Design
Design
Fat boys blob was born
OUT OF A NEED FOR A PERFORMANCE LAUNCH PAD
The industry has been making the same sort of launch pads for over a decade now and to put it bluntly, they will never live up to the standards of the Fat Boy.
Fat Boys has tested them all: the inefficient US water launch pads with an inner bladder, the highly unstable blue-and-white striped ones from Europe, and let's not forget the Chinese water launch pads that break 3 months into use. Most of these inflatable pillows take hours to setup and are so top-heavy that you fall before you even get on them.
Fat Boys, comprised of a team of engineers from BYU, decided to change the industry. We designed the perfect launch pad, eponymously dubbed: The Fat Boy.
dive into
the science behind the fat boy blob
Competitive advantage #1
The Shape
The Fat Boy's peanut shape maximizes launch height and creates a smoother, more predictable launch.
After studying countless videos of launches, Fat Boys took to the physics books to discover what principles make a successful launch. Before setting the world record ourselves in 2012 for the highest water launch, we found a prior world record video, measured the shape of the inflatable water launch pad and used calculus and physics principles to re-engineer a shape that had the same volume as the winning launch pad, but with a unique patent-pending formula that works even better.
The peanut shape can be broken into two sections - one constricting the air wave and one releasing it. As the force of air is pushed into the constricted section, the speed increases (Boyle's Law), maximizing the energy transfer... Then, in one split second, the energy is transferred into the pod-shaped section creating an optimal launch that sends the person flying into the air! While the exact dimensions of our design are highly classified, please note that the shape is about 33ft long and 10ft wide and tall. The result is nothing short of a spectacular water launch.
competitive advantage #2
The Pod Design
The Fat Boy's Pod design significantly reduces the chance of whiplash.
A lot of time was spent developing the pod where the Fat Boys Blob sits. The secret to a smooth and good launch is how deep the launcher sits into the pod. We wanted to engineer a design that safely and smoothly launched the person without the risk of the launcher coming back to hit the Fat Boys Blob®, all while increasing the performance past any inflatable blob that was ever created.
The deeper the launcher sits, the longer he's connected to the Fat Boys Blob during launch and the better and more predictable his launch becomes. The Fat Boy has the deepest pod of any inflatable launcher on the market, 3x deeper than any competitor. The result is that the launcher stays connected to the Fat Boy for longer as he is launched into the air, significantly reducing whiplash and creating a smooth, more predictable trajectory for the launcher.
competitive advantage #3
The Quality
Ever owned a launch pad that broke after 3 months? We guarantee that you will not have this problem with a Fat Boys Blob™. Owners of the Fat Boy put it through rigorous use and they need a product that is going to last for years. We use the highest quality materials and build our product at a state-of-the-art facility. Our production process requires the same rigorous testing and quality control that is seen in white water raft designs. If you need a launch pad for commercial use, beware of Chinese products. They do not work well and break quickly. Intelligent buyers select the Fat Boys Blob™ because of how long it lasts and the quality of the launch experience.
competitive advantage #4
< 40 Minute Setup
The first year we created the Fat Boys Blob®, the launch pads were extremely top heavy, resulting in an embarrassing setup time of 3 hours (eek!). So to solve the problem, we did what no other blob in the industry thought of: we added buoys to the sides of the Fat Boy, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR ANCHORS! This is huge. Most launch pads have dangerous ropes attached to them and anchored either into the water or on land. The Fat Boys Blob® can be setup in 30 minutes (20 minutes to blow it up and 10 minutes to anchor it). Simply blow it up and attach it to the shoreline or the boat that you're jumping from and you're ready to go.