HAWAHAN SURF-BOARDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22619, 6 January 1937, Page 13

HAWAHAN SURF-BOARDS

USE IN LIFE-SAVING WORK Gin 7 MADE TO PIHA CLUB Enthusiastic about tlio effectiveness of the hollow Hawiiiian surf hoard as lifesaving equipment, -Mr. A. Whitney, of l'cinucra, uho recently returned from a visit to Honolulu, has made thf gift of three of these surf hoards to the Pilia Lile-Saving Club. Two boards, one a ltXio Hawaiian model brought back from Honolulu by Mr. Whitney and the other ail older board, which has been hollowed out in Auckland, will be presented to representatives of tin- club to-day by Mr. W. T. Matthews, of Heme Hay. Mr. Matthews, who lias had considerable experience in various branches of aquatics, hollowed the older board and is shortly to construct the third.

Many of the leading life-saving services throughout the United States have adopted the hollow surf board lot-life-saving work and it is Mr. Whitney's idea that these boards should be on every beach in New Zealand. A strong man can handle them with ease, but their main asset is that they are buoyant enough to support three men, even in calm water. Mr. Matthews said yesterday that it is a comparatively easy task for a life-saver to place his patient across the surf board and puddle ashore. In a surf, where a surf boat frequently capsizes, the board cannot be anything but upright.

Tlio two surf boards which will ho handed over to the club to-day are -treamlined, air-chambered and hollow. The late model is ] 211. lOin. long, 22in. wide and oAin. thick. Forty-four pounds in weight, it is constructed of mahogany, beautifully finished. Is is slightly convex on the bottom. The older board, built around 15)10 and representing the style of board in vogue until J929. was formerly solid and 701b. in weight. Mr. Matthews has hollowed it out. however, until it is now lighter than its companion. The third board, not yet built, will be of a new design, intended for easier steering. The large hollow surf board is today the only equipment of lifeguards at Waikiki Bench, Honolulu. It can be paddled with twice the speed of a fast swimmer and it is not a difficult task for one person to keep a number of people afloat on it for an .indefinite period. The design of the hoard makes it much simpler to handle than tho models of a few years ago. A book of instruction by a Hawaiian surf hoard champion is also being presented to the Film Club bv Mr. "Whitney.