Adrenaline Series - Life Saving Craft

Australia has beautiful beaches, but they also come with their dangers. I have been involved with Surf Life Saving since the age of 7 and I'm a qualified volunteer Lifeguard in NZ/Aus where I help keep beach goers safe in the water. To do this lifeguards need reliable rescue equipment. Current options need to be improved to save more lives, and I'd like to change that. The most important piece of rescue gear for any lifesaver is the rescue board. This is the most commonly used piece of rescue equipment because of its versatility. The rescue-board is the fastest way for a lifeguard to get out though the surf to the patient. Both conscious and unconscious patients can be rescued as well as multi person as they can keep up to 8 people afloat awaiting backup. As a competitive Surf Lifesaver with over 10 years experience in NZ/Aus, I have become frustrated with the poor quality and inefficient shape of the current rescue-boards. The four core aspects in a paddle board are: Speed, Strength, Stability and Sustainability. They allow the rescuer to focus on the task at hand - Saving Lives. When learning how to paddle rescue boards through the pummelling surf the last thing rescuers want to think of is trying to balance. They need a stable board that they can rely on to keep the patient safely onboard. Speed is necessary to reach the patient in what is often a life or death situation. Finally, as an Emergency Service we need to be able to trust that the board has the strength not to crack when being used.This project is researching new shapes with hydrodynamic testing and CAD modelling. New sustainable material layups and a totally new way of constructing the rescue boards themselves will help us reach our 4 objectives while also doing our part to help save more lives in our oceans along with Surf Life Savings mission of Zero Preventable Drownings.