By Codelia Mantsebo

Samsung has revealed its new Galaxy Surfboard prototype which connects surfers to real-time messages and data. The tech giant has presented a promotional video showcasing the board, as tested out by Brazilian surfer and 2014 ASP World Tour Champ Gabriel Medina.



The surfboard is designed to provide real-time connectivity to surfers while out at sea. A Galaxy S7 smartphone slides in a drawer on the side of the board, which in turn is in sync with the built-in LED screen installed on the deck.

It also displays graphics with instantaneous information on the direction and intensity of the wind, oncoming waves and other pertinent details.

The project was in collaboration with advertising company Leo Burnett Tailor Made and Johnny Cabianca, who helped shape the innovative project. The smartphone connected surfboard is powered by a micro controller card.

“Unlike other sports, in professional surfing, the athletes are away from the fans from their country almost the entire year. Even during practice, surfers spend hours out at sea, while their coaches are on the shore. These distances are obstacles to the athletes’ evolution and motivation. With the help of Samsung’s technology, we created the Galaxy Surfboard, a board that will connect Medina with his coach and fans while he’s out in the water, in real time,” Marcelo Reis, co-president of Leo Burnett Tailor Made stated.

The Samsung Galaxy Surfboard is simply a prototype, so it’s not commercially available yet.

Image Credit: Twitter