Thinking about a new surfboard and want to go custom? Australia, home to some of the most epic surf on the planet, is also home to Disrupt, makers of the SmartSurf connected custom surfboard. Not surprisingly, it’s the world’s first.
SmartSurf is a registered, trackable, social surfboard, and like all Disrupt boards, each one is totally unique. By tapping a phone against the board and opening the SmartSurf app, you can show off a 3D rendering of its design, flip through photos of it under construction, and even check in at different surf breaks to track your globe-trotting surf adventures. In the event it ever goes missing, other surfers can even check it with the app to track it back to you — it’s registered to you for life.
All Disrupt boards, including the SmartSurf, start as blank slates online. Sliders for your weight, age, fitness, and skill level determine the three suggestions for which boards you should start with, from short boards, to longboards, fun boards, and stand-up paddleboards.
You can change your tail configuration to further adjust your ride; fish, hip, stinger, and swallow are just some of the options. The advanced structure section lets you choose fin number and placement. Rockers and rails are adjustable too — rockers determine the board’s flatness, and therefore the speed; rails determine maneuverability and buoyancy.
Adding your own design is part of the fun. You can choose a designer’s creation, or use your own logos, graphics, or signature. Poking around in the customization options shows just how much freedom you have. Disrupt offers solid and patterned backgrounds, each available in a transparent resin tint or a fully opaque spray layer. Check out Disrupt’s Inspiration page, (or better, the company’s Facebook page), for examples of amazing work done on Disrupt boards.
Picking the background, logos, text, structure and extras like heel pads generates a 3D render before you make your purchase — the same one you can show off in the SmartSurf app later. After you seal the deal, Disrupt machines out your board and finishes it with careful hands, then it’s out the door and shipped to you. Of course, from the second you finish your design, you’re likely waiting with bated breath for the finished product. True to its “socially connected” premise, you can track your board the entire time through your browser.
Boards run about $500 to $800, depending on the options, but Disrupt hasn’t yet priced the SmartSurf, which remains a concept right now. Expect the company to unveil a new beta version of it on October 27 at the Everything IoT conference in Sydney.
