“It is really satisfying to think that we can take an invasive lake algae, which is literally sucking the air and life out of lakes in the USA and use it as a sustainable material for surfboard manufacture,” Dr. Petre said. “What is evident from this pilot project is that not only is there a potential future in for printed boards, but that there’s an opportunity to print more things from waste or compostable material provided you have a big enough printer.”
Many of the surfboards that have been 3D printed before have been prototypes only, but Dr. Petre’s board is durable enough for regular use, in addition to being cheaper and more sustainable to produce than other boards. 3D printing also allows surfboard designers to approach their designs from a more creative angle. Dr. Petre himself was inspired by dolphins when he designed his board, appropriately dubbed the Dolphin Board of Awesome.
So the Dolphin Board of Awesome is only the beginning, then. Dr. Petre has also partnered with Surfdome, one of Europe’s largest surf retailers, to 3D print a surfboard out of plastic trash from beaches. That board will be put on permanent display at the Eden Project in Cornwall, but it won’t be a surprise if Dr. Petre and his colleagues end up 3D printing additional surfboards from plastic found along beaches. As these makers have shown, 3D printing is a fast, inexpensive way to create surfboards, and plastic trash is something that is always readily accessible – especially if you’re someone, like a surfer, who spends a lot of time on the beach. Who says beach cleanup can’t be fun?
Discuss in the 3D Printed Surfboard forum at 3DPB.com.
[Source/Images: Imperial College London]