Dude… a solar surfboard?! How could you not be stoked?

Tony Jones of  Coral Reef Wetsuits has a pending patent for 6-12 ft. solar surfboards that could be on the market faster than you can slip on your boardies. (Yes way.) The barrel-carving kit is up for approval in June of this year, equipped with a three, five or eight watt photovoltaic (PV) panel, depending on the model. To boot, a battery pack is available to store energy.

How does it work? The 5-ounce solar panel rests on the bottom of the board and can charge your iPod, cell phone, etc., while on shore.

“I’ve been been using it for nine months, had accidents and everything, and it works great,” said Jones, who finds his solar surfboard most useful while touring the world, selling his bamboo furniture. Jones is currently looking for investors to buy into his product.

Word of Jones’ product has spread through the sport and created a swell of interest. The Surf Rider Foundation has a bio of Jones. And last June, three-time international surf champ Corky Carrol was asked about the invention.

“It has some sort of built-in solar panel,” said Carroll, as he also jokingly expressed concern about its water use. “I am not sure how safe it would be to plug in the hair dryer when you are sitting in the lineup waiting for a wave.”

Another invention of Jones’ that may come in the near future: the solar stand-up paddle board.