Surfing

​The same brain behind the airborne wind turbine that was acquired by Google has set his sights on a more down-to-earth goal: making just about any body of water surfable. Former professional windsurfer and inventor Don Montague recently tried out his "Jetfoiler" on the canals of Amsterdam.

Now that 2016's jetting toward a close, we've gone back through our coverage to bring you our very favorite water toys in a list that includes multifunctional jet drives, floating multi-person lounges, folding and inflatable watercraft, deep-diving personal submarines and more.

Having set out a snooze-worthy pair of concepts in the leadup to SEMA, Chevrolet has finally found its mojo. The Colorado Z71 Hurley Concept has been designed with surfers in mind, and uses a clever bed liner to deal with all the wet, salty gear you could possibly throw at it.

​Even though they don't have a layer of blubber, beavers are still able to stay warm when diving in frigid waters. How do they do it? Well, they trap a layer of air in their fur. Scientists have taken that concept and run with it, creating a material that could be used to make warmer wetsuits. ​

There are a number of places you might choose if you want to go surfing in Perth, Australia, but Alfred Cove, on the Swan River, probably isn't one of them. It might be soon, though, courtesy of plans for an artificial surfing lagoon aimed at improving the options for surfing around the city.

Neoprene is good at keeping surfers warm in the water, bit producing it is a dirty business. In an attempt to make your next session in the green room a bit greener, Patagonia’s latest line of wetsuits drops neoprene in favour of natural rubber.

Lampuga, the maker of one of the world's fastest electric surfboards, now makes it easier to get out onto the water and motor your way to fast-paced thrills. Its Air board is an inflatable jet-drive surfboard designed to pack small and ride fast.

With a view to bringing bespoke rides to more surfers, Australian researchers are 3D printing fins that can be tailored to individuals and their local waves.

Traditional PFDs are an important part of water safety, but they can be entirely uncomfortable to wear in or out of the water, especially during activity. To improve comfort, startup Aegis Lifeshirt integrates inflatable protection into the shirt you're wearing anyway.

Perhaps the most interesting style of wearable tech is the category of wearables that turns you into a piece of action sports equipment. The WaveWrecker joins the category as a wearable surf suit that turns the bodysurfer into his own board.

​When it comes to assessing the health of the oceans, scientists already utilize tools that monitor the deep waters. What they're lacking, however, is information on the waters close to shore. That's why SmartFin was created. It will allow surfers to gather oceanographic data.​

The Trideck is a three-wheeled longboard-style skateboard with pneumatic tires and a built-in brake. A detachable handlebar can turn it into a skating scooter for added stability. The first prototype of the Trideck was built in a garage and has since seen refinement to become production-ready.