While there’s no better feeling than speeding down the face of a wave as you slice through the water like Kelly Slater himself, there’s no worse feeling than just missing that very same wave. To make sure you aren’t missing the waves you should be on because of your surfboard speed, the folks at Jetson have launched a range of electric-powered propulsion boards to maximise your fun and minimise your frustration.
Founded in Spain and today based in Florida, Jetson currently produces no less than five different board types with additional propulsion, including short and longboards, a stand-up paddle board and even a rescue board for lifeguard stations working against difficult swells. Each Jetson surfboard contains a miniature jet motor to improve your paddling momentum, drawing from an integrated lithium-ion battery pack that is good for at least an hour and a half in the crashing waves.
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Most surfboards that feature their own propulsion systems rely on a hand-held remote throttle to change your speed but with a Jetson surfboard, the entire system is controlled via a touchpad on the upper deck of the board. There are four different speed settings to select from, including Eco Mode (25% power), Paddle Out (50% power), Impact Zone (75% power) and Take Off/Boost (a brief boost of 100% power), so there’s an ideal setting no matter where you are in the water.
If you do select Take Off/Boost you can expect 12 seconds of 100% power, followed by a further 100 seconds at 75% power to keep your momentum going in the right direction as you navigate the wave in terms of speed and direction. At 100% power, a Jetson surfboard is spitting out 20 pounds of forward thrust, which might not sound like much, but an additional 3-9 km/h makes a serious difference if you’ve mistimed your approach on a wave.
At the moment, Jetson is running an IndieGogo campaign where the brand is offering an early bird special price of $8,583, which is a 40% discount on the final RRP of $14,311.
