The island of Grand Cayman has been circumnavigated many times over the years in many different ways – by boat, by kayak, by jet ski and even by swimming – but it had never yet been circled by eFoil, the newest watersport to hit the island.
Earlier this month, all that changed, when Riley Grey, owner and founder of Cayman eFoil, took to the waves, travelling around the island on a carbon-fibre motor-powered board in less than four hours.
“It was amazing to see parts of the island which I’ve never been before, and it was great to feel that I was doing something that’s never been done before,” said Grey. “It was a real adventure, while also being extremely relaxing and fun too.”
Futuristic watersport
For those unfamiliar with eFoiling, an eFoil can best be described as an electric surfboard, similar to Marty McFly’s hoverboard from ‘Back to the Future II’ (although this board likes going over water).
Attached to the board is an underwater hydrofoil with a powerful motor. This provides the propulsion, which is controlled by the rider via a handheld Bluetooth remote control, and it is the weight distribution on the board which causes it to soar above the ocean.
The first commercial eFoils were pioneered by engineer and avid surfer Nick Leason in Puerto Rico in 2018, who used the technology from smart phones, drones and electric vehicles to create a board that would let its rider fly above a body of water without needing to be propelled by wind or waves.
When keen snowboarder Grey, 35, who previously worked in construction in his native Canada, first came across eFoiling, it was an instant attraction.
“I saw a documentary on [Nick Leason’s company] Lift Foil and it was a complete no-brainer for me,” he said. “I simply fell in love with it.”
He travelled to Puerto Rico to buy his first board and two years ago set up Cayman eFoil, the first eFoil company in Cayman.
“It is just magical,” said Grey. “It’s the next evolution in surfing. It’s like snowboarding was in the 80s.”
Learning to eFoil
He advises would-be eFoilers to “think of it as riding a boat with an outboard motor” and says that the secret to riding is the combination of “overall weight distribution and throttle control”.
Efoiling isn’t a cheap sport to get into, with the boards used by Cayman eFoil costing upwards of US$18,000. A two-hour introductory lesson with Grey costs US$475 for one person, although Grey recommends two people share the lesson and a board, which comes out at US$275 per person, and gives people the chance to let everything sink in before going out on the water for a second time. In spite of the hefty price tag, Grey says that there is nothing like it.
“The feeling of going through water and air at the same time is just unreal,” he said.
Travelling around Grand Cayman by eFoil
It took Grey just over four hours to circle the island on 14 July, setting off before 6am from The Great House on Seven Mile Beach and returning not long after 10am.
A back-up boat, known as a chase boat, piloted by Captain Richard of Blue Water Excursions, enabled an easy switch-over of batteries during the journey. Grey hopes to make his journey the first of a regular event, with the possibility of making it a competitive race with a fundraising element and to tie it in with beach clean-ups around the island.
The distance of 59.9 miles he travelled on his Cayman circumnavigation isn’t that much less than the distance to Little Cayman, he noted, with plans to maybe travel across to the Sister Islands by eFoil in future.
“I’m just trying to build awareness and to grow the sport slowly and safely,” he said. “It’s a great way to show off the beauty of the Cayman Islands too.”
Introducing people to eFoiling
The flat waters and low depth of Seven Mile Beach makes it an ideal place for eFoiling, not to mention the stunning scenery. Grey has now taught more than 700 eFoil sessions and says he loves introducing people to the sport.
“People don’t have to have any board experience and can be any age from 12 upwards,” he said. “I taught a 77-year-old recently and he immediately booked another lesson.”
Grey has even taken 62-year-old Governor Jane Owen out eFoiling and says it is his ambition to get four generations of a family eFoiling together. He is also working to create a PADI-style accreditation, which will show that people have been properly taught how to ride an eFoil, and what not to do.
“I’m creating a safe sport here. eFoils have powerful motors and it’s important to teach people how to ride them properly,” said Grey.
With eFoiling fast growing in popularity, he has ambitious plans for the sport.
“I’m trying to make the Cayman Islands the eFoiling hub of the world,” said Grey. “It’s safe, it’s beautiful and it’s in the Caribbean – it’s the perfect location for it.”
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