FluxJet Speed Trials: 12V vs. 24V Real World Performance

We’ve been perfecting the firmware and hull design on the FluxJet since taking home "Best in Show" at ICAST, and the number one question in our inbox is simple: "How fast is this thing?"

We didn't just want to throw a top speed number at you. We wanted to see how the jet drive performs in the real world compared to a standard electric outboard. So, we took the production-spec "Blue" boat out to a sheltered cove to run head-to-head trials on 12V, 24V, and against a traditional prop motor.

The results surprised even us—especially when we took the boat into the "no-go" zones.

Test 1: The 12V Endurance Setup

A lot of anglers assume a jet drive needs massive power to move, but our first test proved otherwise. We hooked up a standard 12V Group 31 battery to see if it could handle a casual day on the water.

The Results:

• Speed: Cruising steady at 3.5 to 3.8 mph.
• Efficiency: Here is the kicker—we were only drawing about 150 watts.

For context, a typical trolling motor pushing a fishing kayak usually draws 500+ watts to get similar momentum. Because the FluxJet hull is so streamlined, you can theoretically run a tiny 12V RC battery pack and still get hours of cruising time. If you aren't fighting heavy current and just want to fish your local pond without lugging heavy lithiums, the 12V setup is a game changer.

Test 2: The "Abomination" (Prop Outboard vs. FluxJet)

To keep things honest, we committed a little sacrilege. We mounted a generic, off-the-shelf 24V brushless electric outboard to the back of the FluxJet. We wanted a strict baseline: How does a propeller behave on this hull compared to our internal jet?

The outboard maxed out around 4.3 mph while pulling between 500 and 600 watts. It worked, but it felt sluggish. The handling was delayed, and we had that constant, nagging fear of snapping the prop on the rocky bottom.

Then, we switched back to the FluxJet drive on 24V.

Same hull. Same weight distribution. Totally different animal.

• Speed: We hit 4.9 to 5.0 mph.
• Power: Drawing around 700 watts.

While the jet drew slightly more wattage at full throttle, it was nearly 1 mph faster than the prop motor. The boat felt "spicier." There was no delay in steering; the boat went exactly where we looked instantly.

Beyond Speed: The "Zero-Draft" Advantage

Speed is great, but access is everything. The biggest takeaway from this test wasn't the speedometer—it was the terrain.

toward the end of the video, we drove the FluxJet into what we call the "danger zone"—shallow water, thick weeds, and right up against the shoreline log jams. In a prop-driven kayak, you are lifting your motor and paddling here. If you don't, you're breaking a shear pin.

Because the FluxJet is flush-mounted with the hull, we didn't just survive the shallows; we owned them. We utilized the vectored thrust to spin the kayak 360 degrees in place (zero-point turn) without moving forward—something a rear-mounted outboard simply cannot do.

If you're looking for a boat that can hit 5 mph across the lake and sneak into 4 inches of water to chase redfish or bass, the numbers speak for themselves. The prop is dead; long live the jet.

---