Surfers, lifeguards eyeing motorized surfboards

PONCE INLET — It is “the James Bond surfboard.”

That’s the most common first reaction to the motor-propelled surfboards made by WaveJet, said Kelly Virgulto of the San Diego-based company.

But WaveJet isn’t relying on its “Meet the Jetsons” flying-car flair.

The motorized board has military potential and is a possible game-changer for ocean rescues that’s attracted the attention of Volusia County’s Beach Patrol and other agencies across the country.

And to help mold the new company’s image, WaveJet has hired local surfers. Following the Surf Expo in Orlando, the company came to Ponce Inlet for a filming session last week.

Cory Lopez of Daytona Beach Shores is one of two pro surfers WaveJet is sponsoring, and Patrick Eichstaedt of New Smyrna Beach is producing a video.

Mike Railey, WaveJet’s inventor and CEO, said the WaveJet can push a 250-pound surfer at 7 mph. Lopez tested WaveJet’s speed on a shortboard against New Smyrna Beach’s No. 137 ranked surfer in the world.

“I raced Eric Geiselman the other day and I didn’t even paddle. I was going faster than he could paddle,” Lopez said. “It’s a whole different surfing experience.”

For lifeguards, the WaveJet’s appeal is versatility.

Lifeguard corps in Rhode Island, California, Hawaii and now Volusia County have tested the boards, Railey said.

Volusia County Beach Patrol Deputy Chief Scott Petersohn took a WaveJet out for a test ride last week, and even got in on the filming, wearing a helmet cam like Cory Lopez.

“It’s definitely got applications for rescue,” Petersohn said.

“It’s not a replacement for a (power) ski, the ski is like the workhorse,” he said.

But Petersohn said the four-stroke engines in the skis can unexpectedly not want to start, and the 500-pound machines require a trailer to launch, limiting where they can be put in the water.

A WaveJet could easily go off the inlet side of the jetty rocks, for instance, as well as allow a lifeguard to attend to a victim while moving back to shore or more easily rescue multiple victims, he said.

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