Topics

31

SUP General / Ever surf Masonburo Island?

« on: April 24, 2018, 08:57:20 AM »

Since a move to North Carolina is looking more likely, I've been looking at surfing spots nearest to where we might live.  I was reading about Masonburo Island and it looked pretty good.  Anybody have intel on it for SUP surfing?

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SUP General / Why the east coast has been good and the west coast has sucked this year

« on: March 19, 2018, 10:43:06 AM »

I can't believe what a dismal winter and spring we have had for surf in SoCal.   A Surfline article addresses this phenomena: http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/pesky-high-pressure-plagues-the-pacific-while-the-storm-track-off-the-east-coast-delivers-east-coast-surf-shin_152230/


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33

Gear Talk / 3" Fins Rock My 9'1 Creek

« on: February 28, 2018, 04:45:46 PM »

Hey Creek owners, I put 3" fins all around on my 9'1 Creek.  That's tiny.  I'm not sure what the surface area of them are because they are just some cheap plastic ones I had laying around in my garage.  I know they are about half the size of the ones that came with it. 

Was thinking they would be too small, but was pleasantly surprised.  No slipping at all.  I think the radical channels act like fins a little too.  I lost maybe just a little drive with the tiny fins, but the turning improved dramatically.  Now the board works up and down on a wave easily and pumps nicely.  Cutbacks are a piece of cake.  I doubt such small fins will work when the surf is overhead and I'll probably put at least a bigger fin in the back.

34

SUP General / Ever paddled the U.S. National Whitewater Center?

« on: February 23, 2018, 05:26:24 AM »

I'm visiting family in Matthews NC and they are telling me you can "surf" at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.  I've shot some class 3 and 4 rapids in a kayak, went away with 12 stitches, but I have never river SUP'd.  Anyone have any intel on the place? 

35

Random / Post Retirement Jobs

« on: February 20, 2018, 04:05:02 PM »

I'm spending this week visiting the grandkids in North Carolina and my daughter is admonishing me to get a job when I retire.  Which will likely be when this year's teaching contract expires on June 15th. 

She is telling me that I should drive for Uber.  She says that they have a discount deal with an insurance company to offer lower prices for health insurance for their drivers.  At first I thought it was a stupid idea, but I'm beginning to consider it.  Does anyone know more about it?

What other jobs might be suitable?  Not sure I want to work at all, but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

36

Random / Geezer Mountain Biking

« on: February 16, 2018, 10:52:02 AM »

OCSurf and I were talking about mountain biking today and he told me of someone (not young) he knows who took a tumble on a mountain bike and became paralyzed.  He was an advanced rider and I assume he was doing some flying stuff.  Not interested in that, but is careful mountain bike trail riding a bad idea for us older folks?  I love it and plan to have my mountain bike serviced, then hit the trails again.  I love gnarly hill climbs and single tracks done slowly, but I'm not too excited about being paralyzed. 

37

Random / Health Insurance and Retirement?

« on: February 14, 2018, 12:18:45 PM »

Health insurance concerns are keeping me from retiring at my current age of 60.  I've got enough investments and real estate that I could live pretty well off of it, except for health insurance costs which increase substantially as you age.  Anybody else in that same situation?

I think I understand that one can't qualify for Medicare until 66 1/2 now. Does anyone have any tips on health coverage?

I'm healthy and could keep my teaching job for 10 or 15 more years...I just don't want to. 

38

Gear Talk / First Impressions of my 9'1 Sunova Creek

« on: February 05, 2018, 08:52:22 AM »

After 2 weeks of nothing, we finally had waist to shoulder high waves this morning.  I've ridden my new Creek 5 or 6 times in knee/ankle surf, but that's not a fair test of a board.  When we get a little better surf I'll try to get some decent vid with the SoloShot. 

Fit and Finish: This is the prettiest board I have ever owned.  Almost too pretty to ride.  The deck pad came unstuck in one place, but a little contact cement took care of that. 

Stability: It's tippy for a 31" wide board....and I love that.  It's more tippy than my 30" wide Element.  The slight dome in the deck does that, but it also helps the board get on a rail better.

Turning:  Wow, just wow.  Just like Rick specified, you can pump up speed from the middle of this board.  I've never had a SUP that I can pump like that.  Today I was able to take off behind a section and pump the board down the line to beat a couple of sections.  Way fun!  I've yet to pull a satisfying slash cutback with it, but I think that was due to my questionable foot placement technique.  Gotta work on that.

Speed:  This board is faaaaast.  I think it has something to do with the wicked channels at the tail.  Looking forward to attempting some tube rides with it.  Something else I have not been able to do before on a SUP.

All in all, I'm optimistic about this one.  It's a little heavier than I expected, but it's built really solid.  It seems like this board will last a long time.

39

SUP General / Get new board = surf going flat

« on: January 29, 2018, 06:38:12 AM »

I think it's a universal constant.  Get new board = surf going flat.  I'm not sure of the exact mathematical calculations, but I'm sure this constant must exist.  Does that happen to you? 


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40

SUP General / Ever practice your SUP skills on a big skateboard?

« on: January 05, 2018, 07:36:10 PM »

I would think that you could improve your SUP surfing skills by practicing cutbacks, cross-stepping, and several other skills on one of those big skateboards.  Trucks tightened down to simulate a wider board.  I know I improved my prone surfing skills when I was on the OCC surf team many years ago by practicing moves on a regular skateboard.  Have you ever done that?  Did it help?  I'm not happy with the smoothness of my cutbacks especially and am considering picking up a long skateboard on Craigslist. 

41

SUP General / Just ordered a 9'1 Creek.

« on: January 03, 2018, 10:49:17 AM »

I haven't bought myself a board in a year and a half, been jonseing for a Sunova for a long time, so I pulled the trigger and ordered one from JimK.  I'm buying it totally on the info I've gotten here on the Zone, sight unseen.  No opportunity to try a Creek in So Cal that I know of.  I did ride Tom's Sunova Flow once, but that's the only exposure I've had to Sunova, so it's a bit of a gamble.

My biggest concern is about size.  Do I want the 9'1 that should turn better but maybe not catch waves as well as the 9'4?  It's a tough decision to make.  Hope I made the right call.  I'm 195 LBS right now, but should get down to 180 as I lose my winter gut. 


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42

Random / What do you think Slater's wave pool will do to surfing?

« on: December 17, 2017, 10:01:42 AM »

I have been watching some of the Slater wave pool videos recently, and it has set me to thinking about the impact it may have.  What is your opinion?

1. If this proliferates, will having great waves available all over the country make our beaches more crowded as people travel to try ocean surfing after learning on a wave pool? 

2. Will ubiquitous, great waves advance professional surfing in the public eye?

3. Will predictable waves in controllable venues make surfing more attractive as an Olympic sport?

4. If it becomes available, would this be a good investment?   I'm sure initial the capital outlay is huge. 

5. Are you dying to go try it...like me?

Just thought this might be an interesting subject to discuss.


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43

SUP General / How well does a Sunova Creek slash? Got vid?

« on: December 09, 2017, 11:53:39 AM »

Anybody have any vids of a Sunova Creek doing aggressive turns?  I'm on the verge of buying one, but it's tough when there is no opportunity to try one.  I've got much shorter/performance boards but I'm looking at the 9'2 as possibly a board that might be a good wave hog and can still surf aggressively. 

Nobody on this coast has one I could try, right?

44

SUP General / What are you thankful for?

« on: November 22, 2017, 06:56:57 PM »

What are you thankful for? 

Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.  Get out and paddle sometime this holiday!

-Mike

45

SUP General / This guy has no surfboard? Explain this to me.

« on: November 18, 2017, 09:13:38 PM »

Starting at :56 to 1:08 it appears these guys are riding invisible surfboards.  Is this edited somehow?  Or some new surfing tech? Some sort of foil? What am I seeing here?