Messages

1

Random / Re: COVID-19 Data Model Updated Daily

« on: April 11, 2020, 01:13:14 AM »

Live model here. 

I modified my 30 day death estimate to use exponential smoothing.  In other words you can't go EXPONENTIAL forever.  Brings down the 30 day estimate to 46K. 

New State Heatmap shown here.  What states are performing WELL as measure by Days to Double and Which are NOT performing well. 

NY, LA are emerging from the high burn phase.  Although NY now has more cases than any other SINGLE country (~ same as Spain).

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNzExYmM2ZWQtZWVmMS00OTI1LWE1NzYtMTU2OTk3ZGE4ZjMyIiwidCI6IjQzODE2ODE2LTY0OTYtNDU4My1iMmVmLWU5Y2U3MTg1NjI4MCIsImMiOjF9

Anyway to break Europe down into individual countries? Italy is on it's own. It would be interesting to see all the other countries split out as they're quite varied.

2

Travel, Trips, Destinations / Re: Paddling UK canals?

« on: January 22, 2020, 01:43:18 PM »

I do a fair bit of canal paddling, and in fact you'll paddle past me on your way down as my local canal is part of the grand union.

You should find it fairly simple going. Portaging is no big issue, though there can be a few in quick succession.

For insurance, advice is always go with BCU for the simplest option. To be honest, I've never been challenged as to if I have any and neither has anyone I know.

3

Training, Diet, and Fitness / Re: Sledgehammer training....

« on: January 22, 2020, 01:32:21 PM »

Wow, that's impressive! 

4

Training, Diet, and Fitness / Re: Back surgery advice

« on: January 19, 2020, 01:22:57 PM »

I'll be honest, I've not read any replies to this thread.

I just want to suggest you look into barefoot/minimalist/zero heel drop shoes.

I broke my L1 vertebrae all the way through in '99 after a 30' rock climbing fall. Back pain for years after. An acquaintance suggested barefoot shoes and in one week of trying, the pain had gone. It's all to do with heel striking pushing the pain straight through the spine or the forefoot acting as a shock absorber.

Have a read up and/or message me about it if you like. See what you think. It might help you. It changed my life.

5

Training, Diet, and Fitness / Sledgehammer training....

« on: January 19, 2020, 01:17:38 PM »

Always mindful of how different walks of life can intersect with others....

Earlier was re-reminded about sledgehammer training.

I knew someone years ago who had acquired a tractor tyre and used to hit it with a sledgehammer. At the time, I thought he was bonkers. Now, I'm wondering if it could help with dry land SUP training. I've had days of digging tons of sand out of bags and thinking the same thing at the time.

There are more suggestions than just hitting a tyre with a sledgehammer that falls in the category.

Anyone got any thoughts or experiences?

6

SUP General / Re: SUP Paddle Repair attempt

« on: September 27, 2019, 11:39:52 AM »

Have you ever seen Eva / Board Lady's website?

She does amazing repairs and her site is a good read.

This one would be relevant to you:
https://boardlady.com/5886.htm

7

Training, Diet, and Fitness / Re: Sugar is sneaky bad....

« on: January 16, 2019, 10:43:55 PM »

Good work chaps!

I've known for some time (years!) that sugar is the big cause of weight gain but have repeatedly struggled with suitable substitutions in my daily diet.

I'm not super fat but have chub and would like to trim it down. No food leaves me feeling full for very long and I like to eat. Regular grazing is hard to avoid and when I've tried to exclude that grazing, I've just found myself really really thinking about needing food!

Any tips?

Everyone has to find the right thing for them. But in my case it is a Keto-type diet, with low carbs (and definitely no sugar), and plenty of fibre, fat and protein. The fat keeps me full, and I have lost about 14lbs without even trying. For me, carbs make me hungry: All carbs seem to do is feed my hunger! Protein, fibre and fat all seem to stabilise my blood sugar, and without that see-sawing, I don’t get as hungry. So, for me, it’s a diet without dieting. It’s strange at first to be avoiding all bread, beer, potatoes, rice, pasta etc (and of course no sweets, cakes, or candy etc), but you soon get used to it. Now I use cream by the bucketload and lose weight! It’s strange to actually be looking for high fat foods after decades of being told it will make me fat. But actually it seems to help me lose weight, not gain it. We certainly have been totally lied to all these years, by the sugar lobby. In time we will probably come to see the sugar industry as as evil as the tobacco one. It has led to a lot of deaths and disability IMO.

What are you using as snacks? Thats my challenge! Or do you find that you don't need them once you've pushed past a certain point of weaning off the sugars?

8

Training, Diet, and Fitness / Re: Sugar is sneaky bad....

« on: January 16, 2019, 02:00:08 PM »

Good work chaps!

I've known for some time (years!) that sugar is the big cause of weight gain but have repeatedly struggled with suitable substitutions in my daily diet.

I'm not super fat but have chub and would like to trim it down. No food leaves me feeling full for very long and I like to eat. Regular grazing is hard to avoid and when I've tried to exclude that grazing, I've just found myself really really thinking about needing food!

Any tips?

9

Gear Talk / Re: RSPro Stripes Rail Savers - Stand Up Paddle Board Protection

« on: October 28, 2018, 12:05:09 AM »

I wish that there was a coloured tape that I could get that could be used full length.

I have some paint chips on my board and the easiest solution would be a tape band along the whole border, covering the current dings and stopping any others.

I don't see why it was only suggested to use rail tape on the front section!

The front section is where you're supposed to be doing the paddling, and the notion is that the tape protects against paddle hits. But yeah. that kind of ignores reality and doesn't do much for the kind of dings that are most common--loading and unloading. RSPro does a great job of protecting against dropping your board on it's rail. I did the same thing Eastbound did. A bit expensive--about $100, but worth it when your board cost you four grand, which is kind of the going price for custom SIC.

If your board isn't a 14' or greater than 1 1/2 pieces of RSPro will do the full rail on both sides. I like to match or contrast the color. I have a black and red RSPro strip on my 17 V2 and it looks gorgeous. And yes, it's covering three rail dings that were painful to look at.

Yeah, I know i was intended for stopping paddle strikes but the amount of other things that can cause dings is bonkers - for that bit of extra cost I would have just done the lot. Now I have to take off and redo so not a cheap option.

10

Gear Talk / Re: RSPro Stripes Rail Savers - Stand Up Paddle Board Protection

« on: October 23, 2018, 10:08:43 AM »

I wish that there was a coloured tape that I could get that could be used full length.

I have some paint chips on my board and the easiest solution would be a tape band along the whole border, covering the current dings and stopping any others.

I don't see why it was only suggested to use rail tape on the front section!

11

Gear Talk / Sources for hard boards in the UK.

« on: August 22, 2017, 01:45:42 PM »

So I've had a SUP for about two years. My first board was home made hollow wood board. It could have been better built and ligheter but was a first attempt of the process so there were some issues. It has done ok though and has done quite a few miles. I've since one another hollow wood build to improve the process but that was a surfboard.

Unfortunately that first board has a leak that I can't find and because I hadn't realised this it had been left wet and has some of the internal ply separating. It's on it's way out and I am on the prowl for a new board. The wife has decreed that I'm not allowed to make it and have to buy it!

Now, either I'm struggling with my google-fu or there is just a lack of hard boards out there but I don't really seem to see many options.

I'm looking at around 9' 6" due to storage. I think with a lighter board than the wooden one (anything will be lighter!!) I can probably swing(!) it to 10' or 10' 6"ish. I'm 70 kgs and moderately competent (the home made board is quite tippy so on the flip side has pushed the learning curve along)

Any help on where to look or search terms to use? I'm only really seeing Starboard, JP and Fanatic - are they the only brands really available in the uk?

Thanks!

12

Technique / Re: How to Paddle Out in Bigger Surf - Video tutorial

« on: July 30, 2017, 10:47:17 AM »

Nice one - I enjoyed that and can hopefully put some into practice.

13

Gear Talk / Re: Leash Sizing?

« on: October 28, 2016, 11:27:46 AM »

What about the whole coiled V not coiled leash in surf? I'm told that coiled is bad as you can get the board springing back at you. Really that bad or have thoughts moved on?

14

Gear Talk / Re: Leash Sizing?

« on: October 28, 2016, 11:26:29 AM »

So, where do leashes break?  I've always assumed  that the weakest point is the swivels (metal + salt-water).  But from the discussion here, I guess the plastic can fail?

Had one the other weekend where the velcro on a friends leash tore straight through on the cuff. Not what I would have expected to happen!

15

Gear Talk / Re: Is my paddle shaft too slippery? (Forgive the double entendre)

« on: September 24, 2016, 11:59:15 PM »

I found that adding a grip to the paddle enhances performance considerably and indeed does help with fighting over-grip and fatigue.

3M recently came out with a new product simply called "Gripping Material" and it
Is of a superb quality. I've been testing few versions of it for the past 2 months. It comes as a tape or as sheets, with or without adhesive.

I've used many solutions in the past, including some mentioned here but this is by far the most effective IMO.

I just looked that 3m tape up - looks good (and not just for paddles) but a shame that for some reason there's no supplier to be found in the UK!