But I do think it could have worked out for fishing on a pond. I wouldn’t brave waves standing up like that, though.

An engine could be useful on a surfboard if the engine was very light-weight. It could help you speed up to catch a wave, assist with the paddle out, and you could give it a rev as you’re about to air. The extra air would be cool and the paddling easier, but we’d lose a lot of the exercise benefits we get from surfing.