Electric VS Gas Surfboard. Which one is best?Which board to choose - electric or gasoline?
ELECTRIC OR PETROL JETBOARD? | VS
ELECTRIC vs PETROL | What is the future of the Jetsurf?
Electric mobility is a reality, not only in cars but in all other vehicles. This is what happens in our industry, the jetboard industry. You probably have found pure electric or gasoline powered surfboard manufacturers, or even brands that manufacture both of them. The market is full of choices. The reality is that customers rarely know which is the best choice for them.
In order to answer this question, we have made an electric surfboard comparison between gas surfboards and electric motorized surfboards.
Electric VS gas surfboard comparison
Every jetboard needs a motor to propell the board forward. We differentiate to types of motors depending on the power source. When the power source is gasoline, the engine will be internal combustion. On the other hand, if the power source is a battery, the engine will be electric. Let´s see the main differences between them.
Electric jetboard | Gas powered jetboard |
| Easy maintenance | Exhaustive maintenance |
| 2,5h of charging time | Just the time to fill the gas tank |
| No air and noise pollution | Air and noise pollution |
| Around 40-65 minutes of riding time | 1 hour of riding time |
| Weight: 45 kg | Weight: 25 kg |
| No restrictions | Limited use in some areas |
| Difficulties for air transportation | Easy transportation by plane |
| More maximum speed 65km/h | Lower maximum speed 58km/h |
Maintenance
Gas powered surfboards need a daily service after every ride in salt or sweet water (such as ocean or lakes) due to the lack of water tightness of the engine, being water cooled. This also happens in jetskis, for instance. As you know, water tightness is the ability to prevent water from penetrating an object. But, why are not gas powered jetboard engines watertight?
Internal combustion engines run using a mixture of gasoline + oil + air. Note that one of the required elements is “air". In case the motor was completely watertight, water could not enter into the motor compartment, and the engine would not work. Thus, gasoline engines cannot be watertight, in order to take air from outside. For jetboards are designed to use on water, in the same way that air enters into the gasoline engine, so does water. This means it is mandatory following correctly the maintenance guidelines after every use for a correct preservation of the engine. Depending on the brand and engine, some of the maintenance guidelines on petrol surfboards could be:
- Wash the engine compartment with fresh water, except the carburettor.
- Drain all the water poured on the previous step and start the engine.
- Spray the crankshaft, starter motor, screws and bearings.
Note that this are some general maintenance guidelines for internal combustion engines when used in water. You shall check your jetboard manufacturer guidelines before proceeding with the maintenance.
Some Electric engines, on the other hand, are completely watertight, since neither the battery nor the motor need air for functioning like in the case of gas engine. This extremely simplifies the maintenance of the jetboard. In overall, the maintenance of electric jetboards consists of lubricating the battery and board connectors with grease after every use, in order to avoid corrosion. Batteries have minimum maintenance for its correct use. In our case, we recommend keeping the charge level around 20% for long storage and charging them to full load before entering the water.
Charging time
Batteries need to be charged. Fuel tanks need to be loaded. Unfortunately, it is faster filling a 3L tank than charging a 51-ampere battery. Charging time varies depending on the capacity of the battery and power of the charger. Despite this, jetboard batteries usually charge from 0 to 100 in approximately 2,5-3.5 hours. This is quite a lot of time compared to filling the fuel tank of petrol jetboards, which can have their fuel tank filled in a matter of minutes. Electric surfboard users usually have additional batteries for their boards. In this way, once a battery is discharged, the only thing they have to do is to plug another one and continue riding.
Pollution
Petrol engines run with fuel and oil. In case of a failure of any parts of the engine, or while filling the fuel tank near the shore, these elements often leak out and poured into the ocean or lake. It is our responsibility to minimize water pollution by giving a proper use and maintenance to our jetboards. As well as water pollution, gas powered surfboards also release polluting substances into the air through to the internal combustion engine, this is inevitable.
On the contrary, electric surfboards do not release any polluting substances into the ocean, neither liquids nor gases. Clean power and emission free. Besides water and air pollution, noise pollution is something you need to handle with gas powered surfboards. These are quite noisy and can disturb people who are on the water. That´s why many riders look for remote spots to enjoy jetboarding with gas jetboards. Electric jetboards, on the other hand, are much less noisy than petrol ones, as they have no combustion, making them very pleasant to ride.
Riding time
Following with the automobile industry analogy, it goes without saying that electric cars range is lower than petrol ones. Check the Mercedes EQC, with 410 km range. This is quite normal in such a young industry. However, new developments in electric mobility are allowing to increase this range more and more every day. For instance, Tesla model S has a 647 km battery range, quite close to petrol cars.
Same happens with electric surfboards range. Up today, the average ride time of electric surfboards is between 20 and 65 minutes, and petrol ones, around 1 hour. The more cells a battery contains, the more range it has. However, the range decreases the more power a battery supplies, and batteries become heavier the more cells they have. It is essential to find a midpoint between riding time, weight, and power supply.
For instance, JETFLY Model JF01 & JF02, with 12kW have a 65minutes riding time when using at mixed speeds.
Weight
The weight of electric and gas jetboards is almost the same when comparing them between similar size and construction material boards. However, electric jetboards need a battery to power the jet unit. The weight of a standard electric surfboard battery is between 15 and 20 kg, and the total weight of the jetboard plus battery, around 35-45 kg. Gas powered boards usually weight around 20-25 kg.
Restrictions
As said before, petrol jetboards make much more noise than electric ones, apart from air and water pollution, they produce leaks and combustion emissions. This is the reason why the use of gas powered jetboards is limited in some areas. Depending on the country, you may find that petrol boards are not allowed in lakes. Many lakes have strict regulations in order to preserve their flora and fauna, or due to being dedicated for human water consumption. Thus, there is no place for pollutant agents in lakes. On the other hand, electric surfboards, powered with clean power, have less restrictions, as they are emission free.
Transportation
There is no problem at all to transport an electric or gas jetboard by car. However, this changes when referring to air transportation of electric surfboards. If you are considering carrying your electric jetboard on a plane, to check in the jetboard is no problem, but not the battery. Big batteries, such as the ones of electric jetboards, cannot be carried in passenger planes.
In order to transport the jetboard with batteries by plane, we recommend doing it in a cargo plane, always checking with the manufacturer to make sure they have all necessary documents. There are many companies that specialize in shipping this kind of products. So, if you are planning to move to a different country or going on holidays, there is no need to leave your jetboard behind.
Max speed and acceleration
Electric surfboards are more efficient than gas jetboards since the motion is generated directly. Petrol engines generate heat first, which it is turned into movement with small explosions of petrol mixture that move the piston (simplified explanation). Electric engines have less moving parts so the power goes directly to the turbine. This advantage provides to electric surfboards more torque and acceleration than petrol surfboards. The energy of the battery transforms in the movement of the turbine in the same moment you press the trigger of the controller.
It is true that petrol engines achieve higher speeds when driving in a long straight line. But this does not give the feeling of going fast. Torque and acceleration are what makes you say “Hell ya, this is so fast!”. Even more, up to now, the fatest jetboard is not petrol powered, but electric.
Which board to choose - electric or gasoline?
Jet Surf is a surfboard that allows you to perform tricks without waves. The installed engine allows an average speed of 50 km/h - you can enjoy the adrenaline rush even on the calm water surface. Today, manufacturers produce two types of jet surf. There is an electric jetboard, it runs on batteries. And there are gasoline models; they work at the expense of fuel. What decision to choose depends on your preferences. We will consider several selection criteria.
Weight
Board with a motor always weighs more than 10 kg. Its weight affects the ease of transportation, maintenance, repair. The less a jetsurf weighs, the easier it is to carry, transport, maintain. The weight of the device is influenced by the weight of the body, as well as the elements that provide movement - the engine, the filling tank, the battery.
The JETFLY gasoline board JF08 weighs 20 kg and the JETFLY electric surfboard weighs 22.5 kg.
Maximum speed
The maximum speed that can be developed on the board depends on its characteristics, configuration, form. There are no significant differences between gasoline and electric models too. In both categories there are boards with a motor, developing up to 60–80 km/h. For example, Fliteboard and Onean Carver models can reach speeds of 40 km/h, regardless of the weight of the driver.
Trip length
Electric surf with a motor provides surfing due to battery charge. The duration of the training depends on its power - the longer it is, the longer you can ride. In gasoline models, the duration, or rather the distance, depends on the volume of the filling tank. The bigger it is, the more you can drive without refueling. The average duration of a trip on electric jets is 30–40 minutes. The average for gasoline models is about 40–50 minutes at mixed speeds, or 10–20 kilometers traveled. In both cases, you can increase the duration of the trip: in the first - by replacing the battery, in the second - by refueling.
Security
Almost all modern jet boards are equipped with security systems. The simplest thing the manufacturer can do is to release the case in the most stable form. The more expensive is the board, the greater its safety, and this is important for both categories. For example, jet surf can stop itself when the control panel is removed from it or when the rider is dropped in the water. Control The most common control option in both categories is the controller. It can be wired and wireless. Wired controller allows you to change the speed, as well as stop and start the engine. Wireless consoles usually have a screen that shows the battery level and other important parameters. This solution is popular in electric models, for example, Fliteboard. Each rider chooses between several specific models. For someone, it becomes important to have an electric board in the form of convenient control; someone appreciates the high duration of the trip on the gasoline jet surf. Choose thee model based on personal preferences.
Electric Surfboard JF01
Gas Jetboard JF08
Call Jetfly at 86 18898792143 or email to jetflygeek@gmail.com for the right advice on selecting the right jetboard that will suit you or anything you need.
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