Surfing Waves

Hi,

I'm a student studying product design, currently entering my final year. To help me out with a project I might consider developing I'm looking for your opinions about listening to music while surfing...

Firstly, I need to get an idea of how popular the idea of listening to music is while surfing. I know from observations and personal experience that there is always an idle time waiting for waves, would listening to music make this aspect of surfing more enjoyable? Do you think you would spend longer in the water if you had something to listen to?

Amateur or professional I’m interested in what the surfing community feels regarding this aspect.

Any feedback is appreciated!

If your looking into creating a product.. you've already been beaten to it... (just google 'Waterproof music')

But i'll give you my two pence for reference anyway :p
One of the beauties of surfing for me personally is the clarity of nothingness that goes through my mind when i'm bobbing around. So for me.. no music while i'm out back would not be an attraction.

Yep for me to Papa, just the sound of nature

I totally agree with Toby here, couldn't have put it better myself. As for would it make me stay in the water longer? No, cos I'd drown if I tried it. Almost always when I get out of the water my legs are like jelly and I'm totally exhausted. Music isn;t something most people need, or want, in the water. There are plenty of waterproof mp3 players out there, i've still never seen anyone using one in the water though.

Ditto. I even tend to get annoyed by people talking loudly in the line-up. I think surfing is about the quiet anticipation and then the sudden rush. No music needed for me.

Thibb wrote:Ditto. I even tend to get annoyed by people talking loudly in the line-up. I think surfing is about the quiet anticipation and then the sudden rush. No music needed for me.

double ditto

no music. i don't listen to music when i ride a bike (pretty much everyone i know does and it's kind of dangerous), when i run, workout, snowboard, or pretty much any other time people have their ipod plugged in. i like to hear my surroundings more than music. although at times it would be cool to have some wu tang bumping to get me stoked at the end of a session when i'm beat so i can catch just a few more waves

I struggled for years to find a pair of headphones which would not fall out my ears when I run and have only recently found them, so I doubt i'd find some that would stay in when I get pounded by waves. I have no problem with the idea of listening to music when I surf, lets face it the "sound of nature" is usually no more than a deafening roar of a breaking wave with the howl of wind in between sets so I'd not be missing much. The problem is where do you keep the player so that is safe/accessible/and not in the way. And also how do the headphones stay in when you duckdive/wipeout have a hood on/off etc.

No it wouldn't keep me in the water longer as it is cold which forces me out.

In my opinion it is too much fannying about.

Thanks for the feedback! Yes I'm well aware of existing waterproof devices such as the surf mp3 player, but what I propose is a device that functions as a cooperative music outlet, that floats out at sea in the field of waiting surfers, in the relative calm. It would feature in areas that have relatively small waves, thus appealing more to the beginner/ amateur surfer. The device would play music without user interaction e.g. such as in shops, clubs etc. or features some kind of interactivity.

How would you feel if such a device was introduced into your local surfing area?

man i would hate that the thing with surfing is your out there and when u are u forget everything u where thinking before hand but music in the line up, that would ruin it all

I am a music lover / surfer, i have the tunes on on the way to the beach and if I had a waterproof player i might well wear it on days where i am out alone.

BUT you totally lost me once I heard the communal part.

I don't know what its like in your neck of the woods, but round here pop on any form of public transport for an hour and you will see the social injustices of "social music" F**king Chav scum sat on the backseats with their Sh*tty techno-garage and bass blasting out of a tiny little tinny phone speaker. to me imposing your music on others is about the height of impoliteness and it very much tempting towards me taking a billy-club to work with me!!

and if it was out in the lineup and I wasnt the one choosing the tracks.....nooooo way.

If your idea is to have something floating around playing music in the lineup you'll have to make it pretty much indestructible, cos there are plenty of us who would destroy the bloody thing first chance we got. In fact I'd go so far as to say anything like that would have a life expectancy measured in milliseconds.

I don't know, a little reggae in the lineup might be nice

Sounds like you should target the swimming pool market

Big Man wrote:If your idea is to have something floating around playing music in the lineup you'll have to make it pretty much indestructible, cos there are plenty of us who would destroy the bloody thing first chance we got. In fact I'd go so far as to say anything like that would have a life expectancy measured in milliseconds.

Amen to that.

Robert jr wrote:The device would play music without user interaction e.g. such as in shops, clubs etc. or features some kind of interactivity.
How would you feel if such a device was introduced into your local surfing area?

no way itd such a shocking idea.

surferdude_scarborough wrote:no way itd such a shocking idea.

What!! it would be brilliant. Like being in a Mal or something or a motorway servicestation whilst surfing.

Ged wrote:

surferdude_scarborough wrote:no way itd such a shocking idea.

What!! it would be brilliant. Like being in a Mal or something or a motorway servicestation whilst surfing.

and you like that idea? well youre clearly in the minority on this thread lol. one of the best things about surfing is the peace while sitting out back. music would kill it. especially if someone else had picked a load of tracks you hate. not cool.

Big Man wrote:If your idea is to have something floating around playing music in the lineup you'll have to make it pretty much indestructible, cos there are plenty of us who would destroy the bloody thing first chance we got. In fact I'd go so far as to say anything like that would have a life expectancy measured in milliseconds.

I would try to cut back that shit1.