DIMENSIONS

Length:	3	feet	6	inches
Width:	24	inches		Wide Point:	0	inches
Nose :	24	inches		Tail:	24	inches
Thickness:	6	inches		Pod:	24	inches
Nose/L:	0	inches		Tail/L:	0	inches
Weight				Volume:		litres
Other

FEATURES
Nose: square
Tail:  Square 
Deck: Four molded longitudinal ribs
Bottom: Four molded longitudinal ribs
Rails: round
Rocker: flat

In the 1940's, Olympic swimmer and industrialist Sir Frank Beaurepaire's rubber company manufactured a Surf-o-plane/Rubber Air Mat using the Advanx brand. There were eventually three models - Elite (5ft), Standard (4ft) and Small (3ft). Colours other than black were also available - yellow and black with yellow stripes. Sold to the public from the factory at Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay Sydney for 8 pounds ($16.00), the company also offered a repair service and compressed air fill ups.

By the 1960 the design was available from several companies, notably Clarke Rubber and Advanx, and with the expanded use of the automobile sales were directed more at the general public than the hire concessions. This was principally done by elaborate decor, for example the Advanx Marlin model as surfed by Nick Carroll in 1969, while some later models had twin fins.

The contribution of this design to moderm surfing is immense. In Australia it was used extensively by all types of beach-goers and was the basis for juvinile surfers to gain surf experience before advancing to surfboards - for example, four times world champion, Mark Richards ( Knox : M.R. pages 6 to 8, 14 and 16 - see below). The Surfoplane had similar impact around the world, photographic and text evidence suggests the craft was widely used in New Zealand, Hawaii, California, South Africa and England.

The Surfoplane would be superceded in the 1970's by the Coolite, the Zippy Board and/or the 
Canvas Mat.
COMMENTS
Performance : The Surfoplane had high bouyancy, but were relatively heavy and stiff, unlike the craft that replaced them. This combination of features assisted both getting through the surf and wave riding.
Examples : The nature of the rubber used in the Surfoplane meant that if it was not constantly inflated they would bond internally, and become useless. As a result, it appears few have survived to the present day. One blue/yellow example is held by the Penisular Surf Centre, Victoria. Thanks to Ted Bainbridge.
REFERNCES
Other Boards
See Surfoplane 1933   and Paipo Catalogue
Books
Websters Encyclopaedia CD Rom Aust Inventors 1997
Thoms : Surfmovies   page 40 
Margan and Finney    photographs  pages 137, 138 and 158. 
Bloomfield, pages 54 to 57
Carroll : The Wave Within, page 5,
Photograph plate facing page 86.Image below and manipulated colour image top.
Radio 
Damin Lovelock and Angela Katerns and public contrbutors, on ABC Regional Radio, 1999.
CONDITION: 0