WO1996007455A1

WO1996007455A1 - Body surfing suits

Info

Publication number: WO1996007455A1
Application number: PCT/AU1995/000572
Authority: WO
Inventors: Craig Steven Tapp; John Raymond Tapp
Original assignee: Craig Steven Tapp; John Raymond Tapp
Priority date: 1994-09-02
Filing date: 1995-09-04
Publication date: 1996-03-14
Also published as: AUPM786594A0

Abstract

The invention provides a body suit (10) to be worn by a surfer including a torso-embracing garment (11) having a front portion adapted to cover the chest of the wearer over an area extending substantially from the wearer's neck (13) to at least the wearer's waist (14), means (15) being provided for attaching to said front portion a planing member (16) shaped on its inner face to fit against the wearer's chest from a top extremity (17) adjacent the top of the chest and beneath the neck of the wearer to a bottom extremity (19) adjacent the middle or bottom of the chest and adjacent the waist of the wearer, said planing member (16) having an outer or front face and the planing member being of such width as to maximise water contact of its front face for planing purposes, but terminating at each side (22) short of the areas of arm action of the wearer when swimming and/or body surfing, and wherein the garment (11) is extended vertically down from the chest portion to embrace the wearer's bottom (26) and thighs (27), smaller lower planing members (29) being provided, one on each thigh portion at the front of the garment from about crotch height to above the knee.

Description

"BODY SURFING SUITS" TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to body surfing suits, and it has more particular reference to a novel form of swi wear to be worn by a surfer for enhanced surfing performance purposes in particular.

BACKGROUND ART

At the present time, body surfers are subject to a number of disadvantages as compared with surfboard riders, particularly in that the only assistance available for

"catching a wave" takes the form of flippers to be worn on the feet and which pose a carrying and storage problem, particularly when used intermittently. A body surfer is obliged to tread water between waves, without the board flotation benefits afforded a board rider who will also usually be fitted with a wet suit for greater comfort in the water as well as providing protection against sunburn.

Accordingly, our present invention addresses the problems currently experienced by body surfers as compared with board riders, and it has for its principal object the provision of a novel form of body surfing suit which will be considered by body surfers to provide significant advancement on the current state of the art, especially in achieving desirably improved performances in the catching of waves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of body surfing suit as aforementioned which will be equally attractive to male and female surfers, as well as to all children, and even likely to gain support from older people who have become fearful of the risks currently associated with body surfing.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a body surfing suit of the character described which will provide protection against exposure to the sun as well as comfort in water, particularly cold water, and which can be designed for flotation assistance and hence safety enhancement. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter apparent. DISCLOSURE QF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides broadly, according to one aspect thereof, in a body suit to be worn by a surfer including a torso- embracing garment having a front portion adapted to cover the chest of the wearer over an area extending substantially from the wearer's neck to the wearer's waist, means being provided for attaching to said front portion a planing member shaped on its inner face to fit against the wearer's chest from a top extremity adjacent the top of the chest and beneath the neck of the wearer to a bottom extremity adjacent the middle or bottom of the chest and adjacent the waist of the wearer, said planing member having an outer or front face and the planing member being of such width as to maximise water contact of its front face for planing purposes, but terminating at each side short of the areas of arm action of the wearer when swimming and/or body surfing.

The planing member may be of desired form and thickness, but it is preferably of board-like form similar to a boogey board and preferably of foam-like material. In that case, the planing member is preferably tapered upwardly and inwardly at its upper extremity to follow the body contours in curvilinear profile, but if desired it could have a standout upper edge when personally preferred by the wearer, the upper edge then suitably being arcuate about a lower medial centre of curvature.

The sides of the planing member can be near-parallel or they may be curved to surfboard shape from a shovel-nosed upper edge, while the lower extremity of the planing member may be substantially transverse to the wearer's body. However, any shapes may be employed, and if desired the planing member could consist of one or a plurality of abutting sections held within a common sheath. The planing member may if desired be releaεably attached by straps extending around the back of the wearer, using velcro-type strips or equivalent strips in addition for locating the planing member in the correct position. However, it is preferred that the planing member be a board attached by heavy-duty stitching.

In various preferred forms of the invention, the torso- embracing garment is extended vertically down from the chest portion after the manner of a board rider's wetsuit so as to embrace the wearer's bottom and preferably the thighs to just above the knees. In such case, similar but narrower or smaller planing members are provided at the front of each thigh from just below the crotch to just above the knee. The suit can take any desired form in relation to short or long arms or sleeves. Also the suit could have shorter legs with no planing members at all or vertically-shortened planing members. The back of the suit can have a central zip fastener and can employ any other features commonly employed in current types of wetsuits as used by board- riders or by skindivers.

In other preferred embodiments of the invention, there may be employed channels on the planing members similar to channels on a surfboard to provide increased stability on a wave whilst turning, but it will be appreciated that a flat surface can be used when this is personally preferred.

Other preferred embodiments may have fins attached to the legs of the suit, these being sewn on permanently or they may be attachable fins inserted on the legs like those which surfboards currently have. If attachable fins are used, then a corresponding fin box will still need to be sewn on permanently at the legs. These fins will act like a rudder of a boat giving stability through the water and direction whilst on a wave. Attachable fins used in this manner will assist in manoeuvrability on the wave and can be adjusted according to the size of the wave, thus utilising the same principle as fins currently used on surfboards by surfboard riders. If desired, the top planing member may have at its edges longitudinally extending ride ribs or fins defining a longitudinal trough therebetween. The wearer will use surfing knowledge to assist in making the right choice of a fin placement, with testing by way of trial and error being required in all types of surf ranging from 2' waves to say 10 waves.

According to one practical embodiment of the invention, there is provided a body suit for a surfer adapted to embrace the surfer's torso, waist, bottom and thighs to terminate short of the knees, there being a top planing member embracing the front of the surfer's chest and a pair of lower planing members on the front faces of the thigh portions near to the knees, the top planing member having a rounded top end and a straight bottom edge across the surfer's waist area, while the lower planing members are substantially rectangular with bevelled edges therearound, the top planing member and lower planing members each being secured in place by peripheral stitching to the material from which the body suit is made, being wetsuit material. Other features of the invention will be hereinafter apparent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show possible preferred embodiments, given by way of example only, and wherein:-

Fig. 1 shows in front perspective view a male surfer fitted with a body surfing suit according to the invention and having a top planing member on the chest and two bottom planing members just above the knees, all three planing members being affixed in this embodiment by heavy-duty stitching on to a suit which may for example be a conventional temperature resisting wet suit;

Fig. 2 is a perspective side elevational view of the body surfing suit shown in Fig. 1 fitted to the surfer;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view from in front of the head of the surfer showing the upper part of the surfing suit and the top planing member on the chest, illustrating the front view of the oncoming surfer facing the beach on a wave;

Fig. 4. illustrates in fragmentary and cross- sectional view the top planing member of Fig. 3 having substantially parallel front and rear faces in this instance; Fig. 5 shows in perspective view a modified form of bottom planing member,^' with longitudinal guide fin, fitted just above the user's knee;

Fig. 6 shows in perspective view the modified bottom planing member of Fig. 5 but fitted with further fins extending laterally from the longitudinal fin; and

Fig. 7 shows in perspective view the top planing member of the body surfing suit of Fig. 1 but having longitudinally extending side ribs or fins defining a trough or concavity from the front. The body suit indicated generally by the numeral 10 in Figs. 1 to 3 and 7 includes a torso-engaging garment 11 which may be a standard type of wet suit if desired and which has a front or chest portion 12 adapted to cover the chest of the wearer over an area extending substantially from the neck 13 of the wearer to the waist 14. Suitable securing means indicated generally at 15 are provided for fixedly or removably attaching to the front portion 12 a top planing member 16 shaped on its inner face to follow the wearer's chest from a top extremity 17 adjacent the top of the chest, indicated generally at 18, and beneath the neck 13 of the wearer to a bottom extremity 19 below the middle or bottom of the chest indicated generally at 20 at the level of the wearer's wait 14, or slightly therebelow as shown in the drawings, or slightly above the level of the waist 14.

The top planing member 16 in this instance has an outer or front face 21 which is convex and thus substantially parallel to the inner face as apparent from Fig. 4 in particular, but the face 21 could be flat or convex in other embodiments, the planing member 16 being of such width that there will be maximum or at least substantial water contact of its front face 21 for planing purposes, but it will terminate at each side 22 short of the areas of arm action of the wearer when swimming and/or body surfing.

Thus, the concept is to have a board or planing member 16 made of similar if not the same material as boogey boards, preferably of highly buoyant foam-like material. The garment 11 may be made of any wetsuit material or of lycra, the planing members being affixed to a conventional wetsuit by stitching/gluing procedures. The invention will assist body surfers to surf down a wave as well as being able to float out on the sea whilst waiting for the right wave or set of waves to come through.

It will be seen that the foam-type or boogey-board type of board forming the top planing member 16 is attached to the chest and stomach area of the bodysuit 10, and it is preferably sewn on with heavy-duty stitching around its periphery and constituting the securing means 15 at which both the planing member 16 and garment material have flexibility at the stitching lines for robustness and durability. The dimensions of the board or planing member 16 are naturally limited as to width so as not to impede the surfer in his arm actions. Obviously the body surfer will need to use a freestyle action to catch the wave, and if the planing member 16 is too wide then the arm action is made difficult and it is consequently harder to move through the water. Thus, the width of each planing members 16 will be varied according to the size of the adult or child using the board, and in fact all dimensions will be varied according to the size of the user and of the suit into which the user is fitted.

In the illustrated embodiment, the planing members 16 are tapered upwardly and inwardly at the top extremities 17 to follow the body contours, preferably in a smooth curvilinear profile as shown particularly at 24 in Fig. 2 at the top of the chest. However, if desired, there could be at the location 24 a standout upper edge of the planing member 16 at the top end 17 instead of that shown and which could be described either as arcuate about a lower medial centre of curvature or, as abovedescribed, a smooth curvilinear profile. In such instances, the planing members 16 are seen to have their side edges 22 shaped to short surfboard shape from a shovel-nosed upper end 17, while the lower extremity is shaped to extend substantially transversely at 25 as illustrated - to be horizontal when the wearer is standing upright. In this instance, the lower end of each planing member 16 has a pair of integral and parallel direction-guide grooves 32 at equal distances on either side of the medial longitudinal axis line of the planing member.

It is believed at this stage that permanent stitching 23 will prove adequate and preferably for practical purposes, but it is envisaged that the planing member 16 could be retained in a pocket by suitable closure means, or the planing member 16 could be loosely located and releasably attached by straps extending around the back of the wearer. In that case additional Velcro-type strips or the like would be useful for inter-engagement and maintaining a fixed location for each planing member 16.

In the embodiments shown in the drawings, each garment 11 is extended vertically down from the chest portion 12 so as to embrace also the wearer's bottom 26 and also the thighs 27 to just above the knees 28, bottom planing members 29 (see Figs. 1 and 2) of simple rectangular form being provided at the front of each thigh 27 from about the level of the crotch 30 to just above the knee 28. The bottom planing members 29 will be seen to be smaller models of the upper planing member 16 and they can be similarly shaped and similarly secured by heavy-duty stitching. The back of the body suit 10 is not illustrated but for convenience it could have a central spine-following zip fastener, with the bodysuit 10 having any other features commonly employed in current types of wetsuits.

The planing members 16 and 29 may have any desired form of channels or grooves such as the grooves 32 in the member 16 in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, in much the same way as a surfboard may have channels or grooves to give more stability on a wave whilst turning, but of course a flat surface could be used instead depending on personal preferences. The modification in Fig. 7 shows the top planing member 16 having at its side edges 22 a pair of longitudinally extending side ribs or guide fins 33 defining between them a longitudinal trough 34 or concavity, the ribs 33 being shaped to avoid awkward protrusions or unsightly portions, while providing fin attributes as well as increased buoyancy. Further fin and rib arrangements will be apparent from Figs. 5 and 6 in which the lower planing members 29a are substantially identical with the planing member 29 of Figs. 1 and 2 except that they have medial longitudinal ribs 31 which in these instances extend for their full top-to-bottom lengths. Fig. 6 shows a further feature in that the longitudinal fin or rib 31 has intermediate its ends a pair of further fins 35 extending laterally at opposite sides, spaced from but parallel to the body portion 36 of the planing member 29a and or aerofoil section. In typical embodiments, the upper planing member 16 might be about 420mm high for an adult and about 260mm wide, but these dimensions may be as desired, with the same applying to the bottom planing members and to the fins and ribs as aforedescribed. All these components will be suitable of rubber or other non-scratching material for safety purposes.

As apparent from Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the rectangular lower planing members 29, 29a have bevelled edges 37 therearound, with continuous peripheral stitching to the wetsuit material.

In use, it will be appreciated that the ideal manner of catching a wave for body surfing is to use a freestyle action and the same principle will apply with the bodysuits according to the invention, it being envisaged that it will be easier to catch the wave because of the flotation characteristics of the suit. Porpoising is another way of catching the wave to body surf, but depending upon the degree of flotation of the suit there may be difficulty in submerging under water to catch the wave in this action, and thus this method may not be as practical for weaker swimmers as it is to swim onto the wave. Once the wave has been caught and inertia takes the surfer down the wave, the flat surface of the board area of each planing member will enable the body surfer to plane on top of the water just like a boogey board or surfboard does. The fins will help in manoeuvring the surfer on the wave once he is planing on the water surface. Naturally, flippers can be used to assist in catching the wave when so desired.

Body suits according to the invention will therefore be found very effective in achieving the objects for which the invention has been devised. By wearing the suit at the beach, it will provide protection against sunburn caused by harmful ultra-violet sunrays. The flotation of the suit will assist in the person conserving energy, thus finding it easier to tread water than otherwise would be the case, but it should be noted that the suit is not designed primarily as a safety device like a life jacket. The invention lends itself particularly to incorporation in suits which may be brightly coloured, in which event it will be easier for lifesavers to see a wearer in the water and for parents to locate their children easily. It will be understood that the invention is to be deemed to embrace all variations which reside within its broad scope and ambit as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

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1. A body suit to be worn by a surfer including a torso- embracing garment having a front portion adapted to cover the chest of the wearer over an area extending substantially from the wearer's neck to at least the wearer's waist, means being provided for attaching to said front portion a planing member shaped on its inner face to fit against the wearer's chest from a top extremity adjacent the top of the chest and beneath the neck of the wearer to a bottom extremity adjacent the middle or bottom of the chest and adjacent the waist of the wearer, said planing member having an outer or front face and the planing member being of such width as to maximise water contact of its front face for planing purposes, but terminating at each side short of the areas of arm action of the wearer when swimming and/or body surfing.

2. A body suit for a surfer, according to Claim 1, wherein the planing member is of board-like form and preferably of foam-like material.

3. A body suit for a surfer, according to Claim 2, wherein the planing member is tapered upwardly and inwardly at its upper extremity where it either has a standout upper edge or a curvilinear profile, the upper edge being generally shovel-nosed in shape.

4. A body suit for a surfer, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the garment is extended vertically down from the chest portion to embrace the wearer's bottom and thighs, smaller lower planing members being provided, one on each thigh portion at the front of the garment from about crotch height to above the knee.

5. A body suit for a surfer adapted to embrace the surfer's torso, waist, bottom and thighs to terminate short of the knees, there being a top planing member embracing the front of the surfer's chest and a pair of lower planing members on the front faces of the thigh portions near to the knees, the top planing member having a rounded top end and a straight bottom edge across the surfer's waist area, while the lower planing members are substantially rectangular with bevelled edges therearound, the top planing member and lower planing members each being secured in place by peripheral stitching to the material from which the body suit is made, being wetsuit material for example.

6. A neck-to-knee body suit for a surfer, said suit having planing members or boards of buoyant foam material attached to the front of the suit in the chest area and at the front of each thigh portion of the suit at its lower end.

7. A body suit for a surfer, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each planing member is stitched about its periphery to the suit material.

8. A body suit for a surfer, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the top planing member has vertical grooves therein.

9. A body suit for a surfer, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the top planing member has side ribs extending longitudinally and defining a trough therebetween.

10. A body suit for a surfer, according to any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein each bottom planing member has a forwardly extending longitudinal medial rib.

11. A body suit for a surfer, according to Claim 10, wherein each medial rib provides support for a transverse aerofoil rib.