New Fliteboard Commercial Warranty for 2026: 1 Year or 100 Hours Cap

[Ed_the_surf]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone else received the recent notification from Flite regarding their new Commercial Warranty Policy?

I’ve attached the notice. For those who haven’t seen it, there is a significant change coming for all commercial and working fleets (schools, rental centers, etc.) for orders placed on or after January 1, 2026.

The Key Changes:

• Coverage: Reduced to 1 year or 100 operating hours, whichever comes first.

• Tracking: Boards must be registered in the Flite App. Serial numbers will be automatically captured as “commercial,” and hours will likely be tracked via telemetry.

• Comparison: Previously, we generally operated under a standard 24-month warranty, without such a strict “hard stop” on hours.

I wanted to open a discussion on why this is happening and what it means for our businesses.

1. Why the change? (Speculation)

• Heavy Wear & Tear: Flite has likely analyzed the data and seen that commercial boards undergo extreme stress compared to private users. A busy school can put hundreds of hours on a mast/motor in a single season.

• Liability Management: By capping it at 100 hours, they are protecting themselves from replacing hardware that has simply reached the end of its mechanical life due to intense usage, or even manufacturing defects.

• Data Enforcement: With the requirement to use the App, there is no more “grey area.” They will know exactly how long the motor has run.

  We did notice over the last 12 months (starting about since 6 months after the Brunswick acquisition 2023) that users report about more product failures and questionable support. There are multiple examples on Facebook, Reddit or even here in the forum:

  https://forum.e-surfer.com/t/fliteboard-what-is-going-on-after-the-brunswick-acquisition/3486

  https://forum.e-surfer.com/t/fliteboard-massive-failure/3603

2. Impact on Schools and Shops

• 100 Hours is Low: For a successful eFoil school, 100 operating hours can be reached in just a few months during high season. This means we might be operating without warranty coverage for the second half of the very first season.

• Resale Value of Demo/School Boards: In the past, selling a “1-year-old demo board” was easy because it often still had warranty remaining for the second buyer. If a board has 120 hours on it, it will now be sold with zero manufacturer warranty. This will likely drive down the resale price of our fleets.

• ROI Calculation: We need to factor this increased risk into our rental pricing. If a motor or ESC fails at hour 105, that cost is now 100% on the operator.

Questions for the group: Do you think a 100-hour cap is reasonable for commercial gear?

Keen to hear your thoughts on how to prepare for this shift in 2026.

[Avata]

Wow. That’s not good. 100 hours is nothing.

[CSR]

The recent amount of failures combined with a 100 hour warranty. How would any Fliteschool be able to operate profitable?

[tina_onboard]

Exactly. 100 hours can go by incredibly fast.
Once the season is in full swing, that limit doesn’t feel like a safety net anymore, it feels like a constant concern .

[jonas_thefoiler]

Good question! I’m not running a school, but 100 hours really doesn’t sound like much. I can easily reach that on my own board within a single season.
If warranty coverage ends that quickly, it definitely makes me think more carefully about long term ownership and how confident the brand is in its equipment.

[Sammy]

This move doesn’t surprise me at all.

According to my sources, Fliteboard is currently the least profitable division within the Brunswick Group. It seems the founder, David Trewern, did a great job of ‘polishing the bride’ to maximize value before the sale.

With dozens of models and hundreds of possible configurations, it’s hard to see how such a level of complexity can be sustainable or profitable in such a niche market. Now, Brunswick Corporation is pulling every lever to improve the bottom line, and I suspect we’ll see more of these restrictive measures in the future.

[D_O]

failures? the products since series 2.2 has only become more reliable. Batteries virtually zero issues and efoils have significantly improved with proper care and maintenance. Brands like Porsche drive the best but also require maintenance and warranty voided if tracked. this is actually false as we have been a partner since the early days of 2020 quality has in fact gone up with much faster turn around times for partners and riders. There is a reason why they have to switch to 100hrs from a business standpoint since there are other incentives in place for fliteschools. Not super stoked on this decision but I do get the reasoning, time will tell!

[CSR]

Really? Did you follow the discussions here and in the Facebook groups about disappointed Fliteboard customers in the last 2 years?

And what incentives should this be?