Gold Coaster’s epic rocket powered surfboard could be game changer

DALE Wilson has continued late surfing legend Allan “AB” Byrne’s reputation for producing lightning fast surfboards — and now his jet-powered creation could make them even faster.

Dale Wilson from Byrning Spears surf board factory has designed a board with a Wilson Jet motor for big wave surfing Photo: David Clark

DALE Wilson has continued late surfing legend Allan “AB” Byrne’s reputation for producing lightning fast surfboards — and now his jet-powered creation could make them even faster.

The 41-year-old shaper said he and Byrne came up with the idea to create a self-propelled board during an afternoon beer about a decade ago, before Byrne died in 2013 aged 62 after a Bali motorcycle accident.

“We were just having beers after work and AB was trying to find a tow surfing partner to surf big waves with in Hawaii — that’s how we came up with it,” Mr Wilson said.

Dale Wilson from Byrning Spears surf board factory has designed a board with a “Wilson Jet” motor for big wave surfing Photo: David Clark

He said the first battery-powered “Wilson Jet” made from German-built carbon fibre parts, pumped out 5hp from Byrne’s signature six-channel 6ft 8 inch board.

“I didn’t want to mess around with it and put in a bigger engine because I worked on it with AB, so it’s sentimental,” he said.

After some fiery trial and error he said he now has engines pumping out 20hp installed in other boards.

“The power is only limited to batteries and they’re getting cheaper and more powerful every day,” he said.

“It has been a lot of trial and error — I’ve blown a few of the engines up.

“I’ve surfed them a few times out at Tugun and the 5hp boards get you into waves faster than you could ever paddle — I want them to be able to go as fast as a jetski.”

The project combines Mr Wilson’s lifetime of experience shaping boards and building jet-boat engines.

He said he had made almost 10,000 boards in more than 20-years while learning from Byrne, the legendary shaper and Byrning Spears founder.

Allan Byrne, back in the day.

The Currumbin local, originally from Christchurch, said he had also been involved in jet boat racing and building engines as long as he had been able to pick up a spanner.

“I have used all my knowledge of jet boat racing to develop this — it’s everything coming full circle,” he said.

“Surfboards are my life but these jets are a big passion.”

Now controlled by switches on the deck, he said the boards will soon have handheld remote controls before he works on more “natural” ways of controlling the device.

He plans to get them on the market for about $5000 in next year.

Although the original idea was to use the boards to power into massive Hawaiian swells without a jetski, he said it is his dream to “surf” through inland gorges.

“Taking them up rivers in New Zealand gorges is the dream,” he said.

“It was originally because we’ve made them for Jaws (a big wave in Hawaii) but they can be flat water fun like in lakes and rivers — there are even applications for fishing kayaks.”

Allan Byrne surfing a wave in Hawaii on his 60th birthday Picture: Supplied

US company WaveJet already makes battery-propelled boards that assist paddling but Mr Wilson said he did not expect to see his high-powered craft out at Gold Coast breaks.

“You won’t see them out at the usual breaks — they will probably come under the same class as jetskis, so you wouldn’t be able to surf at popular breaks,” Mr Wilson said.

“I think you would have to wear personal inflatable device.

“I’d probably wear a helmet as well.”

Dale Wilson from Byrning Spears surf board factory has designed a board with a Wilson Jet motor for big wave surfing Photo: David Clark

Gold Coast Chief lifeguard Warren said Mr Wilson’s craft was likely to fall under the same class as a jet ski and would probably have to keep more than 200m from surfers or swimmers.

He said jet propelled boards have also previously been trialled at Bondi by lifeguards as a rescue device.

“Of you put a jet engine on the back of a board you have virtually got a boat,” Mr Young said.

“It could quite possibly fall under the same rules as jet skis.

“I’m not sure how surfers would react seeing it out at a crowded break when someone paddles past about 20 times faster.”

According to Queensland Transport’s tow-in surfing code of conduct, operators must stay more than 200m metres from swimmers, surfers or kiteboarders.

A jet boat in action ... now imagine what a jet board could do.