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Inflatable Wetsuit Could Save Surfers' Lives

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  • 13-06-2011 6:35pm
    #1
    Rented Mule
    Registered Users Posts: 5,153 ✭✭✭


    http://news.discovery.com/adventure/billabong-surfing-inflatable-wetsuit-110613.html

    Inflatable Wetsuit Could Save Surfers' Lives
    The wetsuit instantly inflates should a big-wave surfer end up in danger.

    t was the worst wipeout of surfer Shane Dorian's life.

    Soon after he dropped into a monster wave at Maverick's, south of San Francisco last February, the wave changed shape and Dorian hurtled into the bottom of a 50-foot curling face, just ahead of a wall of crashing whitewater. The swell engulfed him, pinned him under, and held him there. Still underwater, the next wave rolled over him and slammed him some more.

    Surfers call that a "double hold-down," and the accident nearly drowned him. When Dorian finally emerged from the foam, he was rattled, nauseous and experiencing symptoms of a concussion. He was also struck by inspiration.


    "I had an idea to incorporate an air bladder, just like the airplane one where you go 'poof' and it inflates immediately," Dorian said in an interview for a Billabong video. "So I wrote an e-mail to Hub, who is the wetsuit designer at Billabong. And I told him my idea."

    Interesting idea for big wave surfers.


Comments

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    #2
    dermo909
    Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭dermo909


    Good idea alright. Tug on a chord and it inflates.

    I dont know how feasible it is but those big wave surfers should have a little air tank attached to their wetsuit somewhere that they could use in those types of situations. I know I've seen them on tv and they would'nt be too small to strap to their leg or something.


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    #3
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    dermo909 wrote: »
    Good idea alright. Tug on a chord and it inflates.

    I dont know how feasible it is but those big wave surfers should have a little air tank attached to their wetsuit somewhere that they could use in those types of situations. I know I've seen them on tv and they would'nt be too small to strap to their leg or something.

    It's called spare air but if you are being tossed around chance are you'd drop it. The suit thing is a good idea for 0.1% of surfers. For now any way.


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