Fliteboard is recognized as one of the premier Efoil brands currently available, offering a cutting-edge riding experience. An essential component in optimizing this experience is the utilization of shims. Shims serve as tools that allow riders to fine-tune various aspects of their ride, including gear, weight, riding style, speed, and personal preference.

Fliteboard provides a comprehensive set of six back stabilizer wing shims ranging from 0 to 5, catering to the diverse needs of riders.

The primary goal when adjusting your Efoil is to achieve a close-to-level board pitch and a comfortable mid-range stance. Placing your back foot above or slightly in front of the mast is optimal for balance and stability. However, if the board angles up excessively, riders may experience discomfort, with most of their body weight shifting to their back leg and ankle, potentially leading to leg fatigue. Some riders may compensate by adjusting their stance, but this may not be ideal for maneuverability, especially when changing speeds or turning.

While many Fliteboard riders find the factory-provided shims sufficient, some may require additional adjustments for optimal performance. If leveling the board with the zero shim proves challenging, experimenting with shimming the front wing or further adjusting the stabilizer wing may be necessary. EfoilSolutions offers a set of five negative front and five negative stabilizer shims for riders seeking additional customization options.

Adjusting your ride using negative shims involves a systematic approach. Starting with a -1 rear shim, riders can gradually reduce rear shims and experiment with different front shims until achieving the desired balance and performance.

The use of a front shim alongside a negative stabilizer shim may seem counterintuitive at first. However, balancing both wings helps reduce drag forces caused by imbalance, enhancing overall efficiency and stability during the ride.  We recommend starting to add neg front shims if using -3, -4, or -5.

Some advanced riders use a -1 or -2 front shim with 0, +1, or +2 on the stab to adjust the pitch or the board and allow better control while carving.

Comparing Fliteboard to other Efoil brands, such as Lift, reveals distinct design differences. Lift’s Efoil design originated from their non-motorized foil line, featuring a simplistic layout with the motor and prop attached above the foils. In contrast, Fliteboard was purposefully optimized for Efoiling, with a unified fuselage design and a propeller positioned at the bottom of the mast for enhanced performance and maneuverability.

understanding the role of shims and design variances among Efoil brands is crucial for riders seeking the ultimate riding experience. By leveraging shimming techniques and recognizing the unique attributes of each brand’s design, riders can unlock the full potential of their Efoils and enjoy unparalleled excitement on the water.

Forces on Fliteboard
There are several efoil models like the Fliteboard, E-Tron, and SiFly that have designed the propeller in-line with the front wing.  For these Efoils, when the velocity increases, the propeller forces cancel the front wing drag forces.  But together with the drag forces on the mast and everything above water, the increased velocity also increases the moment force.  As the speed increases, this pushes the nose up.  Negative shims may help you counter this force!  Fliteboard, E-Tron, and SiFly have shimming options.

Forces on Lift
The Lift Efoil propeller is positioned higher than the front and back wing.  This design concept is common to most efoil models, such as Lift, Waydoo, Takuma, and others.  As the velocity increases, the prop will counterbalance the drag forces applied on the front wing.  This will induce a net moment force and helps to push the nose down and counterbalance upward forces generated from the prop.  However, this reactive downward force doesn’t provide a perfect counterbalance to the upward forces.  In fact, Lift riders do need to lean forward a bit more and /or shift forward to maintain a level ride.