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Birth of a Motorized Surfboard
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!"
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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!
Here is the site, PowerSki.com
I have dreamed of these for years.
I wonder if I can get it in kit form?
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Combine this with your own morter and we've got ourselves new Navy ammunition.
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.
How about an UNDERWATER gas powered AquaScooter? Great for fighting the current when snorkeling for lobsters here in Florida!
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One more mechanized, motorized watercraft for people to abuse while drunk. Why is it that the drunks never collide with the other drunks? Instead they go straight for the people operating canoes and sailboats.
My somewhat grouchy and jaundiced opinion as someone who lives on the Chesapeake is that if you want to surf you should go where there are waves. Waves are found at the ocean. Preferably the Pacific Ocean.
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I've been pretty vocal about slagging off the Segway, but never for its technology and the creative inventiveness it took to create it.
I'm with you on this one.
Hell, I even think the Segway is more useful.
You want to see real creativity and invention in personal watercraft? Well, then go to the guys with a history. . . Hobie.
Their Mirage drive for kayaks is one of those things that I wish I had designed myself. It's based on the funtion of penquin wings ( so it's Linux compliant ) that generate "lift" when you pedal them, all in one amazing compact unit.
http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/index.html
Beats the hell out of " Gee, I don't know. How about a kayak with. . . a motor! Yeah. Nobody's ever done anything like that before."
KFG
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.
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.