AMAZING WATERSKATING E-BIKE
This hydrofoil electric bike propels you over the water using motorised pedal power
WORDS SCOTT DUTFIELD
Manta5’s SL3 hydrofoil e-bike out on the water
In 2017, New Zealand-based company Manta5 launched the world’s first hydrofoil e-bike, called the Hydrofoiler XE-1. The watersports pioneer has since upgraded the Hydrofoiler XE-1 and launched its latest hydrofoil e-bike: the SL3. In place of a pair of wheels, the buoyant bicycle utilises a set of hydrofoil wings and an electric motor to propel you through the water.
Hydrofoils work in a similar way to the wings of an aeroplane and are designed to generate a force called lift. The wing is shaped with a curved top and flat bottom, utilising a concept in fluid dynamics called Bernoulli’s principle. When water passes over the curve, it has to travel a longer distance to reach the end of the wing than it does over the flat bottom, which means that the water has to move at a faster speed over the top of the wing to meet the water moving along the bottom. This difference in speed also creates low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. The difference in pressure causes the wing to lift up through the water.