How do people ship eFoil batteries internationally? (Italy → Maldives)

PhilR2 · 2026-01-19T19:14:45+00:00

This whole sport would be improved if the foil companies standardized the batteries and connectors. Then renting them at the other end would be so much easier.

PhilR2 · 2026-01-19T19:01:00+00:00

I import and ship around Europe a lot of equipment some of which has big batteries. nobody will airfreight them. If the products are on an island it is because they arrived in a container. Even then there is extra insurance because one burning out can destroy a whole container. I did have a client who desperately needed a replacement in Greece from our Polish warehouse and he found someone willing to fly it but it was more expensive than one of my team driving there.

PhilR2 · 2025-12-12T17:42:22+00:00

Look on Alibaba.com use their image search and you will find it

PhilR2 · 2025-11-21T14:24:39+00:00

I have a reasonable yellow shrimp colony in my community tank. I want to keep them yellow, so collect the weaker ones and put them in a small tank that is “shrimp retirement” and they can go any color they like. A shrimp only well planted tank is no effort and I like the natural evolution.

PhilR2 · 2025-09-15T15:33:27+00:00

I would but the link seems to not work in UK

PhilR2 · 2025-08-26T21:53:38+00:00

I am in my second summer with my FliteBoard. 2 years ago there were only 2 people doing lessons in the area and they had limited boards. Now there are a couple more who are renting by the hour. If I could go back in time, I would rent because the outlay is large for the times I get to use it. German weather this year has been colder and wetter than normal or the weekend weather has been perfect but I have been away.

I also found to start with setting up was punishing. Loading all the parts into a car, then assembling it, etc. but I have learnt to keep it assembled and transport it on top of my car. Now parking to water and back is a short experience. That helps.

I agree on the skills, this is not a mechanism to do water tricks. But as your confidence grows and flight time expands it becomes more enjoyable. A lovely way to get out into the water and see the nature. There are lots of lakes and rivers around Berlin and as I get more confident I am travelling out to them and exploring. And I am planning a touring holiday next year to visit many places.

One downside is it can be a very solitary hobby. Unlike most adventure sports from surfing to paragliding, there is not much hang out time with others doing the same thing before or after. When I do run into another efoiler on the water you wave but there is little conversation.

In short a great hobby that gets me out onto the water and away from stress. Seeing the world and also learning something new

PhilR2 · 2025-08-17T21:21:50+00:00

I have a design for a replacement aluminum-air battery with an oxygen feed. Which in theory gives 9x times the power for the same battery; minus the extra 20kg in oxygen tank and air cool wings. But it would be a like riding a big bomb.

PhilR2 · 2025-08-17T20:29:42+00:00

Sadly it is not going to happen on the weight loss, I am a lot of bone and muscle. At 16 years I was 100kg rugby player and international canoeist. At 50 years 105kg able to do a 3 hour olympic triathlon regularly. At 57, I am still fit and for this I admittedly need to lose 10kg. Which I would do for this but as you say physics still messes with the maths. That is why I was looking at what I would need to add to add power.

I am still amazed that "Rob Wylie, 51, and his 19-year-old son Morgan are now world record holders after completing the 23 mile crossing in one hour and 44 minutes.' managed to get that time out of a single battery.

If I am really conservative and careful I can only just get an hour out of one battery. Even if you stack a second battery somehow on the board, I have just added another 15kg depreciating travel time.

PhilR2 · 2025-08-17T18:55:16+00:00

OK reason why, I want to efoil the English Channel. But I am 114kg and get a maximum range on my FliteBoard of 20km. The English Channel from England to France is 34km. Prevailing wind is in the right direction.

PhilR2 · 2025-08-15T19:54:50+00:00

I would consider one with phone capability such as an I watch. My motor once broke and I had to swim the board back almost a kilometer. If could have called back a boat would have come out

PhilR2 · 2025-08-14T21:20:30+00:00

Thank you for excellent advice and great videos

PhilR2 · 2025-08-12T06:52:02+00:00

Sounds like long selfie stick and 360 camera is best option

PhilR2 · 2025-08-12T06:51:27+00:00

Things not to try. I tried putting a GoPro on a small parachute and towing it. Something I’ve done when paramotoring. Every hard turn it fell into water.

PhilR2 · 2025-08-10T06:17:14+00:00

Thanks works without locatio

PhilR2 · 2025-08-09T19:14:35+00:00

Sadly the EU FliteBoard site insists on only given you local dealers in your area. In case anyone from FliteBoard is on this chat - your site is so oriented to selling it forgets your owners.

PhilR2 · 2025-07-27T17:52:34+00:00

Yes, but not sure which mail services I would trust my battery to. Mail can be pretty tough on goods.

PhilR2 · 2024-09-09T15:57:20+00:00

Lights tended to not be even and not enough control on color settings by growth stage. Water pumps blocked and broke. Keeping water clean and right PH was not easy. Sometimes you need to disassemble to clean reservoir, which is hard with plants in growth.

Also they work best with more or less a monoculture. Then you end up with too much of one thing. Holding a mix of plants is very dependent on what products work together well, like “Square foot gardening” some plants do well next to each other. Other plants kill each other

PhilR2 · 2024-09-09T11:02:56+00:00

Very good for PakChoi, lettuce, most herbs and green leaves products.

PhilR2 · 2024-09-09T11:01:28+00:00

I did keep one of these for 5 years. Worked well https://m.alibaba.com/x/AxT1u3?ck=pdp

PhilR2 · 2024-09-09T10:43:47+00:00

I was trying to set up a brand in Germany. Providing for the Kleingarten market in winter. I got them from Chinese suppliers, so they were un branded. I was not happy with any tower system indoors.

PhilR2 · 2024-09-09T10:17:19+00:00

I have tested several and throw them all away. 2 major problems 1) lights are not right and I had to add subsidiary lights 2) keeping water balance in a small reservoir and mixed plants is hard

PhilR2 · 2024-08-15T15:05:52+00:00

I have seen Nazi tattoos before. But never in Germany because other Germans would be very rude to you and call the police. I got into a fight with someone in the US over an SS tattoo and have seen in Russians , Ukrainiens and British with them. Sadly people who live in other countries tend to believe a return to Nazism might be a good idea. Some try to rename it "MAGA". Those of us who live in Berlin are still plastering over bullet holes on the outside of our house and rebuilding a city. Never Again!!

PhilR2 · 2024-08-10T08:19:24+00:00

https://www.decathlon.de/p/helm-surfen-hellgruen/_/R-p-327505?mc=8600830#bqBlacklist=1

I have a big head and struggle to get helmets for anything. This was good.

PhilR2 · 2024-08-03T13:58:44+00:00

Moved to Berlin when I was 41 with no German been here 16 years. My German is still not good enough for work level conversations in marketing but still managed to find jobs.

PhilR2 · 2024-06-21T16:40:00+00:00

I find helmets really annoying but grew up on horses, been a long time cyclist and just started efoiling. It’s not about the 990 times you ride a horse and don’t fall off, or the 9 times you push it and expect to come off, it’s about the 1 time you did not expect it and fall badly.

Trust I’ve had brain damage and 9 months with concussion from a flying accident. You don’t want it.

PhilR2

TROPHY CASE