[OneofSorrow]

I was told to bring this one to the forum.  Sunday as our team was relocating to Rio one of our players was talking about a bond movie where they had a storage compartment with a AK-47 in the board.  Our GM of course gave us the 'look' and said that it be impossible due to weight.  And the argument started as half debated the surf board rigging subject, half in favor and half not in favor and that is when they all turned to me and said, you gotta ask the forums.  So here I wondering what you guys think about rigging a surf board?  Me personally I'm sure you could modify it in some creative ways but will it still be surf-able when you're done modifying the thing. 

[Sendaz]

Don't see why not. The board is able to support a person sitting on it in the water, having a weapon inside should not sink it if you build in enough buoyancy.

You could add some motor control to the fins or skegs on the board to give you even more control over it's handling in the water so rigging could be done. 


Hell you could probably even add some small intake and output ports for an internal propulsion system so you don't have to paddle your way out to the waves and then just shut it down when you line up for catching your wave.
They offer motorized surfboards even now so you could use similar tech for a baseline idea for your own style.

Just have to use plenty of small and plastic bits to keep the weight and bulk down, but should be doable.

[Namikaze]

GM was probably caught off-guard and responded with a default answer.  I'd totally allow it - though traditional surf boards would still be cool, rigged ones would be all the rage.

[Sendaz]

Maybe a run in Hawaii with the improved boards  is called for or a small run involving Surf Ninjas. :p

[Tenlaar]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9hSLtiuQ2o

Watch that video with them (especially the moment at the end when the board gets opened up), apply the 2075 tech filter and go nuts!

[Medicineman]

hmmm,
if the Rigger on the Surfpoard starts to jump into the Board with his Mind his Meatbody would go Limp and fall of the Board, wouldn't it ?

With a Dance on a Board
Medicineman

[Namikaze]

hmmm,
if the Rigger on the Surfpoard starts to jump into the Board with his Mind his Meatbody would go Limp and fall of the Board, wouldn't it ?

With a Dance on a Board
Medicineman

Prolly - but that's what those little foot strap things are for, right?  I live in Colorado, we have no surfing, so for all I know that could be what they're for. 

[Poindexter]

hmmm,
if the Rigger on the Surfpoard starts to jump into the Board with his Mind his Meatbody would go Limp and fall of the Board, wouldn't it ?

With a Dance on a Board
Medicineman

Some gms would houserule it the same way they do motorcycles. If you went limp on a motorcycle, not only would you fall off, but even if you were strapped in somehow, part of controlling a motorcycle IS leaning your body right and left. Alot of BTLs leave you with some amount of physical control while they're running, so it only stands to reason that the same could be said for rigging. You maintain ONLY enough control over your body movements as is needed to effectively control the vehicle.

I'd say a surfboard would be no different.

[cantrip]

Rigger on a surfboard...surrounded by a fleet of mini-surfboard drones! 

Sendaz and Tenlaar - enjoyed your videos!

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

I always thought of rigging a motorcycle as involving your arms/legs getting tucked into sleeves, and with there being motorized parts that shunt your body to the appropriate side.  You're part of the bike, but part of that alson involves your body being moved as an active counter/weight.

However, this wasn't what I wanted to add.  In the Combat Biker story (Dead Air, I think - was just mentioned over on the 'Sports Entertainment in the 2070s' thread) they discuss 'partial' vehicle control rigs, which allow a motorcycle rider to control the cycle as though it were their own legs while still being able to twist and turn and shoot and use combat axes and all that other fun stuff.  A similar vibe could be used with a surfboard equipped with micro-waterjet thrusters.

Or just use it in AR.  I gotta admit, I like the idea; it reminds me of the Alan Dean Foster short story 'Surfeit'.  We just have to place hours-long 150' waves rolling around somewhere ...

[Tenlaar]

There has just got to be a group of insane surf riggers living in Sydney.

"Woooooaaaah braaaaah, biggest fraggin' storm in a year heading in.  GRAB YOUR BOARDS!"

[Dangersaurus]

This seems appropriate, somehow:

Skeet Surfin' USA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufmPTTzxDEw

[MachineGunBallet]

First - Real surfer's wouldn't be caught dead on any sort of motorized contraption.  Period.  End of discussion. 
Second - Real surfers want all natural boards on all natural waves.
Third - Real surf boards are harder to modify than they look.  They are very light, and balance is everything.  You'd need a water tight compartment with the right final buoyancy.

Buut... your players and associated characters probably aren't real surfers, so go for it.  Just say it was a modified powered surf board.  Make sure the real surfers laugh at them uproariously for using toy surf boards.  Maybe toss batteries at them as a kind of jeer.  Possibly get an Adept Surfer to challenge a player to a surf off.

Finally, why aren't there motorized aquatic propulsion systems for augmented characters. 'cause lets face it, a body surfing troll would be pretty cool.

[Tenlaar]

Oh cool, I was hoping somebody would come through to be condescending and speak for every person who's ever surfed.  Glad we got that taken care of!

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

First - Real surfer's wouldn't be caught dead on any sort of motorized contraption.  Period.  End of discussion. 
Second - Real surfers want all natural boards on all natural waves.
Third - Real surf boards are harder to modify than they look.  They are very light, and balance is everything.  You'd need a water tight compartment with the right final buoyancy.

Buut... your players and associated characters probably aren't real surfers, so go for it.  Just say it was a modified powered surf board.  Make sure the real surfers laugh at them uproariously for using toy surf boards.  Maybe toss batteries at them as a kind of jeer.  Possibly get an Adept Surfer to challenge a player to a surf off.

Finally, why aren't there motorized aquatic propulsion systems for augmented characters. 'cause lets face it, a body surfing troll would be pretty cool.

This is 2070's Awakened Shadowrun, not 2014 RL.  'Real surfers' don't have to deal with frickin' megalodons hanging out in the surf, considering a surfer on a surfboard to be the equivalent of a light snack and ready-to-make toothpicks.  'Real surfers' don't have cyberware or bioware, and aren't required to get regular anti-toxicity shots to surf in certain areas - or wear lightweight body armor just in case the fauna or the flora attacks.  In short, while there may be 'real surfers' schism, with the 'real surfers' a vocal but incredibly small minority, I doubt it's anything anyone listens to.  It's like 'real surfers' used to be - 'real surfers' use an 8' board.

And in SR, your 'all-natural wave' might be anything but.

Third, I seriously don't think they're talking about modification; I wouldn't be, anyhow.  If you want a compartment in the damn thing big enough to hold and conceal an AK-98, you're going to custom-make the board, adding weights where they need to go in order to balance the board for the presence of the weapon, and be able to shift them in order to account for the weapon's absence.

Remember that this ain't RL; players of <Insert Sport Here> are facing challenges that individuals currently engaged in that sport never even think about.  Megalodons.  Awakened strangler kelp.  Snapdrake eels, or even just normal orca that have learned that since they can get seals by surfing, why not get a much bigger meal the same way??  Being able to suddenly accelerate from the estimated max of 27mph for a surfer along your current course in order to evade a predator isn't something to laugh at; it's a frickin' survival trait.  And 'real surfers' would appreciate that, just as soon as they start seeing dudes gettin' slurped down along Malibu.

Turn this around the other way to boot - you know about tow-in surfing on the Big Waves, right?  Why not modify a board so that it can do the 'tow in' part on its own?  You cut out the jets when the wave is caught, and surf it standard - but having a board built so that you don't need someone else on a jet-ski to get you in on it ...

And yes, I know about paddling in on the big waves, but your target audience for selling them is not going to be the top-fifty big-wave surfers ...