Number 1 mistake in jetboard - DONT DO THIS!

Jet Surfboard - Jetboard Allstar Jetboard Tour
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If there was just one tip I could give to anyone considering buying jetboards - NEVER, never ever buy any first generation jetboards

Forget

  • Preorders (you’ll never see the board or will wait 2 years). Wait till they are READY.
  • Prototypes (they made 1 board and have no clue how to build a real business and post-sale service)
  • First generation boards (you will be basically unpaid betatester and struggle forever collecting all the bugs and problems)
  • Unclear business model and bloated prices (such companies will go bankrupt or looking for exit strategy, we all know what i mean)
  • Chinese jetboards and efoils from Alibaba. You will get a piece of plastic that will collect dust on the shelf and break after the first use in the water.

Even Jetsurf, the most reliable board was not that good before 2016, it was breaking a lot. Only after 2017 models with so much trial and error they got it right and finally it became one of the most reliable boards. Same true for any other board.

Main tips

  1. See if the company can stay at least 2-3 years in business and provide a quality support and post sale service and repairs. Good examples - Onean, Jetsurf, Fliteboard, Lift. These companies stay in business 2+ years and more and can be trusted.

  2. Check the customer videos on social media. If there are none - it’s a big red flag. It means there are no REAL buyers using and testing the board and the company is selling under 10 boards a month, so you will be basically an unpaid betatester if you buy it.

  3. Look for water tests. I am not a fan of trade shows. They are all good with parties and hand shaking but I dont trust the board that is not well tested in salty water in real conditions, not in trade shows.

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Stay safe and ride!

Remember, see our videos to make the right choice:

3

Great summary. I call out an old friend who said at one point " I am not rich enough to buy a cheap boat" which basically means that it will become more expensive at the end. I think this translates well to Jetboards and Hydrofoils. We have seen several reports here where people bought boards from Alibaba and it was broken after 1 or 2 times use. And then no customer support, which basically means you lost a few thousands bugs.

4

I have seen or did test many different Jetboards and hydrofoils and found there was always a reason (e.g. lack in quality) why the cheaper alternatives were able to offers such a price.

This sport is still new and it is EXPENSIVE. I see it as a jet-ski replacement and it will probably take years until the equipment will go down to the price point of for example a standard windsurf equipment.

At the same time I appreciate all the new players trying hard which will at the end result into cheaper prices and innovation. However, it will take time.