The 3D Printed Fishbone Paddle Board, Like None You’ve Seen Before, To Begin Production Soon

3D Printing….. It’s showing up everywhere. Large corporations, hospitals and universities are all getting into the action. It is such a unique technology, in that it allows for completely custom designs of objects that traditionally would not be available.

A company called 3D Creation Systems, recently held a contest on GrabCAD, to see who could come up with the best stand up paddle board design. They were looking for a paddle board that could be more portable, easy to assemble, and able to be taken to various locations with ease. They also wanted a paddle board design that could easily be 3D printed and was nice to look at.  Portability is a problem that many surfers and paddle boaders run into.  Today’s paddle boards are limited to being transported on the roof of cars, where they can be dangerous and hard to move.  A solution to this problem is one which just about every paddle boarder would love to see.

The Fishbone Paddle Board – by Erin Perez

The contest ran for a little over 1 month, and had 60 separate entries, most of which were very unique and interesting designs. However, one design came out on top, and that was the “Fishbone”, which was designed by a man named Erin Perez. The Fishbone Paddle Board won, not only for its very clever artistic design, but also for its extreme portability. It can either be folded in half into an easy-to-transported board, or into quarters and be put into a backpack in order to fit into small compact places such as the backseat of a car. When completely folded, it has dimensions of only 110cm x 68cm x 32cm (Aproximately 43″ x 27″ x 12.5″). The folding and unfolding process is extremely easy, and can be done in a matter of seconds.

The designer, Erin Perez is a CAD/CAM teacher at a private academy, who has worked producing plastic molds, as well as performing reverse engineering for an aeronautics company. By winning this design contest, he will receive $500 cash, a 3D printed version of his paddle board design, and a GrabCAD t-shirt.

“We are extremely excited to start the development of what we feel is a great product that is NEEDED in the SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Industry,” explained Ashley Hanson of 3D Creation Systems to 3DPrint.com. “We have begun to 3D Print these designs on our SLS Spro60 (3D printer) by 3D Systems. I have a strong passion for outdoor sports, and with the hype of SUP I found it to be a perfect fit for 3D Creation Systems.”

The Fishbone also features a spot in the front where paddle boarders are able to store their personal belongings.  It is also compatible GoPro camera mounts so that you can record all the great adventures you set out on.  It comes in a multitude of color choices, and features a unique looking fish bone design in the center.  Also included, which you don’t see in many paddle boards today, is a directional rudder allowing the freestyle surfers out there a little more control when catching those waves.

The Fishbone Paddle Board and it’s Quad-fold technology.

This goes to show what can be done, when some rewards are offered to freelance 3D designers. 3D Creation Systems walks away with 60 designs for potential paddle boards, none quite as nice as the Fishbone, and Erin Perez walks away with some very useful prizes.

“We are going to start full manufacturing of the Fishbone and a number of other designs in the next couple months,” explained Hanson.

It should be interesting to see what these end up being priced at. With the incredible aesthetic appearance, and the very simplistic ease of portability, I know many paddle boarders would jump at an opportunity to own one of these 3D printed creations.

Discuss the Fishbone Paddle Board in the 3D printed paddle board forum thread on 3DPB.com