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1

SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / My new Assymetrical TimSUP

« on: May 29, 2013, 07:40:43 PM »

7'8" by 28" ... 105 liters. A little heavier than my usual as I asked for a smidge more glass, about 12 pounds with pad and fins.  Quad

Purpose:  To get the Simmons Inspired Glide without the drift in turns and lack of precision in tight sections.  Also, to be able to link sections at a VERY fast reef by my house on big and hollow days.

Shaper:  Corran Addison Designs

His name for it:  The Twisted Retro

I have surfed this board nine times in the past week, not a session has been under head high... as far as surfing a draining reef in O head plus waves on a very low rockered board... me likey.  Fits in the pocket... hangs high... hangs low... pumps through sections... unreal speed on its own...

I have so much confidence on this board, that is a little bit unnerving.  Had a head high wave on Monday... threaded a section to a big committed roundhouse... to a head dip to another roundhouse... float over a closeout section to make the next section and hit the final closeout lip... check.  Most other waves were racing sections, hopping over the closeout after threading a few sections with insane speed.  The Assym smooths out the turns in a "hard to believe" fashion.  Going with Jaimie Mitchells all the way around... but will switch the rears out to controllers in mushier waves.

Didn't have too many rights... those that presented themselves were simple barrel racing sections... I backdoored one on Sunday that my mate Adam was (1) pissed that I went right... and (2) in utter disbelief when I glided out at the end of the section.  Looking forward to burying the rail on my backhand.

Will this replace the TimSUP?  I don't know.

What are the limits?  Well, for one, the additional glide from the minimal rocker and extra length and width tell me that other than TJ Slough on a VERY big day, this board can handle all the swell that So Cal can throw at it.  The width makes it manageable in just about any wind condition for which SUP is possible.  How small of a wave can you surf on it?  I don't know... but I will soon find out... I think that it will rip in ankle to knee high... but that size will likely belong to the TimSUP... but we will see.

Other limits?  The minimal rocker makes a pocket snap on a hollow wave a very difficult move... (it is a move that I am pretty sure I do in my sleep on a standard rockered board)... you have to snap it from the tail and touch lightly with your front foot until it comes around... and that point, it is cake to snap it back around.

Other limits?  I don't think that there are any other than the rider.  The assym at the tail makes the board surf so much narrower than it is... it is hard to describe.  I am going to have a board made with this same outline, but with standard SL rocker... I have a feeling that such a board will be a touch slower, but something that you can surf like a Mach 1 or Mach Bobby Roger.

2

SUP General / Don't blow it... It's not worth it

« on: May 28, 2013, 08:30:35 PM »

Dawn, Monday... Ride a few drainers in front of the house... Look up the coast a few hundred yards and see a few of my friends out... So I paddle up to catch a few before the crowd arrives... Fast forward to 8 o'clock and the crowd is starting to fill in.  My dawn patrol friends are one by one heading home... I figure one more set wave and then paddle back to my other spot (which is still empty as the left is filtering right at the exposed boulders... But I can get out before the explosion)

45 ish yr old longboarder Dude that I have a history with hops me pretty blatantly on a set wave... then a bit later, another... paddle back out and give him a bit of a look.  I hang outside as I see the kelp rising... Everyone goes for the first two waves of the set... Third wave is a bomb... Everyone is caught inside... Maybe me too... But I dig and dig... Spin and free fall... My fins catch and I jam a bottom turn, pull into the section... Out of the corner of my eye, Dude shoots his longboard at me... I pivot around it and yell "YOU FU**KING CO*K " at the top of my lungs, followed by YOU MOTHER F*CKER... I cut out of the wave early and charge back outside.

Words are exchanged.  Very heated words.  He shoots his board at me again.  It's F*CKING ON!  I dive into the water, throw my paddle and we are nose to nose screaming at each other... But he is smart enough to not make the first move... I don't either... And we look like a couple of peacocks dancing. 

He:  (essentially) get the f out of here.  I am going to snake you and try to hit you and shoot my board at you for as long as you are here... Every time you are here.  Beat it.

Me:  you must be really unhappy.  I doubt you have any assets to protect, but if you do, they will all be mine if so much as a hair on my head is displaced by either you or your board.  And I was about to leave.  I don't stay at this spot past 830 most days... But now that you have told me to leave, I have to stay... So next time, just kept you Co*ksucking hole shut... And I will likely leave shortly... Cause I don't like you... You smell... And I choose not to surf wherever you might be.

He:  beat it... Get out of here.. Blah, blah, blah...

One of dude's buddies:  he's kind of got a point... He can't leave now...

I surfed for awhile longer and then paddled back to my spot... Still had it alone... And surfed for another two hours or so.

I should have taken a wave in, called over the life guard, had him call the sheriff, and had Dude arrested (or at least cited) for attempted assault with a deadly weapon... But the waves were too fun.

The reality is that at some point in the near future, I will need to either get this guy to sign a waiver and go into the octagon, or have him charged. He has done this before and will do it again.

I was very close to either getting my ass handed to me... Or getting sued for handing his ass to him...

Too close.  Be careful out there. And stand your ground.

SL

3

Gear Talk / The Simmons inspired SUP progression... Where do we go from here?

« on: March 25, 2013, 09:04:12 PM »

Okay, so we have a few different versions from infinity... Same from L41...  a couple from Corran, Gong has some Simmons inspired stuff in production... That's all good and interesting, but as with my skinnies, where do we go from here?

I have had the Corran take on the mini Simmons idea (as you might know, I call it the TimSUP) out in just about every condition imaginable under double overhead.  0-1 and high tide, 1-3 and low tide, beach break, reef break, point break, 3-5 and lumpy reef, 3-5+ and slight offshore and racey...

My impression is that the board works in every condition... But over four feet and racey is not the board's strong suit.  Yes, it works, but it is not where it EXCELS IMHO. Why? For the same reasons that it excels in lower energy situations.  Tail width and to a certain extent rail bulk.

Typical scenario: 8 foot face that you are backdooring... You drop in and are on your inside rail, as you race past the pocket you want to do a snap turn in the pocket... Well you have to do one of two things, shift your rear foot to the other rail so you can bury the rail to keep your line, or keep your foot relatively close to where it is, and make a flat "fin push" turn... But that is going to break your fins loose and you will be doing a controlled slide into the turn rather than a carve... You will lose speed and a little bit of control.

If that same scenario involved the Mach 1 by Corran or the Mach Bobby Roger by Roger Hinds, you would not have to worry about your rear foot and could choose the type of turn that you want to execute based on what the wave is throwing at you... Rather than on where your rear feet are.

I have found that right about five foot plus faces is the point where I would prefer the precision of the skinny board over the speed and fun of the wider Simmons inspired design.  I think it is because the speed of the wave diminishes the reaction time necessary to milk the most out of the Simmons inspired design.

As I am so very sold on this type of design, however, I am pushing the investment one board deeper into the Simmons inspired design realm.  The asymmetrical step up with a slightly narower tail.  Of course, go too narrow and you have defeated the whole purpose.  7'8" by 28 by 4+, but pulling in the tail and making it asymmetrical. Yes, Corran is shaping it for me.  I am going step up volume at 110 liters... the biggest board i have ordered in years... but it is a step up... double O faces, or crazy chop... i think the Assym tail will allow more of a skinny board feel in the pocket without losing too much of the amazing blazing speed of the mini Simmons.

Time and surf will tell.  Given that Corran decided to name the TimSUP the "Retro," I am thinking that he won't go with TimAsSUP... Or AssTimSUP... Or SUPTimASS... Or anything like that... If I were a betting man, I would think that he is going with the Assymetrical Retro.

So what do you guys think... Where do we go from here?

SL

4

Random / Dropping Acid is SO cool... and so is Joel Tudor... just ask him!

« on: March 07, 2013, 01:13:17 PM »

http://www.surfermag.com/features/joel-tudor-unfiltered/3/

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Gear Talk / TimSUP in action

« on: February 24, 2013, 02:41:12 PM »

Here are a couple of shots of the TimSUP in action.  0-1 foot, high tide, cold... dodging a bunch of ripping Zoners.

Yes, you can turn on a six inch wave on a 7'3" board... and you can scooch up the nose... and throw it at the foam... and even float on the mini lips.

This was my third surf on it... nowhere NEAR dialed... just having a blast in microsurf.

Question:  How can you NOT add this board to your quiver?

6

Random / The search for the replacement briefcase is over

« on: February 21, 2013, 08:16:23 PM »

I have been looking for a replacement briefcase for three years... Ever since my Rawlings litigation case was stolen from my car.

Was going to settle and go Gurhka... But was very unimpressed with their current offerings and quality.

My son suggested Saddleback Leather Co.  I checked them out. Pretty good stuff. The kid's got good taste!

http://www.saddlebackleather.com/Classic-Briefcase?sc=8&category=301406

No questions asked thirty day return policy and a hundred year warranty. No, I am not exaggerating.

They also sell satchels, messenger bags, luggage, wallets, etc.

I have no affiliation with them in any way, other than as an aficionado of well made stuff.

If you need a high end bag or case, for the price of a generic case from a brand name, or about a third of the price of a name brand high end case, you can have the last briefcase that you will ever own.

SL

7

Gear Talk / Open source board data on the Zone, innovation at light speed

« on: February 21, 2013, 09:17:29 AM »

Last year I wrote an article for an SUP magazine that never got off the ground on how CAD shaping allowed SUP design to progress at rates significantly faster than the route for prone boards.

With the SIMsup and the twin fin and the twin fin race board threads I have been thinking about how the democratization of information on various matters is speeding innovation at a mind numbing pace. Just looking at our little micro environment of sups as an example.

People that I never would have met, many of whom I have not met, are influencing my board designs and my perceptions. France, NorCal, San Diego, hawaii, South Bay, east coast... People from all of these places are impacting design for each other in real time.

Wild!  Thoughts? Other examples within and outside of our microclimate?

SL

8

Gear Talk / Why not twin fins?

« on: January 29, 2013, 05:03:21 PM »

Last Friday morning I had a dawn patrol session at Venice Pier before work.  0-1 foot, but some micro peelers.  I could get into them, but I was fighting my fins the entire time that I tried to turn, getting in was a nightmare... by the time I was in, it was almost too late.  That's not what SUP is all about... how do I solve this problem without going SIMSUP?  How can I surf ankle slappers on heroine chic Mach 1 without the fin fight problem?  Yes, I did shoot the pier on one little zipper and it was kind of cool... but I was fighting the fins on every wave.

Then, it came to me.

With all of the different realms being explored on standup, why not the forgotten standard MR / Reno / Bertleman / Aipa / Hayward / Stewart / Buttons / G & S inspired twin?  Why not?

The tails are too wide, that's why...  So scale up the fin.

Because twins can't go backside well and slide out... well, poorly envisioned ones do, that's for sure.  Tell that to MR or Larry, or Buttons.

I just remember on a New Zealand swell on 1985 (the day I met my wife), I was surfing Goldenwest street leashless (broke it on the paddle out, couldn't afford to have two) on a 5'8" Stewart twin with Eddie from Iron Maiden airbrushed on the bottom... (I had snapped my Bang Sung Park shaped Echo Beach Cosmos 5'9" thruster the day before and borrowed this waterlogged pig from a friend)... yes, I was in ridiculous shape and 19, and the only one out on a blown out double O afternoon... (that really wasn't blown out, but just looked that way from the beach)... and honestly, it was the best day of surfing in my life.  I ended up keeping that board for the longest time.  Wish I had it today.  But I digress.

I decided to test that theory this weekend.  Yes, the boxes are too far forward on the heroine chic Mach 1.

Yes, there isn't the traditional twin vee off the back...

But what the hell, she is the closest thing that I have to a traditional old school twin (less the swallow tail).

So, after about three hours of throwing the Mach Bobby Roger around like a labrador puppy with a new chew toy on Saturday morning, I took a wave in, grabbed heroine chic, popped MR Twins on her, and paddled back out.

Took a bit to get used to the difference in stability... but paddled for a wave.  What, no drag at all from the other fins... how can I have this tiny, narrow board on a plane already... no way am I catching this wave... way...!!!

Super late takeoff on a head high set wave... nursing the board down the face, skittish... too much tail area aft of the fins, obviously... but promising... ride six or seven more waves with blazing speed, feeling free, like a naked boy roaming the countryside (h/t Cosmo), beating sections at will, nursing turns... but turning and not sliding out.

You know that feeling in knee high and under waves on a short SUP (or shortboard) where you are fighting your rear fins to climb the face... to turn at all?  Well, guess what... remember... you don't get that feeling riding a twin fin shortboard... and you don't get that feeling riding your twin fin SUP.  You just skate. and skate. and skate.

I get out of the water (at my NW secret spot) and my new friends Jacob and Vince (part of the proner crew down there, I surf with them lots) are inquisitive... "That was so fast, that was so smooth, that board is SICK... a twin fin... I want to learn how to do that, etc."  (they didn't see my ten thousand ankle, thigh, paddle and core micro-adjustments to keep the board on track...)  I was pretty much just going straight and doing smooth roundhouses...

What if I had keel fins that trailed a few inches more behind the boxes?  What if I put some twin boxes just where I would want them?  What if I made some fins just slightly bigger than the MR's, but as traditional twins? Keel fins, Amazon, check.  Working on boxes, check.  Hello, Larry, can you make me a scaled up MR twin for FCS?

Why not?  Update as the experiment progresses.

SL

*Kelly Slater surfed a twin at Waimea yesterday, by the way.

**This idea was inspired by Ralph's Hokua fin set up.  Two keels with bonzer trailers... credit where credit is due.

9

Random / Want tasty Asian Coastal Cuisine in South Laguna?

« on: January 14, 2013, 08:44:41 PM »

Starfish restaurant is our new "go to" takeout on the way home from work chow.  Thai / California inspired stuff.  Amazing curries... interesting twists on traditional dishes... a ton of food per entree (especially the fried rice and pad thais)... Mahi Mahi hotfish to die for.  Seabass done the usual Asian preparation... or in a coconut curry sauce... (I love sea bass).

The wife digs it and that stokes me because she has a pretty tame palate.

Anyway, it is across from the Montage in the shopping center with the grocery store, the Mexican restaurant, etc.

Manager's name is Archie, he will hook you up.  20 percent off takeout on Sunday nights...

Groovy ambience... think ultra lounge meets trendy Thai restaurant.

Good happy hour.

Give it a try, because I want to make sure it sticks around for awhile.

Started by the same restauranteur as Tabu also in South Laguna.

Please go!

Good way to impress a date on your overall cool-ness.

SL

10

Random / If you think this is funny as hell are you a racist?

« on: January 11, 2013, 09:19:15 PM »

Post

Amazingly well produced.  Someone took some time to make this really, really funny.

Enough... IME UNNA GET ME A KOLD POP!

11

Gear Talk / Board covers for big boys

« on: January 05, 2013, 10:57:43 AM »

Wanted to get a cover for Mark's Beast, 18'4" covers arena bit hard to come by, however. Ralph from supposition stepped up and had one custom made for me. Fits like a glove.  Victory Kore Dry fabric. Hull cover, so that I can use loops for carry handle with cover on.

Pics when I get a moment.

Stoked!

Thx Ralph.

12

SUP General / What's up with Blane C and PSH?

« on: January 02, 2013, 08:38:35 PM »

I noticed that Blane is primarily promoting boards with his name on them rather than Paddle Surf Hawaii these days... maybe I am wrong and just not seeing his other promotions... but it seems like there might be some distance between Blane and PSH.  Not that it is any of my business, but does anyone have non-confidential information that he or she can share about why Blane and/or PSH appear to be shifting gears in this fashion?

Thanks,

SL

13

SUP General / Was this the wave of his life?

« on: January 01, 2013, 06:43:44 PM »

Judging from his reaction on the shoulder... I would think that the answer is, "YES!"  I cannot believe the body control as he appeared to underestimate the "suck" off the reef.  Unreal!

http://www.surfline.com/video/featured-clips/wave-of-the-winter-2012-2013_90435

14

Sessions / SUP surfing is fun

« on: December 21, 2012, 08:57:42 AM »

Cold. Flat. Offshore flow. My face hurts. My fingers hurt. Long sleeve spring not the call. No surf. None. A ripple here. A shorebreak here ... there. Paddle out anyway.  Paddle towards lights of Santa Monica pier. Slight bump in sand bar catching... 1 foot peak folds down the line.  Ride five or six. One more. Using paddle for down the line speed. Just testing out flow from fins. One pump. Two pumps. The SLAP of fiberglass and foam onto lip. Ride it out and in. In line at the court house before 8.

Beats the hell out of sitting in traffic. The early bird makes the worm his b@tch.

I like SUP.

15

Gear Talk / Molly Logan of Logan Surfboards fixed Mach Bobby Roger

« on: December 13, 2012, 08:51:53 PM »

I had a really tough ding on Mach Bobby Roger... on the tail, on the rail.  

Molly Logan of Logan Surfboards in Westminster did a MASTERFUL repair...

I can't even tell that there was a ding there.

She was prompt... and cheap...

6345 Industry Way
Unit K
Westminster, CA 92683
(310) 633-0822
http://www.logansurfboards.com

SL