Messages

496

Gear Talk / Re: Why not rack on edge?

« on: February 04, 2014, 01:33:30 PM »

If you are going to be fabricating, could you consider 1) widening out the rooftop racks, i.e. adding bars that get you more width so you can load the box outboard, and have room for your board next to it, 2) making double decker racks so a board could go under the box? That is what I am looking at doing on my wife's Sequoia which doesn't have room for the board plus the box on the too narrow racks. I figure 6" of extra height would not hurt, unless I want to go through the McDonald's drive through and I shouldn't do that anyway.

497

Gear Talk / Re: I'm a Cutter - Proteck fins?

« on: February 04, 2014, 12:06:10 PM »

Got a cut on the top/side of my foot. Fell off the back of the board in beach break and didn't get away far enough. Me and the board tumbled up onto the sand, and somewhere in there I kicked a sidebite. Cut right through my bootie and into the side of my foot.

Luckily my feet were numb from the cold and I didn't even notice until I was halfway home in the truck. Looked down to see blood all over my flip flop.

498

Random / Re: Skimboarders at the Wedge Newport Beach

« on: February 03, 2014, 02:58:21 PM »

From ages 18 to 25 I was really into Skimboarding. It is a pretty exciting sport, and I still contend that a skimboard is one of the best wave tools available. The rails are scary sharp, i.e. if you dropped one on your foot, it will cut it. So that motion of dropping a board while running full speed and getting it on plane makes the learning curve extra steep. I have dropped it on my foot plenty of times, and kicked it with my shin more than that.

The process of learning to plane out on one of these boards is hard. It weeds out the wheat from the chaff (or chafed) very quickly. That rail shape, and flat bottom combined with the pumpkin-seed shape of the board allows for the entire thing to function as a fin so extremely tight turns can be made once a wave is reached.

This sport cannot be done well by anyone that weights over 200#, I weighed about 205# when I was into it which limited me to certain conditions: waves that were at least knee-high and breaking onto dry sand. It is truly a rush to catch a wave after planing out to it, and then re-directing that energy into the wave and back to the beach. The ability to spin, Ollie, shuv-it these boards, or rail over into a turn is really fun.

Obviously, as a beginner you end up falling on to dry sand a lot, the injuries from this can be pretty bad. One of my buddies, broke his arm the day before his college baseball team took a tour of Europe. He was a pitcher, he went on tour but only got to be a pinch runner.

I have kept one of my skimboards, they are a lot of fun to use behind a boat. Because they are so flat and smooth you can get pulled behind almost any watercraft and the pressure on your joints is minimal, no fins or fat rails to drag a long. You can spin, or cut, or ride backwards lots of fun stuff.

We used to have a beach here in WA that set up perfectly all summer long on SW swells. It was protected from N wind, and we had about 4 years of really fun times. It was my crew's little secret. A storm blew it out. Since then the best skimming beaches I have been to were in Cabo, then Big Beach in Maui, and Kaanapali point gets really good sometimes.

499

Random / Re: NFL

« on: February 03, 2014, 01:53:03 PM »

I've been a Seahawks fan since age 6 in 1984. What a day for us yesterday. So much fun.

My friends and I were trying some of the new Crown Royal XO and by "some" I mean "all".

Spent the morning pre-funk fishing for Steelhead (caught a couple) with my cousins and the afternoon watching the Seahawks make Manning look old. Really old. Picture of a couple of the highlights:

500

Gear Talk / Re: AHHHH...WARMTH!!!!

« on: January 28, 2014, 08:50:33 AM »

Air 70's, water 50's.

Your winter temps match our early summer temps.

Starting around late July we get about five weeks where you don't need a full suit in the surf. Air 80 - 85, water 65 - 70. Some of those days, a pair of board shorts is all you need.

Summer in NH is awesome. By mid September it's getting cold again.

We wish we could hit 70 degrees in the late summer at the beach. It happens, but it is for about 2 hours each day. Immediately after the fog burns off, and right before the wind picks up.

We need a full suit here in WA every session, every time of the year. I went out once late last summer in a short suit with long sleeves. It was cold, very cold.

501

SUP General / Re: Maui Board Shops

« on: December 23, 2013, 12:08:05 PM »

Thanks again guys. Pono Bill,we are right in front of mushrooms/s-turns....very sweet.Kahana is a great spot.Easy travel if needed. Having spent 30 yrs driving up and down the gorge looking for wind,the ride to Kanaha is a piece of cake if needed.

Never leave wind to look for wind, never leave waves to look for waves.

Never leave fish, to find fish.

502

Technique / Re: When did you start getting waves?

« on: December 20, 2013, 10:06:00 AM »

Happy Holidays All, Great thread.

I have spent the past 4 months off the water, and not looking at this board much. World class salmon fishing in my back yard has kept me busy.

My first wave I ever surfed (not counting boogie) was in some shifty beach break south of the Westport, WA Jetty in about 1992. My friends and I dabbled in prone surfing throughout my ute. However, I never really found a solid surf buddy and so while my interest was high, my actual days spent surfing were minimal. I never had the right wetsuit for the job so every session here in WA ended up cold and complaining. During college and early career years, I really got into steelhead fishing and spent most of my time pursuing those silver ghosts all over the Olympic Peninsula.

In my late 20's I got into windsurfing for a bit, but then my family swelled from 3 to 5 and that hobby ended just as it was getting going. However the impulse to be on the water never left. So I started to consider SUP as an option.

My first wave was in 2010 at the Lahaina breakwall. I rented a 11' something from a kid named Jake near Ohukai street in Kihei. We were staying in Lahaina and I got up early (taking advantage of being on PST) and went down to where they teach people to surf before the schools showed up. Day one I got comfortable on the board (turning around, paddling fast, slow, and just messing about) tried paddling for a few waves. Day two I caught 4 knee high waves. Day 3 we went up to visit some friends who were staying just north of S turns. I went out with about 45 minutes of daylight left. The surf was big and I spent the most terrifying hour of my life getting dragged around by my leash and that 11' board. It was even worse for my wife and girls who stood on the cliff watching me flail around out there.

Day 4 the surf was still big but we were visiting some other friends who live Maui and I went out at Cove park, just south of where they give lessons. That day was a revelation, I had so much fun.

Days 5 through 15 spent every morning and Launiopoko (sp) and you could not wipe the smile off my face.

Now I have good quality wetsuits, an All-Wave and have lots of fun SUSing the barren shifty beach breaks of my home state.

503

NorthWest / Re: Washington Coast? Anyone?

« on: November 06, 2013, 04:40:36 PM »

I haven't checked this message board for a while. Nice to see some fellow NW suppers out here. I actually sort of take a break in the fall due to hunting/fishing/cranberry harvesting.

I have stared longingly at my board a few times because it hangs right over my river sled.

I will be braving it again as the winter rolls on, but right now focus is heavy on harvesting this winters food!

Hope to see some of you on the water.

504

Technique / Re: Getting Out of a wave

« on: August 26, 2013, 02:24:49 PM »

So, a quick update. I am a few sessions since my last post on this subject. The first one was at a different spot, where I could almost always find a shoulder, but yesterday was at the same spot that got me to start this thread.

I have to say a lot of your tips must have stuck. First I was feeling a little hung-over so I spent more time waiting and watching waves before taking off. So, a little patience helped a lot. I caught a lot more zippers that spit me out over a nice soft shoulder, where I could get right back out to the peak. Then I also decided that I would watch the wave a lot closer after I caught it before I chose front or back side. That helped a lot as well.

The backside kick-out and flop was very safe if I made the drop on a closeout. I couldn't get out standing up, but at least I was able to get up and out quickly without having to drag the board back to my by the leash. On my frontside kick outs, I worked really hard on a paddle plant and just ripping the board through the lip. Adding the aggression to the move helped a lot, I basically got back out on all of them. I fell on about 75% of those maneuvers, usually after a couple of seconds out the back of the wave trying to deal with the deceleration.

Finally one thing that made the session different was thick fog. All morning I couldn't see more than 30 yards.  The waves would just appear, and I would have to make the go/no go decision after looking at the individual wave, not what was behind it. This was different because usually I am like "here comes a good one, but look at the one 2 back", in this case I could not and so I took a wave if it looked good for my particular location. I caught a lot of waves, and learned a lot about judging them.

505

Random / The Booze Thread

« on: August 16, 2013, 09:36:03 AM »

I don't have a lot to add to the SUP threads as a relative beginner, but I feel like I have some expertise in drinking whisky.

What is your favorite booze?

I mostly like Whisky, some gin. I hate all fruity mixed drinks.

I am a fan of some Canadian blends Crown Royal and Pendleton are easy to get.

I like bourbon on the rocks a lot, Makers Mark, and lately this small batch bourbon has been fantastic. It is called Lake Chelan Blue Spirits. Smooth and sweet, like my wife.

I'm okay with scotch, but don't usually buy it. If you offer me some though, I'll drink up.

What is your favorite drink?

I like scotch neat.

Bourbon and blended on the rocks, and wait 5 minutes.

How many of you work at places where people have an afternoon/evening drink?

I don't know why this is, but it seems like over the last couple of years I have seen an increase in work-place drinking. Some of my clients' have really nice bars in their offices, my boss keeps a few bottles behind his desk to celebrate big sales, or other success. It is not like Don Draper stuff, but lately it seems like someone is always wanting to have an afternoon drink meeting. I will admit that if I have to work late, having a drink at the end of the normal shift helps get my mind right to work late.

I just got a call a few minutes ago from my accountant, he is going to introduce me to a prospective client this afternoon, at the bar.

506

Technique / Re: Getting Out of a wave

« on: August 13, 2013, 12:53:54 PM »

Lots of good and interesting responses. Thanks everyone.

It looks like getting out of a closeout and back out quickly is going to take some practice. Lot's of stuff to try here, I will forget most of it by the time I am back on the ocean, but something might stick.

I agree having a big board and paddle makes the whole thing a lot different than with a surfboard. I know seeing that big board coming down on your head is a lot scarier than seeing an 8' fun-board going up.

507

Technique / Re: Getting Out of a wave

« on: August 10, 2013, 08:51:37 AM »

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have only been SUP surfing for about 4 months. I have surfed quite a bit, but never really had this problem, mostly because with a surfboard I didn't worry so much about getting back out quickly for another wave. Yesterday I was by myself, I didn't want to take the closeouts to the beach, because then I couldn't get back out fast enough to get more waves out of the set. I admit most of this is wave gluttony with a side of safety.

Honestly this is the most beat up I have been after a session in my life. I hit the bottom a few times and fell on my board at least twice. But it was so fun, I would be back out there right now if I could.

STC that picture you showed is a lot like what I was dealing with yesterday, the waves I was on had just a bit more speed, and were throwing a bit of a lip. I wish I had a camera to get some barrel pics. Gorgeous waves.

The closeout here is pretty safe if you go straight, now I am going to try the back hand turn and fall, and see if that gets me back out faster.

These are all great tips, I am going to put this into use.

508

Technique / Getting Out of a wave

« on: August 09, 2013, 02:52:38 PM »

Had a fun session this morning. I came out ready to work on my back hand SUSing and got some good work in. Was alone at the break I chose, and the waves were things of beauty. Gorgeous to look at.  Waist high, steep, and fast. Much different from the mush I had been surfing on the last two times out. These little beach break gems were pitching hollow into about 2' or less of water.

Out of the 40 or so waves I rode, I made the shoulder maybe 5 times. The rest of them I just could not outrun. Sometimes it was because it closed out, the other times I just couldn't get there fast enough. The first time I was perched between the end of the pad and the nose (gargoyle style) on a high line (regular foot going right), big dumb smile on my face, and all my focus was on the shoulder. . . Needless to say I faded right up into the lip and was tossed on my hip in about 8" of water (bad spatial awareness), and to make matters worse the board is tossed right on me, I blocked the kill-shot with the paddle and now my right ring finger is like a kielbasa, goes good with my broken left pinky from early July (leash stupidity).

Anyway after that I was a bit gun shy and would just turn out of the waves before they got fast, for fear of going down like that again. Don't get me wrong I tried for any shoulder I thought I could conceivably get to.

So when do you decide to turn out of a wave?

What do you do if you are past the point of no return? Just straighten out? Jump off the back?

When I back out of wave before the drop (thinking it will close out), I fall down a lot because of the quick deceleration and destabilization. Any tips for that?

I had a lot of fun this morning, but I had some of the most awkward and painful wipeouts of my short SUP career. Obviously my main weakness is knowing which waves to take and which not to take.

509

Sessions / Re: The 5 people you surf with most.

« on: August 07, 2013, 11:53:17 AM »

So far here in the Pac NW:

1- Harbor Seals
2- Mr Crab
3- Surf Perch
4- My Shadow (it is low on the list because it is rarely sunny).
5- One day some tourists showed up and there was a SUPer in the mix we talked a bit. I actually saw another one last Saturday about 100 yards away.

510

SUP General / Re: Feeling an urge to surf

« on: August 06, 2013, 09:59:57 PM »

I have surfed on my SUP a few times. To me it seems like a poor facsimile of real surfing. At least regarding the pop up part.

Once that big board starts moving it doesn't take much skill to pop up onto. Good practice for a bit but very little finesse required. With a prone board in the width you are trying the margin for error is comparably small. I have practiced the move in my garage on my indo board lots of times. It takes a certain degree of flexibility and so I like to check that I have it.