Motorized Equipment

[BoMan]

I see more powered equipment wherever I go... eboards, efoils, eskates, and ebikes. I'm not a gatekeeping person but I worry about safety. Folks can buy a power craft and take off with no training in crowded lineups, streets and trails. As we all understand there are also fitness issues.

I expect there's not much to be done except being more aware of our surroundings, anticipating trouble and helping out where we can. What do you think?

[oldmansurfer]

I don't think it's going to help much for learning to surf. There's so much more than riding on a surfboard to surfing. It will not give beginners any advantage as it doesn't tell them where to be to catch a wave or what to do once they catch one.

[oldmansurfer]

They are going to fall down just like any kook. They will be probably more likely to fall down as the board will be out of sync with the wave and they don't know what they are doing. Now someone who is a better surfer might be able to use it for power assist on takeoff but the apparatus will likely slow the board down making it more difficult to make it go faster. So if the waves are nothing crumbles then these will be the winner and a good surfer can probably have great advantage over others but a kook is going to stand in the wrong place and do the wrong thing and fall down anyway.

[jaffa1949]

Plastic versus intakes Thus quoth the AFOK ( anarchist front of Karens)

[BoMan]

It will not give beginners any advantage as it doesn't tell them where to be to catch a wave or what to do once they catch one.

I saw that in action...a guy on a power board wasn't able to stand and could only belly ride beyond the break. I'm sure he had fun but it will slow his learning curve.

[jaffa1949]

All non motorised craft require some skilled some physical effort in both catching and paddling back out.
There is enough competition between manpowered craft which has an inherent inequality but against motorization all are outdone.
The dollars outlaid for a motor, has a great chance of the rider considering themselves dollar entitled over the masses and take the more waves than you attitude. (it won‘t end well).
Some council juristrictions have specified no go area for motorisers but enforcing is hard often when the park their 4X4 around the other side of a headland.
Crowds are one thing motorised crowds another

[BoMan]

I'll add powered scooters to the list. My grandson and I turned a corner on the way back from school and narrowly avoided colliding with a kiddo driving too fast!