In the modern world, it has become a concern of many that the more we enjoy the bodies of water around us — lakes, rivers, oceans — the more harm we can end up doing. A new international startup, HydroFlyer, aims to change all that with their new hybrid watercraft of the same name.
The HydroFlyer: A new generation of electric watercraft
Imagine sitting atop your surfboard waiting for the next great wave. Ahead of you appears another surfboard, but it seems to be coming at you very quickly. Then you notice it’s not quite a surfboard. It actually looks more like a jet ski with its handles protruding from the top. Suddenly, the craft lifts from the water and is cruising towards you like a boat with an outboard motor, only this is almost silent. What are you seeing?
What you are witnessing is the arrival of the HydroFlyer, a totally unique new concept in the world of water-based leisure activities. This hybrid board combines the best elements of surfing, jet skiing and hover-boarding into one cutting-edge electric craft that helps you to positively fly above the water’s surface.
The HydroFlyer has been meticulously designed by an international team to work for both novice and professional alike. It’s an incredibly accessible vehicle that allows everyone to enjoy the water in an entirely new and eco-friendly way. Read on below to learn more about how the HydroFlyer aims to change forever the way we travel over water.
How does the HydroFlyer work?
The HydroFlyer is an all-electric vehicle comprising a main V-shaped board, on top of which is fitted a detachable handlebar array. Underneath is a hydrofoil wing and proprietary duct propulsion system attached to a hydrodynamic mast. The vehicle is powered by a replaceable and rechargeable 2.4kWh lithium-ion battery that is both submersible and waterproof. Further below we’ll share more detail on the specific technologies and how they help make this one of the most innovative watercraft ever created.
From a starting position floating on the water, the rider activates the electric motor and alloy propeller blades using a detachable Bluetooth controller and can then start to build up speed. As speed increases to about 6-8km/h (4-5mph), the HydroFlyer begins to earn its name as it lifts out of the water seemingly by magic and allows the user to cruise above the water level.
The HydroFlyer is easily assembled in three main sections: the handlebars, board and mast. The top handlebars and the bottom mast, hydrofoil wing and propulsion each attach to the V-shaped board in the middle. The battery is housed within the board. Once the rider begins from a full charge of the battery, they can build up speeds of up to 55km/h (34mph) and ride for up to 2 hours on the water. The distance range of the HydroFlyer when traveling at a steady speed is about 40km (25 miles). Once you’ve spent the battery, you can plug it back into any household power outlet and recharge it back to full in about 3 hours. Finally, the HydroFlyer only weighs a maximum 35kg (77lbs) when fully assembled.
Many beginners start their adventure with the handlebars as they find their feet and enjoy what the HydroFlyer can do. After a little while, to feel freer and more open, they might detach the handlebars, keeping just the Bluetooth controller in hand to propel the HydroFlyer forward in “Surf Mode.”
Kinder to the environment
You might wonder how more watercraft on our lakes and in our rivers and oceans could be kinder to the environment. First of all, the HydroFlyer is an all-electric green vehicle. It has no emissions and makes no disturbing engine noises that play havoc with local wildlife.
Furthermore, the HydroFlyer produces no wake. This is a troubling issue with most watercraft, especially on lakes and rivers. When you run a speed boat or jet ski across a lake at any speed, your wake will produce waves that impact the banks, often damaging animal habitats and causing erosion. The HydroFlyer is a gentle alternative that simply cuts through the water leaving no wake. It can even handle the chop of waves on the ocean without losing balance.
Technology: How HydroFlyer sets itself apart
Visually, you notice right away that HydroFlyer is like no other craft you’ve ever seen, but to really understand its uniqueness, you have to drill down into the specific technologies that make up this machine.
Detachable handlebars
When standing on a board in the water doesn’t feel very stable or comfortable for you, the handlebars are a great comfort. They allow you to hold on, feel more secure, and gain your balance as you get used to riding the HydroFlyer. When attached, the handlebars can also house the Bluetooth controller. When you feel more at ease, detach the handlebars and enjoy a full free and open surfing view.
Stable board
The board is made from lightweight but high-density materials that deliver a balance of durability and agility. The company has three boards on their list, the standard among which is the HydroFlyer Cruiser. Upcoming models include the inflatable HydroFlyer Cloud, and the lightweight HydroFlyer Surf Pro.
Safety wing and mast
The underside hydrofoil wing is arguably the most heavily engineered part of the HydroFlyer. It has been developed and tested by Unifoil and made with Cloud Tech™ carbon and silicone in Australia for sufficient strength and safety. The softer silicone in particular is key to reduce risk of injury if an impact occurs.
Bluetooth controller
The controller helps the rider manage their speed with effortless ease. It can be mounted to the handlebars or held in the hand and secured to the rider’s wrist with a leash. If you wipe out and fall into the water, the controller remotely stops the motor and propeller so your HydroFlyer won’t get away from you. It features a crystal-clear LCD display that shows you your speed, ride time, battery life and more.
Customizable designs
The water sport backgrounds of the HydroFlyer designers helped them quickly agree that riders should be able to make their board their own. That’s why customers can submit their board designs and artwork to HydroFlyer so that it can be applied upon building. The individualistic spirit of the surfer lives on!
Developing the HydroFlyer range
The HydroFlyer Cruiser is currently the only model available for purchase, but the other two, the Cloud and Surf Pro are coming soon. The current production run only includes 200 units, so you shouldn’t delay in getting yours. The MSRP is $13,999, with options to add extra wings and batteries for additional costs if you need. Payment can be made either with a 50-percent deposit, or as an up-front payment through which you can save 10 percent.
Join the water sport revolution today and enjoy this electrified, eco-friendly and unique new way to cruise any water body around you.
Startup
A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend to become registered, startups refer to new businesses that intend to grow large beyond the solo founder. At the beginning, startups face high uncertainty and have high rates of failure, but a minority of them do go on to be successful and influential. Some startups become unicorns; that is privately held startup companies valued at over US$1 billion.
Actions
Startups typically begin by a founder (solo-founder) or co-founders who have a way to solve a problem. The founder of a startup will begin market validation by problem interview, solution interview, and building a minimum viable product (MVP), i.e. a prototype, to develop and validate their business models. The startup process can take a long period of time (by some estimates, three years or longer), and hence sustaining effort is required. Over the long term, sustaining effort is especially challenging because of the high failure rates and uncertain outcomes. Having a business plan in place outlines what to do and how to plan and achieve an idea in the future. Typically, these plans outline the first 3 to 5 years of your business strategy.
Design principles
Models behind startups presenting as ventures are usually associated with design science. Design science uses design principles considered to be a coherent set of normative ideas and propositions to design and construct the company's backbone. For example, one of the initial design principles is "affordable loss".
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