Rip Curl, founders of tide watch technology in surfing, announce the release to market of the SearchGPS watch. Now available to surfers worldwide, the SearchGPS watch enables them to record and relive every wave.

The world’s first GPS surf watch, the Rip Curl SearchGPS lets you review your surfing stats live from the lineup like never before. The revolutionary watch and app lets you track your wave count, top speed, length of ride and session time.
Rip Curl’s Shane Helm (Global Chairman, Watches & Equipment Division) says this new product makes surfers surf longer and more often.

“The new SearchGPS product and digital experience is going to change everything. Now you can catch a wave and look down at your Rip Curl watch to see how long and how fast your wave was, instantly, right there in the water,” Helm said.

“It pushes you to go faster and to catch more waves. It’s the first of its kind in the surfing industry and when you sync the watch to your phone or PC, it creates stunning visuals so you can see every wave you caught.”

Rip Curl partnered with VML Australia, to create the multi-platform experience that marks arguably the biggest change to surfing in over 60 years.

“It’s been a brilliant experience to create a product like this with one of the world’s most iconic brands, and with Rip Curl being an Australian company,” said Aden Hepburn, Managing Director & ECD of VML in Sydney.

“The Rip Curl Search platform isn’t just about tracking waves, it’s about empowering surfers to tell their stories in new ways, create new social connections, and to visualize and share the experience that previously has lasted just a moment. It’s going to challenge them, reward them, and change the way they surf forever.”

Rip Curl and VML recently won three Cannes Lions in digital categories at the prestigious World Advertising Awards for the SearchGPS.

3 x ASP World Champion Mick Fanning, US Open champion Tyler Wright and current world number one Gabriel Medina are already wearing the SearchGPS, alongside many others on the Rip Curl pro teamriders. Beyond the pros, surfers around the world are swarming to be among the first to start tracking their waves with the SearchGPS, with thousands registering in advance on the Rip Curl website.

The Rip Curl SearchGPS will be available to buy on Thursday, October 23 from select retail partners and online at ripcurl.com.

Key features:

• One touch auto-set, 1360 tide locations.
• Track every wave with assisted GPS.
• 10 hours surf time.
• Upload surfs from your watch using Bluetooth via iPhone App or using desktop app to the cloud via USB.
• Share your surf with your friends and follow the pro’s.

To download the free Rip Curl Search App for iPhone head tohttps://itunes.apple.com/app/id840643474.

For more information on the new Rip Curl SearchGPS watch visit ripcurl.com/searchgps.

Image courtesy Rip Curl