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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!"

5 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. 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.

    --
    I'm not really a web designer, I just play one on the Internet.
  3. 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.

  4. 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.