A new technology rarely arrives with a rulebook. It appears first as an idea, then a prototype and, eventually, a product people can buy and use. Only after it has spent time in the real world does the industry begin to see the patterns: what works, what fails, where the hazards are and where consistent guidance would help.

That cycle raises a familiar question: Does technology follow standards, or do standards follow technology? Usually, the answer is clear. Technology moves first. The challenge is knowing when the industry has learned enough to begin developing meaningful guidance.

Consider the electric hydrofoil board. At first glance, an eFoil can look like something between a surfboard and a science-fiction prop. It lifts above the water on a submerged foil with an electric motor driving it. It’s has no steering wheel or tiller, but instead requires the operator to shift weight. It can exceed 30 mph and travel for miles.

As eFoils moved from prototypes to products on the water, their novelty raised practical regulatory questions. What exactly is an eFoil, a toy or a vessel? Does it need a hull identification number? Which provisions of 33 CFR Part 183 apply? What carriage requirements, including fire extinguishers or visual distress signals, come with its use?

Powered surfboards and eFoils do not fit neatly into the familiar outboard or inboard monohull categories used in federal regulations. They share some characteristics with personal watercraft because the operator rides on top rather than within the hull. However, an eFoil also combines hydrofoil operation, lithium-ion batteries, electric propulsion, wireless controls and steering through operator-weight movement, all in a compact platform.

To give the Coast Guard a firsthand understanding of the product, the American Boat & Yacht Council worked with manufacturers to bring regulators and eFoils together for a hands-on demonstration. The ABYC hosted representatives from the Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division who examined several products, saw the technology in operation and rode the boards as intended. The experience provided insights that could not be gained from drawings, specifications or discussions alone — all of which helped inform the regulatory policy that followed.

The Coast Guard addressed part of this regulatory uncertainty in CG-BSX Policy Letter 22-02, CH-1, Requirements for Mechanically Propelled Personal Hydrofoils (eFoils) and Mechanically Propelled Surfboards (jetboards). The policy letter states that these products have been determined to be vessels, and provides guidance on the applicability of 46 U.S.C. and 33 CFR requirements. It does not, however, establish comprehensive safety standards for the characteristics that make eFoils unique.

That policy gap is where standards development begins, but timing matters. Start too early, while designs are changing every few months, and the guidance may be obsolete before it is published. Wait too long, and manufacturers, regulators and consumers may operate for years without consistent expectations or established safety minimums. The right moment comes when the technology is commercially viable and stable enough for stakeholders to identify recurring hazards and develop practical requirements.

That time is now. The Coast Guard has asked the ABYC to address these considerations, and the industry now has enough experience to begin developing consensus-based guidance that establishes appropriate safety expectations while allowing the technology to continue evolving.

For an emerging technology, the most useful first step may be an ABYC Technical Information Report rather than a formal standard. A Technical Information Report allows the industry to share information, identify concerns and provide practical guidance while products and practices are still evolving. That approach gives stakeholders a foundation for addressing current safety considerations without prematurely locking a developing technology into requirements. This is where the ABYC’s work on eFoils and powered surfboards currently stands.

The next step is to bring together people who understand the technology from different perspectives. Some projects fit naturally within an existing project technical committee; others require a new group with a distinct mix of expertise. For eFoils and powered surfboards, the ABYC is forming a new project technical committee to define its scope, and has identified the subjects the Technical Information Report should address. The committee will be working on this at ABYC’s Standards Week 2027.

Initial demonstrations and discussions have produced a framework covering such topics as capacity, battery systems, wireless controls and operator warnings. Those subjects provide an outline, but the more difficult work will be turning that outline into a consensus-based report and moving the draft through the ABYC’s development process.

That work is underway, and it depends on participation. Designers, manufacturers, regulators, instructors, riders and other subject-matter experts can contribute through ABYC project technical committees, where practical knowledge becomes part of the consensus process. Getting involved now is an opportunity to help shape the eFoil Technical Information Report as it develops. If you have relevant expertise, sign up for the committee mailing list and get involved at abycinc.org.

Returning to the original question: Which comes first, technology or standards? In most cases, technology hatches before standards. The ABYC’s eFoil Technical Information Report is part of that unfolding process. Done well, the finished report will avoid putting innovation in a cage — and give it a safer place to fly.n

Brian Goodwin is vice president of standards and compliance for the American Boat & Yacht Council.

This article first appeared in the November 2026 issue of Soundings Trade Only.