“An amazingly great update. The Waydoo EVO is Way-Better”
My Intro to Waydoo
In January 2020 while attending CES in Las Vegas I first saw Waydoo’s 1st generation efoil. I was impressed and intrigued. As a result I was an early adopter. I backed their Kickstarter campaign in June 2020 and was backer #52. Four years later I am still riding my original Kickstarter Waydoo Flyer One. I have ridden it over 200 times and still love the feeling of flying over the water. Here is a link to my review of the Waydoo Flyer One.
Waydoo has made incremental improvements over the past four years introducing a Waydoo Flyer One Plus version and extending the lineup through accessories such as the folding propeller and jet drive. I have upgraded several components over the years looking for more performance, a better platform for teaching others and for ocean wave riding. 2024 has brought something even more exciting.
Waydoo Evo Taking It To The Next Level
Introducing the Waydoo EVO. The EVO is a completely redesigned platform that takes all of the learnings and improvements that Waydoo has made based on customer input, studying the competitive landscape and applying their own innovative thinking. The Waydoo EVO represents more than an incremental improvement, it is a step change. A revolutionary step forward in efoiling.
Waydoo has been in the efoil business for over five years and with that time and experience they have continued to innovate and progress the sport. There are design concepts that Waydoo has stuck with because they represent a winning formula. Two key differentiators for Waydoo are their EPP foam boards and their plug and play connection system. These features were introduced with the first Waydoo Flyer One and are continued and improved with the EVO.
EPP Foam Board
Waydoo uses a soft yet durable EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) foam for their boards. This material has several benefits. While most efoil manufactures make their boards out of fiberglass or carbon, Waydoo has chosen EPP foam. It is significantly more durable. My four year old original Waydoo Flyer One is still in excellent condition because of the durability of the foam. It can bang into boats, docks, cars and people without causing damage or getting damaged. The EPP foam keeps the board weight down. The other major advantage is safety. When teaching new riders, falls often include falling on the board or getting hit by the board. A foam board is much safer than fiberglass or carbon. The last benefit of the EPP foam board is that it is less expensive to manufacture which keep the overall cost of the Waydoo boards down. For the EVO lineup Waydoo has improved the EPP foam. It has a textured feel to it and appears to be even more durable.
Plug and Play Battery to Mast Connection
Waydoo’s design is significantly more elegant than the competition when it comes to the way the battery and power unit connect. There are no wires, just a simple plug and play connection between the battery and the power unit. This design simplifies connections and leaves less room for failures and parts to break. This design was originally launched with the Flyer One and has been even further improved and simplified with the EVO.
What’s New With the Waydoo EVO
I recently received the new Waydoo EVO. The EVO has several advantages over the Waydoo Flyer One. Because it was a complete redesign, very few of the components are backwards compatible. While this is a bummer, it is understandable and worth it when you see the changes that have been made.
Next Level Modularity
The Waydoo EVO is even more modular than the original Waydoo. Rather than only offering a few options Waydoo has created a vast array of components including:
4 boards in three different sizes and two choices of material (EPP and Carbon)
3 masts in three different sizes and two materials (carbon and aluminum)
3 power units which include standard, performance and elite
2 powerflight battery sizes 36Ah and 45ah
8 wings including six front wings in either fiberglass or carbon and two rear wings in either fiberglass or carbon
The number of configuration choices is extreme and more components are on the way. Waydoo has yet to release information regarding the variety of propulsion options, but even for the Waydoo Flyer One there were three propellers, a folding propeller option and a jet drive. We can expect at least this many options for the EVO series. The key here is that the EVO will provide flexibility for different rider skill levels, different riding conditions and for different budgets.
My Waydoo EVO Setup
The Waydoo EVO configuration that I have includes the following setup.
90Liter Pro Plus EPP Board
EVO 35” (89cm) Aluminum Mast
Performance 6,000 Watt Power Unit
45 Ah Powerflight Battery
EVO Glider Carbon C1500 front wing, EVO Glider Fiberglass G1500 front wing, EVO Voyager Fiberglass G1100 front wing, EVO Gliding tail 320
EVO Remote
EVO Smart inverter charger
EVO Mover (wheels for transporting)
My Early Impressions: Wow What An Amazing Improvement
I have ridden the EVO five times and had two other experienced rider friends ride it as well. All three of us agree that the EVO is amazing. It is a huge improvement over the already good Waydoo Flyer One Plus. The fit and finish is much improved. The efoil is higher quality and the components have been refined to fit together better. The performance is incredible. The most notable improvements are the ride time, the power and the maneuverability of the smaller board. Beyond these improvements, there are lots of refinements to the components.
PowerFlight Battery and CHarger
The new 45 Ah Powerflight battery has a much improved display. The new display shows the actual battery percentage which was not available on the older model. The original battery had push buttons to turn it on and to sync Bluetooth. Waydoo changed to magnet switches on the newer Flyer One batteries and this EVO battery improves further with the full color display and magnet switches. The battery can also serve as an inverted to power other devices such as charging phones or powering devices while camping. This added functionality might be helpful for some.
The new charger is much smaller than the old one and wow does it charge quickly. My battery charged from 36% to 100% in just over one hour. The faster charge speed is a huge improvement and can get you back out on the water faster.
Waydoo EVO Remote
The form factor of the Waydoo EVO remote is the same as the original remote. The big improvement is with the screen and software. The new remote is much brighter and easier to read in bright sun conditions. The colors are more vivid and the screen provides more information. The screen shows actual battery percentage versus just bars for battery life. The display shows board angle which is helpful. As shown on the screen image, the speed is shown, the wattage being drawn, the battery life of the remote, the gear that is in use 1-24. The trigger on the remote has been improved. It is more stout and it has a longer draw meaning that you can make more adjustments via the trigger and not by switching gears. My two complaints with the remote as of now are that I am unable to switch from metric to imperial so the speed only displays in km/h versus mph. I assume this will get updated via software in a new release. The other issue is that I used to be able to download my rides from the remote to the Waydoo App without being connected to the board. It appears now that the remote must be synced to the board via Bluetooth and then connected to the phone app via Wifi. The Wifi connection is glitchy and I have not been able to download rides as it keeps timing out. I expect this to be fixed with a software update.
The remote has a nice leash and a tool for securing the battery to the board. There are several other functions in the menu setting for the remote, some of which still need to be updated via software. The magnet to turn on and off the board is also integrated into the bottom of the remote which is a nice design feature.
The Mast and Power Unit
The Waydoo Flyer One original mast/power unit with surf tail and folding prop, the Waydoo Flyer One Plus mast/power unit with the jet drive and the new Waydoo Evo mast/power unit with stock prop and 320 tail.
The new Waydoo Evo is available in three mast lengths and two materials. The 27” mast is made of aluminum and 31” is made of carbon fiber. This is Waydoo’s first carbon mast. I will be curious to hear the feedback on the carbon mast. I was most interested in the long mast. I have been riding the long aluminum mast. It is 35” versus 33” for the original Waydoo Flyer One mast. The additional two inches of length makes a noticeable difference in the ride height and the efficiency of the performance. The new performance power unit has a very powerful motor. The propeller is similar to the original Waydoo aluminum propeller. It is houses in a protective cage. I removed the rear cage and plan to remote the entire protective ring, as this will further improve performance and range. I look forward to trying other props especially the folding prop on the EVO.
The power unit comes in three configurations. The Standard unit outputs 4000W and is designed for riders up to 130kg and is crafted using the die casting method for reliable performance. Both the Performance and Elite units offer a 6000W power output, capable of propelling weights up to 170kg. The Performance is also die-cast, while the Elite, made using CNC machining, features a sleek, premium appearance.
Early version of the Waydoo Flyer one had an issue with the front wing mount point breaking, while I never had this issue and the brace that Waydoo sent alleviated this concern, they beefed up the fuselage for the Waydoo Flyer One Plus. For the EVO, the fuselage is much improved. Rather than a two screw mount point for wings, they have three screws and a groove to position the wing. This makes for a much stiffer and better connection point. A big improvement especially when riding large wings like the glide 1500.
While I have not tried it yet, Waydoo includes a fuselage extender with the EVO. This extender will allow the tail wing to be mounted further behind the prop. This should improve overall stability but will cut down on the ability to turn as easily. I look forward to trying this. Just another example of the modularity and flexibility of the new system.
Wings and Things
As mentioned above the mount point for the Evo front wing is a three point mount which provides greater stability at the mount point. The one downside of this change is that none of the older front wings will work with the EVO. So far I have ridden the Glider 1500 in fiberglass and carbon. Both wings create exceptional lift and efficiency. They are stable to ride and will support heavier riders. For a more carvy dynamic experience the Voyager G1100 is a good front wing. I like the flexibility of switching between them for various riding conditions and riding goals. For instance I have a glider 1500 on my original Waydoo with the folding prop. With that configuration I can catch wakeboat wakes and ride completely unpowered. With the right prop setup that will be easy on the EVO. The EVO will be awesome in ocean swells with the folding prop. I really look forward to trying various props.
The standard tail for the EVO is the 320 in fiberglass and molded plastic. It looks similar to the surf tail 322 in shape but it is slightly smaller in surface area. The good news is that the tail mount point is the same as the original Waydoo Flyer One so the rear wings are backward compatible.
I have not tried to remove the prop and prop guard on the EVO yet. I am hopeful that the dimensions are the same as the Waydoo Flyer One as this would allow me to use the jet drive, the folding prop and other props. If not, I am certain Waydoo will soon release Evo specific props.
While there is no longer a travel case or board bag for the EVO series, they did introduce a mover component. This cleverly designed set of wheels screws into the tail of the board allowing the fully assembled board to be rolled to the water. I have found this really useful and well designed.
The Cool Tech Features
Waydoo has included three cool new tech features in the EVO.
Balance Assistance Embedded Sensors- Waydoo has incorporated an industry-first embedded sensor and GPS that works with software to provide balancing, landing and takeoff assistance. The sensor pings off the water to help the board from breaching. The rider sets the ride height from low, medium or high and the sensors help modulate the motor to keep the board at the desired height. This is a really cool feature. So far I have only tried this a few times and it seems to work. I expect it to be beneficial for new riders and for teaching.
Geo-Fencing- Using the GPS, you can select a ride area on the map. The Waydoo EVO will limit the rider to gear 5 if the rider leaves the geo-fenced area. This is very helpful if there are shoals or other dangers that you would consider out of bounds. This feature is also helpful for rental fleets that have designated ride zones. Gear 5 will enable them to safely ride back into the fenced zone but not up on the foil.
LED Underwater Lights- The Waydoo EVO includes two underwater LED lights at the base of the mast. These lights can be controlled using the remote. They can be turned on or off and can be set to a variety of colors from red, blue, purple, orange, yellow and white. This is just a cool effect for riding at twilight.
My Initial Conclusions About the Waydoo Evo
Waydoo has done an amazing job with the Waydoo EVO. It offers a huge improvement over the Waydoo Flyer One Plus. For those looking to get into the sport with an efoil that can grow along with their skill level I highly recommend the Waydoo EVO. The new battery provides 2 hours of ride time and the range is over 20 miles on a single charge. This more than doubles the time and distance range of the Waydoo Flyer One. While I have not checked the top speed, I am confident that the EVO configuration I have will go at least 25mph and can probably go 30mph. I have not made it past gear 14 yet. At gear 14 of 24 I have gone 21 mph.
I will continue to try different configurations and update this review or write another one after I have more experience on the EVO. I also expect software and firmware updates to add features and improvements. If you are interested in purchasing a Waydoo EVO or the Waydoo Flyer One, click the banner ads below for a discounted rate.
I was recently at an efoil meetup with owners of Fliteboards, Lift Efoils and Get Foil board. All riders were very impressed with the EVO and the strides that Waydoo has made. When you consider the price point of $5,799 usd versus at least $10,000 usd for Lift or Flite, Waydoo is a clear winner. One attendee even said, “Wow! Can’t beat the price to quality ratio. It should cost WAY more.” While I had never thought of it but maybe the Way-doo name’s hidden meaning is Way More for the money.
Here is a link to visit Waydoo’s US Distributor if you are interested in purchasing a board or components. Waydoo Dealer Link