There is a long history of the motorised surfboards which got documented way back to the 1930s. Many talented people tried to find an alternative if there are no waves or wind. Here is a brief overview.

By Andreas Lakeberg — E-SURFER founder, eFoil expert since 2017 and board member of the Global Foil Board Sports Association (GFA)
Last updated: November 2026

How did the history of motorised surfboards begin? The first motorised surfboard was the Surf Scooter, tested by lifeguards at Bondi Beach in Australia in 1935. It was followed by boards such as Joe Gilpin’s Motorboard (1948) and the Bloomingdales Jet Surfboard (1965). Jetsurf from the Czech Republic achieved the breakthrough from 1994. Electric jetboards arrived around 2017, and the first commercial eFoil came from Lift Foils in 2018.

Not looking for history but for a board to ride today? You will find all current models with prices, range and ride time in our comparison Surfboard with motor.

Timeline: motorised surfboards from 1935 to today

Who invented the motorised surfboard?

No single person invented the motorised surfboard: from the 1930s, several tinkerers in Australia and the USA built surfboards with engines, and the earliest documented one is the Surf Scooter from 1935. They were all looking for an alternative for days without waves or wind. Here is a brief overview:

In 1935, the Surf Scooter appeared in an Australian newspaper where lifeguards were testing the surfboard on Bondi Beach in Australia. According to some sources, it had been developed five (!) years earlier, marking the beginning of the history of motorized surfboards in 1930.

In 1938, Emil Hansen from Pennsylvania presented his Scimboat. It was more of a boat than a surfboard, although the size was similar. It had a top speed of 30 mph or 48 km/h, powered by a 7.5 hp propeller drive. The propeller was mounted on the front of the board for safety reasons, but also had a magnetic kill switch. The weight of the aluminum boards was 120 pounds or 54 kg.

In 1948, Joe Gilpin showed off his motorized board. This guy certainly had style when he rode his motorized surfboard in a suit with a walking stick and cigar. However, the motorboard prototype never went into series production.

In 1960, the well-known surfer, surfboard manufacturer and inventor of the Hobie Cat catamaran Hobart presented motorized surfboards. He also invented a motorized skateboard. What a talented guy!

What was the first production motorised surfboard?

In 1965, Bloomingdales department stores launched the first commercially available motorised surfboard – they called it the Jet Surfboard. At around USD 1,700, it was quite expensive by the standards of the time, but 200 were produced and sold. Here's the kicker: in today’s purchasing power, USD 1,700 from 1965 is around USD 17,000 (as of 2026) – exactly the price range of today’s premium eFoils and jetboards. 🙂

In the same year, George Carter developed his Surfjet. His company existed under the name "Wild Thing Watercraft" until 1998, when it went bankrupt.

George Barris also presented his motorised surfboard, which actually had a seat. In 1973, North Hants Engineering launched its Skidaddle surfboard, which was powered by a 157 cc engine.

In the 1980s, honeycomb surfboard manufacturer Neil Townsend launched his Aquajet, a propeller-driven surfboard. Various inventors also developed petrol-powered surfboards in the 1980s.

In Berlin, there was even the "Berliner Moto-Surf Club", which used its motorized surfboards on the Wannsee near Berlin. We found two of these boards in Waterrebels' garage.

What was the Powerski jetboard?

In the 90s, Bob Montgomery launched his Powerski jetboard, which had quite a lot of power. It was quite an impressive board - but unfortunately it didn't survive.

Wayne from Jetboard Limited provided the information so far. His company is now called Blua Blue and is our partner and test centre in Sotogrande, Spain. Wayne has a whole collection of classic motorised surfboards (very, very cool!).

When did motorised surfboards become successful?

The breakthrough came from 1994 with Jetsurf. The first company to successfully bring motorized surfboards to the market was Jetsurf from the Czech Republic. They started developing powerful, lightweight combustion engines for racing in 1994 and are still the leader in gasoline-powered surfboards and host of the Jetsurf World Cup.

Today, Jetsurf is still one of the leading manufacturers of motorised surfboards. The focus remains on petrol-powered jetboards, but Jetsurf now also builds electric jetboards such as the JETSURF Electric 2.

When did the first electric surfboards appear?

The first electric surfboards came onto the market from 2013: Onean, Lampuga and Waterwolf. Onean probably sold the most electric surfboards in the early jetboard days. Unfortunately, Onean went bankrupt in 2023.

There were two Lampugas. The team around Benjamin Köhnsen founded the brand in 2013, and the inflatable Lampuga Air was one of the very first jetboards. In 2017 this first Lampuga went bankrupt. The team carried on, developed the CURF jetboard and today builds the mo-jet as Jetworx GmbH.

In 2019 a new Lampuga GmbH started in Rastatt, Germany, began series production and launched completely new models in 2020. It has since ceased operations too – read more in our look back at Lampuga.

The Waterwolf was the only electric surfboard of its time with a propeller, while the other electric boards used jet drives. It could only get riders under 85 kg gliding, but was very close to the feeling of surfing. Unfortunately, Waterwolf no longer exists.

We recorded this video for the E-SURFER YouTube channel in 2017:

Radinn from Sweden was also an early player in the jetboard market. After the Wakejet, they came up with models such as the Carve, Freeride and X-Sport. But Radinn also had to close its doors in 2023.

When did the first eFoil come onto the market?

The first commercial eFoil was delivered by Lift Foils in 2018 – a board that glides above the water on a hydrofoil wing. We brought one of the very first to Germany that same year.

In 2019, Fliteboard from Australia launched its eFoil. Also announced were VeCarve from Canada, Cabratec from the Czech Republic, E-Takuma from Takuma Concepts, Jetfoiler from Kai Concepts, Waviator from Germany, ElDoRiDo from the Czech Republic and who knows what other brands. We also saw cheaper electric hydrofoils such as Waydoo and Hoverstar emerge from China. Many of these manufacturers no longer exist.

Which motorised surfboards are there today?

Today eFoils set the tone: since 2021 they have outsold jetboards. Alongside them there are still jetboards with petrol or electric drives and, since 2024, eFoil scooters with handlebars.

In 2022, Aerofoils, a spin-off of Audi AG, launched the Audi e-tron foil. It was the first eFoil with a jet drive instead of a propeller. Today the boards are called Aerofoils Performance and Adventure, and other manufacturers have since introduced jet drives too.

The Jetfoiler was announced with a jet drive back in 2018 but has still not come onto the market. We were able to ride a prototype in Berlin in 2023.

Today we carry eFoils from Aerofoils, Lift Foils and Awake as well as jetboards from Jetsurf and mo-jet. Which surfboard with motor suits you, with prices, battery life and weight, is shown in our surfboard with motor comparison. We also present new models on our YouTube channel.

What are eFoil scooters?

eFoil scooters are eFoils with handlebars, available from several manufacturers since 2024. They appeal to people who don’t dare to try a classic eFoil and are much easier to learn.

At boot 2024, seven manufacturers already showed eFoil scooters, including Aerofoils with the HyperFly and Fliteboard with the Flitescooter. How the two compare is covered in our Flitescooter vs HyperFly review.

Jetsurf has also built a jetboard with handlebars: the JETSURF Electric 2 Ski is now available. So there’s never a dull moment when it comes to motorised surfboards – we’ll stay on the ball!

Frequently asked questions about the history of motorised surfboards