AU2017101617B4

AU2017101617B4 - Shark Deterrence Safety Modification (SDSM)

Info

Publication number: AU2017101617B4
Application number: AU2017101617A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Scott Thomas Beith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-11-17
Filing date: 2017-11-17
Publication date: 2018-12-20
Anticipated expiration: 2025-11-17
Also published as: AU2017101617A4

Abstract

Abstract Shark Deterrent Safety Modification (SDSM) is a factory grade installation process used on pre existing and newly developed shortboards, longboards funboards & hybrid surfboards. Developed for the purposes of deterring sharks from accidentally attacking surfers through 'mistaken identity'. It is alleged by the leading 'bite and spit' theory that sharks do not consider humans as part of their diet and rather only attack humans under a false pretense upon having inaccurately interpreted the silhouette of a surfer on his surfboard underwater as an animal of the pinniped clade (eg. sea lions and seals) of which are a natural part of the sharks routine diet and therefore the reason they bite surfers and then swim away.

Description

Description SDSM is a design in which one largely balanced portion (or two small thin portions made parallel to each other) are cut out and removed from a surfboard and replaced with hardened transparent liquid polymer similar to the density of said boards own manufactory foam, creating a clear plastic window that is permanently added into a board and capable of using sunlight to distort the image of underwater shadow that causes sharks to attack. A modification that when implemented correctly has negligible changes made to the physical shape or weight of the original surfboard and thus its ability to be used for surfing.

Accordingly SDSM is a process that must be made with absolute precision and technique so that the modifications made to each particular board have a similar weight, buoyancy and balance as the original board before it was tampered with, making certain said modifications are integrated into said board properly, anchoring and preserving said surfboard appropriately without causing any additional disturbances that might compromise the integrity of the board and its ability to surf with.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to 'surfing' surfboards and is in the field of safety modification, centred around the lateral side strips of the surfboard, where if a user was to be laid out flat and spread across the surfboard in attempts to catch or wait for a wave, the light from the sun will be allowed passage through said window strips without being obstructed by the core of the user's own body

Description of the prior art

Based on leading information provided by 'white shark' attack patterns and studies

Over recent years, a number of procedures have been used to deter sharks from attacking surfboards; these include

Shark deterrent electro magnetic ankle bracelets designed to emit a frequency that repels sharks from the nearby proximity of surfboards

Stylised Patterns painted onto the back of surfboards (before market) to help distort the shadow of surfers below the water in order to break the pinniped appearing silhouette (seal, sea-lion, sea turtles) that sharks might mistakenly perceive from below.

Light Emitting Diodes installed onto the underbelly of the board in order to light up and break the shadow from sharks potentially observing from below

With lastly and in extension; A clear plastic paddle board that has developed to allow surfing enthusiasts the ability to paddle board whilst observing the marine wildlife below their feet

Components required; 1. Either Shortboard, longboard, funboard or hybrid surfboard type 2. Both clear and waterproof; Polyurethane, polystyrene foam, fibreglass or polyester filling, weighed to match weight force of foam per unit of size 3. Drill press, jigsaw or any other accurate incision-based tools 4. Non-stick paper sheeting 5. Masking tape 6. Surfboard storage area (preferably indoors)

Methodology;

Cuts are made perpendicular to the board and are measured in contrast to the centre axis of the board so that cuts are mirrored perfectly in alignment with said axis, where if multiple windows wish to be added, multiple cuts can be added so long as it remains in the usable zones parameters referred to as II and f IV of Drawing sheet 1/1. This alignment is to ensure balance and structural integrity of the board remains consistent with the original surfboard pre-surgery, where the length and width of the cuts can be anything within the ranges specified by Drawing sheet 1/1 (anywhere other then within ten percent (of the total width) edges around the board).

In addition and to ensure proper anchorage, grooved slits are advised to be cut to 20 percent of the total depth into the dead centre of the cut outs and their total depth and therefore made along the full perimetre around the incision holes of the cut out area, this is so the clear polymer filler once added can be hardened with anchorage to parts inside of said board for greatest stability achievable.

Detailed description of the invention;

The surfboard used is to be laid down horizontally and surrendered for dissection at owners own risk.

Installations are to be made in the form of cut out incisions; made vertically from within the parameters dictated by Drawing sheet 1/1, the volume of perpendicular cut outs are made and ready to be replaced with a clear plastic polymer, at an amount chosen by the instigator of the SDSM integration process, performed anywhere within the allocated areas IV and II that this patent has been claimed for, inferring anywhere other than III (inside the ten percent of the total width zone of the board) can be removed and used.

After such mirrored or parallel vertical cuts are made and removed as holes in the surfboard, before any filling is added; shallow scrapings are to be taken as one inch long inner slits are carved into said board, performed at its centre depth in order to secure the best anchorage of the added polymer into said board. Using the weight and size comparisons of the cut outs taken to determine the density and required matching polymer required for the addition of the plastic window.

In addition to the cuts made; the bottom of the board is to be vigorously lined with taped paper to secure it from any drippage of the clear filler once the SDSM Instigator has found and prescribed the right waterproof liquid plastic polymer for the casting of the incision mold (SDSM surfboard hole/s). A choice determined by having compared and matched the densities of the cut out with plastic polymer filler once hardened.

The addition of a waterproof filler must then be added and completed in a motionless environment, whilst poured with the utmost of care. For any disturbances done to the filler whilst still in a liquid-drying state can potentially create bubbles of which will tamper with the result of the clear window and its ability to uptake and refract sunlight, meaning that, filler can be poured in but should be done slowly and be allowed to set in incremental stages as the plastic can also sometimes expand once hardened and would be supremely difficult to be cut away of excess if overfilled. Further disturbing the clarity of the polymer.

After filler is added, said board must be given an adequate amount of time in shelter to allow the plastic to harden and fill into the crevices made into the depths of the board. A hardening time which will be allocated by the label of the clear polymer used, as should any other conditions surrounding the filler bottle and its drying time be followed accordingly (eg avoidance of sunlight or water).

Once dried the paper can be removed in order to inspect and test the glossiness of the window and its ability to allow light through the board, where on completion of this step, said board is fit with the shark deterrent safety modification and ready for service.

Claims

Claim 1 A method of modifying a surfboard to add a clear window for shark attack deterrence, comprising: making one or multiple cut outs on a surfboard mirrored bilaterally along the central axis of the surfboard, wherein a filler comprising one of: a clear polystyrene foam, a clear polyurethane, a clear fiberglass or a clear polyester material is filled and hardened into the cut outs, the filler having a similar density and weight distribution of the original cut out portions of the surfboard.
Claim 2 The method of claim 1, wherein the modification is made to a variant of a surfboard, including a shortboard, funboard, or a longboard
Claim 3 The method of claim 1, wherein the cutouts being spaced away from the edges of the surfboard by at least 10 percent of the width of the surfboard.