I’ve discovered a new class of surfboard fins, they’re also the first ever designs that can be simply 3D printed, sanded and surfed.
This means that a person in a developing world surf town could affordably obtain a 3D printer and begin producing $50-$100 of fins per day; costing 1/10th that price in filament.
My site:
https://techfins.surf
(still a bit to go in completing it)
My Open Collective page
(I’m ballin’ on a slim budget here)
https://opencollective.com/techfins
You can see more of my fins effort on my instagram page, @stormfins
I recently decided to use the techfins name instead.
I ended up working on this thanks to a passion for surfing, and knowledge that new airfoils could radically improve my surfing ability by augmenting my surfboards’ capabilities. I learned CAD four years ago just to do this - make fins based on new airfoil templates.
This ‘new class’ is essentially high lift fins. Compared to the current surfboard fin standard (6mm thick fins), my 16mm thick fin designs provide radically more drive, traction and stability to surfing at the lower speeds. Making normal to pumping surf more accessible and enjoyable to novices and experts.
These fins are not only empowering for surfing ability, they’re also safer because of their thicker, more rounded edges, and when 3D printed the fact they break before your skin does.
Also, if these fins could be fitted with an internal floatation during printing, they could be recovered and glued back into place using automotive plastic glue.
These are also literally the first high performance Wavestorm fins to be created as well. Anything else out there is a boring, simple fin design.
Some past feats I can be proud of that you all may appreciate:
• created BeelineReader.com’s first working app, helping them get off the ground. Helps you read much faster using a novel, internationally patented innovation.
• Created a web browser with T9Space.com that empowered 10s of thousands of Nokia phone users around the world to access the desktop only internet back in ‘07-‘10
Earned a bachelor’s in CE at UCSC 20 years ago.
My moniker thirdsurf is about a P2P ‘school of surfing’ project I want to get going next. There needs to be a more dynamic connection between those with the knowledge and those who’d like to learn.
If this fins thing gets off the ground, it’ll open up other possibilities.
Nucleos.com is an example of a company that’s been developing a cheap school software server that can operate in developing world conditions. I want to see 3D printing fin labs sprouting that use a computer that can serve out edu apps to anyone nearby who has a wifi device.
I also aim to set up a P2P market for people who could fabricate the digitial fin designs I’ll be making available. This could open up a market of innovation, empowering people to tout novel materials and fabrication methods, helping advance greener, safer and more economical ways to make these fins, and other goods.
Also, in places where it may be difficult to obtain filament, the machines https://preciousplastic.com/ and others are developing could turn plastic refuse in devloping world areas into a precious commodity.
