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SUP General / Re: What if I don't size down (volume) enough?

« on: September 13, 2021, 02:24:26 PM »

I did end up getting the 2020 Fanatic Stylemaster from Bob, 10 x 28.5, and surfed some 5-footers at Otter Rock on Saturday. It's quite a bit tippier side-to-side when I'm just standing on it and waiting around because the rails are thinner, but once I get moving on it in the waves it's far easier for me to turn, and if feels like the perfect board #2 for me. It's going to take me some time and patience to progress into it, but I can't wait to get back out again. I don't understand why they don't put any traction on the front 1/3rd of a longboard SUP, but I fixed it with clear RSPro HexaTraction so I can walk towards the nose without sliding off.

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SUP General / Re: What if I don't size down (volume) enough?

« on: September 07, 2021, 10:37:29 AM »

sflinux, at this point I'm planning on doing what you suggest: going for a smaller longboard to raise the performance for me, and then potentially looking at adding a short/medium board in the future when I'm ready for more aggressive surfing and less glide.

Thinking about my current setup again, I realized that my only real beef with the Laird is that it's so heavy (27+lbs) and the handle doesn't allow me to wrap my fingers inward, so it's hard to get it from the parking lot to the waves, which can be quite a distance on most Oregon beaches. It's also overkill for a rider of my size. So the first board I'm looking at is the Stylemaster, and I'd say I'm pretty likely to come home with it -- at 19lbs and a with a nicer handle it will be a game changer, to say nothing of the other dimensions, ha ha.

Thanks all for your knowledge and help!

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SUP General / Re: What if I don't size down (volume) enough?

« on: September 06, 2021, 06:21:36 PM »

Ooh, so maybe something like the Fanatic Stylemaster, 10' x 28.5" 130L, or NSP DC Surf X Pro 10' x 27" 132L. Gorge Performance has both in stock.

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SUP General / What if I don't size down (volume) enough?

« on: September 06, 2021, 03:55:03 PM »

Hey all,

I'm a beginner/intermediate SUP surfer, pretty comfortable in up to shoulder-height waves, and after having come back from an awesome surfing trip in Maui I feel like I'm ready to drop down a board size. I'm 155lbs (70kg) and my first board is a 11' x 29.5" (165L) Laird Pearson Arrow. I enjoy riding it, walking up & down the stringer and making little carves in the waves, but it's really not fun to lug around, and it's hard for me to turn it with any authority. I'm looking to go shorter & lighter, but still be comfortable standing in the lineup and getting through the PNW breaks.

I found a used Jimmy Lewis World Wide at 8'9" x 31" (141L), which I know is technically 'TOO BIG FOR ME', but how much of a problem would that be? Is it going to make it really hard for me to sink the rails and turn it, or what? Or is the only negative that I'll want to upgrade it at some point when I get better? I've seen people complain about boards they've bought that were too large volume-wise and 'corky', but I don't know how that affects their surfing in a practical way, and whether I'll mind. If 141L is a bad idea I can wait around for something else to pop up.

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General Discussion / Re: Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: August 23, 2021, 10:55:28 PM »

Okay, I've had 3 mornings of surfing the Playa at Cove Beach, and it has been, for me and in these conditions, amazing. 2-4 foot waves, and not too much wind if you show up early like I have, around 6:30am. It catches waves easily as long as I get a head start of ~6 paddles, and I'm regularly riding 2-300 yards at a time. I catch just about every wave I try for, though it does feel sketchy to me as the waves near 4-5 feet. I've tried it with a single FCS click-in and with the added side bites, and it seems easier to turn with the side fins (reminder, I'm a noob) though it really prefers to just go straight. Seems to require quite a bit of trimming fore and aft, though I'm not sure how much is normal for surfing. I love the little kick pad on the back - when I'm done with a wave I just stomp back on it and I'm out. All in all, it has been super fun here and worth lugging with me. Not sure if I'll bother trying a hard rental board on this trip.

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Foil SUP / Re: good for the money paddle?

« on: September 14, 2020, 12:51:46 PM »

Not sure what you need, but I bought a Black Project Lava 3-piece earlier this year and it's really nice. Love the connections on it, and it even comes with a travel bag.

https://bigwinds.com/collections/sup-paddles/products/black-project-paddle-18-lava-3-pc

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General Discussion / Re: Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: September 14, 2020, 08:55:50 AM »

Thanks everybody, this has been really helpful!!

dmilt, did you go to the Cove? We were planning to stay by our usual beach this summer (Kamaole I in Kihei), and the Cove is a short paddle north from there, and is supposed to be a great beginner spot, so that's why I bought the Playa. I'll be taking it there next summer with the credits from our cancelled flight, if travel to HI is possible by then. I had planned to use a rigid surf fin too....the flexy one doesn't seem like it would be very effective in the ocean.

https://www.hawaiianbeachrentals.com/Hawaii/Maui/Kihei/thingstodo/LearnhowtosurforstanduppaddleattheCove.htm

Last summer we were camping by Sunset Bay in southern Oregon, and we went out to the beach to watch the Sunset. There was a guy there SUP surfing 1-foot waves there on a longboard, and it was the most beautiful thing to me. He'd just casually paddle out, turn around and ride straight in on the first wave that came by, and then head back out and do it again. He never fell in or missed a wave, and was just cruising. I would be happy as a clam in those conditions, though I could see why it could be boring to experienced folks. It would be terrible without a paddle.

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General Discussion / Re: Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: September 13, 2020, 09:53:00 AM »

PonoBill, are you recommending a Wavestorm longboard for SUP surfing, or regular surfing? They've got a 10-foot single fin and 9-foot tri-fin -- is that what you mean?

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General Discussion / Re: Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: September 11, 2020, 07:20:27 PM »

I was mostly thinking about small days at Pacific City or Otter Rock. My friends from Portland who SUP surf seem to go to those places the most, and I planned to tag along, have a look, and secretly hope for smaller waves. I might rent a board or borrow something from a friend if the inflatable is just overmatched for Oregon surf.

This will no doubt disappoint you but I bought a full wetsuit last week before your recommendation, a Quiksilver Syncro 5/4/3 with hood, and I've got some 5mm Flash Bomb booties. Getting in & out of the wetsuit made me feel like Harry Houdini. I bet it's harder when it's wet.

I plan on taking some lessons from Cascadia SUP & Surf, but it looks like I got started late and they are all done for the year.

To answer surfercook, I'm 5'6" and about 155. Complete beginner at SUP surfing, though I did once try and fail to catch waves in Hawaii on a rental board in 2010. Thanks for the footage!

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General Discussion / Re: Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: September 08, 2020, 09:42:17 AM »

"They are OK to learn to surf if you are a total.beginner." That would be me! The Carbon Playa is a little bit thinner (4.75"), has carbon stringers top & bottom to cut down on the flex, and nose/tail rocker so it should do better than most inflatables, but yeah, my expectations are low.

https://halagear.com/products/carbon-playa

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General Discussion / Surfing on Hala Carbon Playa

« on: September 05, 2020, 04:08:06 PM »

I got a Carbon Playa earlier this year for a trip to HI that ended up being cancelled, but I'm thinking about learning to surf on it on the Oregon coast. Anybody have any experience surfing this or a similar inflatable in these waters? How big of a kook will I be? I'm not execting high performance, just a reasobable amount of fun and success riding waves.

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Gear Talk / Re: New Blackfish dugout

« on: August 31, 2020, 09:37:43 AM »

All of this helps explain why my Lahui Kai Manta has a crazy amount of secondary stability.

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Gear Talk / Re: Is it normal for paddle handles to snap off?

« on: August 27, 2020, 04:32:29 PM »

Quote from: NMPaddler on August 26, 2020, 01:56:52 PM

For a sport that just involves paddling a floating thing across the water, it's surprisingly expensive.

If that's all you want to do, get a branch! The bigger you are, the more leaves you need on the paddle to be effective. It's free!

Or use your hands like those crazy prone paddlers.

But if you want to go far or fast, a carbon paddle is designed for that, and will be far lighter and more enjoyable to paddle than anything you can get for $200. There are good Blackfish and Black Project paddles under 1lb that can be found for less than $300.

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