Pictured: At Sarasota E Foil, the future of water sports is now. Photo courtesy of Sarasota E Foil.

This weekend, get out onto the water in a way you’ve never done before: on an E-Foil. An E-Foil is an electronically propelled version of a hydrofoil board--a surfboard with a foil attached to the bottom of its surface which acts as a lifting force, allowing the board to glide above the surface of the water.

“E foiling is relatively a pretty new watersport, I’d say that they’ve been around for 10 years. Not a lot of people really know what they are yet. One of the coolest things about it is that you don’t have to go and spend $13,000 on a board, but rather you can have the opportunity to get out onto the water and start foiling,” says Seth Haljek, co-owner and one of the instructors at Sarasota E-Foil, a recent addition to the Sarasota water sports scene.

Sarasota E-Foil offers 90-minute lessons for people of all skill levels age 14 and over, with the intention of getting clients up and foiling as soon as possible. “Almost all of our customers are new to E-Foiling. We just take people out at the time of their choosing, and our whole goal is to get you E-Foiling within the hour and a half session that you’re out there,” says Haljek.

While balancing on a surfboard above the surface of the water may seem like an impossible task, in actuality the learning curve is not as steep as it looks. The instructors at Sarasota E-Foil work with you to make the gradual progression from balancing on your hands and knees, to crouching, and finally fully standing up. “I have people all who are a little bit skeptical about it but I always tell them that once you start going and get on the board you’ll be far less intimidated than you are now. It’s deceivingly easy. There’s a small learning curve of just understanding where you have to stand, what it takes to balance, and where you have to foil,” says Haljek.

Sarasota Efoil, info@SarasotaEfoil.com, 941-799-5722. 

Pictured: At Sarasota E Foil, the future of water sports is now. Photo courtesy of Sarasota E Foil.