Topics

1

General Discussion / Tesla Model Y with a rack: how far can you open the rear hatch with a board on?

« on: February 25, 2023, 07:25:17 AM »

I got an order in for a Tesla Model Y in January (after the price drop) and I am hoping it can replace my old 4Runner as an SUP vehicle. One thing that is really unclear to me is how far you would be able to open the rear hatch when you have, for example, a 10' SUP on the rack? Usually what I do now with the 4Runner is have the board on nose first in a board bag and slide it out toward the rear. Would I be able to do anything like that with the Model Y? Would I want to maybe switch to tail pointing forward and slide the board out that way instead? Am I going to be able to open the hatch much at all with the board on top either nose first or tail first?

2

Gear Talk / Tape on paddle handle (t-top) to improve grip.

« on: December 04, 2022, 05:29:31 PM »

I have some new Xcel gloves that I like (3/2 dive gloves), but they are a bit slippery on the palms. This can be good in some ways, but I am thinking I would like to try some tape in the T-top of my awesome Ke Nalu paddle. Does anyone have any advice as to what tape to use, or a better way to improve the grip? Should I put some tape on the shaft as well in the place where I grip in while paddling? Thanks very much.

3

Gear Talk / Future center fin in center fin channel box: any ideas how to do that?

« on: June 02, 2022, 08:45:42 PM »

I bought a set of three kelp fins which are Futures. Would love to be able to figure out a way to temporarily get that Futures center fin into my normal center fin channel box. (The board is an Infinity New Deal.) Any idea as to how I can accomplish that would be greatly appreciated.

4

General Discussion / Locking tie-down straps, DocksLocks?

« on: March 13, 2022, 06:17:37 PM »

I was thinking of getting a new set of locking tie-down straps so I could feel more comfortable leaving a board on my car overnight in front of my house. I have used KanuLock in the past and it worked fine.
    Things I liked about KanuLock was it never stabbed my hand or frayed. Wasn't thrilled about the small key or, on the other hand, the bulkiness of the lock and straps.
    Maybe there is something better now? Onefeng? or ?  What sort of locking tie down straps are available now? What are the pros and cons? What do people prefer?
    Or, on the other hand, what do you think about DocksLocks? I guess I could use a docks locks jaws and security cable instead. Maybe that is a better way to go?

5

Training, Diet, and Fitness / How to carry an SUP: minimizing shoulder and arm strain.

« on: January 31, 2022, 09:27:30 AM »

I understand that this post might look like a joke, but it is actually serious. I am over 70 years old, about 150 lbs, and still in good enough condition to SUP for a couple hours on a longish board. However, I find that my shoulder and arm fatigue pretty quickly when I am carrying my (18 lb) board for any significant distance. I am wondering about board carrying technique, and also exercises to improve my strength.
    Regarding the first one: is it better to carry a board with your elbow bent and the board pushed up into your under arm? or is it better to let your arm hang down with a straight elbow? Which position is preferable in terms of arm, shoulder and neck strain?  I particularly find that when I carry too far without resting, the strain moves up into my neck (on the carry side) and that can become chronic and problematic.

Secondly, I am trying to build up strength. I have two 8 lb weights (little one-hand barbells). Is that sufficient weight? Do I need to get something larger. I can walk around with those, or march in place and bend my elbows moving the weights up and down. What sort of exercises would be best for building up strength for board carrying?

I know these questions might seem dumb, but am just an older man trying to stay fit and be able to keep going in the water.

6

General Discussion / Do helmets lead to neck problems?

« on: January 30, 2022, 03:02:38 PM »

For SUP surfing in like 3 to 8 foot waves, I am thinking of starting to wear a helmet. The upside as I see it is some protection against loosing consciousness due to a reef or board impact. The potential downside I am wondering about is neck strain. When you are getting washed around after a fall or when caught inside and trying to get under waves, do helmets tend to lead to neck issues? The specific helmet I am thinking of is the Gath SFC, which is light weight, but I wonder if, when you are in a breaking wave if the extra size on your head could lead to problems? Anyone with experience or thoughts about that? Thanks very much! I really appreciate the comments here. Are there other downsides to helmet wearing while wave riding?

7

Gear Talk / Looking for a really high quality board bag.

« on: December 19, 2021, 04:32:15 PM »

I am going to be keeping a 10'x 29" Infinity New Deal outdoors and I am looking for a high quality board bag to keep that in. In the past I would have gone with Airwave, Mark DuPaix, who made really good stuff. Does that business still exist at all? Is there an heir apparent?

The reason I need such a good bag is because I am keeping the board outdoors. I have found that with most commercial bags rodents eat into it right away. For some reason, the 2015  bag I got from Airwavesf is completely uneffected by that. It is still in excellent shape with no chewed holes after 5 years outdoors. With several commercial bags that were right next to it I have had the opposite experience. Might be something different about the material they use? Does anyone have any idea what the different types of material are and what Airwavesf may have used? What is most resistant to rodents, etc. ?  Any help will be most appreciated.  Thank you!

One minute. I'll take a picture of my old bag and upload it. It is for a surfboard. I am hoping to find an SUP bag made of similar material and quality....  Here it is.

8

Gear Talk / KeNalu Paddle Catastrophe

« on: April 15, 2021, 03:22:41 PM »

Okay, just kidding. My beautiful KeNalu Mana got a little smashed and serrated on one of the edges. (See pictures.) Not too bad but it feels like it could cut my face in a wipeout and maybe the hydrodynamics or structural integrity are a bit compromised? I wonder if I should maybe try to clean it up, sand it lightly, apply some special resin or epoxy..., buy a new blade...? Any advice is welcome.

9

Gear Talk / Best paddle for surfing.

« on: December 22, 2018, 06:27:02 AM »

A couple months ago I started a post asking basically: what is the best paddle for surfing? After a lot of discussion and consideration, I believe that I have an answer to that fundamental question:
the best paddle for surfing (on an SUP) is, imo, the Mana.     

I appreciate all the people here who pushed me toward Ke Nalu. Originally I x’d Ke Nalu off my list because I did not want to mess with hot glue. I was leaning toward Hippostick, thinking about Black Project and considering Quick Blade. Someone here who had no skin in the game told me flat out that Ke Nalu, specifically the Mana, is clearly and surprisingly better than any Quick Blade paddle for surfing. I ended up getting a Mana 82 sq inch blade with the regular (not extra stiff) handle and an ordinary t-top. Despite the fact that I did a much less than perfect job cutting it and putting it together, the feel of the paddle in the water is perfect. The regular shaft feels just right to me (not too flexible at all) and I glad I did not get the stiffer version. The handle is nice. The overall feel of the paddle is really beyond what I thought possible. I felt like I was surfing a smaller board than I actually was, because the paddle just makes everything feel nimble and responsive. The feel of the blade is beyond awesome. I was told by someone not associated with Ke Nalu that there is something technical in the way that Ke Nalu makes their blades that makes the blades superior to those of other companies. I believe it.
    I really appreciate all the people who pushed me toward Ke Nalu. I feel pretty confident that it is a lot better than the V-drive or really any other paddle, including the hippostick. Learning how to hot glue was totally worth it.

10

Gear Talk / What length is your surf paddle?

« on: November 04, 2018, 05:34:11 AM »

I am interested in getting some statistics about what length of paddle people actually use for SUP surfing. I thinking that one could reference that to height and try to get a sense of the average difference between height a paddle length in practice, as well as the standard deviation. Is it a Bell-type curve; or does it maybe have two bumps (normal and Laird length)?  Let's see. Could be fun and maybe interesting. Please indicate your height and your paddle length(s), and maybe contextualize that with what board(s) you are riding as well. Thanks.

11

Gear Talk / Hippostick or Ke Nalu: who makes better paddles for surfing?

« on: November 02, 2018, 01:40:40 PM »

I have been looking at paddles to use for SUP surfing. Two that kind of stand out to me are the Hippostick blur, designed specifically for surfing, and Ke Nalu. Any thoughts on how they compare? Shaft flexibility is important to me to limit shoulder strain. Also, light weight.

12

Gear Talk / Paddle for surfing, what is a good choice?

« on: October 12, 2018, 02:30:21 PM »

I am interested in getting a really good, kind of high-end paddle for SUP surfing. Someone steered me toward a quickblade V drive with like an 81 area. (I weight about 160 lbs.) Interestingly, they suggested that the V Drive Vector Net might be preferable to the V Drive All Carbon due to more flex. Also, any advice on whether an EVA grip is a good idea? And is an oval shaft preferable to a round shaft?
I also heard that ZRE makes really good paddles. Probably lots of other places too. What do you recommend for a high-end surf paddle?

13

Gear Talk / 4 peice paddle, does anyone know of a good one.

« on: August 15, 2018, 04:25:53 PM »

I heard rumors about a 4 piece paddle, not adjustable, but in several sections so that the longest one is less that about 3' long.  Does anyone know about that?  Is that a real thing? I am hoping for a pretty good quality, light-weight paddle. Is that unrealistic? Does having several sections add a lot of weight?

14

Gear Talk / Deck pad corner peeling up: cut away or reglue?

« on: August 13, 2018, 07:42:12 PM »

One of the front corners of my deck pad (Infinity New Deal) is peeling up. It has gotten pretty grungy on both the board deck and the pad with sand and dirt stuck in the glue. (see picture) I am wondering if I should try to clean and reglue or if maybe I should just cut this corner away and matter latter add a small piece of Da Kine traction or something. I have had pretty good luck in the past cleaning with alcohol and reglueing with contact cement, but I am wondering if in this case maybe I should just cut the peeled up corner away and, if so, how to do that?  Thanks very much.

15

The Shape Shack / Deck pad corners are coming unglued. What is a good way to fix that?

« on: November 25, 2017, 07:30:40 PM »

The deck pad on this board is lifting at some of the corners, as shown in the attached photo. It peels back about an inch now, and is getting gradually worse. What is the best way to deal with that?

It is a new board and custom deck pad which has only been on there for about 2 months. Is this a bad sign and should I start over, or can it be re-glued successfully? If re-glued, what sort of cleaning, prep and application?

Thanks very much. Your advice is appreciated.

PS. Picture is about a week old. It is a little worse now.