great thread!
my v1 jetboard:
12s8p 30qs, jet, cheap wireless remote
from stopped -> full throttle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ5gYM8DR48
problems:
1) 2.4ghz does not penetrate water, when water gets on deck remote cuts out
2) weight, the thing is just too heavy
3) water getting into battery (yikes)
4) surfing: it's super fun to use motor to get past incoming waves, to chase waves, and to just go full throttle while on a wave BUT with a board this big and heavy you won't be slapping the lip. also with no center fin it's sloppy on steeper faces. hard to turn.
5) i wanted it as a wave assist board but its so damn fun to have the motor on I end up not paddling at all
v2 plans:
1) lipo
2) anti-spark piezo switch (ip68/waterproof)
3) battery gauge glassed onto deck
4) folding prop instead of jet (i know i know)
5) bluetooth esc
6) usb-c pd charge port (surface mount / ip68 / waterproof)
7) stretch goal: custom finger tap remote using heltec wifi LoRa's
real world use cases:
1) for beginners. put a motor on a wavestorm and give the instructor the remote. kook gets boosted into wave and then back to break driven by instructor
2) geezers on logs: the 9 ft longboard with a jet is unreal. the surfers all hate me about as much as they hate efoils. if you're old and have a tough time paddling out / into waves. this is for you.
3) the sweetspot: i'd say the best shape we are going to be able to pull off for wave face carving/turns with current battery and motor tech is about a 6'11. on mushier waves (like wilderness in puerto rico) you will be able to boost past longboarders and still carve on the face.