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5:52AM Sunday 23 November, 2008 Sunshine Coast weather Mostly sunny min 17° - max 25°

Paddle power

3 October 2008

It’s called the Penetrator.

It’s the latest thing in surf riding – and the invention is as Australian as a Hill’s Hoist.

Board and boat builder Stuart Campbell unveiled his new “baby” this week at Noosa’s Lions Park, not far from its birthplace at Noosa Surf Works, to a rapturous crowd.

And it’s no accident Stuart was a boat builder, as is evident in the Penetrator’s design and purpose.

He said while similar models were first built in Hawaii and California, this is different – somewhere in that nether land, between a surf longboard and an ocean craft

“It’s not the same materials (as overseas models) – these are all epoxy resins and lightweight foam,” he said.

“To my way of thinking they were still dealing with surfboard variations.

“I had my own ideas and designed my own.”

Stuart started out with a 16-foot design, with a stand-up paddle which can be used as oar and rudder.

“So far it has had three races – no-one’s come close to beating it yet,” he said.

But now sizes have been standardised in line with races they can be used in.

“We have a couple of different models – the 14-foot (4.48m) Penetrator, or the one we are lunching today the P5.72m.

He said the smaller entry-level model is ideal for lighter-framed people, and the “unlimited” class size is the main racer.

“Now Hawaii and California are copying mine,” he said.

The bigger board has a fixed fin, but both are partly steered by paddle and partly by normal body weight shift as in surfing.

“I read an interview from Hawaii saying they were good for those trying to find a successful way to lose weight; the guy said it falls off when using these boards with so many muscles being used.

“It’s an enjoyable way to lose weight and get exercise.”

Stuart said a rider could also avoid busy break areas, getting “runs of 500 metres or more on one swell” further out.

Local rider Woogie Marsh is taking one to the two-man relay Seaway to Seaway Tweed Heads to Southport contest on the Gold Coast on October 25, while his world qualifying series surfer son, Ryan, is practising with one as part of cross-training with the stand-up paddle.

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