People always tend to push the boundaries of what is possible with a 3D printer. This also applies to [AndrewW1977] when he decided to 3D print a functional full size surfboard.
With just over nine full days of printing, 95 unique pieces and 3.1 kg of PLA (excluding all test prints), this is certainly a monumental project. One of the bigger problems [AndrewW1977] the solution was to avoid air pockets in the board. Ideally, you would just want to have one continuous hollow chamber to easily vent all of the air in the board when heated. [AndrewW1977] decided to overcome this problem by using a zero fill for every single piece. The parts were then connected using alignment pins that have a central hole, thereby connecting all of the hollow chambers.
By using a triangular shape, he managed to print all of the parts without assistance. Once glued together, the entire board was covered with fiberglass and epoxy, similar to traditional surfboard building. Unfortunately due to the current situation with Covid19 [AndrewW1977] stops short of showing us the board in action. If you have a 3D printer at home and have a lot of free time during the lockdown, [AndrewW1977] published all files for his surfboard on Thingiverse.
As [AndrewW1977] indicates that in the video embedded below, other people have already done similar projects. From jet boats to electric hydrofoils, water sports and 3D printing seem to be a perfect match.
