Hi Flexbex,
There is no “online” part to the product. It actually is a simple mp3
I don’t even listen to music or the radio in my car. The external distraction detracts from my normal mental multitasking. Ironically, surfing (along with driving) is one of the few things I do that more fully engage my attention.
When was a young man, I remember listening to a july 4th band (my buddies) rock out during a strong south swell at a La Jolla area body surfing beach. At the time,I thought it would be great to have a band jamming on the beach while we surfed. Now I sometimes will put something on high energy before I paddle out so its going through my head when I surf. But, mostly I now surf in places that are best to keep your ears and eyes open for predators hunting for easy kills. Not that it makes a difference if they choose you. Being out in nature is part of the stoke. Not checked out into head phones. That’s where I’m at and won’t buy your product, but I wish you well in you efforts. Mike
There have been many times in the crowded surf of ventura and los angeles that a shouted heads-up warning has saved me or others from a dangerous collision, hate to think what would have happened if I or others had been wearing headphones and unable to hear those around us. I’m with lemat on this, no way I could consider this a good idea, regardless of whether it is potentially a money maker.
Put them in WAVESTORMS and every Costco kook will love it. The future of surfing…
As a mechanical engineer who has worked on many devices that see salt water, this is not easy especially with the low cost targets you probably have in mind. If this device is a wristband and a set of ear buds, then the cheapest / easiest design is to plastic mold everything around the electronics rather than assemble halves with seals. Then you’ll have no battery access so it’s essentially disposable. If you’ve done your homework you probably already know that the tooling on the molds alone will run upwards of $30K+ (US made) combined with the cost of the engineering effort which would be at least $150K for two engineers for 6 months. Like everyone else in this country, you could also go to Asia and get the whole thing done (incl. “engineering”) for less than $150K if you contract for a zillion units per year to get a low enough product unit cost. And when they’re done, you need to valid your product to insure it works and will last in the intended environment, which takes more engineering to test using accelerated stresses. To have this kind of money you must be either a Trustifarian, have some stupid venture capital guys around, or a gofundme thing. If you just want to 2x your investment, give it to me and I’ll take it to a casino. This is less of a risk than heading down an expense-ridden 1-2 year road before finding out if the product even sells. Sorry for the negativity (like many of the other responses), but your proposed product would contribute zero to what most of us here define as surfing.
I had to post- please do not waste your efforts making your product come to fruition. It sounds useful but in fact will allow people to disconnect from their environment further. This will lead to more confrontation, more isolation, and I’d predict even less environmentalism (eventually). Please don’t do anything to make LA surfing even more of a joke!
I’d see the guy playing music in their headphones while surfing, like the futhermucker looking at their phone sitting at a traffic light, and who only move when the car behind them honks. Such behavior is simply a display of disgustingly selfish, ignorant, unsafe disregard for everybody else on the road which makes traffic, already bad, much much worse.
I always envision myself swinging a sledgehammer repeatedly at such a persons vehicle, then smashing their window, ripping the phone out of thier hand, then lifting them by their ears, and slapping them silly while yelling
“The world does not revolve around you you disgusting millenial piece of donskyshit, Have some consideration of those that have to share this planet with you!!”
But these days, inconsideration for others/ complete obliviousness of surroundings, seems to be a trait showing others just how important they think they are.
If I see anybody wearing headphones in the water rocking out to their soundtrack, I will hound them and stuff them at every opportunity, and I am pretty much the least confrontational person you will never meet, in or out of the water.
I wear ear plugs because of advanced surfers ear, and a few times people asked if they are headphones and I am appauled, and insulted. I love music and will have a song stuck in my head on session X, and if session X was special, then every time I hear that song or part of that song, I can relive that turn, or tuberide, as the tempo was in tune with the wave/ride.
If actual music were playing, what if as soon as you take off it translates to a slow part of the song. It would be like a hetero watching porn, when they take the camera off the woman and show the guy’s face.
Gonna click fast forward during the slow part?
The desire to create this product, and actually having to share lineups with people with the mindset to use it, increases my already seething comtempt for the average modern human personality.
I pretty much have music playing during 80% of my waking hours, but would never consider wanting to wear headphones while surfing. I just make sure the last song I hear before a session is a good one, and I can feel it and hear it, and time it, when riding a wave.
Hey wrcsixeight,
Thanks a lot for your feedback!
Thank you, flexbex!
Best of luck to you:)
Hey Petec,
Thanks a lot for your feedback, both mechanical and personal.
It is very interesting to hear your and other people’s opinions here. I have personally talked to many surfers in SD area and some surf shops in LA, and a lot of people gave very positive feedback. Maybe the pool of surfers here is too experienced and more rigid (especially some), which I get.
Anyway, thanks again for your reply!
Poor Archie is getting no love on Sways .
Hi Shapensurf,
Thank you for your reply.
I honestly don’t understand why would you get disconnected from the environment? I ride a motorcycle on daily basis and I always listen to music. Some people might argue that it is dangerous etc., but I really don’t agree. I can still hear cars and other stuff that happens around me. My ability to be in the environment is dependent on paying attention to what is going on on the road, not what sound is in my ears. Moreover, earbuds protect me from wind noise, which can be substantial at higher speeds, exactly the same as SurfBuds will protect surfers’ ears from cold water (they will also work as earplugs). People listen to music everywhere. It actually adds to their (or at least my) environment.
I can see the problem of dropping in and not being able to hear, but we will definitely address that problem and figure out a solution to still hear what is going on on the outside. You won’t be completely isolated from the external sound.
Hahaha:)
I appreciate your concern, Gbzausa, but no need to worry. I don’t take things like that personally:)
I have my motorcycle license as well, been a cyclist in LA for many years before that. Riding with headphones is unsafe, you will pay the price eventually when you merge and can’t hear the especially quiet car beside/behind you, or the other biker. Anything that takes your focus away from the road increases your risk of injury. I’ve had this talk with drivers, skaters, cyclists, and motorcyclists, for years now. 37,000 died last year in driving accidents. People in cars put their windows up to keep in the AC, but they also do it to block out the sounds of the city, the homeless, etc. Do you think people putting it headphones to surf will be able to work better in a lineup? Will they be more likely to talk and be friendly with others? Will they be equally as able to observe the sea state? No, they will not. A good surfer might simply be slightly distracted (which might be fine), while a bad surfer would not hear my yelling down the line as they drop in bumping their music. It might even be possible to argue that your product itself ( depending on how it’s marketed) becomes a liability and is considered the primary facilitating cause of an accident.
Disco disco duck.
What a bunch of old grumps!
I have a waterfi mp3 player that I love! Set some nice music to keep the mood going. It really helps with the boredom of long lulls on a long period swell.
Here’s my bit of input on the device. The ear buds shouldn’t be wireless. I’ve had mine fall out on almost every wipe out. But I just stick them back in.
I have no problem still being aware of my surroundings. If I needed other people to yell “look out” to keep me safe, i think i’d better stay on dry land.
Looks like you found yourself a team-mate / customer here after all, haha.
Old grump?? Who you callin an old grump?! I’m a young grump!
I could see you out in the line up rockin out tho.
I don’t think there will be much of a market.
Implants will soon be the preferred device for those who like that stuff, and as connected to the internet as possible, of course.