| Shane Dorian unveils inflatable wetsuit for big wave surfing |
| Monday, 06 June 2011 08:39 |
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The first wetsuit with a built-in instantly inflatable air bladder has been invented. This outstanding new survival development was developed by big wave legend Shane Dorian, Billabong Wetsuits and Mustang Survival Corporation. Named "Billabong V1", the revolutionary wetsuit was designed after Dorian's 2010 near-drowning incident, in Maverick's, the notorious cold-water break south of San Francisco, California. Watch how the wetsuit works, here. "I took off on the wrong wave and had a horrible wipeout," recalled Dorian. "The wipeout was terrible, I got held under for two waves, I almost drowned. After that I had an idea to incorporate an air bladder, something like the airplane vests where you pull the tab and it inflates immediately with a CO2 cartridge." With a quick tug on a ripcord, the wetsuit quickly lifts the wearer from deep underwater to the surface. The 38-year-old surfer, father of two, wanted to play it safe, in the future. Dorian wrote an email to Hub Hubbard, the wetsuit product manager at Billabong USA, describing the idea, and the project was underway. The design evolved over time. "Their initial thought, as was mine, was to position the bladder on the chest of the suit so once the wearer surfaced it would help them to be face-up," said Hubbard. "Not so, as Shane pointed out, because once you have surfaced you still need to be able to paddle your surfboard. So logically we decided it should go on the back, which still keeps the wearer face-up while inflated." On March 15, 2011, Shane Dorian and a small group of top big wave surfers paddled into record-breaking waves at Jaws on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Dorian caught an amazing 57-foot wave on that day, winning both the Monster Paddle and Monster Tube categories of the 2011 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. When he pulled into the biggest tube of all time and failed to come out, he was pounded by the wave and driven deep underwater, where he deployed the Billabong V1 inflation mechanism. He rocketed to the surface and climbed back onto his surfboard, paddling off to the channel with a conspicuous hump on his back. While Billabong does not currently have plans to sell the V1 to the broader market, the surfwear company is committed to make it available to all members of the big wave riding elite. Discover the best wetsuits in the world, here.
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| Last Updated on Friday, 27 April 2012 17:32 |
