Paddleboard Boarding Assist Loop for Water Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in righting and mounting paddleboards from the water due to the need for upper body strength and lack of stability, as existing solutions do not provide adequate grasping surfaces, adjustability, or a foothold for assistance in the boarding process.
Innovation Solution
A device with adjustable attachment points and a looped end forming a stirrup-like foothold is attached to the paddleboard, providing a grasping surface and foothold to aid users in boarding, featuring a connecting portion with movable attachment means and a handle member for enhanced grip and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional handles or grasping members are used on paddleboards, then users can grasp and pull themselves up, but these handles do not extend into the water and do not allow users to use their lower body and legs to help in the boarding process
Solution Approach 1:
The device extends the grasping function from the horizontal plane (on the board) to the vertical dimension (into the water). The connecting portion with looped end creates a three-dimensional boarding assistance system that spans from the board surface down into the water, allowing users to engage both upper and lower body muscles during boarding.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting portion acts as an intermediary element between the user's foot/leg and the board. The looped end provides a foothold that mediates the force transfer from the user's lower body through the connecting portion to the board, enabling a more efficient boarding mechanism that utilizes leg strength.
2Stability of the object's composition
If users attempt to right the paddleboard by placing palms on the upper surface and pushing down, then they can stabilize the board, but this requires significant upper body strength and the board may sway or rock requiring additional stabilization strength
Solution Approach 1:
The boarding assistance device segments the stabilization function into two independent components: upper body stabilization (handles on the board) and lower body stabilization (looped end in the water). This segmentation allows users to distribute the stabilization force across both upper and lower body muscle groups, reducing the burden on any single muscle group.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the physical parameters of the boarding system by introducing a water-extending component with specific buoyancy and drag characteristics. The looped end's position in the water creates hydrodynamic forces that assist in stabilizing the board during the boarding process, reducing the force requirement from the user.
3Ease of operation
If the device extends into water to provide foothold, then users can use legs for boarding, but the device requires adjustability for multiple sizes and types of rideable objects
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates dynamic, adjustable components including the movable second attachment means along the connecting portion and the adjustable diameter loop. These dynamic elements allow the device to adapt to different board sizes, user sizes, and water conditions without requiring multiple specialized devices, balancing versatility with operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for attachment to a rideable object upon a water surface, such as, but not limited to a paddleboard, to provide a grasping surface and foothold to aid in righting and boarding the rideable object. The device is configured for universal use, wherein it is adjustable for multiple sizes and types of rideable objects or paddleboards. The device is comprised of a connecting portion having a first end and a second end opposed the first end. The connecting portion includes a selectable position and attachment means to enable fixing the device to the rideable object. A second end of the device includes a loop member configured to dangle below the rideable object to provide a foothold for boarding and righting the object.