Topics

1

General Discussion / C-Monsta

« on: January 01, 2023, 07:52:27 PM »

I can't believe I purchased something that popped up as an ad on my Facebook page. After downsizing my home, I had nowhere to hang my wetsuit, boots gloves, etc in the wintertime. I thought this was a little pricey ($42) for a piece of plastic but I decided to give it a go. I am so happy with my purchase that I thought I would share it here on the zone in case anybody is looking for a drying solution. In the pic is a 4/3 wetsuit soaking wet, gloves, boots, wetsuit socks, and a hood.

I have no affiliation with the company.

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General Discussion / Sinus Infection

« on: December 10, 2022, 07:28:07 PM »

Been sick for days (and we have swell on the east coast) after negative covid tests, I decided to go to the Drs.  Sinus infection is the diagnosis. I am 58 and this infection has really gotten the best of me. The funny thing is the surf session I got the infection was small and I only went in the drink once but once was enough. Started wearing earplugs in the winter several years ago after an ear infection. I am not wearing nose plugs but this has been awful. The Neti Pot will be part of my post-surf routine. Just thought I'd share.

3

Gear Talk / Why I went all in on Simmons/L41

« on: July 09, 2021, 06:24:41 PM »

Had my ST out in Elsa today. Overhead. I am starting to get it dialed in. I was the only SUP out but being on a SUP is such an advantage in heavy current.

Rather than add another review, I thought I would share why I am all in on Simmons shape boards and why I am glad I did!

My 9’7 Creek (good amount of rocker) for steep waves, my 9’10 Blue Planet Turbo (pin tail) for overhead, my 8’11 Shroom (Simmons) for mush, all three about 160 liters a perfect quiver for my 6’2 245 pound 56-year-old body. I love all three boards. I thought I was done with boards. I guess we never are done with boards.

Overtime and besides its limitations, I just kept wanting to grab my Shroom.   Simply put, it was just more fun. The combination of the stability, the speed, the shortness of the board and the engagement of the stepped rails were tough to overcome for my two other boards. But the Shroom had its share of limitations in steep waves and certainly is not a quiver killer.

I wanted the best of all worlds. After years of being intrigued by the L41 and being concerned I couldn’t demo it I began talking with Kirk in December and we were debating a 9’0 x 32 Popdart and an 8’10 x 32 ST both 160l. I decided to give away a little performance in steeper/hollower waves for stability and went with the ST. Sold the Creek and the Turbo and kept the Shroom. I was all in on the Simmons shape. Kirk was super busy so he told me it would take some time. Both boards sold quick, I was terrified I made a mistake.

I am like Talldude. I love this board. Not better or worse than my other boards but definitely the board for me and how I surf. Here is why I love it.

1.   Stability. Sloppy chop, I will go Shroom but it is stable enough. A tad more stable than my Creek.
2.   It is 8’10. My back foot starts over the front fins. I actually can get back on the stomper. When it gets steep and critical as NJ beach break can, I am in great position. Combine that with the lift of the board and it just works great for me. Surfing off the tail at will has been a difference maker. Oh and it fits in my SUV.
3.   The speed. I get why the speed is not for everyone but I suck at generating speed and I am now making sections I never dreamed of.  Yes, I out run some waves as covered in Lbsup’s post but I am learning how to navigate that.
4.   The stepped rail. Just my opinion but it gives me greater hold on the face and I love that I can put my toes or heel on the step for greater leverage.

So I am locked in to the Simmons shape. The shape just makes sense to me. Rather than choose a board for the conditions. I want to surf it great in everything NJ has to offer. My quiver is now the ST, the Shroom and a 2014 Allwave (which just sits there). My only decision is if I need a little more stability. If I find I need a little more performance I will get The Popdart. I will probably age out of the Bruce Wayne.

4

Classifieds / 9' 10 Blue Planet Turbo

« on: December 23, 2020, 10:07:09 AM »

I am going all-in on L41. Just started talking to Kirk so some of my favorites going on the block.

Blue Planet Turbo 9'10 x 33 161l Carbon construction

The board is located in Southern NJ. asking $950. I am willing to meet and also maybe headed up to New England Xmas week.

The board has a few nicks but is in overall very good condition. I am including the JM 5 fins and the board bag that come with it.

Sincerely, this is a great board from overhead to 1 ft waves, Super stable and easy to turn.

I will also be listing my 9'7 Creek (green) XXX construction. It is in the shop getting a very minor repair before listing. If interested please DM me and we can work out a pre-listing price.

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SUP General / Quarantine Quiver Update, whatcha riding?

« on: April 07, 2020, 02:25:30 PM »

Been a while since someone has posted quiver updates and LBsup's new purchase inspired me!

My current quiver (I am 6'2 250 and 55 years)

8'11 Sunova Shroom:  I know its condition specific but this board is just so much fun and I take it out more then I should. Shoutout to Cove Water Paddle Surf  in Santa Cruz for shipping consignment to NJ. Olivier is straight up good people. Maybe I'll throw on a foil one of these days.

9'7 Sunova Creek: Still my go to board, handles anything I surf.

9'10 Blue Planet Turbo full carbon: Robert makes a great board and I do not grab this board enough. First and only pin tail I have surfed. The pin tail is silky smooth and gets great hold. Was so much fun to surf during hurricane season.

All three boards come in just around 160 liters.

9'10 Fanatic All wave circa 2014. My first wave rider. It just sits now. I ripped the nose off and repaired myself. Every once in a blue moon I will put it in the water. Corky for sure but a wave rider.

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SUP General / MAVERICKS "NEXT LEVEL" THE RIGHT [POWERLINES]

« on: January 26, 2020, 10:39:58 AM »

Holy Moly!!! Not much to say. This speaks for its self!

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SUP General / Historic Fall Surf in the Northeast

« on: November 11, 2019, 09:07:23 PM »

Really super video of NJ/East coast surf. This is more like a documentary. As for the Fall, it really tested my abilities. Had some incredible days and a few where I should have stayed home. Having started surfing later in life this was really my first time in waves with the size and power that the fall brought. Definitely going through a little withdrawal from the challenges, the thrill of when it all comes together and the consistent waves. Watching this video really put the fall into perspective for me.

5/4's, hoods, boots, gloves and the loneliness  of winter surf ahead!

Overall, Southern NJ is SUP friendly. Ben mostly surfs the more rough and tumble breaks in the area that are really not the most Sup friendly. Every town has those areas and most of us just avoid them.

El Slammo is also known as The Wedge of the East Coast. I will occasionally walk over, I have yet to see a SUP and I won't be the first. 

There is one Sup in the video see if you can find it!

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SUP General / The price of new boards/how do you choose?

« on: August 04, 2019, 09:40:15 PM »

I guess part of the journey is finding the next board. Just an observation but once you get past a starter board and as you take your surfing to new heights a new board from a quality builder is  about $1700+ and in most cases add shipping. Sunova, Jimmy Lewis, Naish, Kings, L41, Supsports, Blue Planet, Infinity and JP are all around $1700 (L41's starter price is cheaper but you have to add the good stuff). And Starboard goes higher. Bic and Fanatic a little less. Most are tough to demo, particularly on the east coast. If you are XXL like me even tougher to demo. I own a Sunova and man it takes a licking. It is so interesting to me to see the differences and similarities in construction and design of similar boards but what separates them? Personal preference I guess. But I figure the durability of the build really is the value because the idea would be: expensive but many good years of use makes it worthwhile.

And going used means you have to find the right one because you are usually still talking $1,000+ or taking the risk it was properly repaired.

I have been shopping used and new but I think if I am going to spend that kind of money every couple of year I am going to have it built custom for me. Really curious how the cost conscious make their decisions. New, used, custom, stock, demo or just based on reviews?

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SUP General / Time to compliment my 9'7 Creek, help me choose.

« on: July 27, 2019, 02:30:41 PM »

Time to compliment my 9'7 Creek, help me choose.

It took me some time to find a board that offered the stability and performance I was looking for to grow my surfing. I found the 9'7 Creek and my love for the board runs deep. However, the board needs some juice to shine. This summer has been mushy and small on the Jersey Shore magnifying my need for adding a board to the quiver.

So some background, like many as I progressed my choice was to drop volume and size. This only led to me buying and selling boards that were way too unstable to be fun. I am off the go smaller kick. My priorities are stability first and performance second.

SPECS:

55 years old and not getting younger.
I have been surfing for 5 years.
6'2 250
Intermediate Surfer defined as can bottom and top turn in each direction and occasionally hit some cutbacks. I need to get better at getting back on the tail.
The 9'7 Creek is stable in full winter gear. Added bonus I love the toughness of the Sunova. The lift Sup is problematic in the winter.
 I surf NJ beach break from 1 foot to about 2 feet over head max.
The 9'7 Creek feels smaller then 9'0 boards I've been on.

Two boards sing to me as stable, performance and match my wave. A L41 custom ST and the Foote Triton now by Flight boards.  I know they are very different boards. There are boards in the Sunova family that meet my needs and I can demo them but nothing jumps out to me as the 1 board compliment to the Creek.  I would consider long board style but I find them to narrow to offer the stability I want and not my style of surfing. Obviously having Kirk build me a board is enticing.

It is near impossible to Demo many of these boards on the East coast. My question , if you were going to have a two board quiver and one was a 9'7 Creek what would you compliment it with?

Thanks for the help.

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SUP General / Winter Surfing

« on: March 04, 2019, 07:09:29 PM »

3 days of some solid swell this weekend on the Jersey shore. (I smell a Surfercook video coming). Each day a little different wind, swell direction, size and temperatures. While I yearn for board shorts, there is just something exhilarating about winter surfing. The  intimacy, the loneliness, the sense of accomplishment, the sense of wonderment, the power, the bees stinging your face getting flushed and the craziness of 30 degree temps with wind chills in the teens and ocean temps in the 30's. I had seals barking at me on Saturday and sun set today. As I was loading up after my session today and older couple walking their dog commented;  "you're crazy" and kept walking...the woman turned and walked back and said;  "or very, very passionate!" I could barely speak from my numbiness and I said "thanks, at 55 a little of both but had some fun ones today"  I don't think they were surfers or understood  what I meant by "fun ones" but the words just felt like poetry coming out of my mouth. Winter surfing may not be for everyone, I'm not even sure its for me but there is something spiritual about it!

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Classifieds / 9'4 Fanatic Allwave w/5 fin box

« on: February 10, 2019, 10:24:04 AM »

2016 9'4 Fanatic Allwave 173L. Purchased  in 2017 new and used it for a year. A few minor blemishes with no dings. RS Pro tape on the rails. The 2016 model is one of the few years the HRS came with a five fin box. I am including the JL5 quad fins pictured as well as the Fanatic thruster fins. IMHO the board runs better as a quad and the JL 5's are the perfect fins for anyone who would surf it.

The board is located in Southern NJ and would be willing to me at Zoner a reasonable distance.  The asking price is $750 but I would consider a trade.

PM if interested.

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SUP General / Any one find a creative solution to the LIFTSUP

« on: January 01, 2019, 08:15:11 PM »

The Liftsup is well documented on the Zone but not much recently. Has anyone found a creative solution beyond replacing the handle or a piece of string with 5mm gloves on. The string helps but only marginally. I'm thinking of going from a claw to five finger gloves and using the pinky as I didn't have troubles with a 3mm. Winter surfing is fun but  challenging  enough so if you have figured something out please share.

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SUP General / Any Reason Not to! Roof tie down.

« on: November 28, 2018, 07:59:06 PM »

Got the wife a new four wheel drive vehicle. I threw some roof racks on it because we have some breaks you can park on the beach near me but I only go occasionally to meet a proner buddy. 5 minute walk from street parking. This is not my regular POS surf car.  Anyway, the wife is not happy with the reduced gas milage and the very slight hum from her new car since adding the racks. They are a pain to put on and take off. Unscrewing the antenna seems much easier.  I saw this video and I know Rob is very well respected. Any reason not to do? Also,  I always strap my boards fins up and towards the front of the vehicle. He has no fin on the board.  All looks secure to me  but that ain't saying much. Only down side I see is having to walk around the car.

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SUP General / Surfing at the Jersey Shore

« on: October 31, 2018, 04:24:55 PM »

Really nice article about about high school surf teams by a reporter who does high school sports justice. You can feel the Jersey Stoke!!!!


http://glorydaysonline.com/?p=19443&fbclid=IwAR3Lf1wI2LLmi7pIdESbuuJOxBA6_E-hXTmMr-6-b4QYRCQjJBFmSeMxOlY

And the link below is for the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation referenced in the article. If you are looking for an organized  paddle on the East Coast keep it in mind for next summer. They host a 22 miler called Paddle for a Cause. A great event around the island Atlantic City is home to. They also have a four mile fun paddle!

https://thedrcf.org/

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SUP General / 9'7 Creek meets Flo

« on: September 13, 2018, 08:33:39 PM »

Flo has delivered three days of super fun to Jersey. Tuesday- no wind and some nice soft rolling chest high waves, Wednesday-no wind, big and just plain special, today-windy so had to find a spot to pick up the swell with out being blown out so found a spot that was delivering waist-chest high and some wind protection. All three days had plenty of juice and plenty of fog which added to the allure. I don't have a lot to compare it to and I know I continue to improve as a surfer but man did this board shine on all three days. To quote the Sunova website "the performance rocker needs a bit of juice to shine". From  nose to tail the board was alive. It was at it's best on Wednesday when I was surfing waves I would consider above my pay grade. All 9'7 160 liters of it. I wish I had the background and knowledge to put it to words but I can't express enough how happy I am that I went with the 9'7 over the 9'4. From mush to Flo it surfs great and is super comfortable. To quote the Sunova web site again "incredibly organic synergy". Well after these three days, I understand what this means!

Looking forward to hearing about (and seeing) Flo sessions so please post them.  It's so much fun to share the Stoke!!!!