Keystone Kayaks - The Flyak is a kayak with hydrofoils

When paddling at speeds less than 10 km/h (2.8 m/s), the Flyak behaves just like a stable, conventional kayak. When the speed increases to just under take-off speed, the front foil first lifts until it is about one chord length under the surface, and the Flyak is tilted about 1 degree backwards.
When the speed is about 25% higher than the take-off speed, the hull is lifted out of the water. Top Speed can be more than 50% higher than “take-off” speed. At top speed, both foils are less than one chord length under the surface.
There are no flaps or any other mechanisms that sense the surface to keep the Flyak level. About one chord length under the surface, the lifting ability of a hydrofoil decreases, so the Flyak is kept level by simply ‘leaning’ the foils up against the surface. The foil winglets give added lift and directional stability

The Flyak is a kayak with hydrofoils, and was invented by Peter Ribe and Einar Rasmussen, who both are world class paddlers. As the name implies, the Flyak "flies", as the entire hull lifts out of the water.

One of Rasmussen’s long-term goals is for the Flyak to replace racing kayaks in Olympic competitions.

The more surface area of a hull "rubbing" against water, the greater the resistance. The hydrofoil concept reduces this wetted area to a fraction, by utilizing the wing-effect. Once the rider works the speed up to roughly 10 KMH (6 MPH), the Flyak is ready for take-off. Theoretically, the Flyak can achieve speeds nearly twice as fast as conventional championship-level racing kayaks.

However, you can not go very long distances on foils because it takes intense energy for the paddler to keep up on the foils.

Rhino model for production

The Flyak is a kayak with hydrofoils, and was invented by Peter Ribe and Einar Rasmussen, who both are world class paddlers. As the name implies, the Flyak "flies", as the entire hull lifts out of the water.

One of Rasmussen’s long-term goals is for the Flyak to replace racing kayaks in Olympic competitions.

The more surface area of a hull "rubbing" against water, the greater the resistance. The hydrofoil concept reduces this wetted area to a fraction, by utilizing the wing-effect. Once the rider works the speed up to roughly 10 KMH (6 MPH), the Flyak is ready for take-off. Theoretically, the Flyak can achieve speeds nearly twice as fast as conventional championship-level racing kayaks.

However, you can not go very long distances on foils because it takes intense energy for the paddler to keep up on the foils.

Design process

Pivot made the commercial design, surface modeling for production, and assisted in developing the extruded foils and steering mechanics. The manufacturer worked close with the inventors to achieve a pleasing design ready for production.

The design is almost entirely driven by performance related issues. Light weight, high strength, and robustness were the three main criteria.

The cockpit area needed special attention to ensure good ergonomics and the least possible amount of water-gathering. The Flyak is a completely water-tight body that cannot take in water or sink. This makes it much easier to learn the technique, as the paddler can just climb back on without having to get the boat out of the water to empty it. The bottom surface of the boat’s 5200 mm carbon-fiber hull is not dramatically different than other racing kayaks. By removing the foils, the craft can be used as a normal racing kayak.