Messages

4426

Sessions / Re: How do you SUP?

« on: May 11, 2008, 06:46:53 AM »

DW, are you located up in Myrtle Beach area?   

Nope, wrong state. I'm in North Carolina.

4427

Sessions / How do you SUP?

« on: May 11, 2008, 05:25:42 AM »

What I'm asking is, do you prefer to paddle one break, or do you prefer to explore and surf many breaks during your session?

Just curious if others think like me.

There are two main posse's of SUPers on the island where I live. One gang surfs the same break, circling for hours in the same lineup.

My posse usually does 2 miles coastal runs, surfing the 5 or 6 breaks along each route. We have several routes we run depending on the mood.

For me personally, the adventure of a 2 mile session, combined with the likelyhood of scoring some magic waves along the way, is what makes SUP so special compared to prone surfing, where you are so limited.

Yesterday was a perfect example of why a 2 mile adventure pays off. At 7:30 AM I get a text message asking what the surf looks like. I respond glassy and 2 feet. The texting person responds, doesn't sound fun, I'll pass today. The rest of the posse arrives and we begin our journey. During the run we encounter some wonderful perfectly formed SUP waves. The type you can ride forever without closing out. At about the 1 1/2 mile point on our trip I scored this perfect wave. Fellow zoner CB1 captured this photo of me. The best photo anyone ever took of me. Thanks CB1 

PS, if you're wondering why only 2 miles, its because we're not racing, we're surfing everything along the way. It takes anywhere from one to two hours to make the run depending on waves and wind.

4428

Gear Talk / Re: Butterfly Fin......Anyone know where to find such a fin?

« on: May 08, 2008, 02:15:52 PM »

DJ. How does that fin ride on a stand up?

It's not my board...I've actually gone the other way with my 10'6" by using smaller side fins.

This is a friends board (JB)...and this is what he had to say about it.

DJ

Fin set up is, Thrusters = TC Redline, Tail fin = 3D Red Tip.

What I found with this set up was,

Positives.
- The board is more responsive and lively off the rail.
- Board speed was increased.
- Rail to rail transfer was faster.
- Nose riding was just as easy surprisingly, and obviously easier to go into spins and heli's.
- Tail slides are much easier, but drive off the rail is possibly even better (i.e. the boards turns become much reliant on the rail. Driving from your rail the board powers through the turn, flattening the rail a bit the tails slides more.)

Negitives.
- Board is less settled in the white water.
- tail was a little slidey at very low speeds.
- paddling you do turn more than with the big fin.

Conclusion,
I won't be riding my 10'6" with the old fin set up any more. And I am going to try some other thruster combinations.

DJ,

I would say almost the same things about a pure thruster setup. I'd like the hear what he says after comparing to a plain rear fin around 4.56" tall.

4429

Gear Talk / Re: Leash Length

« on: May 07, 2008, 12:03:07 PM »

With 4 feet of my 12 foot leash coiled, I only have 8 feet of leash drag. Way safer in my opinion. SUPing is more dangerous than Kitesurfing 

4430

Gear Talk / Re: Leash Length

« on: May 07, 2008, 03:35:44 AM »

Thanks DW.  Does the coily part stay coily after it's been stretched out a few times?  Looks like a super idea to me if it holds up.

The coils has stayed for 9 months now.

The only thing that seems to kill the coil, is wrapping the leash around the tail and leaving it that way for several days. Now I wrap the leash around the tail to walk from the beach to the house, then unwrap it before storing the board.

4431

Gear Talk / Re: Leash Length

« on: May 06, 2008, 11:57:10 AM »

DW, how does one go about getting a custom leash made by XM, and do you know if they plan to do a production run?  It looks like a good idea to me.

I asked my local surf shop to call XM and ask if they would make it. They said yes and then I waited several weeks.

The specs were to take their standard 12 foot leash and coil 3 to 4 feet behind the ankle. The coil length ends up about 1 foot.

4432

Gear Talk / Re: Leash Length

« on: May 06, 2008, 05:24:48 AM »

Might be time to bring back this old topic.



My leash design from one year ago. Still working great for the wife and I. Custom made by XM.

The coil reduces leash length in the water. Less drag. While allowing me to maintain a full 12 feet for safety. This sport is more dangerous than one might think. BIG boards 

4433

Gear Talk / Re: paddle blade design part 2...

« on: May 05, 2008, 04:45:51 PM »

My opinions on blade design are similar to DJs.

I tired a dihedral paddle that wandered big time for me. Then switched to something flatter and liked it more. Now I use a dead flat blade, the Kialoa Shaka Pu'u. The Shaka Pu'u is a small blade, yet for me, I find it very powerful with the flat face.

The dihedral blade I disliked, had less power and was hard to control for me. I felt like I had to make sure I held face perfectly square to the board or the dihedral made it squirt sideways.

I also tired a flat blade wood paddle with scoop on the tip. That scoop grabbed so much water, I had to stroke it real slow to avoid severe wander. I could not control that paddle.

The moral of the story, is no two people see paddles the same. One really weird fact of SUPing. 

4434

Gear Talk / Re: Leashes for Surfing SUB Good Kine and Junk Kine

« on: May 01, 2008, 10:20:19 AM »

I have had chronic problems with leash breakages (at the glued terminal just before the swivel)since SUPing, regardless of the brand.

I now take a brand new leash, cut it where the cord bury's into the glued terminal, remove the cut terminal, and rig the cord to the swivel like leashes used to be made; with a bight in the cord and a short piece of small rope ("bent" at both ends) to make the connection between cord and swivel.

I have NEVER a broken leash at the swivel terminal since, regardless if it was a small diameter comp leash or large dia. big wave leash.  And I have seen them strech frighteningly far.

Any chance we can get a photo of this leash mod? I don't know how leashes used to be made.

4435

Gear Talk / Re: Tried out at 9'0 and a 9'6 at Ala Moana today

« on: April 30, 2008, 03:34:56 AM »

You cannot say hand laminated are heavier than pop outs. The PSH hand laminated 10' I ride is the same weight as our 9'6 pop out, so it would be lighter than its 10' pop out equal.

I know other brands are making heavy hand laminated boards. There is a durablity sacrifice for sure with hand laminated boards being so light.

Now maybe the latest hand laminated boards at PSH are different than mine. You'd have to ask Austin whats up.

Board repair doesn't keep you off the water. I repair mine with sun cure epoxy and glass in 10 minutes and I'm ready to surf again. It doesn't look perfect this way, but if you don't care........  Resale value is shot though.

Oversized boards suck. Beware going big. My wife is way happier now that she has the right size board.

What about that 9'3 pop out PSH is building?

4436

Technique / Re: Shoulder Pain

« on: April 25, 2008, 03:11:01 PM »

  i'm having a constant throbbing pain in my right shoulder and wonder if shortening my paddle wouldn't help.  but i'm loath to cut it down, 'cause what if it doesn't make any diff?

  DavidJohn: this is where you come in.  With all your skills at jury rigging, seems to me if you put yer noggin to it you could figure out a way to attach some type of cross piece, a T of some sort, down the shaft a little and thus give at least an approximation of how a shorter paddle might work.  i stood in front of my werner spanker for a good ten minutes and drew a blank on how to accomplish this.  if you have time, maybe you could noodle it around.  what do you think?

Here is how I cut my Shaka Pu'u too short, then made it longer, then shortened it again back to my original cut.

When I decided to go longer, I cut the shaft 6" below the tee. Then I found a wood dowel that fit inside the shaft perfect. 7/8" dowel was a precision fit. I extended the paddle, now with a 1" gap between the cut, with wood dowel showing. I duct taped the joint while testing the new longer length. Had I like this length, I would have used epoxy and some glass cloth to cover the joint. Since I didn't like it longer, I just pushed the ends back together tight and used expoxy to bond the dowel and joint back together.

My wife had deep shoulder pain this Winter. Now that her paddle is shorter, no more pain. Can't say for sure the shorter paddle cured it. Test at your own risk. She also switched to a smaller blade. That for sure should help.

4437

SUP General / Re: Slight problem w/ SUP...

« on: April 23, 2008, 03:27:17 AM »

My truck is always loaded too.

Plus, its loaded with a case of Powerbars. Can't let hunger get in the way of play time. 

4438

Gear Talk / Re: Wife wants a board! Need help and advice!

« on: April 22, 2008, 04:17:19 PM »

Good to know!  Maybe it'll be worth holding out for the sandwich boards.  Being beginners, I'm sure we'll be banging the rails and deck quite a bit.   

I'm gonna have to google "PVC sandwich construction".  I thought it was simply epoxy resin instead of polyester resin that gave pop-out boards their durability.

http://www.boardlady.com/

This is the expert on sandwich construction.

4439

Gear Talk / Re: Wife wants a board! Need help and advice!

« on: April 22, 2008, 11:48:42 AM »

Pick out YOUR favorite board, and say, hunny, this is for you!

Big Island, shh... she's a member of this forum too! 

DW, my bad.  You said your wife has a sandwich construction board.  Didn't realize they were available right now.  So those are the more durable ones?  In the shop yesterday, they were all hand-glassed (some from China, some from San Diego).  When I asked if they plan on keeping their price point in July when we plan on buying our second board, Blane said that the hand-glassed ones won't be available anymore.  They'll all be the pop-out kind by then.

I don't know if the sandwich boards are available yet. My wife has one of the sample boards rushed to Blane for the trade show. She is one lucky woman. 

My understanding is the sandwich boards were due anytime. Yes, sandwich is more durable for sure. Better resale value too.

4440

Gear Talk / Re: Wife wants a board! Need help and advice!

« on: April 22, 2008, 09:59:51 AM »

So the pop-out PSH boards'll be more durable than the ones that they've got in stock right now?

You'd have to ask Austin that question. I don't know what they have in stock right now.

My hand glassed, I think, was glassed in China. I think some are glassed in CA and maybe other places too. Mine is super light, but fragile.