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Birth of a Motorized Surfboard

Posted by michael on from the david-hasselhoff dept.

An anonymous reader writes: "The October Mechanical Engineering has a article on the creation of a motorized surfboard. Looks like a bigger creative leap than Segway and potentially a lot more fun!"

6 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Getting lazy by ee_moss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I went surfing for the first time last summer. By the end of the summer, I was feeling pretty cocky about my surfing abilities. At first, though, it seemed like a real pain to fight against the waves paddling, trying in vain to make it out of the kill zone just past where the waves are breaking. But, as I kept it up, my muscles grew. Which was a good thing, because I had an office job at the time that kept me there 15 hours/day. Surfing was the only way to keep fit, and although this might be good for beginners, I think this is just going to contribute to the obesity and laziness of this world.

    Surfing is supposed to be a sport!

    1. Re:Getting lazy by baba · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I've seen at least two instances of decades old (50's?) motorized boards in Santa Cruz; one in the surf museum, and another at a pizza shop. This is no new invention, and I suspect will fare just as well as the old ones. Real surfers don't seem to go for this sort of junk.

  2. Something's missing here.... by Mulletproof · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Looks like a bigger creative leap than Segway..."

    Let's see here... Auto-balancing two wheeled compact electric vehical or a surfboard with a small motor inside of it. Oh yeah, the creativity is just leaping from this project...

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  3. As long as it isn't smelly and noisy... by sfled · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah, that's why I go surfing, to see blue smoke, smell partially burned hydrocarbons and listen to the irritating whine of a small internal combustion engine.

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  4. Re:Getting lazy - how about looking the mirror? by omarKhayyam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hmm...talk about lazy, how about reading the article? This is not about avoiding paddling out to catch a wave, it's about surfing where there are no waves.

    I wouldn't have bothered responding, except I can't believe this was modded +5 insightful.

  5. Re:Hang Octane! Cowabunk! by Weh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've "surfed" a motorized surfboard back in '91 or '92. It had the engine with jet at the back, the control (using a line with throttle control from front) was similar to this design.

    The ride was alright I guess, not all that fast and really heavy compared to a real surfboard. The weight and limited power of the engine plus the fact that the jet inlet comes above the waterline easily limited the board a lot with regards to radical moves potential. I think I would have gotten bored with it quite fast.

    I didn't try it in waves but I wouldn't want to wipe out with a board that heavy (does it have a leesh?? - would it tear off your foot?). Similarly how do you duck-dive a board like this? It would save you a lot of paddling though but I think this thing is not really intended for waves.

    I don't really like motorized watersports equipment, they pollute the environment. The joy of the beauty of an area such as a beach, lake, river can easily be spoiled for a lot of people by the presence of one loud jet-ski.