Surfing

​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.

UK surfers have a new place to ride the waves in the unassuming location of the Conwy Valley in North Wales. Surf Snowdonia is a one-of-a-kind inland surf facility that claims to produce the "longest man-made surfable waves on the planet."

Australian motorcycle daredevil Robbie Madison has dropped into a massive Tahitian wave and surfed it... On a lightly modified KTM dirt bike. This is one of the most supremely ridiculous and jaw-dropping things we've ever seen.

Surfline is an established service that provides information on surf conditions, in the form of alerts on a smartphone app. Now, Surfline has partnered with Nixon to provide such alerts on an easier-to-access sports watch, known as the Ultratide.

Over the years, various skateboard manufacturers have designed boards intended to simulate the feel of surfing. One of the latest, the Deska Board, sets out to do so via a low, wide deck and three smooth-rolling 200-mm wheels, plus it even has an input for a user-supplied windsurf sail.

Though Rotterdam isn't generally associated with surfing, a new aquatic attraction due to be completed in June 2015 could well change that. Set to be located in the city's Steigersgracht Canal, the RiF010 project will feature a wave pool that boasts a 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high wave every 7.5 seconds.

Always looking for a new excuse to run its electric jet drive through the water, WaveJet has released a new board designed for fishing. The Pau Hana Big EZ Angler is the jet-powered stand-up paddleboard that provides stand-up fishermen with a new way to quietly troll the local fishing hole.

Three years after introducing the Flyboard, Frank Zapata has put a new spin on the idea, revealing the Hoverboard by ZR. This new extreme-sport lives up to its futuristic namesake and offers riders an experience that sits somewhere between surfing and flyboarding.

For dedicated surfers, even the colder months aren't enough to keep them from a good swell. But if peeing in the wetsuit isn't fending off the cold anymore, it might be time to head to shore and the warm refuge of the Surf Sauna.

The MXP-3 from Germany's Waterwolf transforms the local lazy lake or river into a riveting surfer's playground. Part surfboard, part personal watercraft, the MXP-3 zips clean across flat water at speeds up to 21 mph (35 km/h).

The Adrenalina hoodie packs two layers worth of shirt so that surfers, bikers and other athletes can change comfortably on the go. The upper layer serves as a sort of "modesty towel," flipping down over the waist and nethers to let you change your pants on a crowded beach or parking lot.