Cruise Control is an advanced feature designed to maintain a consistent motor throttle without continuously holding the throttle trigger.

It can be particularly useful when travelling longer distances, such as crossing offshore, paddling out to a surf break, travelling to the wind line, or maintaining stability while downwinding.

Warning: Cruise Control is for advanced riders only.

Make sure you fully understand how Cruise Control operates before using it. Never set Cruise Control above 50% throttle.

Always remain vigilant while Cruise Control is active and be prepared to disengage it immediately if you fall or conditions change.

Never pre-set Cruise Control to 100%.

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How Cruise Control Works

When Cruise Control is activated, the motor runs automatically at your selected Cruise Pre-set throttle percentage.

Unlike normal throttle operation, you do not need to continuously hold the throttle trigger.

For example, if your Cruise Pre-set is set to 36%, activating Cruise Control will run the motor continuously at 36% until Cruise Control is disengaged.

Because the motor continues running without the throttle trigger being held, it is important to understand how to disengage Cruise Control before using the feature.

Controller Controls

1. Power Button

Used to access and navigate the controller menu.

2. Throttle Trigger

Used for normal proportional throttle control.

The throttle can also be used to disengage Cruise Control by pulling the trigger above the current Cruise Pre-set percentage.

3. Cruise Control Trigger

Used to:

• Activate Cruise Control
• Disengage Cruise Control
• Exit certain controller menu screens

Setting the Cruise Control Percentage

The Cruise Pre-set determines the throttle percentage the motor will use when Cruise Control is activated.

The available range is 20–100%, however we strongly recommend never using a Cruise Pre-set above 50%.

Factory Default

The factory default Cruise Pre-set is 36%.

This is designed to provide a good balance between speed and battery efficiency. For many riders and setups, 36% provides significantly more speed than paddling while avoiding unnecessarily high battery consumption.

Different boards, riders and conditions may benefit from a slightly higher or lower setting. For example, increasing the setting slightly may provide additional stability on certain low-volume boards or in downwind conditions.

To change the Cruise Pre-set:

1. Turn the controller on.
2. Enter the controller menu by pressing and holding the Cruise Control Trigger (3) and pressing the Power Button (1) once.
3. Release the Cruise Control Trigger.
4. Use short presses of the Power Button (1) to scroll to 4. Cruise Pre-set.
5. Press and hold the Power Button (1) to enter the setting.
6. Press and hold the Power Button (1) to begin editing. The last digit will begin flashing.
7. Use short presses of the Power Button (1) to change the flashing digit.
8. Press and hold the Power Button (1) to move to the next digit.
9. Repeat until your desired percentage is displayed.
10. Once the desired value is set and no digits are flashing, press the Cruise Control Trigger (3) to return to the main menu.
11. Press the Cruise Control Trigger (3) again to exit the menu.

Warning: Never set Cruise Pre-set to 100%. We recommend keeping Cruise Control at or below 50% throttle.

Turning Cruise Control On

Cruise Control must be enabled in the controller menu before it can be activated while riding.

To enable Cruise Control:

1. Turn the controller on.
2. Press and hold the Cruise Control Trigger (3) and press the Power Button (1) once to enter the menu.
3. Release the Cruise Control Trigger.
4. Use short presses of the Power Button (1) to scroll to 3. Cruise ON/OFF.
5. Press and hold the Power Button (1) to enter the setting.
6. Use a short press of the Power Button (1) to change the setting from OFF to ON.
7. Press and hold the Power Button (1) to save the setting.
8. Press the Cruise Control Trigger (3) to return to the main screen.

Cruise Control is now enabled.

Activating Cruise Control

Once Cruise Control is enabled and your desired Cruise Pre-set has been selected:

1. Ensure you are in a safe position and ready to use Cruise Control.
2. Press the Cruise Control Trigger (3) three times in quick succession.
3. Cruise Control will activate at your pre-set throttle percentage.
4. The controller screen will flash the active throttle percentage while Cruise Control is operating.
5. You can now release both triggers and the motor will continue running at the selected percentage.

For example, with Cruise Pre-set set to 36%, activating Cruise Control will maintain approximately 36% throttle until it is disengaged.

Disengaging Cruise Control

There are several ways to disengage Cruise Control.

Option 1 — Pull the Throttle Trigger

Pull the Throttle Trigger (2) above your current Cruise Pre-set percentage.

For example:

• Cruise Pre-set = 50%
• Pull throttle to 25% → Cruise Control remains active at 50%
• Pull throttle above 50% → Cruise Control disengages
• Release the throttle → the motor stops

This can be useful when you need to quickly transition from cruising to normal throttle control, such as when approaching a wave.

Important: Simply pulling the throttle below the Cruise Pre-set will not disengage Cruise Control.

Option 2 — Press the Cruise Control Trigger

Press the Cruise Control Trigger (3) to disengage Cruise Control.

While this method works, using the throttle trigger to disengage Cruise Control is generally preferred as it provides a more intuitive way to transition back to normal riding.

If Cruise Control is set to 100%

If Cruise Control has been set to 100%, the throttle trigger cannot be pulled above the Cruise Pre-set.

The Cruise Control Trigger (3) must therefore be used to disengage it.

What Happens if Signal Is Lost?

If communication between the controller and Foil Drive unit is lost while Cruise Control is active, Cruise Control will disengage and the motor will stop.

This can occur if, for example:

• The controller goes underwater.
• The board or battery box configuration causes the wireless signal to be interrupted.
• The controller and Foil Drive unit move out of communication range.

When the connection is restored, Cruise Control will not automatically restart.

You must manually activate Cruise Control again.

This is an important safety feature that prevents the motor from automatically restarting when the wireless connection is restored.

Throttle Limit and Cruise Control

If you have set a Throttle Limit in Menu Option 2, the controller will always use the lower of the two settings.

For example:

Throttle Limit = 40%
Cruise Pre-set = 50%

Maximum Cruise Control Output = 40%

The Throttle Limit therefore acts as an overall maximum and overrides a higher Cruise Pre-set.

When Should I Use Cruise Control?

Cruise Control can be useful when you want to maintain a consistent speed without continuously holding the throttle.

Common applications include:

• Travelling longer distances
• Crossing offshore
• Getting to a surf break
• Travelling to the wind line
• Downwinding
• Maintaining stability while travelling through the water
• Reducing the need to continuously hold the throttle trigger

A Cruise Pre-set around 36% is a good starting point for many riders because it provides a useful increase in speed without unnecessarily high power consumption.

However, the ideal setting depends on the rider, board, foil, conditions and intended use.

Cruise Control Is an Advanced Feature

Cruise Control allows the motor to run automatically, so it requires a higher level of awareness and understanding than normal throttle operation.

Before using Cruise Control:

• Make sure you understand how to activate and disengage it.
• Know which trigger actions will stop the motor.
• Start with a low throttle percentage.
• Never exceed 50% throttle.
• Remain aware of your surroundings and other water users.
• Be prepared to disengage Cruise Control immediately if you fall.
• Never use Cruise Control if you are not confident operating the system safely.

Foil Drive Cruise Control should only be used by experienced riders who understand the feature and its safety implications.

Older Assist and Assist PLUS Controllers

Some original Assist and early Assist PLUS systems have an older V2 Controller with a Foil Drive sticker rather than an etched Foil Drive logo.

These older controllers may not have all of the Cruise Control functions described in this article.

If you have an older controller and want to use Cruise Control, refer to your applicable User Manual or contact Foil Drive Support for assistance.