Also, for industrial applications (and for recreational without self-imposed restrictions), high frequency automated active servo control is now very much in the realm of practicality. Back then it was all self-stabilizing, which led to some very bumpy rides.
http://trifoiler.info/media/index.php?title=Main_Page
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXSgZCDVWOM
I don't know if modern consumer-level designs are sophisticated enough to be using much CFD, but it definitely seems like the easy availability of CAD should be playing a role.
I get friends who aren't into surfing sharing links to these things just because they look so fun.
They're not quite Gravity Industries[1] cool but they have an “Iron Man on water” feel to them, and they're an interesting entry point into watersports for people who can afford to buy or hire the things.
[1]: https://gravity.co/
It looked like a landspeeder, and felt like watching a fake youtube video.
The closest thing I found was the “HydroFlyer”:
https://www.thehydroflyer.com/
The riding position is somewhat different to an efoil Speeder Bike, though, where your legs would presumably start in the water like with this design:
At Candela, we use hydrofoils to reduce the energy usage, to be able to make an electric boat that has long range at high speeds, above 20 knots. Conventional hulls are hard to electrify since they need so much power. However, we use a new type of hydrofoil: fully submerged hydrofoils, that are more efficient but needs active stabilization from computers and software. The on-board Flight controller adjusts the hydrofoils at 100 hZ, or 100 times per second, which makes for a craft that won't pitch or heave. This tech was available in the 1970's - it's basically a very similar Flight controller as in an inherently unstable jet fighter like F-16 - but thanks to drones and smartphones, the price reduction of sensors makes it possible for us to offer this tech in a leisure boat.
And - we're scaling our electric hydrofoil tech to commercial ships. Right now, we're starting the construction of the world's first foiling electric shuttle ship for the city of Stockholm. At its launch next year, Candela P-30 will be the fastest electric ship ever at 30 knots, as well as most energy-efficient ship ever built. Energy usage is 1/10th of conventional diesel ships. Check it out here:
I've been hydrofoil windsurfing (and have tried wingsurfing/wingfoiling as well).
Hydrofoiling has extended the lower range of wind speeds that I can go fast in. For instance, around 10kts wind I can pump the board and sail to get on the foil and go about 20mph. Pros push this even lower, to about 7kts wind speed.
I can also go upwind much higher and downwind deeper, at speed, than I could with just regular windsurfing on a fin. Control is a bit difficult downwind for me, still, but it's fun.
Paris Olympics in 2024 will have hydrofoil windsurfing. There was also a race this weekend around Lanzarote, which was almost 10hrs of racing and 130 something miles traveled on windsurf foils.
I remember seeing foils in the late 90s and early 2000s but they weren't available to purchase. I wonder why. Maybe it's because the construction process hadn't been commercialized yet.
I'm in the proces of learning to use a kitesurf hydrofoil, it's funny to see the gps tracks from a smartwatch on strava, very messy, like a child scribbling.
I find this peculiar because hydrofoils were seemingly much more common in the 80-90's in industrial applications such as ferries, but now suddenly have become hugely popular in recreational space, and rapid innovation in the design and construction of foils across all of the domains. Very interesting if you are interested in boats and water sports.