient rig though. Expect much shorter run times with it. HA wings would likely be more efficient but have too much flex for my tastes and purposes. As you near 30mph, you'll feel things in the board you don't at 20mph so everything needs to be solid and the 100/36g is about as small as you can get it while still providing decent lift and stability, IM(educated yet)HO. I don't know that there is any way to speed your progress but I will say that racing through courses certainly changed the way I ride and my confidence when throwing my body into a carve. Also riding backwards for a FULL SESSION from your normal stance 1 in every 4th-5th session seems in increase muscle memory progress faster than sticking with your standard, at least according to a neurology study I read a few years ago that seemed to make some solid points about mixing it up to build more robust neural pathways. Good luck and I look forward to seeing some vids of you progress!

[@tonycarter1442]

Appreciate your reply! Your points are duly noted. 👍🏻 I was curious, what do you do when your Lake freezes over? Do you hunker down and wait for spring or do you find other places to fly during the winter season?

[@VerdantRide]

I go skiing, take a tropical trip to surf or efoil or whatever. Mostly I work really hard, and keep myself crazy busy with a bunch of radical projects to keep the SAD from sinking in. This year however, I'm doing something crazy and you'll hear about it in our next video. @@tonycarter1442

[@perdidomar]

Do you have any links to races? I've been riding since February, and I love riding. I plan to upgrade to the 4'2 next year. Your vids are awesome!

[@VerdantRide]

This response was provided by the Verdant Ride GPT: chatgpt.com/g/g-fwDABnTTY-verdant-ride-efoil-news-reviews-advice 🤖 @perdidomar Here are some upcoming eFoil races you can attend in 2024: 1. **World Cup Championship in Finland**: This annual event takes place in the Lake District of Finland, specifically in Kuopio. The competition week includes practice days, parallel races, and a Grand Prix. The next World Cup Championship is scheduled for the summer of 2024. More details can be found on [eFoil Racing](efoilracing.com). 2. **Flite Cup**: Organized by Flite, the Flite Cup attracts participants from around the world and features various racing formats, including speed and agility courses. Visit [Flite](fliteboard.com) for more information on this event. For more details on these events and to keep up with additional races, you can visit the respective websites. As for the races Stephan attends, they are usually pretty low-key, with a bunch of guys setting up courses on their lakes. There are a few sponsored events, but they seem pretty sporadic at the moment. Happy racing and enjoy the upgrade to the 4'2"! 🌊🚀

[@user-dg9wy7ti4y]

yep your a carver dude, but not a business man, the answer to your question about why Lift showers you with good service and rapid parts delivery is your a video contributing, free marketing "tool" (nothing personal), your a somebody to Lift, maybe not a Kai or a Laird but your going to get preferential treatment, unlike me and I assume others, who are nobodies in Lifts elitist world view as the industry leader and like me have been totally ignored despite numerous email and phone attempts I have made with no return contact from Lift after purchasing top of the line board carbon fiber everything, "custom" paint, and extra performance accessories right from the get go...crickets quit crying that you cant try another manufacturers best board for free, boohoo, maybe your rich wakeboarding friends will let you ride theirs next year, in the meantime, throw some air into those speedy gonzales sprints and turns you do so well and make more videos that keep me stoked about my $14k purchase that comes with no customer service from the manufacturer...;)

[@VerdantRide]

Your assumptions make me wonder about how you formulate your concept to others in your world…. FIRST… though I never refer to myself as a, "business man," I cannot deny my entrepreneurial prowess. I started my first business when I was 15 and successfully ran it until I graduated from college when I started my career working for the man. As soon as I had enough experience and connections I started another company that remains successfully operating and remaining a leader of innovation in the field 30 years later. So, not sure what criteria you would accept that makes me qualified to be a, "business man," , but I suspect most would say that given my track record and my ability to maintain longterm high value clients through a commitment to excellence and integrity qualifies me as a successful, "business man." With that first assumption out of the way, I'll dismantle the rest of your assumptions 1. I never said I wanted anything for free. There's nowhere to even buy Flite products locally. Yes, I do prefer to buy local, and see a product in person with a dealer to know that a human being is part of a sale of this size. Of course I'd like to try it first but I bought my first Lift (and all subsequent boards) from a local reseller without trying it even though the dealer was offering me free lessons first. I just somehow knew I'd love it and when I decide something, I just do it. 2. Lift has NO FRAK'N clue who I am or what I do. They really aren't very good at marketing or reaching out to their customers, even ones who have for some sick reason have made it their personal goal to show the world how cool their products are. Of all the ideas I've pitched the company, they've neither responded or ran with any of them as far as I can tell. I'm just as big a nobody to them as everyone else. Their support, based on my own meandering experiences seems very similar to everyone else I know that have had to get stuff fixed/replaced. Lift has never left me stranded with a non-functional product. No, their CS representatives aren't great at listening or making me or anyone feel special or included in helping solve the problem but they will always send the parts until the issue is fixed. Perhaps I'll record my next issues since I've already got a dead Gen4 battery and still must solve the over heating issue with my new board much like I did with the first Battery Issue problem right here on the show. There's no way that any of the CS reps I've talked to knew/cared I was Verdant Ride because he pretty much wanted nothing to do with me when I was trying to help him care about diagnosing the problem. For him, it is just a job and his job is completed when he ships a part and eventually, the problem will be solved as there are really only 3 parts that can go bad that need replacing. For the most part. 3. No rich neighbor is getting a Flite to my knowledge. They buy Lift because that is what is locally available and I cannot tell them much about other boards because well, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER BOARDS TO RECOMMEND THEM. If some of the other manufacturers would like to change that and are confident their board will impress me so much I'd change rides, then yes, giving me the opportunity to ride one may be a very good investment for them to make. Heck, if I made a bitch'n board I'd deliver one myself and spend a day riding with me just to get the footage I'm likely shoot of the experience. You can like or dislike my commentary but I have heard from a lot of viewers that the way I ride and the way I record my rides seems to have influenced a lot of people to give the sport a try. 4. I don't understand the anguish with the price tag on eFoils. Board sports are and have always been extremely expensive. Wakeboarding, skiing, and snowboarding look like a strange form on insanity in my annual expense account based on what I'm willing to spend on a couple of weeks carving down a mountain a year. The eFoil is the cheapest powered watercraft I've ever bought by well over 100k and has provided me with more hours of carving per dollar spent than any board sport I've ever tried. I get that not everyone can budget for an expense such as this but I don't apologize for the fact that I can and am willing to invest in things I'm passionate about instead of fancy-pants cars and other crap that is completely meaningless to me by comparison. You too can choose to drive a 2008 Prius you bought used for 9k instead of a new car and use the savings to buy an eFoil. You too can choose an educational path and career doing something that is so critically necessary and rewarding that you can afford to chase many of the things in life you are passionate about. So while I don't recall "crying" about not getting any free boards to try, I do hear a lot of crying about how expensive eFoils are and, well, I simply don't understand what all the fuss is about. If you don't think eFoiling is worth the price tag, don't buy one. I apply the same logic to hundreds of luxury products that have no value to me at all every single day. You show me someone with a Rolex watch and I'll know you are trying to introduce me to someone with the emotional IQ of an eggplant. We've all got to make our own choices and keeping up with the Joneses in a McMansion neighborhood with a newly leased SUV in the driveway isn't an appealing choice for me in the slightest. Don't let the things you own, end up owning you.