Surfer creates water and sand proof Sanusa beach towel

Baz Brown loves surfing, but like everyone who’s spent a day at the beach he was sick of getting sand all through his car.

One day he watched two groups of beachgoers almost come to blows when one shook off their towels and sent sand flying over the other.

‘There was a little bit of an argument which was pretty funny from afar. Afterwards I was laughing with my girlfriend and I just thought there has to be a better way to make beach towels,’ he said.

Sandusa makes beach towels that are waterproof and won’t leave sand all through your car

Baz Brown created the towels, which are now sold in Rebel Sport and Intersport, because he was sick of his car smelling like 'wet dog' after he went surfing

Baz Brown created the towels, which are now sold in Rebel Sport and Intersport, because he was sick of his car smelling like ‘wet dog’ after he went surfing

‘I surf a lot and my car always had that wet dog smell, and I wondered why no one had solved the issue yet.’

The Gold Coast native drove to his local Spotlight and bought dozens of different fabrics to try finding a solution to the most annoying beach problem.

For months of 2012 Mr Brown took over his mother’s kitchen table and after a year of sometimes disastrous trial and error created a working prototype that would become Sandusa.

‘It took a long time and a lot of things went wrong,’ he said.

His inspiration came when he watched two groups of beachgoers almost come to blows when one shook off their towels and sent sand flying over the other

His inspiration came when he watched two groups of beachgoers almost come to blows when one shook off their towels and sent sand flying over the other

The Gold Coast native drove to his local Spotlight and bought dozens of different fabrics to try finding a solution to the most annoying beach problem

The Gold Coast native drove to his local Spotlight and bought dozens of different fabrics to try finding a solution to the most annoying beach problem

‘Most of the samples I got back were really bad – they would disintegrate in a washing machine, and I destroyed a few machines with all the fluff.

‘It was messy and there were a few arguments. I was cutting things up, there was glue everywhere, sand and water everywhere.

‘Then I had to test every sample by throwing sand and water on it and putting it through the washing machine and they were hanging up drying everywhere.’

By 2013 his first design, jokingly known as ‘the hankerchief’, was ready for sale and the first order of 1,000 towels was snapped up in a few days.

For months of 2012 Mr Brown took over his mother's kitchen table and after a year of sometimes disastrous trial and error created a working prototype

For months of 2012 Mr Brown took over his mother’s kitchen table and after a year of sometimes disastrous trial and error created a working prototype

The company later branched out and started producing beanbags based on the same concept

The company later branched out and started producing beanbags based on the same concept

HOW IT WORKS

Sandusa has a waterproof side made of nylon which prevents water from the other cotton side from soaking through.

Nylon’s ‘loop-less’ fibres also don’t let sand stick to that side.

The cotton towel side is layered to make sand easy to brush off if it isn’t pressed into the fabric.

You can wrap your wet gear up in the nylon side or use it to prevent your car seat getting wet 

The 30-year-old’s invention has a waterproof side made of nylon which prevents water from the other cotton side from soaking through.

Nylon’s ‘loop-less’ fibres also don’t let sand stick to that side, and the cotton towel side is layered to make sand easy to brush off if it isn’t pressed into the fabric.

Mr Brown said because the printing on beach towels is often a personal expression, Sandusa is always coming up with new types.

But because of precise mix of components, every time it uses a different printing process for new designs, it has to make sure it won’t effect the technology.

‘We have to be really careful because even the smallest thing can have huge consequences,’ Mr Brown said.

An engineer by trade, Mr Brown had to learn the sales, marketing, and business said of the operation in a hurry, but now has three other staff to help him out. 

By 2013 his first design, jokingly known as 'the hankerchief', was ready for sale and the first order of 1,000 towels was snapped up in a few days

By 2013 his first design, jokingly known as ‘the hankerchief’, was ready for sale and the first order of 1,000 towels was snapped up in a few days

The 30-year-old's invention has a waterproof side made of nylon which prevents water from the other cotton side from soaking through

The 30-year-old’s invention has a waterproof side made of nylon which prevents water from the other cotton side from soaking through

Nylon's 'loop-less' fibres also don't let sand stick to that side, and the cotton towel side is layered to make sand easy to brush off if it isn't pressed into the fabric

Nylon’s ‘loop-less’ fibres also don’t let sand stick to that side, and the cotton towel side is layered to make sand easy to brush off if it isn’t pressed into the fabric

All production is handled by a partner factory in China so the company can keep its cost base down.

‘Retail changes daily so we want to stay small and nimble,’ he said.

But Sundusa is in the middle of a big growth year – making a big push into the U.S. market and expecting to double its revenue and sales. 

Last financial year it sold 10,000 towels and has already passed that this year, expecting more than 20,000 by the end of June 2018. 

Similarly, turnover was more than $1 million last year and Mr Brown is aiming to crack $2 million by the end of the financial year.

An engineer by trade, Mr Brown had to learn the sales, marketing, and business said of the operation in a hurry, but now has three other staff to help him out

An engineer by trade, Mr Brown had to learn the sales, marketing, and business said of the operation in a hurry, but now has three other staff to help him out

Last financial year it sold 10,000 towels and has already passed that this year, expecting more than 20,000 by the end of June 2018

Last financial year it sold 10,000 towels and has already passed that this year, expecting more than 20,000 by the end of June 2018

Similarly, turnover was more than $1 million last year and Mr Brown is aiming to crack $2 million by the end of the financial year

Similarly, turnover was more than $1 million last year and Mr Brown is aiming to crack $2 million by the end of the financial year

The company’s first sales were all online and it now ships to 30 countries, but it is also now stocked in 250 Rebel Sports and and Intersport stores as well as surf shops.

‘First surf store I walked into the owner told me no one was ever going to buy a sand and waterproof beach towel,’ he said.

‘I was devastated but now we sell thousands of them around the world.’

Mr Brown said the product took off in Australia not just because of its convenient problem solving, but because customers rallied behind it. 

‘People love the beach but towels haven’t changed from being cotton rags in forever. Australians like backing people for having a go so we had a lot of support,’ he said.

‘Americans are just excited about not getting sand in their cars.’

Mr Brown said the product took off in Australia not just because of its convenient problem solving, but because customers rallied behind it

Mr Brown said the product took off in Australia not just because of its convenient problem solving, but because customers rallied behind it



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