Since 2002, Manta Foils has been helping shape modern foiling through constant innovation, from some of the earliest kitefoil designs to wingfoiling, eFoils, and Foil Assist. Founded by Renaud Barbier, the brand was built on a simple idea: push the sport forward with products that make foiling more powerful, practical, and accessible.
During engineering school in La Rochelle, France, our founder Renaud Barbier designed his first kitefoil prototype while actively kitesurfing. After graduation, he moved to Dubai, UAE for his first job, where the wind conditions allowed him to keep developing prototypes for himself. The easy access to the water made it the perfect place to keep pushing his foiling journey.
See one of his first prototype on that magazine screenshot (KiteSurf Magazine #22, France)
He was already producing kitefoils for Zeeko, the second brand worldwide to commercialize kitefoils.
Innovating by testing “whale bumps” on the foil design, today trendy in some brands design.
Renaud created his own brand, The Kite Foil, by releasing one of the first aluminum foils on the market.
Driven by the idea of making foiling more accessible, TheKiteFoil released the first inflatable foil board on the market, later used for wingfoiling and SUP foiling. This was not easy as factories did not have yet a standard design for integrating a foil in an inflatable design. We helped them to do so. Many of such designs are now found in most current production boards.
Our new product called the “Manta mast” became our best seller, which made us rename the brand into Manta Foils.
We were also among the first to release wings for wingfoiling, entering that segment early and using that good sales momentum to fund our next stage of development: eFoils.
In parallel of our wind products, and after multiple DIYs prototypes, we launched our Volt 1 & Volt 2 eFoils, also being early in that upcoming segment.
The brand entered a new phase of industrialization and acceleration with the launch of the Volt 3 eFoil, where Renaud moved full time to managing the company and started to staff the team.
The Volt 3 introduced major upgrades in battery efficiency and motor responsiveness. It offered longer ride times and smoother power delivery. It was available in Carbon or Inflatable board, and had an innovative stabilizer with round edges to make it safer in case of falls.
Launch of the Volt 4 eFoil, totally revisited, with a plug & play battery under the board to save weight, and offer more battery capacity (50 Ah, largest capacity on the market). It came only in Carbon, with 4x sizes: 50-75-100-150L. We worked for the first time with a new partner, Enata Marine, based in the UAE, to manufacture our lighter & well-built carbon boards.
Thomas Radiguet joined Renaud to lead the company as CEO, allowing Renaud to spend 100% of his talent on product development. From there, the company made a major step into Foil Assist, inspired by a growing passion for surfing waves and new ways of riding.
TakeOff Foil Assist prototypes:
Launch of the Voyager, second “eFoil scooter” on the market. Built in response to rental schools’ demand, it featured a wide, stable platform and a handlebar—making it the ideal choice for beginners trying eFoiling for the first time. The design was super durable: Carbon fiber board, strong alu handlebar.
Launching the TakeOff Air, first foil assist allowing to travel in airlines with multiple batteries (up to 4x 30min of riding time), thanks to sub-100 Wh individual battery packs that you plug together. Two years later, Manta Foils is still the only brand allowing its riders to travel with multiple batteries.
Summer 2024, the TakeOff Flow arrives as an alternative, offering the largest battery capacity in a Foil Assist (864Wh, up tp 90min motor time), in a very compact unit. This did not just became a reference for other brands a year after in Foil Assist, but also the first real hybrid between Assist & eFoil. In other words, an eFoil that can make sure you ride waves decently, or an assist that gives you so much riding time that you’ll progress faster than ever. Other eFoil brands later on followed with their “surf eFoils”, yet with price tags well above what the Flow offered.
Launch of our new Manta Remote, offering you any kind of use: Assist or eFoil, full power range in your trigger or gears, GPS tracking, riding profiles for different power distribution (soft to fast), customizable lock time, with a bright color display. Back then, no other remote in the eFoil or Assist world had so much options to tailor riders’ needs and help them progress faster.
Launch of the first commercial trench boards for foil Assist kits, before the major brands jump on that trench.
Launching an upgrade for TakeOff customers: the Performance motor, first ever hybrid motor for foil assist. Having the advantage of an enclosed eFoil motor, yet with a small size, and much more power (3500W) than an assist motor (competition was at 1500W). As this design did not exist in the industry, we designed it and forced our suppliers to bring it to life.
Advantages:
(1) Forget about complex care & maintenance of an outrunner motor (lanolin spray, rusting parts, with aging bearings). Just rinse it with water for 5 sec and that’s it. Nothing to maintain.
(2) Its high power allows to ride smaller foil, faster, and welcomes heavier riders in the sport.
Partnership with Appletree Manufacturing to launch our next generation of Trench boards.
Partnership with AFS Foiling to launch a top of the line Carbon Integrated Motor Mast.
Launching the Foil Assist Universal Backpack, compatible with Manta and other brands. Another major innovation that we launched after receiving requests from around the world, of DIY customers who were trying to mount their Assist on backpacks. The advantage? Almost no weight below the board (just the motor), which allows for a more “pure” feeling in prone foiling.
Launch of the TakeOff Evo, our latest Foil Assist kit.
Ultra light, compact, powerful. It offers versatile riding styles with an ultra-lightweight battery for aggressive carving, to a bigger battery for longer sessions. It still allows Air travel with multiple batteries, doesn’t require much maintenance with the Performance motor, and has our advanced GPS remote connected to our new wave tracking phone App.
This isn’t just an upgrade— it is the result of listening to your feedback and relentlessly innovating to bring you the best!
Manta Foils operates as a global company with deep foiling roots, a full-scale innovation center in Dubai, production between the UAE and China, and team members spread across key foiling regions including Hawaii, the Canary Islands, the south of France, the German lakes, and Dubai.
Innovation & passion are at the core of our DNA. We are today one of the very few brands fully designing in-house almost 100% of our product parts, having worked on all elements of foil products (foil, board, electric, software) for more than 20 years. This allows us to innovate faster than ever, and bring you so much value to improve your foiling experience. Please keep sending us feedback & wishlists, this is what fuels our team!
Whether you’re curious about our products, need expert advice, or want to book your next ride, our team is here to help. Reach out and start your foiling journey today.
