Self-propelled hydrofoil surfboard
A self-propelled hydrofoil surfboard includes a surfboard having a mast mounted to the lower surface of the surfboard, a selectively controllable thruster mounted at a lower end of the mast, a controller and a battery to supply power to the controller and thruster, the controller cooperating with a remote controller adapted to give control inputs to the controller and to be carried when in use by a rider, navigation lights mounted around at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the surfboard, and wherein the mast may have an adjustable length.
1. A self-propelled hydrofoil surfboard for use over a body of water by a rider, the hydrofoil surfboard comprising:
a surfboard having a bow, a stern, and a circumferential edge extending completely around and between an upper surface of the surfboard and a lower surface of the surfboard, wherein the surfboard is adapted to be elevated above a waterline of the body of water,
a mast mounted to the lower surface of the surfboard so as to extend orthogonally therefrom,
at least one hydrofoil wing connected to a lower end of the mast,
a selectively controllable thruster mounted to the mast adjacent the at least one hydrofoil wing to provide selectively controllable forward acceleration to the surfboard for the at least one hydrofoil wing to elevate the surfboard above the waterline,
a controller mounted in the surfboard and cooperating with the selectively controllable thruster to selectively control the amount of thrust produced by the selectively controllable thruster to provide the forward acceleration to the surfboard, the controller cooperating with a remote controller adapted to give control inputs to the controller and to be carried when in use by the rider riding on the surfboard and simultaneously providing the control inputs,
a rechargeable battery removably mounted in the surfboard and in electrical communication with the controller and the selectively controllable thruster to provide electric power to the controller and to the selectively controllable thruster,
navigation lights mounted around at least a portion of the circumferential edge of the surfboard along both port and starboard sides of the surfboard, wherein a color of the navigation lights on the port side of the surfboard is different from a color of the navigation lights on the starboard side of the surfboard, and
wherein when the navigation lights are illuminated and the surfboard is elevated above the waterline, the circumferential edge is also correspondingly elevated above the waterline and the illuminated navigation lights mounted therealong radiate from the circumferential edge of the elevated surfboard for ease of viewing by an observer, from afar, of the elevated surfboard for determining, from afar, the direction of travel, speed of the surfboard and whether the surfboard is turning in order to avoid a collision with the surfboard.
2. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 1 wherein the navigation lights include LED lights.
3. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 1 wherein the navigation lights extend at least around the bow of the surfboard.
4. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 3 wherein the navigation lights include red lights on the port side of the bow, and green lights on the starboard side of the bow.
5. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 1 wherein the navigation lights extend along the full length of the circumferential edge of the surfboard.
6. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 1 wherein the navigation lights include red port lights and green starboard lights in the absence of natural daylight, and include other than red or green lights in the presence of natural daylight.
7. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 6 wherein the lights in the absence of natural daylight are a nighttime mode, and wherein the lights in the presence of natural daylight are a daytime mode, and wherein the rider selectively switches between the nighttime and daytime modes by providing an input to a light controller.
8. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 1 wherein the mast is adapted to have a selectively adjustable length.
9. The hydrofoil surfboard of claim 8 wherein the mast is telescopically adjustable to selectively adjust the length of the mast.
10. A method of using the hydrofoil surfboard of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
the rider boarding the surfboard while it is floating on a body of water,
providing the control inputs to the controller to accelerate the surfboard to a lifting velocity whereat the surfboard, the circumferential edge, the navigation lights and the rider are elevated above the waterline while translating forwardly through the body of water, and
providing control input to a light controller to illuminate the navigation lights thereby illuminating the circumferential edge and consequently the circumference of the elevated surfboard.