I just saw a website ad about jet powered surfboards,

The company have a pretty amazing team already in place, Garrett McNamarra, Cory Lopez and Steve Walden which makes me think it could be more than just a gimmick.

It actually sends shivers down my spine, these things do 8 - 10 knots, 4 times faster than you can paddle, you guys thought SUP's were bad, these things can be fitted in pretty standard shortboards and will enable you to catch any wave you want, from much further out.
We might all wish for the days when SUP's were the bad guys, now it could be guys on jet powered short boards causing everyone to rage.

The company has an etiquette page also, but how many people are going to read that?
The owner devised it for big waves, so he didn't need a jet ski, which seems pretty noble, but I can see it being exploited by the lazy or greedy. The only good point is that you still need to be able to pop to your feet, which may limit a few kooks.

Its called the wavejet, I am pretty interested to hear what everyone else thinks, personally I think we should be petitioning already for a 300 mtr exclusion zone from the coast for all powered watercraft, that should fk them.

A bloke on here by the name of Kaz put up a thread about this in the start of the year. Kaz is looking for a beach transport buggy and a powered surf board so he can venture out into shark land again. For people with injuries, I think it is great. Do you think the top world surfers need it?
How is the fundraising going for Kaz?

I thought MacNamara was invested the product. I saw it being used in Hawaii last december and they had a little booth on the beach during the masters providing info on it. MacNamara was out riding huge Off The Wall when the waves were massive, he eventually pulled into a rogue closeout which snapped the board...bye bye $3500!

looks Good for people who dont or cant surf now but scary for those who can. It could give thousands of people who otherwise would not have the commitment a chance to get into waves, and turn surfing into even more of a circus. Kind of like Kitesurfing did to windsurfing, it lowers the entry level and allows any moron with a bit of money to get involved.

I have to admit though, if I had any condition preventing me from paddleing I would be very excited about these things.

At 16lb I don't think we need to worry about shortboards in average surf yet. Who would seriously want to increase their board weight by 2-3 times!

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sink cut said...

looks Good for people who dont or cant surf now but scary for those who can. It could give thousands of people who otherwise would not have the commitment a chance to get into waves, and turn surfing into even more of a circus. Kind of like Kitesurfing did to windsurfing, it lowers the entry level and allows any moron with a bit of money to get involved.

I have to admit though, if I had any condition preventing me from paddleing I would be very excited about these things.

At 16lb I don't think we need to worry about shortboards in average surf yet. Who would seriously want to increase their board weight by 2-3 times!

It's not the short boards you need to worry about its jet powered gay gondoliers and their brooms

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surferstu said...
It's not the short boards you need to worry about its jet powered gay gondoliers and their brooms

Now that's a scary thought.

I hadn't actually thought about people with some disability using it, but in that case it would be cool to get them back in the water.

I was thinking more about the middle aged guy who can still surf, but isnt quite fit any more, almost talking himself into the belief that longboarding is ok, then his eyes spots this thing. He isnt interested in really trying to rip, just go out and catch some waves, try a few turns, the weight isn't a big deal to these guys, but catching waves easily is.

Sitting 30 mtrs out further than everyone else, motoring at 8 knots and standing before the wave even starts to peak.

But the jet powered SUP's, well what can you say? how much more of an advantage do you want.

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DrD said...

I hadn't actually thought about people with some disability using it, but in that case it would be cool to get them back in the water.

I was thinking more about the middle aged guy who can still surf, but isnt quite fit any more, almost talking himself into the belief that longboarding is ok, then his eyes spots this thing. He isnt interested in really trying to rip, just go out and catch some waves, try a few turns, the weight isn't a big deal to these guys, but catching waves easily is.

Sitting 30 mtrs out further than everyone else, motoring at 8 knots and standing before the wave even starts to peak.

But the jet powered SUP's, well what can you say? how much more of an advantage do you want.

Are you talking about me Willis

Yes JB he IS talking about you

New etiquette - its ok to grab the leg or leash of someone on a jet powered board to pull you back out after a wave.

we had a guy testing a prototype jet board on our beaches last week...he said it was the only one of its type in australia...built in the chec republic, he said it was built for flat water slalom racing and it was his job to perfect it for the surf, so he was toying around with bilge pumps and feul pumps before heading back to chec to have everything machined...this thing was all wrong shape wise IMO...super hard edges and a weird bottom shape and three oversize fins...but it was short...maybe six feet...and fast...real fast...he could outrun any wave and was all over the place...the thing had foot staps and he was carving turns and cuttys...he looked a little tentative but I think that was the super hard edges...put better rails and a more contempory shape to it and the thing would be insane...it very well could be a look at the future...all a bit scary to me...if the surf was full of them it would be deadset carnage...he pissed a few of the local lads off and found his car had been waxed when ne got back to it...not good...imagine a jet powered sup

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...imagine a jet powered sup

Thats creating a disturbing mental picture

Faaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrk me isn't surfing meant to be a test of your own personal capabilities as well as an enjoyable experience where you may meet a few people and have a yarn between waves. F**ken count me out, want jet power? do tow ins or test yourself on your own terms when it counts. in ten years time with these things you will see fat lazy norms cruising lineups and being pests. as far as people with disabilities, no problem it would actually be ok. licensing retsrictions please.

This is Cory lopez looking pretty comfortable on it and the weight doesn't look like a big problem.



Really not trying to advertise these, just wanted to show how scary the near future could be

But this is probably how it will be ridden

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soleman said...

Faaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrk me isn't surfing meant to be a test of your own personal capabilities as well as an enjoyable experience where you may meet a few people and have a yarn between waves. F**ken count me out, want jet power? do tow ins or test yourself on your own terms when it counts. in ten years time with these things you will see fat lazy norms cruising lineups and being pests. as far as people with disabilities, no problem it would actually be ok. licensing retsrictions please.

Now I knOw your talking bout me