impact vest , industrial design

hey guys and girls. im scott parker and im in my 4th and final year of industrial design at massey university of wellington in new zealand. for my major project im looking into the impact vest market and trying to establish small areas that can be improved on. i am basing my reasearch around high impact water sports but mainly big wave surfing and wakeboarding. if anyone has and comments or opinions it would be really helpful for my project, cheers

yea... make something that will protect the nuts from the dreaded slap on the water... other than that i dunno... how thick is this vest gonna be?

i can definitely see a need for thin (competition-style) vests that are coast guard approved. maybe a future with no approved/non-approved distinction....all vests are thin all vests are approved.

quick drying, anti-ride up, etc.

I love thin, but I hate less float... maybe specifically designing some foams or materials that have higher buoyancy pound-for-pound than traditional vest foam.

I don't like a "firm" vest (ie Jetpilot impact vests)... I like the feel of neoprene, but I like the buoyancy of foam.

A new surface/exterior material that isn't as porous and is more flexible. Something that won't break down in the sun, absorb odors or water, won't stain, and stretches better than neoprene. a synthetic would be awesome.

I really like my Bare Impact vest because it's long enough and protect the small of my back well but tend to roll over on big crashes...more stiffness in this area would be great... I would recommend working with low density EVA foam that is flexible, moldable, and very lightweight... it's also tougher than neoprene... laminating lycra or polyester over it for comfort and water wickness(is that a word?)...

overall... it would be nice to have a vest that has relatively good buoyancy but is as thin as possible... freedom of movement... protection... flexibility...

good luck man...

Neilpryde (sp) Impact 5000 vest is pretty sweet but weighs a ton when wet. Make a light weight jacket like that and you would have a winner. I have never been stung wearing that jacket.

thanks guys.that is really helpfull.good to get some feedback from people who are obviously pasionate about the sport. im currently sourcing materials to do my testing and also sketching out some form concepts.will post them a bit later on for you guys to have a look at.cheers

How about a high impact vest that is made for high impacts? I have busted my ribs up twice now wearing one of these vests. Buddy of mine broke his ribs 2 years ago doing a HS 3. Also wearing a "High Impact Vest."

Also do something other than the front zip(side zip, back zip, pullover)

I like the Jetpilot Core that I have, but if a vest like that could absorb hard impacts better that would be great.

yeah im looking at a number of core paddings and finding that there is alot of problem with existing products. do you think there is rib injuries because there is just not enough padding on the sides of the body. yeah im definatly looking at entry and exit formats for the vest. hopefully design something really unique to stop breakage and add to the overall design.
cheers again guys

I think people are breaking their ribs on hard falls, because it is alot of impact to take. If you had a vest that could distribute the force on the jacket, or go more like Kevlar, and give alot of strength at the point of contact.

no riding up !!