Variable Bouyancy

General Discussion
1

A search for “Variable Bouyancy” shows no results.

I’m surprised this hasn’t been discussed before, even if it would only to be just laughed out of the shop.

Off the top of my head,

a hard bladder could run down the stringer.

On the paddle out open a plug on close to the nose 1/4 and let water in as ballast. Close the plug again. Nose heavy, easier to duck dive, harder to paddle.

When out back, open the plug and push the board vertical in the water column. Because the plug is in the middle the water drains free. Close the plug and we have higher buoyancy.

Why it probably won’t work - Hard to clear the water and still have balanced ballast along the board
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Improvements:

  • One way valve expells the fluid for us

  • Goretex?

  • have the system so good that it can deflate for the duck dive only, and still be top buoyancy for paddling; compressed air or something crazy like that

  • Uli and inflatables. Find a way to inflate these boards in the water. Hollow carbon boards also might allow easier development

Obviously this is a crackpot idea, but at least consider this post prior art to allow all to consider; nothing worse than patents.

2

For at least couple of decades boards have been weighted in variouis ways.

The most obvious method is to place water tight small cavitieswith removable caps in the deck of the board so that these cavities can be filled with heavier than water material to give a more glide and help it hold it’s speed along with giving a low center of gravity to the performance picture. I know a very prominent shaper that does it with great success. His boards show up on many mondo wave sessions.

Aloha, Rich

3

Try spelling buoyancy instead of bouyancy. Dale Solomonson often wrote about variable buoyancy distribution in regards to his Neumatic surf mats. He also used inflatable bladders on flexible prone and knee boards. It’s a proven and functional idea. Good luck