HONOLULU (KHON2) — It started with a craving for cookies. What began as a quest to enjoy longer surf sessions has evolved into a groundbreaking product: The Surf Bag, crafted from expired Hawaiian Airlines life vests.
Cathy Chen, a retired Air Force officer who fell in love with surfing during a Hawaiian vacation, and Marlene Smith, a former avionics entrepreneur, met through their shared enthusiasm for the ocean and are both are residents of Hawai’i.
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“We met while taking surf lessons,” said Marlene. “We’ve been surfing together ever since.”
The idea for The Surf Bag came about in January last year when Cathy and Marlene faced a practical challenge.
“We wanted to surf longer but kept having to paddle in because we were hungry,” Cathy explained. “I tried using a Ziploc bag to keep my cookies safe while surfing, but it didn’t work well.”
Determined to improve the solution, Marlene started experimenting with various materials but faced difficulties with waterproofing. That’s when inspiration struck.
“While watching a Hawaiian Airlines flight, I remembered that life vests have a limited lifespan but are essentially waterproof,” said Marlene. “That was our ‘lightbulb moment.’”
With the help of their surfing friend Brad Ohtani, they connected with Hawaiian Airlines.
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“It was challenging to get in touch with the right people at such a large company,” Cathy said. “But Brad’s connections were invaluable. Hawaiian Airlines has been incredibly supportive, donating over 1,200 expired life vests.”
The Surf Bag is 100% waterproof and designed to fit in the pocket of your board shorts, clip securely to the leash attachment on your surfboard or attach to your hiking pants, cross-country backpack or anywhere else you need.
It uses a patented TRU® Zip zipper, designed to be fully waterproof, dustproof, airtight, and submersible. The zipper glides smoothly into an over-molded garage, has a self-healing design, and provides a secure and confident closure.
The Surf Bag is designed in Hawaii and made in California. Feedback from the surfing community has been positive.
“Surfers appreciate the comfort, functionality, and waterproof design,” Cathy said. “It’s great for keeping your keys safe, especially when you can’t hide them in the sand.”
Chen and Smith are also collaborating with American Airlines and using expired life vests from them as well.