Surfriding Surf Safety Poll

[OsuCantwell]

A while back there was a thread about Surf Safety Ideas and some really stuck in my head.

The thread is here: http://www.x-h2o.com/threads/85813-Help-me-invent-something-.-.-.&highlight=automatic+c02

The idea of a device to keep a boat afloat, BESIDES traditional foam, in case of any number or reason that could sink a ski for good. The key ideas from previous discussions were :
-Automatic Trigger
-Air/C02 based inflation
-Buoy/Bag style flotation that is inflated, yet re-usable
-Keeps Ski Afloat even full of water with no hood or foam


I am an Engineer From Ohio State and I have a design in my head and I want to see how much interest there is for a product like this and how much people would be willing to spend on such a product.

Without giving away too much, the system would have an electronic trigger (manual OR automatic when the engine compartment is full of water for more than a certain length of time) The electrics would be salt water friendly, potted and sealed up. The inflation is run on simple C02 canisters available in lots of places (needed incase of refill) and the bags are glued in place, rolled up and out of the way. As its designed now, they wrap around the front of the hull, above the bond line.

The system is designed to be lightweight, simple and will not impede riding what so ever.

Let me know if you have any interest or comments!
Thanks guys

 

[dirtnut99]

Could be a great idea! We were discussing this after Tanner Thomas' ski sunk at Surf Slam this year.. Only issue is how to make it trigger at the correct time and properly..

 

[Joker]

what if you made a remote trigger that attatches to a lanyrad that is hit when the rider sees that his ski is sinking.

 

[NVJAY775]

This is a huge reach, but I think it would be cool to have a system that would do a couple things.

1 - A proximity switch to get rid of lanyards. Once you are separated from your ski, by say 10' the ign cuts, as if the lanyard was pulled.

2 - The floatation is deployed after (substantial) water intrusion.

I know there would be a ton of details to be worked out, but it sure would be nice. Sorry to the OP for the minor derail.

 

[Waternut]

IMO, price, weight, and size will really determine interest. $50-100 and under 5lbs would be worth it...$300 and 10 lbs forget it. I understand that even $300 for potentially losing a $10k ski is peanuts but the odds of losing your $10k ski (when properly equipped) is very unlikely.

 

[Wolf Child]

I'm going to go off on a tangent here and put my 2 cents in.


to get the type of boyancy required to keep a sinking ski afloat is substantial. not to mention that once a ski has begun to sink, odds are, everything is flooded with water anyway. so here is my idea, for get flotation devices and instead make a self deploying marker. something you can see and use to retrive the ski when it is safe to do so. ie. not in the pounding surf with an exhausted half drowned rider.

 

[Wolf Child]

IMO, price, weight, and size will really determine interest. $50-100 and under 5lbs would be worth it...$300 and 10 lbs forget it. I understand that even $300 for potentially losing a $10k ski is peanuts but the odds of losing your $10k ski (when properly equipped) is very unlikely.

not as unlikely as you think on a surf ski.

 

[Tkmww]

I had the same idea a long time ago. Sort of like how the crab pots work. A little floaty on say a 50 ft rope so at least you know where the ski is and can pull it up with the right equiptment...a boat or lots of buddies.

 

[Wes K]

How about just puting a bilge pump on the underside of you hood with a quick disconnect. so if your ski flips over, it will pump all of the water out and your ski wont sink...

 

[btmboards]

Hey in that first thread that I through this Idea out there I was also talking about a beankin light also attached to it. The lights are triggered to turn on when when the bag is triggered to inflate and they blink very bright for days in the ocean water at the surface. the biggest issue that you would have it deploying the light. The bags are very floatational and if done right I dont see any way for anything to sink with it inflated. Growing up on boats and couch skis one of the things that I always have on my is a whistle I have one hanging from the back of my vest that I never notice is there. For a trigger like I was saying before it could be a pull string since a string is easier to grab then a whole ski. Or do a remote trigger which wouldnt be hard but would be more expensive. it could be something that just hangs on the back of your vest that when needed you pull off and break a circuit to trigger.

 

[NVJAY775]

Need to find out how these guys do it. (mainly on floatie and rope deployment) I've seen a guy at our local lake friggin rip it up on a sled. He goes big off wakes and spanks the couchers lol! And can turn pretty damn good. Hopefully I can get some vid of him next summer.

Link

 

[kevbo]

I guess they havent discovered PWC up north. Maybe we should put wheels on our Superjets and race around the parking lot.

 

[NVJAY775]

I saw a couple vids and the rider deploys a buoy with a rope stout enough to pull the sled back up. May be ok for a sled, but not a ski.

 

[sportfish258]

need to find out how these guys do it. (mainly on floatie and rope deployment) i've seen a guy at our local lake friggin rip it up on a sled. He goes big off wakes and spanks the couchers lol! And can turn pretty damn good. Hopefully i can get some vid of him next summer.

Link

wtf ....

 

[O2VW1.8T]

wtf ....

x2 they must not know about standups or something