Messages

1

Random / Re: The trailer is out for The Martian.

« on: June 12, 2015, 08:53:07 PM »

I like science fiction, and I also like poking holes in the stories.  The most unlikely thing about this story is that NASA will be the ones sending humans to Mars.  We don't even have manned spacecraft anymore.  US astronauts now hitchhike rides on ancient Russian rockets.

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Downwind and Racing / Re: Down wind drama's.

« on: May 20, 2015, 11:59:37 AM »

I just saw this.  Glad you're okay........However, uh, where was your leash?

Did I miss something?  I'm just a longtime surfer that's just started in on the SUP stuff--and I haven't done downwinding yet--but dude, you weren't wearing a leash.  Or did I just miss it?  Sorry if I'm just being a dufus.  I must have missed something.

3

SUP General / Norcal Video

« on: May 14, 2015, 09:33:28 AM »

Someone made a video of surfing here in Fort Bragg, NorCal.........starring my friend Danny.  I'm the biologist in his list of "underground" surfers.

Dave

https://seekernetwork.com/thishappenedhere/the-reality-of-surfing/

https://seekernetwork.com/thishappenedhere/the-reality-of-surfing/?usera=14d3e7170a91c0-0fbae7cfd-444e042b-15f900-14d3e7170aa49f&sn=fb

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SUP General / Re: Paddling in Circles

« on: March 31, 2015, 04:14:32 PM »

Thanks, you guys.

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SUP General / Paddling in Circles

« on: March 30, 2015, 02:48:43 PM »

I just got the cast off my broken arm and went out for a tentative paddle..... not in surf, of course.  Man, it's scary what you're arm turns into after six or seven weeks of atrophy.  It looks like a little chicken wing.  I broke my left arm, and, oddly, I can paddle stronger on my left side, with my left arm underneath, than I can on my right side, with it on top.  Oh well, I didn't want to go anywhere anyhow.  Circles were fine. 

I kept staring at the exact spot on the rail that broke my arm.  Maybe I should put little logos of surfers along the rails every time the board whacks someone.....like a fighter plane.

Stoked to back in the water!

Dave

6

SUP General / Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?

« on: March 24, 2015, 11:21:26 AM »

great info. thanks. 

i  chuckled at 7.    Bro scoot over man, i guess i dont have any good friends,  they would kick me off as soon as i got there,, ahhaha

All my friends tell me I don't have any friends. 

7

SUP General / Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?

« on: March 20, 2015, 09:39:54 PM »

I made myself a serious checklist of what to do in case of a shark attack

Ok I'll bite, what's on your checklist BSD?  On my list I have denial, bargaining, anger and acceptance.

Hahahaha touché'

I just saw this.  I don't get on the board too often.

There are specific things you can do for whatever specific activity you do, but here's the general list:

1.  This is a big one:  Don't paddle out with seals and sealions.  They are the specific prey item for GWS in Norcal.  Juvenile sealions  often "raftup" in huge gangs.  Stay away from these.  If they start doing this behavior around you, get out of the water.  This is a shark deli.

2. Stay with the pack.  Sharks like to prey on strays from the pack.  It's also important in case you do get hit to have assistance from others, as bleeding out is the real problem with GWS attacks.  That's their method: surprise attack and then wait for the prey to bleed out.  It's less work.  Many guys have had their lives saved by having buddies there with cell phones to call an evac helicopter.  Time is critical.

3. Fight like hell.  The shark's weak points are their eyes and nose, which contains the ampullae of lorenzini, a sensitive gel filled sensing organ.  GWS do not like being hit on the nose.  There are a few videos on youtube showing GWS being repeatedly rebuffed by folks hitting them in the nose.  If you're an abalone diver, use your iron to whack it on the nose and eyes.  My friend and neighbor was a commercial abalone diver off the Farrallone Islands (off San Francisco) in the 70s, when he got hit on a hooka assisted dive.  The shark grabbed him around the waist and John was able to get free by repeatedly striking the animal on the nose and eyes.  It just let go.  John has a fucking scar like you would not believe.

4. Don't be a silhouette.  GWS are sight predators that are programmed to scan for sea-liony looking silhouettes.  When possible stay in the kelp.  The kelp bed is your friend. Sharks have a harder time locating you with all the other shadows around.  Also, shark gill physiology requires that they keep moving to pass water through their gills, so they avoid it more than open water.  This silhouette thing is the reason prey fish like anchovies and mackerel are "counter-shaded", with black on top and silver on the bottom.  Predators looking up have a harder time seeing silver against the bright surface and predators looking down can'st see the black too well.  Contrary to popular belief about sharks, with GWS you have less chance of getting hit in really murky water, than in high vis water.

5.  Don't go out at river mouths where it's obvious that birds, fish and sealions are feeding.

6.  This one's obvious, but put speared fish in your kayak hold......and actually, believe it or not, peeing might be a problem, as they scent on mammal urine.

7.  Get to your buddies craft.  GWS get fixated on things, so keeping reasonably close together can help if you can get away from your board or boat and onto someone else's.  From what I've seen the sharks just keep gnawing these things for a while.

8.  For tank diving, don't go to the top if you have a driveby.  The surface is the GWS's arena.  If you've got enough air try to hide and slowly make your way out of there on the bottom.

There's more specific stuff for free-diving, tank-diving, and kayaking, but I'm tired of typing.  I think the most import thing is to stay away from sea lions and have folks nearby.  I almost never surf alone up here anymore.   i gave in to the fear.

8

SUP General / Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?

« on: March 19, 2015, 09:05:01 AM »

I once saw a GWS take out a 500 lb sea lion while I was checking out one of our local breaks from a bluff.  Luckily there was no one out, but it was just outside the lineup.  The shark just tossed that sea lion around like a cat plays with a mouse.  Then it went away for a while and let the thing bleed out.  The water turned red in a 1/4 square mile area.  Then the shark came back to feed.  After watching that, I made myself a serious checklist of what to do in case of a shark attack--and i review it regularly.

If you surf, dive, or kayak regularly off the Northern California Coast, and you don't have a plan in case of shark attack, IMO your'e a bit foolish.  They're there, they bite, and they're the size of my pickup truck.

9

SUP General / Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?

« on: March 14, 2015, 07:31:40 PM »

I didn't read this whole thread, but here's my deal:

I'm a surfer, free-dive spearfisher, kayak fisher, sea kayaker, and now SUP surfer-- all in NorCal. In my thirty-five years of doing this stuff on this coast, I've been chased by whitey twice, and have 2 or 3 "drive-by's".  Two of my kayak fishing friends (on the Norcal Kayak Anglers Forum) have had their boats (like 15' boats) attacked by the "Landlord" so hard they were ejected from their boats and narrowly escaped with their lives.  You can read about it on that forum.

And about 6 years ago, not far from my town (Fort Bragg, CA) an abalone diver had his head bit off--to be found three weeks later (the head) by a beachcomber.  I was surfing 1/4 mile away when that happened.

Do I hate sharks? No.  Am I scared shitless of them?  You fucking bet I am.

Maybe it has to do with where you live.  You don't have to be a PhD statistician to think that I might have a higher probability of getting hit by a GWS than an Iowa corn farmer.

10

SUP General / Re: When did you start surfing?

« on: March 10, 2015, 10:26:41 AM »

Spring of 66. Ocean City Md, Delaware, Vah Beach. Hanson 50-50.

I started board surfing in 1965.  My  dad bought me my first board in '66 or '67.  It was a Hanson 50-50 too.  This was on Long Island NY.  I think Hansons were east coast boards.

By this summer, I'll have been surfing for.......half a century.  And I'm still not any good 

11

Gear Talk / Re: Jimmy Lewis noserider, first impressions!

« on: March 10, 2015, 08:29:44 AM »

BSD: What are the rails like toward the tail of the Starby, turned down or are they still 50/50?  I had that board for a split second and have been trashing it ever since -- like you, maybe wrongly.  i still think the thick nose is a problem.

Linter, the rails on the Starboard NR turn down about a foot forward of the outside fins.  yeah, I also think it's the thick nose--which shot up and broke my arm too.  Another reason I don't get along with this board.  I have an abusive board domestic situation. 

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SUP General / Re: Revenge of the Noserider

« on: March 10, 2015, 08:22:29 AM »

Thanks you guys for the good wishes.  Never talk shit about your board--that's the lesson. 

13

SUP General / Re: Revenge of the Noserider

« on: March 10, 2015, 08:20:23 AM »

Quote:

.I'll try not to go on a rant again other than to say I rode a Stand Up Paddle Sports Board the other day, a Wardog board, that was way faster, skate-ier, and nimbler--and it was a bigger board both by volume, length, and width.

Can you give the specs of both boards?  supsoorts model?

How about ease of catching lousy waves?

The board i have is a Starboard Nose Rider (10' X 30" X 4.5"--165 liter). The board I rode is a SUP sport Mahalo-- either the regular (10' 3" X 29.5") or the wide one (10' 3" X 31').  I'm pretty sure it was the wide one.

I since found out--from this forum-- that nose riding boards are made to be kinda slow to "suck up" into the wave face.  Whatever the reason, I like faster, skatier boards better.  I'm not really that much of a long boarder when I prone surf--which may be the problem.  Anyhow, I liked the Mahalo way better--although I didn't notice if it took off on waves any better.

14

SUP General / Re: Thinking about pleasantries

« on: February 26, 2015, 08:43:44 AM »

No sympathy from me either--I'm out for six weeks with a broken wing.  I have to go to the stinking gym and use the treadmill things--frickin brain torture devices.  I hate gyms.

15

Gear Talk / Re: The deal with skegs?

« on: February 26, 2015, 08:31:19 AM »

That's not a skeg.. This is a skeg.. 

Dang, he's even holding it like a big Johnson.