in Empuriabrava Spain 21-22. March 2026

We learned a lot about setups, batteries, and the demands of eFoil racing during the weekend in Empuriabrava. This post is based purely on our own experience and what we observed on the water. It is meant to document what we learned and to encourage discussion — feel free to comment and share your thoughts.

We had the pleasure of riding with current eFoil World Champion Manel Arpa, and we were even able to test his setup ourselves. That was an incredible experience.

In our view, the LIFT X is currently one of the most exciting and high-performance sporty eFoils in the world. Riding this machine feels absolutely unreal. That said, it is clearly designed for very advanced and rather lightweight riders.

Originally, the LIFT X was developed by Nick Leason at Lift Foils for riding swell and waves with an ultra-light battery, special smaller motor, and lighter mast setup. But if you click the more powerful LIFT5 mast in with the larger motor, the board turns into an extremely sharp and competitive racing machine — the same combination Manel used to win the Dubai eFoil Racing Cup in 2025.

At weekend, we noticed that the LIFT X also has some limitations when used for racing, mainly because racing was not its original purpose.

Key observations about the LIFTX

1. Board size matters

The LIFT X comes in three sizes: 4.3, 4.8, and 5.2.
For racing, in our opinion, you need at least the 4.8. Even lightweight riders need a very aggressive “tornado start” to get up on the 4.3, and that can cost valuable time in a race – so go longer…

2. The mast and prop setup are crucial

For racing, you need the LIFT5 mast with the bigger, much more powerful motor and the fixed 3-blade propeller.
The folding prop is excellent for wave riding and feels more stable when breaking through the water, but it does not deliver the same power as the fixed 3-blade prop.

3. Wing choice makes the difference

For going fast – riders around 75 kg, the combination of the 74 Havoc front wing and the Florence 21X rear wing felt amazing sharp. We also tried the 70 front wing – which is even sharper but was even more sensitive.
A heavier rider at around 95 kg used the 100 front wing with the Surf 36 Glide rear wing and still managed to finish in second place.

4. The currently available two LIFT X battery generations behave very differently

At the moment, there are two LIFT X battery versions:

• First generation: 0.9 kWh
• Second generation: 1.0 kWh

They look almost identical, but in practice they behave very differently.

The newer 1.0 kWh battery is excellent for surfing and cruising. In our other tests, it almost lasted as long as the much larger 1.6 kWh battery on a Flite Ultra 2, which was very impressive for such a compact battery.

However, for racing, this battery showed a major weakness.

Campion Manel used the 1.0 kWh battery once and was able to ride at full speed, but after only around 5 minutes and roughly 18% battery usage, the battery temperature had already climbed to 61°C. At that point, the system reduced power to protect itself, and we had to cool the battery down with ice.

The older 0.9 kWh battery loses significantly more energy during about five minutes of full-speed riding, but it does not heat up nearly as much. Because of that, it currently seems to be the better choice for racing.

So if you plan to do longer races or multiple heats with short breaks in between, the 1.0 kWh battery is currently not ideal, because it overheats under sustained full-throttle use. The 0.9 kWh battery appears more race-capable in that scenario, although it also needs to be recharged more often — or you need several of them ready to go.

As engineers, we still do not fully understand why the 1.0 kWh battery lasts longer overall, but at the same time generates so much waste heat under race conditions, while the smaller 0.9 kWh battery stays relatively cool yet loses much more energy during high-performance use. That is something we find technically very interesting and still research.

Lift is aware of the issue and is currently developing a dedicated racing battery for the LIFT X, which will hopefully become available later this year.

Conclusion

The 1.0 kWh battery is an amazing battery for its size and offers excellent range for cruising, wave riding, and freeride use. But for full-throttle racing, it currently reaches its thermal limits too quickly to be practical for longer race sessions or repeated races without significant cooling. Pre-cooling with ice may help. (To be clear for normal speed efoiling the 1.0 kwh battery – don’t have any heating problems at all, barely gets to 30 degrees – it is just full throttle usage – which only few riders are able to do anyway)

It is also worth keeping in mind that eFoil racing is extremely hard on equipment. The heat generated inside the batteries causes wear, and these packs will likely not last as long under racing use. The loads on the mast, screws, and hardware are also much higher than in normal freeride or surf sessions.

If you want to get into eFoil wave riding or eFoil racing, feel free to get in touch with us. We can help you find the right setup for your weight, skill level, and riding style — one that not only performs well, but also stays reliable over time. And of course you can try the LIFTX at our locations.

And of course, we also help beginners find the right equipment to enjoy long, safe, and happy sessions on the water. We offer different brands, from high-quality beginner-friendly eFoils at a more accessible price point all the way to high-end premium setups like Lift, which many professionals fall in love with.

Video from the efoil race weekend – with Manel on the 4,3 LIFTX with 74 frontwing, Florence 21x backwing, 3 blade fixed prop and special prototype carbon racing mast.