Learning on a 6' 10"

[magentawave]

Just gettin it done! I like your resolve!

O.K., I'm new here still, some people expressed interest and much support in the continuing saga of my learning. Thank you all, especially Rob. Yesterday, I was paddling hard for a good little waist-high wave, a size which this GIANT board surfs really well! I was thinking: "Oh, yeah, style's good, paddle vertical, paddling straight, arms straight, using core, hogging down, pulling HARD!" And SNAP! The modded kayak paddle with the giant blade busts in half in my hands, I fall on the board (no pressure dings, thank God, I love this board) and realize: "...man, these flat-water kayak paddles aren't made for this!" Duh... So I ran back up the beach, sawed 6 inches off the leg of my wife's ironing board (only steel tube available in perfect size) and shimmed it in the broken tube. (Note to self: get down to garage and saw off other 3 legs of ironing board to match before she notices... Jajaja!) Rob from Blue Planet Surf is sending me a paddle, thank you millions again Rob if you see this, I'd be stressing if not. The new fix is holding for now (went back out for 3 or 4 more waves before wind came up), but I'm afraid to really hog down paddling it after this (second time I've busted one this way). Gambling right now that Surfline is correct with wind model, says glassy till 8 at least, and high tide helps a bunch here. O.K., gonna suit up.
Feral

[surfercook]

Searched HARD for your thread/topic as I was more than a little curious about your progress. Was VERY pleased to see the pics. Your board looks pretty forgiving for a 6'10". WIDE! I think I mentioned I did ride a 6 something this summer(but DEF didn't learn on one)! The board I rode is VERY similar in shape to what your on. I'm tempted to take a trip down there and do a video of you! Ride on, Feral!

[SUPflorida]

Big Shaka to Robert from Blueplanetsurf for hooking him up with a paddle...great example of fleshing out the golden rule of treating others as you would want to be treated...I needed a drink and you gave me water, I was hungry and you gave me food...I needed a paddle and you sent me one....very cool Robert.

[FeralInBaja]

For all the cool bros who said keep them informed, here's a pic a local Mexican surfer took 10 days or 2 weeks ago, his brother finally got it to me. So this is pic is when I was SUP'ing about 3 weeks. I now love this board. Still haven't caught a wave paddling left handed. New paddle from Rob will fix that. LOVE THIS NEW paddle! All Carbon!!! YYYEEEEAAAHHH!

[blueplanetsurf]

Sweet.  I'm glad you got the paddle in one piece and are enjoying it.  I think WetSuff is sending you a camera, too. Please keep us posted on your progress, I think we are all a bit jealous of your lifestyle.  Even though money is tight, you are living by the beach and getting in the water whenever you want and that's hard to beat.  Aloha!

[magentawave]

That's a nice looking board, feral. It would be interesting to see the dimensions and volume if they are written on the board.

[FeralInBaja]

Hey magentawave! That thing is 6' 10" x 29" wide x 4" Thick. Hand shaped by Dan O'Hara. I'm so stoked on it. I always loved quads, and when I got the SUP bug, from watching this guy (here maybe once or twice a month) he has one of those Isle Quad diamond tails, maybe 9' 8"? This guy used wave knowledge and huge paddling advantage to totally walk all over the beachbreak here one pretty good day. Half the tragedy of semi-closeout beachbreaks while normal surfing, especially shortboards, is watching good peelers zip down the line just out of reach. This guy was easily covering 40 yards chasing down peaks, while I was on a 5' 8", and although a pretty vicious paddler prone (compete with most longboards for waves, no prob...) I was limited to what was within my reach, possibly 1/5 or 1/8th of what this guy could chase down. He didn't infringe on anything I was after, either. Seemed stoked to see another greybeard, especially on a little fish. Now with my SUP, if I'm facing south (I'm so new at this there's a huge gap in my ability to catch waves chasing to the north) I'm chasing down waves I don't think I could bag with a longboard. The guy who sold it to me said it was high 80's or low 90's in volume. He is my weight, but rides lower (!) volume boards. Hey, let's surf sometime!
Feral

[magentawave]

I just realized that I didn't reply to your PM a couple weeks ago. Sorry about that. I'm building a new board at the moment (build thread coming soon) so maybe I'll get down your way when it's done.

That photo taken from your apartment looking towards the beach looks familiar. How cool to be almost front row. What is your rent down there? I bet it's a fraction of what they get up here.

Everyone reading this thread has major respect for someone that's learning on a 90+- liter board! Seriously. When you get that board wired every sup you ride after this will be a cakewalk for you. Be patient because the left hand paddling will come. I think today is my second or third year anniversary of starting this and I still find that paddling into a wave on the other side feels weird throws off my timing in the take off.

Catching a million waves per session is one of the greatest things I love about sup surfing! I watch the proners around me, and without snaking them, I'm easily getting 10 to 20 times more waves than they are.

Hey magentawave! That thing is 6' 10" x 29" wide x 4" Thick. Hand shaped by Dan O'Hara. I'm so stoked on it. I always loved quads, and when I got the SUP bug, from watching this guy (here maybe once or twice a month) he has one of those Isle Quad diamond tails, maybe 9' 8"? This guy used wave knowledge and huge paddling advantage to totally walk all over the beachbreak here one pretty good day. Half the tragedy of semi-closeout beachbreaks while normal surfing, especially shortboards, is watching good peelers zip down the line just out of reach. This guy was easily covering 40 yards chasing down peaks, while I was on a 5' 8", and although a pretty vicious paddler prone (compete with most longboards for waves, no prob...) I was limited to what was within my reach, possibly 1/5 or 1/8th of what this guy could chase down. He didn't infringe on anything I was after, either. Seemed stoked to see another greybeard, especially on a little fish. Now with my SUP, if I'm facing south (I'm so new at this there's a huge gap in my ability to catch waves chasing to the north) I'm chasing down waves I don't think I could bag with a longboard. The guy who sold it to me said it was high 80's or low 90's in volume. He is my weight, but rides lower (!) volume boards. Hey, let's surf sometime!
Feral

[eastbound]

be glad your left hand still doesn't work so well, feral--mine does, purely based on practicing quick turns/sprints in choppy flat water--because we have had shit for waves round here this summer! so if it's waves that have kept you from dialing in your left, be happy.

but if you want that left, just practice spin and sprint in chop, and you'll be solid when going that direction for waves, specially if it's glassy.

odd that i would offer a tip to you--youve got surf skills i will never have, and likely already have sup surf skills that eclipse mine.

enjoy--it's nice to hear of your process.