Most surfboards are built to be ridden, not looked through. Tidal Wave, an experimental transparent carbon-fiber surfboard from industrial designer Igor Dzukovski, reverses that order. Its deck is cut open, so the water below becomes part of what the rider sees.
The project treats performance as secondary. Its central question is what a surfer could notice if the board stopped blocking the view.
How the board is built
The frame is carbon fiber, finished in white, and left exposed on purpose. Curving, organic ribs form a skeleton around large transparent openings. The ribs supply stiffness and keep the board light enough to handle in the water.
Clear resin panels fill the spaces between the ribs on this board. The board does not rely on printed graphics. Instead, sunlight, depth, and currents shape its appearance as they pass through the surface.
Where the idea started
The concept did not begin in the surf. According to Dzukovski’s project page, he watched light bounce off the surface of a swimming pool one morning. He wondered how to bring that shimmer onto a board.
Rather than painting the reflections onto it, he tested how materials and structure could produce them. That approach ties the transparency in this surfboard design to the original observation.
Optical effects built from structure rather than paint also appear in nature. X-Ray Photography Revealing Hidden Geometry of Seashells offers a similar sense of seeing what normally stays hidden.
The fin and its color
The stern carries a custom pectoral fin made by additive manufacturing, the industrial term for 3D printing. Dzukovski chose this method to produce the fin’s sculpted, complex shape.
The fin is meant to manage how water moves past the board and to sharpen its handling. Its fluorescent yellow stands out against the white carbon and clear resin, which makes it the one bright accent on the board.
What a rider might see
The designer describes a transparent “sandwich” construction. The layers are meant to let riders look down at plants and animals beneath the surface.
Viewing from this board depends on conditions. Clear water, bright light, and a calm surface would give the best view. Glare, depth, and the rider’s position on the board would all change what appears below.
For another look at life beneath the waves, Researchers Uncover 57 New Marine Species South Atlantic shows how much of the ocean below remains unseen.
A rider lying prone would also block part of the clear panels with the body. Even so, the view could make slow stretches between sets feel more engaging.
What this board has not shown
The ribs give the board a visual identity. Their lines frame the clear sections, so the structure does most of the decorating.
A striking frame does not prove the board performs well. The project page does not describe how the finished board handles, how comfortable it is to paddle, or how the clear panels hold up over time. Those answers matter for anyone choosing a first board.
Tidal Wave was shown at Expo 2020 Dubai and Dubai Design Week 2021. The project page lists no retail price and no ordering information.
Tidal Wave is best read as a study in attention. It asks what a transparent carbon-fiber surfboard can reveal about the water beneath it. Whether it also rides well remains an open question.
H/T yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tidal Wave surfboard by Igor Dzukovski?
Tidal Wave is an experimental transparent carbon-fiber surfboard designed by industrial designer Igor Dzukovski. Its deck is cut open so the water below becomes part of what the rider sees, and the project treats performance as secondary.
What inspired the transparent design of the Tidal Wave surfboard?
According to Dzukovski’s project page, the idea came from watching light bounce off the surface of a swimming pool one morning. He wanted to bring that shimmer onto a board and tested how materials and structure could produce the reflections instead of painting them on.
Is the Tidal Wave surfboard available for purchase?
The article does not confirm availability for purchase. The project page lists no retail price and no ordering information for the Tidal Wave board.
Where has the Tidal Wave surfboard been shown?
Tidal Wave was shown at Expo 2020 Dubai and Dubai Design Week 2021. The article does not describe any other exhibitions.
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