Messages

46

Gear Talk / Re: New longboard in my future

« on: March 31, 2022, 07:10:35 AM »

@ Dusk Patrol

This is important because a hard longboard surfboard, not a soft top, are not cheap. I think I paid $1,195.00 for my 9'3" Parallax back in 2021. It's a "silk purse", but if I didn't do my homework and installed the incorrect shape of the fin and the wrong length of the fin on it, the board would perform like a "sow's ear".

So if this was a mathematical equation where the end result is 100%, the longboard is 50% and fin is 50%. Choose the right length of fin and the shape of the fin and you'll have a "dream" longboard which will give you tons of pure joy when you're surfing it. Do your homework when it comes to fin selection for your longboard.

Below is a video of CJ Nelson surfing one of his model surfboards. The model of the surfboard in this video is not listed and the fin is not listed either. But I picked this video because the waves in the video off of San O in California are very similar to the waves I find when the wind is up and I'm surfing at Surfside, Texas. And my 9'3" Parallax easily handles these waves with my Flying Diamonds 9.5" Involvement fin.

At the time and date of this video, even though the model of longboard and fin length and shape are not listed, I knew what model of longboard he is surfing because he is nose riding it. The Outlier and Parallax are not nose riders, but the Neo Classic is. And I "would bet the farm" he is surfing his old prototype 10' Neo Classic log with a 10.5" Flying Diamonds "Power Flex" fin.

When it comes to his favorite models of boards which he rides the most; CJ rides his 10' Neo Classic nose rider log with a Flying Diamonds 10.5" Power Flex fin, his 9'6" Parallax with a Flying Diamonds 10.5" Parallax fin and his 7'6" Outlier with a Flying Diamonds 9" or 9.5" Involvement fin.

Now for the video with the waves of San O which are almost the waves I find at Surfside, Texas when the wind is up from the south or southeast. No music in this video and watch it in full screen mode and 1080p60 HD.

47

Gear Talk / Re: New longboard in my future

« on: March 29, 2022, 06:47:32 AM »

One board I'm looking at is by Firewire in Thunderbolt Silver. But I'm also looking for a user friendly board for family to mess around on. So that makes the buying decision process less focused!

I'm very aware of Firewire.

When I bought my 9'3" Parallax, I purchased it from REAL Watersports in North Carolina. But REAL, at that time, did not carry the Flying Diamonds fins.

I purchased my 9.0 Involvement fin in Volan Green color online from Hawaiian South Shore in Honolulu, Hawaii. After surfing my Parallax at Surfside, Texas; I wanted a 9.5 Involvement fin for bigger waves (chest to overhead), but Hawaiian South Shore was out of this size. Bummer!

So I went on Firewire's website and they carry Flying Diamonds fins (at that time) and they had a 9.5 Involvement fin in Volan Green color so I purchased it online.

I just checked Firewire's website and hovered over the Fin category, a context window opened up and the Longboard selection is noted. After clicking on the Longboard selection, Firewire has a nice selection of longboard fins from CJ Nelson, FCS 2, Kai Sallas and Taylor Jensen fins.

Whatever longboard you select, keep us (me) apprised of your final selection concerning your board and fin brand and size selection.

BTW, the beach water temperature at Surfside and Quintana beaches has reached 66 degrees F so that is my minimum water comfort zone where I don't shiver since I don't wear a wetsuit. I'm hoping to get down to the beach next week for some surfing.

If the wind is really up next week (17-22 mph), I'll just take my Parallax longboard, but if the wind is moderate (10-15 mph), I'll take my Parallax and one of my Duke sups with me.

48

Gear Talk / Re: New longboard in my future

« on: March 28, 2022, 12:10:07 PM »

@ Dusk Patrol

When I decided to get a prone surfing longboard, I had set out some criteria for it.

1) A longboard which would work will with my weight of (as of right now) 148 pounds where the waves I would normally encounter. Waves from 1 1/2' to 4' in height (on me, from knee to chest high).

2) The board would have to be fast for my weight and the waves I would encounter.

3) The board would have enough flex (stiffness) and (spring) to accomplish what I wanted in the first two above criteria and it would also have enough volume in it so I could surf these types of waves without any problems.

4) And the last missing detail is the correct fin size and shape.

Most longboards are either high performance boards with multiple fin boxes or single fin nose rider boards. Since I do not do any nose riding, I "initially" wanted a high performance longboard. But I changed my mind when I found there is a third type of board.

A board that can be trimmed (steered) from the middle of the board where one does not have to turn the board by having one of their back feet on the left or right rail or stepping back on the board and putting the back foot over the fin.

I think this design change was promoted by CJ Nelson. And he designed three of these boards to do just that. They are the Outlier, Parallax and Neo Classic. These are fast boards with lots of volume in them which is tricky to do in their given lengths.

My Parallax longboard was shaped by Ryan Engle. When it comes to the Parallax model, there are "now" four lengths. An 8'3", 9'3", 9'6" and a 9'9".

Since I'm 5'8 in height and my weight is 148 pounds, since I normally encounter wave heights in my message above, I needed a board with enough "flex" (stiffness) and "spring" in it to generate a fast speed from the waves I regularly surf at my weight. I found Thunderbolt Technologies where Thunderbolt has three degrees of stiffness. The degrees are Red, Black and Silver.

The "Red" is designed for smaller surfers (weight wise) like myself surfing small to medium waves. The "Black" is for larger persons (weight wise) surfing large powerful waves like chest high to overhead. The Black is much stiffer than the Red construction. The "Silver" is basically a stiffness to emulate the old "logs" feeling back in the 60's, but unlike traditional logs, be fast.

I chose my single fin 9'3" Parallax in Red construction with it's 78.8 liters of volume because it would be best for my height, weight and the waves I would normally encounter. And as a bonus, since one liter of saltwater weighs 2.25 pounds, this means 78.8 times 2.25 equals 177.3 pounds so when I'm standing on my Parallax and the water is not choppy, since I weigh 148 pounds, I can stand on my longboard and it does not sink below the water.

CJ designed fins for his models of longboards which are Nose Rider, Power Flex, Cali Pivot, Parallax, Involvement, Classic Pivot and Performance Center under the Flying Diamonds brand.

I chose a Flying Diamonds "Involvement" fin model and I have both a 9.0 and a (9.5). I like my 9.5 a lot. The correct fin shape and size can turn a "sow's ear into a silk purse" and the wrong fin shape and size will turn a "silk purse into a sow's ear" if you get my drift. Fin placement in the large center fin box is also crucial.

Some of the top surfers have designed longboards like CJ Nelson, Harley Ingleby, Taylor Jensen, Ben Skinner, Kai Sallas, Tom Mann and they have all went with Thunderbolt Technologies for the stiffness for their line of boards model wise. And Thunderbolt boards are highly durable unlike a PU (poly) board. I have no pressure dings in my Parallax.

If you want a technical detail video of a Thunderbolt built board, then the video below will show it. Watch the video in full screen mode. BTW, there are lots of videos on YouTube which the above designers tell you why they chose Thunderbolt Technologies for their line of boards.

49

Gear Talk / Re: New longboard in my future

« on: March 26, 2022, 06:22:31 PM »

@ Dusk Patrol

I can't tell if you're serious or not about getting a longboard. But I can tell you, since I own a prone longboard surfboard, it is true because there is "definitely" something about it. I like to think of it as something of a "rush" which is the feeling I get when surfing my 9'3" longboard.

50

Random / Re: Cover songs.

« on: February 19, 2022, 05:19:02 AM »

It has been awhile since anyone has posted a cover song in this topic thread. So I thought I would post one today. But this one will be a "two for one" and I'll explain below.

In another topic thread, I started a topic on Longboards (prone) for surfing. Some on here have said they no longer prone surf anymore because of their age and other physical ailments. Supping is easier to do than prone surfing since the main problem most "older" surfers encounter when prone surfing is doing the "pop-up". No pop-ups when surfing a sup.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos and there is an Australian surfer named, Rick Wilder, who is almost 70 years old (at the time of this post) and surfs a prone longboard everyday when he can. Below is a video of him surfing some nice waves off the Coffs Coast in the country of Australia.

The music to this video is a cover song to The Beatles song, "No-Where Man" performed by the Mona Lisa Twins. Hope you enjoy the cover song and as a bonus, Rick surfing a few of his single fin longboards.

BTW, watch Rick as he does his only pop-up when he catches his first wave at the beginning of his surfing session. I basically do the same pop-up on my CJ Nelson 9'3" Parallax single fin longboard with a 9.5 Flying Diamonds "Involvement" fin.

As for me, I just turned 72 and I weigh a "massive" 148 pounds.

The Mona Lisa Twins - "No-Where Man".

51

General Discussion / Re: Any info about this board?

« on: January 08, 2022, 03:03:14 AM »

I think the board model you have is the one Laird is using in this video, but in the video I think the board does not have a deck pad and it might be a 10'6" length.

52

General Discussion / Re: Any info about this board?

« on: January 07, 2022, 09:18:37 PM »

That is a great find!

53

SUP General / Re: Surfboards (Longboards)

« on: January 04, 2022, 04:15:59 PM »

I ran across this excellent pop-up surfing video for prone surfing. This video will give in detail some of the various pop-up techniques for longboards and a longboard is very good for "older' prone surfers.........like quite a few of us here on the Zone site.

Since I'm going to be 72 years old in February, even with a partial tear of my meniscus in my left knee, I prefer the back foot pop-up technique (which is sometimes called the "chicken wing") which is perfect for older prone surfers. Since I'm 5'8" and weigh a "massive" 148 pounds at the moment, the back foot pop-up is perfect for me since I use my right foot for the back foot pop-up.

And it works great when I'm prone surfing using my 9'3" Parallax surfboard.

Hope you enjoy the video.

54

SUP General / Re: Surfboards (Longboards)

« on: December 21, 2021, 05:57:59 AM »

But my older kid is getting more into prone surfing  these days. Got his own longboard, he keeps it in my place so we usually going out together.  Perhaps one day I'm gonna join him with one of my longboards, just to check  if there is a way back

If you seriously want that way back, there is a way back. You just have to "really" want it.

My left (in 2002) and right (in 2017) shoulders have both been surgically repaired. The first thing, after each shoulder was repaired, both of my physical therapists asked me point blank, "If you have a goal for your shoulders, you'll have to do PT in here at the sports medicine complex for a month (3 times a week for 4 weeks) and then when released, do PT at your home for somewhere between 6 and 9 months.

They told me don't slack off because many people get complacent and don't realize those shoulders take time and effort to heal. So instead of 6 months of doing PT at their home, they do maybe 3 months. Their shoulders don't heal right and then they complain when it is their own fault.

I told each of them my goal was to get back on the water to prone surf and then later on, sup surf. So I did my PT at my home and it got me back on the water where I belong.

So if your shoulder still has an untreated partial RC tear, spend the money, take the time, do the PT work and get that shoulder repaired "right". Your shoulder will thank you in the end by letting you do things you haven't done in many years (like prone surfing with one of your longboards with your son) because of shoulder pain.

55

SUP General / Re: Surfboards (Longboards)

« on: December 20, 2021, 09:34:04 AM »

Since I've been on this site for a few years, everyone knows my favorite place to surf (sup or prone) is at Surfside, Texas. The best place at Surfside, is at Surfside Jetty Park since the water is deep and produces nice waves most of the time.

The only drawback is, Surfside Jetty Park (SJP) opens up at 8:00 am. I like to be on the water in the summertime as the sun is rising which is usually between 6:30 am - 7:00 am.

So last month (November), I decided to find another place to surf where the waves are similar at Surfside. And I found it. It was very close by.

The Surfside Channel is separated by two jetties. Surfside Jetty and at the base of the jetty is where SJP is. The other jetty is the Quintana Jetty which has miles of free beach (no beach parking permits) and easy beach access.

The waves at Quintana Beach (QB for short) are basically a carbon copy of the waves at Surfside (SJP). Finding YouTube videos for Quintana Beach is "far and few inbetween".

I did find a few videos where there is sail boarding, foil boarding, prone and sup surfing. So I am going to post two YT videos below. These two video are best viewed in full screen mode. The first video should also be viewed in 1080p HD and the second video is best viewed in 1440p60 HD.

The first video is of some prone surfers surfing some waves with most of them using a longboard. The video was shot from a drone. The drone takes a 360 degree shot of the place so I recognized where it is. The surfers are surfing about 1/2 to 1 mile away from the Quintana Jetty.

The second video was taken with a hand held video camera close to the Quintana Jetty. The girl surfing a wave gets a nice long ride with her longboard and this is how I like to surf. A nice long gliding ride whether I'm using a prone surfboard or a sup.

And the guy surfing a shortboard is not doing too good. If someone is going to prone surf waves off of Texas beaches, the longboard is "king of the waves" especially if the waves for that day are not too good knee high waves.

56

SUP General / Re: Surfboards (Longboards)

« on: December 19, 2021, 01:16:53 PM »

@ oceanAddict

When I prone surf at Surfside, I'm the oldest person, age wise, surfing at Surfside. Is it because of "old age" or other ailments which is the reason why you do not prone surf anymore?

If it is because of "age", there is a person named Bob McTavish who is an Australian surfboard designer and he has been shaping surfboards probably for the last 50 years. He was born in 1944 which makes him, depending on the month of the year, 77 years old.

Bob still surfs and I have in my collection of prone surfing videos, an excellent video of him surfing one of the surfboards he designed. Most of the video is in "slow motion" so it is easy to see things in detail. Especially his pop-up. You'll see two of these pop-ups starting around the 50 second mark and then again at the 2 minute mark of the video.

So if age or other ailments are keeping you from prone surfing, maybe this video below will spark the interest in you to prone surf again. Nothing like getting re-acquainted with those surfboards you can't get rid of or which have that special sentimental value to you. And I'm sure; if all of your surfboards could actually talk, they would probably ask you, "How about another ride with us?"

57

SUP General / Re: Surfboards (Longboards)

« on: December 18, 2021, 04:38:43 AM »

@ Badger

My late dad gave me some great advice when I was young. He told me if and when I reach retirement, don't rest. Because if you rest, you rust. When "Death" comes knocking at my door, Death won't find me sitting in a recliner. Death will most likely find me on a lake flat water paddling or down on the upper Texas coast sup or prone surfing.

My usual routine, whether prone surfing or sup surfing down surfing at Surfside, Texas is twice a month since I take both my Parallax and one of my sup boards with me, either my One World or one of my two Dukes . My flat water paddling is on our area lakes which are depending on my choice of the day (our subdivision lake, Lake Woodlands, Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston) two times a week. This outdoor regimen keeps me fit and limber. It also helps that I'm a lightweight of 148 pounds (at this time).

Prone surfing in 2021 was great for me. Ever since I bought my CJ Nelson 9'3" "Parallax" longboard, I've been going down to Surfside, Texas to catch lots of waves. From the time I got my Parallax until the water temperature went below 66 degrees F since I do not wear a wetsuit. Anything below 66 degrees F and I start to shiver.

Basically, from knee high waves to head high waves depending on wind speed, wind direction and wave conditions. And I've been going down to Surfside twice a month. When I prone (or sup surf) at Surfside, I surf for three hours since Surfside is over 100 miles from my home with a few 15 minute rests breaks thrown in because of my age. I have just recently quit prone surfing, since the water temperature is now at 63 degrees F so I'm now in self imposed "dry dock" until the middle of March of 2022 when the water temperature will climb back to 66 degrees F. Then do "rinse and repeat" for 2022. At least this is the plan.

In February of 2022, I'll be 72. Am I in perfect physical condition at my age? The answer is "hell no". I have a partial tear of the meniscus in my left knee. But the partial tear causes me no pain in the left knee. I have a pinched nerve in my lower right side of my back above my hip bone next to my lower spine. Can I do a pop-up like the young guys in their late teens, twenties and thirties? The answer is, "hell no" because of the pinched nerve that acts up every now and then.

But I don't let a pinched nerve in my lower back keep me from prone surfing. Since I can not do a pop-up like the younger prone surfers can do, I have learned to do a "work around" pop-up since there are four different methods to do a pop-up. The one I use is the one that beginners use which is the "chicken wing" and it is geared to a longboard of 9' in length and over. This technique is great and easy for us "old codgers" as well since it allows us to keep prone surfing in our "old age".

Below are two videos. The first video shows all four pop-up methods. The second video will show the "chicken wing" in much more detail. In the second video, the chicken wing method is in the second half of the video so watch the entire video.





As for foiling, this doesn't appeal to me so I don't do it. When it comes to prone surfing, I'm a longboarder at heart.

58

SUP General / Re: Surfboards (Longboards)

« on: December 15, 2021, 05:39:04 AM »

After a few months, I thought I would resurrect this topic thread.

Looks like Surfside Jetty Park down at Surfside, Texas got a nice new streaming webcam. It is at the link below for their website.

Once on the page, scroll on down till you see the webcam. It might not be streaming, but after few seconds the webcam will detect your browser and it should turn on automatically.

If not, after a few seconds, click on "Skip Ad" and the cam should start streaming.

https://www.brazoriacountytx.gov/departments/parks-department/surfside-jetty

Surfside is my favorite place to sup and prone surf with my boards.

59

Fish Tales, Stand Up style / Re: Anchor recommendation

« on: December 01, 2021, 06:43:36 AM »

When I was saltwater fishing from my 14'9" Scupper Pro TW, now discontinued by Ocean Kayak, I used a 2.2 pound Bruce claw anchor. The key to have the anchor not dragging along the bottom is the amount of scope (angle) from the anchor to the kayak.

I used a ratio of (7:1). Which means in a 15 mph wind and the the depth of the water was 25 feet, the length of rope from the anchor to the kayak was 175 feet. This kept me from drifting and kept me right over my secret fishing "spot" for flounder.

A 2.2 pound claw pound anchor will easily hold a sup in place as long as the scope of rope is correct. You can see a Bruce style claw anchor at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/MarineNow-Galvanized-Bruce-Style-Anchor/dp/B07PGWMMP5/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=B00X4SNK3E&psc=1

BTW, Lemar also makes a claw anchor.

60

General Discussion / Re: New Ride-2019 Nissan Frontier

« on: November 18, 2021, 02:20:18 PM »

Cookie,

Very nice looking truck. And you were smart going with the long bed.