Hi there,
I’m am completely new to this scene but have been inspired to have a go at building my own efoil by this site and all the contributors terrific builds.
Before I start collecting all the bits I need I thought I’d run some ideas past you all with how I’m proposing to proceed bearing in mind that this is just a toy for me to use so aiming at keeping the costs lean.
Motor - SSS 56114 KV360. Would it need to have a cooling set on it? I’d prefer a direct drive for simplicity. I intend to set up the motor so that it can be mounted on the board with or without the foil “ewakeboard style”. This is mainly to encourage less adventurous members in the family and young kids to give it a go. In addition, I would like to use the motor and electronics/battery setup on my Kayak as well in the long term.
Battery - I’m in the process of buying an ebike conversion kit which comes with 48V 15Ah battery with built in BMS and am considering using it for the efoil. Ideally, I’d like to set up the connections from the electronics on the efoil to suit so that I can “plug & play” the battery between the different toys. I will build a waterproof box to fit in all the electronics and battery. Can this be done? How much board time am I likely to get with this size battery? How is everyone keeping the batteries and electronics cool?
Electronics - This is where I need some serious help. I have read a lot of info about EMS, waterproof remotes, cruise controls, safety gear etc. but I’m still quite confused how it all comes together. Would it be possible for someone to share a wiring diagram with all the components required from the battery to the motor and if possible links to reliable equipment you have used. Because I would like to have kids have a go at using the board, I’d like to be able to limit the speed if possible when they’re on it.
Board - One option is to build my own with XPS foam like most of you have done, but I am not very confident with shaping of the board. Other option is to use a wave ski as a starting point as it already has the depth to house the electronics/battery box, cutting the top for the box, reshaping the front to make it more square and filling it with expandable foam and strengthening it as necessary to suit the foil. Thoughts?
Foil - Ease of riding is very important for me. From the bit of research I’ve done it seems like something similar to this photo would be suitable with a max mast height of around 700mm.
That will be too low. You would need two such batteries in parallel. Batteries here are in the 40Ah. Example, a 48V 12P (12 cells in parallel) battery using Samsung 30Q cells has 12 x 3 = 36Ah.
There are plenty of videos on YT. One of the channels I like is called Rob Surfboards.
A lot of cuts and work on a wave ski board IMHO. Plus the final volume might be a bit low for a beginner.
Many thanks for your advice.
Battery
I’m actually building 2 ebikes so can use both batteries in parallel as recommended. I was hoping that 1 would be sufficient.
Board
I’ll look up the YT videos on the wave ski boards. Must say I’m getting more inclined to building a complete new one with XPS/EPS.
What are good suppliers for the propeller side of things?
If you go down the build path can I suggest building a scale model just to get some experience with using EPS, Epoxy & Fibre glass . Its not hard to do but some experience helps. not sure you may already have some.
One other tip do not spend hours looking for cheaper options, spend the time working & buy the best available it is cheaper in the long run.
I’m quite a handy woodworker (Hobby) but it make a lot of sense to trial on smaller scale first. Agree on buying the best. Always works out better in the long run.
The SSS360 motor starting point is similar to the Pacificmeister build. He provides a wiring diagram and cad files. The SSS360 is a skinny inrunner motor for low drag but it doesn’t have enough torque to drive the propeller directly so you’ll need a gearbox ($$$). Alternatively, others have waterproofed outrunner motors to drive the propeller directly. Geared inrunner or direct drive outrunner is the first decision you’ll need to make. Check out other builds to see which approach looks easier to you.
Also, consider what tools you have available. I was new to 3D printing when I started, and I was surprised how much experimenting it took to get accurate dimensions for waterproof seals. Some builders make use of a lathe to accurately cut surfaces so make sure you know what they used before you start.
There is also a direct drive inrunner option, 65161 120kv. Direct drive has several advantages over geared. Shorter motor pod, less parts to fail (gear box, coupler, sealing of the pod tube).
