http://www.instructables.

com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop
How to "Fly" a Human Powered Hydrofoil - the "Aquaskipper"
by TimAnderson on January 31, 2007
Table of Contents
How to "Fly" a Human Powered Hydrofoil - the "Aquaskipper" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Intro: How to "Fly" a Human Powered Hydrofoil - the "Aquaskipper" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 1: Bounce Down and Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 2: Hydrothopter Evolution, 1953 - the Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 3: Aquaskipper Patent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Step 4: Pumpabike Patent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Step 5: Trampofoil Patent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 6: Flying Fish 1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Step 7: Wasserlaufer 1953 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 8: Pogofoil 1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
Author:TimAnderson author's website
Tim Anderson is the author of the "Heirloom Technology" column in Make Magazine. He is co-founder of www.zcorp.com, manufacturers of "3D Printer"
output devices. His detailed drawings of traditional Pacific Island sailing canoes are at http://www.mit.edu/people/robot.
Tim's philosophy involves building minimum-consumption personal infrastructure from recycled scavenged materials.
Redirecting the waste stream. Doing much with little. A reverse peace-corps to learn from poor people all over the world.
Intro: How to "Fly" a Human Powered Hydrofoil - the "Aquaskipper"
The "Aquaskipper" is a human powered hydrofoil made by Inventist.com .
It's similar to the original Swedish Trampofoil, which is no longer available.
There's also one called the "Pumpabike" from South Africa.
They're also called "hull-less watercraft" and "flapping wing propulsion vessels".
You bounce up and down to make the wing fly and propel you.
If you stop you fall into the water and swim back to the dock.
It's completely ridiculous and works really well once you get the hang of it.
It's hard to do at first but that seems to make it even more fun.
Here's what learning looks like:
(After a few days we got a lot better)
Here's Kenny teaching Caglar the starting position.
An ipod formatted copy of the AquaSkipping video can be downloaded here .
Do you like this Instructable? Digg it!
Want to build your own? Here's How!
Step 1:Bounce Down and Up
Find a good place to launch. What you want is a dock a foot or so above the water.
You want water at least 6.5 feet deep according to the manual.
Decide which of your legs is stronger. That's your "pushing foot".
Stand on the side of the dock with the ball of that foot hanging over the edge of the dock.
That's so you'll be able to push off forcefully without your foot slipping.
Rest the rear crossbar of the Aquaskipper on the toes of that foot to keep it from dropping into the water.
Rock forward until the Aquaskipper's front foil is level on the water and step aboard with your other foot.
Lunge yourself and the aquaskipper forward, pushing with your back foot as hard as you possibly can.
Then start bouncing. These two diagrams from the Inventist website show what happens to the gizmo when you bounce. In the "down" part of the stroke the suspension
is compressed and the back foil dives. In the 'up" part of the stroke the spring straightens out, the wing swoops up in the water and you glide forward. It's not automatic,
you have to learn the skill.
It's hard to describe the motion. It helps to watch the videos many times and have a lot of friends around to make suggestions.
After a week or so of practice you'll be a skillful expert like the folks in the following video.
It shows Aquaskippers, Trampofoils, and other humanpowered hydrofoils at the European Sprint races in 2006:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
Step 2:Hydrothopter Evolution, 1953 - the Present
Demographic analysis shows that you're an impoverished 15 year old dreaming of ganging up ten of these with a chinese dragon hiding your friends inside. I know you're
itching to go grind foils out of skis with a beltsander right now, but first take a look at what's been done before.
The rest of this instructable covers patents and additional details of human-powered Hydrothopters in order of newest to oldest.
This picture shows Alexander Sahlin riding one of his prototypes in the 90's.
File Downloads
7021232_aquaskipper.pdf (381 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '7021232_aquaskipper.pdf']
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
7021232_aquaskipper.pdf (381 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '7021232_aquaskipper.pdf']
Step 3:Aquaskipper Patent
The pdf icon below will load Shane Chen's 2003 patent for the Aquaskipper.
If you're rushing off to beltsand some wooden foils for a crazy hydrofoil right now, be aware
the foil sections depicted in these diagrams do not resemble the sections of the actual device.
Also bear in mind that Shane's product is well made and it's cheaper to buy one than to spend lots of time building your own.
That said, here are some foil section candidates:
The Eppler E817 and "Ogive" sections are popular with Hydrofoil Society Members .
NACA 63412 and H105 are used by the Moth hydrofoil dinghy and others made by the same folks.
File Downloads
7021232_aquaskipper.pdf (381 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '7021232_aquaskipper.pdf']
Step 4:Pumpabike Patent
The pdf icon at bottom will load Michael Puzey's patent for the "Pumpabike".
His website has a lot of good info, including owner's manual.
File Downloads
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
6099369_pumpabike.pdf (399 KB)
[NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to '6099369_pumpabike.pdf']
Step 5:Trampofoil Patent
Alexander Sahlin, inventor of the Trampofoil obtained Swedish design patent number 98-0088. Swedish Patent and Registreringsverket.
I haven't been able to find a copy, but if any of you do, please send it to me.
Alexander has gotten into some interesting new projects and no longer sells Trampofoils. The old Trampofoil website has gone offline, but you can still find it using the
"Wayback Machine" . That's where I got the following pictures of the Trampofoil.
His old website has the story of how he developed it with pix of the prototypes.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
Step 6:Flying Fish 1983
The original pedal powered hull-less hydrofoil, the "Flying Fish":
The flying fish video is from Mark Drela's Decavitator website, now only available via the WaybackMachine:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051218183752/lancet.mit.edu/decavitator/VideoClips.ff.html
http://members.aol.com/jfreeent/hf.htm says:
"The first hydrofoil to fly was probably the "Flying Fish"; It was essentially a bicycle with foils instead of wheels. It had no floats at first, and was launched off a pier on
rails. Their flight was
first published in 1984. If your PC can run video, the "Flying Fish"link below will show the essential components of all hydrofoil research. . .GETTING DUMPED !! That's
Allan Abbott on the hydrofoil, and probably Alec Brooks doing the "rip cord". "
The photos are from http://www.ihpva.org/HParchive/ Human Power, the Journal of the IHPVA Vol 3 no.2 winter 1984 in the lead article "The Flying Fish" written by Alec
Brooks. The captions read: "Allan Abbott flies by at about 12mph" and "The Flying Fish, weight: 39lb, max speed: 14+ mph. Note surface follower on front strut."
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
Step 7:Wasserlaufer 1953
This was the first human powered hydrofoil. The name means "water strider", the waterbug that scampers on the surface of the water:
From http://www.human-powered-hydrofoils.com/history.html
:" This is the first human powered hydrofoil ever. It was invented and designed by the bavarian engineer Julius Schuck. In 1953 it was presented the first time in the
german Tagesschau (News) and the inventor himself rode his hydrofoil on the river Isar in Munich. In the 1978 movie Gizmo by Howard Stern the Wasserlaufer has a
small part. This movie was reporting about crazy inventions of past days.
The Wasserlaufer used Flapping Wing Propulsion far before anybody else even thought about this way of propulsion. Below is the link to the News Video of the
Wasserlaufer. C Bilder, Videos Dr.-Ing. Wolf-Dieter Schuck"
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
Step 8:Pogofoil 1989
Parker McCready, the designer, has a page describing this craft which has a main wing "of a carbon/epoxy composite, is about 2 m in span, uses a NACA 4415 airfoil
section".
Here's Mike Lampi's video of the Pogofoil in action:
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http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 63 comments
dominichart88 says: Jan 17, 2012. 1:37 PM REPLY
Thanks for the catch. Misspelling corrected. Excellence is Always Appreciated!
cameron and blake says: Nov 18, 2012. 6:48 AM REPLY
mabey you should add more support to the sides and make it more secure and more flimsy on the uper part
alfamc2 says: Oct 22, 2011. 12:48 AM REPLY
i want one. (=
sandraellis says: Oct 5, 2011. 4:03 PM REPLY
Love it!
Sunnedaez says: Oct 2, 2011. 7:00 AM REPLY
Looks very hard to function almost like you need to be pulled by a jetski then that would be defeating the purpose of it being human powered.
petergovaere says: Sep 29, 2011. 11:32 PM REPLY
Looks like Bugs Bunny on waterskies :-)
Computothought says: Jun 30, 2011. 11:10 PM REPLY
I'll pass on this one...
fight4gipper1 says: Apr 29, 2011. 1:28 PM REPLY
Is there any way to make one of these??
sunny06 says: Jun 13, 2011. 4:32 PM REPLY
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil----The-%22Hydrothopter%22/
sunny06 says: Jun 13, 2011. 4:26 PM REPLY
Look at this - totally amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voKweuNdElQ&feature=related
A.C.E. says: May 25, 2007. 4:07 AM REPLY
so, if your just riding along and slow down to much and sink will the aquaskipper sink and can you get back on it in the water or do you have to go back to a
dock?
snworks says: Jun 25, 2009. 2:17 PM REPLY
I don't know why you believe that, A Good Name. It's not possible to water start - you have to get back to dock or boat to launch. I have tried having a
boat tow me up, but there is not enough control while underwater to do it.
The most fun is with a group of people taking turns, and you just circle around so you can step off on the dock or have a short swim. For learners we
bring a line with a throwing weight on the end to haul them back in. Much less tiring than paddling back, so more time and energy for practice.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=snworks#play/all/uploads-all/2/nO7-tfVkoNU
A good name says: Apr 22, 2008. 6:51 PM REPLY
I believe it would be possible to get up on the water, but easier on a dock/boat.
Yerboogieman says: Jun 6, 2009. 10:25 PM REPLY
That thing is just cool, i want to try that someday.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
JendaZZ says: Dec 4, 2008. 3:42 PM REPLY
All you guys need to do is JUMP! Just look at yourself in the video... you (mostly the guy in black) are pushing down with your arms and bobbing up and
down with your body - you are not really jumping at all. You need to jump up on the balls of your feet; your heels should come off the platform with every
jump. I know you can do it!
agis68 says: Apr 9, 2008. 3:00 AM REPLY
I dont know if iam go make it ever, but i lought very mach with the first video....good job.
WonderWheeler says: Feb 10, 2007. 4:10 PM REPLY
Wow! But don't try to ride it in areas with a lot of kelp or long stringey algae or floating plants! Is that duct tape patching on his knees?
TimAnderson says: Feb 12, 2007. 2:56 AM REPLY
It's that 3M retro-reflector tape. So they can find the body quicker at night.
greggles14 says: Jan 7, 2008. 12:56 PM REPLY
ur cool cus ur name is anderson, so is mine!
Crash2108 says: Apr 27, 2007. 10:37 PM REPLY
more like 'corpse'.
parker101 says: Jul 19, 2007. 12:38 PM REPLY
they look so cool but i dont have the time to make it.
about how much does suplies cost???
Doveman says: Jun 13, 2007. 6:43 PM REPLY
Those Aquaskipper micbobbers are darn expensive! Almost $500?
dapaintballer331 says: May 15, 2007. 2:14 PM REPLY
I bought this March 2006, and you know the guy in the black dry suit? That was myself and 10 friends who tried it. I eventually got the hang of it rnough to go
far out, but turning is a lot harder than it looks. Get it if you have a LOT of time.
power says: Apr 7, 2007. 1:21 AM REPLY
I saw this in a tv programme name Beyond Tommorow.this is very nice but it might be tricky .it means this is like a sport exercise machine for me.nice
instructable
Punkguyta says: Feb 19, 2007. 6:22 PM REPLY
OH wow, I guess you learn things every day. I've never seen one of these but I'd be interested to see it in person.
Wade Tarzia says: Feb 5, 2007. 9:12 AM REPLY
Nice! Adds new meaning to the proverb, "sink or swim," and this device could update the proverb for the 21st century. Hey, this reminds me somewhy of the
"mud sled," for which I hope you will do an instructable someday. Would love to see the modern equivalent as well as a note on its ethnographic history.
Howabout a kite-powered mudsled? A wheeled, skated, pump-hydrofoiled, kite-powered mudsled might be the ultimate transport. It would at least win
contests at Burning Man. ;-)
Wade Tarzia says: Feb 6, 2007. 7:04 AM REPLY
Addendum -- I just saw the video. I haven't laughed like that in months. I salute the never-say-die man-in-black.
girlybob says: Feb 18, 2007. 8:13 PM REPLY
ditto that - i was in need of a laugh and that was just stupidass enough to do it....sticktuitiveness!!!
Fubar says: Feb 17, 2007. 10:49 AM REPLY
Wow, that is very cool. Looks tiring, but cool. Seems like the trick to get started is to get the canard in the water first so it's riding level. Very cool guys. But
now I know you Great Lakes guys are nuts. Try this in San Diego where the water is 40deg warmer!
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
leahculver says: Feb 14, 2007. 3:05 PM REPLY
Awesome! Looks tricky.
leevonk says: Feb 3, 2007. 9:11 PM REPLY
how does that survival suit help keep you warm when it's so loose? It's water permiable like a normal neoprene wetsuite right? As far as I know tight fitting
neoprene wetsuits work because some water is trapped in the neoprene and this water is warmed by your body. having a loose fitting wetsuite doesn't let the
water get warmed by the body.. Let me know where I'm off
Kiteman says: Feb 4, 2007. 7:58 AM REPLY
That looks like a dry suit - no water gets in at all. It means you can ride your foil thing somewhere and arrive with your normal clothes on, dry,
underneath.
leevonk says: Feb 8, 2007. 11:05 AM REPLY
naw, it's made of neoprene (see his wetsuite repair instructable)
Wade Tarzia says: Feb 8, 2007. 1:44 PM REPLY
All survival suits are dry-suits. The zippers are well sealed, and the 'socks' and 'gloves' are sealed on. Water can get in by the face, so the hood
is designed to fit tightly around the face. Usually the hood can be pulled up or folded over to cover the mouth a little.
leevonk says: Feb 8, 2007. 4:58 PM REPLY
the red suit pictured is a wetsuit, dry suits are not made of neoprene, they are made of waterproof plastic.
dan says: Feb 9, 2007. 12:12 PM REPLY
contrary to "lay" opinion, neoprene itself is completely waterproof. all leakage in a wetsuit is through the sewn seams between the
individual panels of neoprene and around the edges where your arms and legs go, and through the zipper. if you visit your cold-weather
surfing store, you should have no trouble purchasing a neoprene dry suit. it just costs more because of the seals.
leevonk says: Feb 13, 2007. 4:14 PM REPLY
thank you, finally an enlightening set of replies.
aphoric says: Feb 9, 2007. 1:50 AM REPLY
Actually dry suits may be made of nylon, or neoprene, or other materials. Here is just one quick link for info on neoprene drysuits.
http://www.adventuresdownunder.com/neoprene.htm
royalestel says: Feb 9, 2007. 2:30 PM REPLY
Sorry to burst your collective bubbles, but REAL drysuits are made of thermocouple piezo-plastics. Check out this.
Kiteman says: Feb 11, 2007. 4:16 AM REPLY
Actually, I think you'll find the correct link is HERE.
royalestel says: Feb 11, 2007. 2:10 PM REPLY
Aw, I was just adding to the comment chain . . .
Kiteman says: Feb 12, 2007. 2:27 AM REPLY
Me too. It just seemed seemed...
JayKay says: Feb 11, 2007. 8:03 PM REPLY
That is simpley not true. "Neoprene is a closed cell foam synthetic rubber, containing millions of tiny air bubbles. These form a buoyant
and thermally insulating material that make a neoprene drysuit safer to wear than membrane dry suits. If torn or punctured, a neoprene
suit still retains the insulation and buoyancy of the air bubbles when flooded."
(Wikipedia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_suit#Neoprene>)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Fly-a-Human-Powered-Hydrofoil---the-Aqua/
kinawera says: Feb 11, 2007. 12:10 AM REPLY
It is a regular wetsuit. You should have seen him BEFORE he lost the weight!
macrumpton says: Feb 11, 2007. 10:36 AM REPLY
The Aquaskipper is actually pretty close to a clone of a swedish invention called a trampofoil invented about a decade ago by these guys:
http://www.trampofoil.com/
The aquaskipper has some improvements and costs about 1/4 as much as the original.
If someone could make these water launchable they would really take off in popularity.
A small electric motor and prop could also extend the range a lot. How about piezo electric material in the wing so it generates some of the power for the
motor from the flexing of the wing.
Tamaresque says: Feb 9, 2007. 10:48 PM REPLY
Would it work better if there was more surface on the blades i.e. making them wider?
fretthefred says: Feb 11, 2007. 10:20 AM REPLY
there would more lift but a lot of drag though
WonderWheeler says: Feb 10, 2007. 4:06 PM REPLY
I remember seeing an old newsreel film about something like this. I was gussing it was even earlier, maybe made in the 1930's and all wood, but mabe it
was this one and I was mistaken.
Mbrito says: Feb 10, 2007. 5:48 AM REPLY
Good exercise! Good for the planet! Fat Americans need to ride these instead of Waverunners! Ha!
Mbrito says: Feb 10, 2007. 5:40 AM REPLY
WOW!
view all 63 comments