Public: Island
neoprene islands   (+1)  [vote for, against]
turn your local lake into a gigantic fun waterbed

sew giant rolls of neoprene together and throw it out on the water. it is unsinkable. it would be fun to roll around on. it would be extremely comfortable, and safe (just dont go underneath).

comes in four sizes: personal size (for sunbathing), family size, party size, and cristo size.

imagine how much fun on a gently rolling ocean!
-- gnormal, Jul 11 2003

Rescue Path http://www.wsfb.co.uk/equipment/irp.htm
Gonflable rescue path [oneoffdave, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Christo's Surrounded Islands http://www.udel.edu...rw4/christo/si2.jpg
1983, Biscayne Bay, Miami [ty6, Oct 04 2004]

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s unsinkable. - My wetsuit is made of neoprene.
-- Shz, Jul 11 2003


Imagine how much fun being trapped inside and suffocating. Try jumping onto a pool cover and you'll get the idea.
-- waugsqueke, Jul 11 2003


Make it into a real island - say, 10' thick - and you've got something. It would need to be weighted, but what respectable tourist beach wouldn't want a giant floating island fun castle? Slides, canopies, life guards...
-- phoenix, Jul 12 2003


I was thinking weighted, thick towards the center, tapering at the edges (possibly with stairs), foam palm trees and picnic tables.
-- Shz, Jul 12 2003


What Shz said.
-- thumbwax, Jul 12 2003


You could potentially have a very large outdoor waterbed.... .... is anyone else thinking thats kinky?
-- venomx, Jul 13 2003


shz, it is so unsinkable. even with you in it, your wetsuit will never sink. even an 1/8" suit will keep you buoyant. scuba divers need to wear 15-25lbs of lead if they intend to submerge in a wetsuit.
-- gnormal, Jul 14 2003


You could always use an island-shaped version of this [link]
-- oneoffdave, Jul 15 2003


//shz, it is so unsinkable. even with you in it, your wetsuit will never sink. even an 1/8" suit will keep you buoyant. scuba divers need to wear 15-25lbs of lead if they intend to submerge in a wetsuit.//

Yup. - I wear 30lbs of lead around my waist. I submerge, neoprene and all.
-- Shz, Jul 15 2003


//it is unsinkable. it would be fun to roll around on. //

I have this mental image. You get on the neoprene raft. As neoprene is very flexible, its dragged inwards, you sink down under your own weight, enveloped by the neoprene which restricts your movements, all water on the surface drains into your pocket. You can't swim out and are drowned in 2 inches of water.
-- FloridaManatee, Jul 16 2003


Kids - don't test out [mustywetdog]'s theory.
-- sild, Jul 16 2003


A really swell idea until the waterskier shows up and does the 35 MPH to zero speed conversion in about 3 nanoseconds leaving his skis (complete with feet broken off at the ankles) on the edge of the neoprene island. As he skips like a stone across the surface of the island he adds his speedo, gold fillings, and hairpiece to the items left onboard before he sinks (never to be seen again) beyond the far edge of the island...
-- Dustoff, Jul 16 2003


Good point, I was sort of thinking he hit it on a turn outside of the boat's wake, but hey! Ramming himself through the aft end of a speedboat that just made a sudden stop would be neat to watch too.... <GRIN!>
-- Dustoff, Jul 18 2003


// wouldn't the boat pulling the skiier hit the island first? //

Well, not necessarily. If the boat turns, the skier will make a broader turn (because of the cable and of the centrifugal force), making it possible for him to hit the islands while the boat avoids it.

As for the sinking factor of the island, that could be fixed with a floating rim on the edges. Something like what they have on kite-surf kites.

It's + for the potencial fun of the idea.
-- PauloSargaco, Oct 24 2003


Just put a really big flag on it... saying "HEY THERE IS AN ISLAND HERE... PLEASE TURN RIGHT" then people wont hit you.. simply put.. christo size.. beautiful.. but add syranwrap to it and you're stuck for good.
-- PYRO, Oct 24 2003


Check out http://www.concreteisland.com ! There are pictures of an island made of concrete floating on Lake Pleasant in Arizona.
-- Parr8head, Nov 01 2003


neoprene is unsinkable because 30lb of lead is required to sink it? beautiful. love the logic.
-- stilgar, Jul 11 2004


Really, the 30 pounds of lead could be substituted for 30 extra pounds of person. It'd sink like a rock then. Or a person wearing a neoprene suit with a 30 pound rock in the boot. Or the pocket... which ever is of your choosing.
-- -lines-, Jul 11 2004



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