$25K Electric Surfboard Whips Into Big San Francisco Walls At 35 mph (Video)

Electric surfboards have scarcely gained momentum, with a handful of prototypes over the years, yet few (if any) becoming a mainstream staple in surf shops or lineups.

LIND Surfboards, a jet-powered product out of Sweden, has endeavored to change this, however, sparking the electric revolution with the release of their model, Canvas.  

And while the boards work well on flat water – more on that below – they’ve been rarely tested in actual waves. So, surfer Dave Langer took one of the boards out to Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and put the board through its paces. How’d it go? See below.

With the vast playing field of Ocean Beach, Langer is able to whip into waves with the LIND board far from the outside – much like one would in tow surfing. The board, which is capable of speeds up to 35 mph, courtesy of a wireless, handheld throttle. And by whipping in early, Langer carves the open faces before the waves break.

Somewhat surprisingly, the board went pretty well.

“That’s a whole new thing,” Langer reported, post-session. “Just being able to see a wave, then double-back and get it, and ride it when you’re not on a [jet] ski, wow. It went incredibly. I started to do some turns – heel to toe. I knew I could take a bottom turn, but I wondered what would happen after that. Today, it held perfectly. These things ride.”

Last year, I had the chance to test out the electric surfboards from LIND. At first, we tried them in the open ocean, and it was extremely difficult. A tiny lump in the water, and you would be sent flying. Later, we took the boards to a harbor with flatter water. That’s when the boards really shined. My inner speed demon came out, screaming across the water.

The boards from LIND are endlessly fun. Will they be seen more in traditional surf lineups vs. lakes and harbors in the future? TBD.