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Messages - AJR

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1
Gear Talk / Re: Body Glove SUP??
« on: July 28, 2016, 04:22:39 PM »
The boards we bought are a year old so it looks like BG moved from Focus to BIC...

http://business.transworld.net/news/focus-sup-x-body-glove-launch-board-line/#Fkuohv1BKR68tcmg.97


2
Gear Talk / Re: Body Glove SUP??
« on: July 27, 2016, 04:40:56 PM »
Did a bit more research and found out that they're just re-branded Focus 11'6" Smoothies; picked up a couple for $300 each.  They're not perfect since they came out of a rental fleet and they're kinda heavy but they're in pretty good shape for the price and they should be perfect for the intended application...

3
Gear Talk / Re: First board for large rider?
« on: July 26, 2016, 07:46:10 PM »
Rent a few first to get an idea of a size that works for you. As for brands you can't go wrong with a Joe Blair for bigger guys...

4
Gear Talk / Body Glove SUP??
« on: July 26, 2016, 07:34:46 PM »
The boys are getting old enough to go out on the bay on a big floaty board with me or the wife. All of my surf SUPs are too small and too expensive to use as a beater so I found a place selling their rental fleet. They have 11'6" Body Glove boards for a decent price - anyone know much about them?  Mainly I need something stable and durable - I don't care how they surf since these are for the bay only. Plus they don't need to be fast - on not planning on racing them...  Not many reviews - although I think they're made by Focus?

5
I think it's getting better - especially at the breaks I surf regularly.  As one of the "regulars" I've been called into waves, given the thumbs-up for a good ride, and even complemented on the fact that I'm not a wave hog.  And while I understand and do my best to follow the rules of the line up I don't consider it ever allowable to run into someone just to teach them a lesson.  I've passed or pulled out short on plenty of waves when someone is in the way.  It's not worth hurting myself or someone else nor having to cut a session short because of a ding...

6
Gear Talk / Re: Surf SUP for 210lb - short is better?
« on: July 05, 2016, 11:39:00 AM »
Quiver for sure - I have 3 L41's:  8'4"x31 ST, 8'2"x31 PopDart, and a 9'6"x30" longboard style (the Glide).  Each board has it's advantages/disadvantages depending on the break, the conditions, and how I'm feeling/what I feel like doing that day.  For example, my ST is the most stable of the bunch because it's got the fullest nose/tail plus it's the heaviest so it works great on real choppy days.  It also sticks to the wave like glue in powerful surf.  My PopDart is the most fun if I want speed and get vertical - it's light and has a more pulled in nose/tail.  But it's also the loosest so on bigger days I tend to throw in a 5th fin so the tail doesn't slide out as easy (tail slides are fun though on the right days!).  Finally my latest is the Glide - the longer length is much better for the smaller days and for when I surf Tourmoline because the waves there have a tendency to roll through.  It's a lot better than I thought in terms of surfing vertical as long as there's enough wave for me to stay on the tail.  But, it's also the board that works me the most on choppy days because it's an inch narrower than the other two...

7
I like it. I go back and forth between a L41 mini simms and a 10'4" Foote, pretty extreme changeup. Then again I downwind either a 17.5' SIC or a surfboard, so maybe it's just me. Still it might be nice to have something I like in between. Then again, maybe not. Every time I try a 14' for downwinding I remember why I don't like them. Only one way to find out if a midpoint surfboard would work for me...

It's a lot of fun. I typically ride my boards 31" wide so I'm feeling this one a bit more but in heavy chop today it wasn't too bad. Got some juicier waves today and it really performed - was able to get back on the tail and executed some pretty good bottom turns and snaps off the lip.  Try it - you'll like it!

8
I was looking for that 'gap' board myself and found it in the Coreban 10' x 29 Icon. Similar to your board, these boards are not really longboards, but performers. Like you said " a little tippy" compared to my 9' x31, but they catch waves great. My Icon can be run as a Quad and that loosened it up for me, but like you said, you got to move around and get back on the tail.
That is a great addition to Kirk's line. Enjoy it...

Thanks. Correct - I changed all 3 fins with the Collin set...

9
Update:  I put a RS Pro rail tape, Monster'd the nose, and put a hydroturf pad on it; wax was appealing but the mess in my car and my arthritic feet I knew it was a recipe for disaster.  I've had three sessions on it since I got it last week - and I'm hooked.  Day one was some reasonably powerful head-high surf; I tried a pair of 4.5" (maybe 5"?) standard white composite Futures sidebites with a Takayama Orca 7.5" center fin.  It felt too stiff, sluggish down the line & hard to turn around with this setup; bear in mind it was day 1 so I was getting used to the board and conditions were a bit nerve-wracking (very crowded + big surf + new board).  I only had time for a 40' session but I did manage to catch a few decent waves (once I relaxed) and I could feel the potential of the board... 

Days 2 and 3 were much better; smaller surf and less crowded but the biggest change was the set of Collin McPhillips fins that a friend gave me.  These fins completely transformed the board - much faster down the line, a lot more maneuverable both turning around to catch and riding waves plus this set up let me get more vertical vs. just ride down the line.  Stability is not as good as my ST and Popdart but they're both 31" wide with the fuller tails so that's to be expected; I'm not falling down constantly so it's plenty stable for me.  It really comes alive once you get on the tail but with the longer length I have to remind myself to walk fore/aft more than I'm used to given my ST and PD are 8'4"/8/2".  It is a fun board to have it in the stable though - completely different than what I'm used to and the GLIDE is so much fun; I forgot how much easier it was to get in a wave with a longer board!  This has been/will be a perfect board for the smaller Tourmaline waves (they have a tendency to roll through).

10
Ride report?!

11
A new board from Kirk should be arriving any day!  I got a slightly larger version of the one shown below; mine will be 9'6"x30x4.25" @137L.  A friend got one and let me try it - I was surprised with the stability of a 28" wide board; at 225lbs in full wetsuit I was able to balance on it and catch several waves (it was a calm day which helped because this is at my lower limit in terms of volume).  It was a lot of fun being able to get in the waves earlier compared to my shorter L41 ST (8'4") and Popdart (8'2").  It was surprisingly easy to turn and get vertical too - I was expecting it to be more of a down-the-line type board.  Kirk had one of the 28" wide versions left but I was too nervous and wanted one slightly larger; in choppy conditions I think I'd be falling too much to have fun...

Note that I'm not affiliated with L41 in any way - I just like how his boards surf for me and want to spread the word...

12
Gear Talk / Re: RSPro does it again with Deck protection
« on: June 14, 2016, 04:51:47 PM »
Bump.  Any updates from anyone who's used the RS Pro Hexatraction?  I've got a new 9'6" longboard-style L41 on the way and was considering going with a no pad option.  A friend had wax on his and it felt great but I reaaalllyy don't like the mess since I keep my boards in my car at work and I hate getting them in/out of a bag.  I love the RS Pro rail tape but their deck traction is pretty pricey...

13
SUP General / SUP surf at Newport Beach??
« on: February 15, 2016, 04:32:22 PM »
Hi all. I'll be at a conference this week in Garden Grove and I may have a chance to sneak away for a late afternoon session on Wed. Looks like the nearest place to go would be Newport Beach. I'm bringing my own board (driving up from San Diego) so renting isn't a consideration. Are they SUP friendly at NB?

Thanks!

14
SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: New L41 on order
« on: November 22, 2015, 05:55:26 AM »
I'm really getting this board now. I've learned to have a lighter back foot - I don't need to lay my weight into the turns like I do with my ST. It's also very easy to get my back foot on the tail - it's only 2" shorter than my ST but maybe with the more pulled in nose I'm positioned a bit further back to begin with...  I've been having tons of fun in recent chest high conditions. The board is easy to surf top to bottom and stability hasn't been an issue at all even in choppy conditions.

15
SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Re: New L41 on order
« on: October 20, 2015, 01:23:54 PM »
Finally posting pics too:


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