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Messages - Fog City Rider

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1
I'll chime in since I've owned a Surftech Pearson Laird 10'0 & also have a custom Pearson Laird 9'0. I also own a 2017 Naish Nalu Pro 10'0 (the one reviewed on SUPboardermag.com).

Agree that the Pearson Arrow shape is the BOMB for surfing. Having owned both a Surftech & a handshaped custom, I would go custom over Tuflite 10 times out of 10. Tuflite is heavy and stiff and feels lifeless on a wave IMO. Sure it's indestructible, but I'm not a beginner anymore and know how to treat my boards. I've had the 9'0 for many years and it's going strong.

I will say this - IMO the Pearson Lairds are excellent surfers but sluggish paddlers. HUGE nose and low entry rocker doesn't do any favors for glide, especially in bumpier conditions where the nose is underwater a lot and gets pushed around. But in clean conditions, it's all good. My 9'0 slashes turns and noserides with the best of them. Surfers are often surprised at what I can pull off on that thing.

The Naish Nalu Pro is a totally different animal. More pulled in nose with heaps of rocker. Paddles well in all conditions, really shines in larger swell and rougher conditions thanks to the banana rocker fitting nicely in the troughs between waves. Fun in small waves, but absolutely rips when the swell picks up. I prefer the Laird on a small glassy day, but I've learned to love this board for it's versatility. It works in overhead waves & I haven't really found its limit yet. IMHO it's kinda a "fun gun" disguised as a longboard SUP.

I imagine the Starboard Longboard might sit right in the midde of these 2 boards, but can't say for sure. For cleaner, lined up conditions and a perfect blend of carving and noseriding, Pearson wins. For versatility and easy paddling and especially if noseriding isn't your thing, you can't beat the Nalu Pro. Of course if you go custom with Bob, he can make you anything!




2
Gear Talk / Re: if you could only have one board (2021 version)
« on: July 31, 2021, 02:38:57 PM »
My 10'0 Naish Nalu Pro. Hefty rocker is great in bumpy conditions + holds its own in large surf.

But, it's also a blast in 1-2' surf and is paddles efficiently enough for SUP surf safaris too.

Nothing beats my 9'0 Pearson Arrow custom in small to medium clean conditions, but the Nalu Pro is SO versatile.

(whoops it's not a 2021 version but I don't think they've changed much)

3
Gear Talk / Re: Hypr Nalu Hawaii 12'6" gun - something a little special
« on: December 05, 2020, 01:24:33 PM »
Great to hear - I weigh the same as you. I was basically happy to order either a 12'6 x 29 or the 11'6, but then Ian told me he had this 27.5 already in CA... I think it's gonna be perfect and I'd rather wait one week than a couple months  8).

4
The only reason you didn't like surfing that inflatable is cuz it didn't incorporate the "torpedo" channelled, carbon reflex wing foil attachment "step" system that Tom Carroll recently invented in Thailand. Duh.


 




5
Gear Talk / Re: Hypr Nalu Hawaii 12'6" gun - something a little special
« on: December 04, 2020, 09:49:13 PM »
Yes, the stability is gobsmacking. They have really discovered how to make a narrow board stable. It is rumoured that they will bring out a 14x26 soon, with a design along the lines of these gun shapes. It could be truly awesome. The 12-6 gun is really great, but at 29” wide it is perhaps almost more stable than it needs to be. 28” in this design at that length would probably still have been fine for most people. The main issue is getting people to believe how stable it will be! Many would look at a 11-6x28.5 low volume board and say “it will be too tippy for me”. But it’s actually more stable than my 10x30 Stylemaster. Probably even than my 160L 10-6x30 Naish Nalu.

It's super reassuring to read this. If all goes as planned, I'll be stepping onto a 12'6 x 27.5 HYPR Gun in about a week. I've been outta the SUP game for a while, but maybe I've finally stumbled upon the board to make my offshore surfari fantasies a reality?! YEA BUD!

6
Gear Talk / Re: NEW KENALU PADDLE!
« on: December 04, 2020, 08:59:39 PM »
Stoked for you. I miss my Ke Nalu (lost it, long story). Bought a Werner Rip Stick to replace it. It's a good paddle but I should have just bought another Ke Nalu, doh!

7
Gear Talk / Re: Recommendation for locking straps
« on: February 26, 2020, 10:12:52 PM »
Kanulocks, but their keys are rubbish. But they still get my vote.

Agreed about the locks. One of mine snapped so I had a locksmith make metal copies of the other key. I've had the same straps since 2012 and they're still going strong.

8
i really believe that the vast majority of americans, regardless of political flavoring, care deeply about environmental issues, and support sensible environmental policy, as well as government-managed, protected national environmental treasures---like our national parks system etc

big business spins hard as ever, and confuses much, with intent--and pays politicians, lobbyists and Washington power-brokers to implement environment-harming business-benefiting policy--where we all pay those significant external costs to those businesses--

but where americans have good info, they care a lot about taking care with our environment

what political flavor would tolerate a nasty oil spill? who would resist sensible laws to prevent? who has no issue with acid rains killing off precious remote fresh water lakes rivers, etc?

money, tentacled throughout our political system these days, complicates all of this.......seems the basic shit the all americans believe, just doesnt figure in much anymore

Well said.

9
It is a good job. I'm overworked & the pay is about what you'd expect from a non-profit, but I'm passionate about the cause and feel like I'm making an impact (however small).

Not sure what put such a bad taste in your mouth re: Surfrider, although I applaud your skepticism as there are many non-profits that operate dishonestly or as PR extensions of companies that pollute and/or have questionable business practices. 

Speaking for Surfrider, the positions we take are absolutely based on science. We have scientists on staff to assure that. And no one's here to fill their pockets. Environmental non-profit work would be a foolish way to go about that, trust me.

Re: beach cleanups, no environmentalist worth their salt would tell you they're a real solution to the problem of pollution on our beaches. But the data we collect at those cleanups does inform our education & policy efforts towards the real goal - preventing our beaches from getting trashed in the first place. Community cleanups also offer an entry-level opportunity for people to volunteer and make an impact. Many of our volunteer leaders got their start at a Surfrider beach cleanup.

Another great thing about Surfrider is that for the most part, the organization & its staff exist to support and inspire everyday people to make an impact in their community. Here in SD & in every other Chapter, the lion's share of our work is done by volunteers working together to achieve victories for our coast. The bulk of my job consists of supporting those volunteers.

surfridersd.org 

10
Environment / Re: ReSUP = Rethink Single Use Plastics
« on: February 16, 2019, 04:57:42 PM »
AWESOME!

11
Here is a drone vid of Solana Beach during the King Tides in January. No beach. It's sad but that is likely the normal high tide in 30-50 years. Miles of pristine beach, lost. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8-QAPJ-ga8

12
Sea walls kill beaches & our surf spots, no 2 ways around it. I can't speak to any non-specific European examples, but here in CA they are built by private property owners to protect their properties from natural coastal erosion and sea level rise. There is definitely a lack of awareness, as many causal beachgoers assume (as I once did) that they exist to protect the public. 99.9% of the time, nope.

It works like this - when you armor the coast, you create a barrier to natural erosion processes and essentially set a hard back to the beach. As sea levels rise, we'll lose that beach. We'll also lose surf breaks, as the "new normal" higher tides won't have anywhere to go + refraction from walls sucks for waves + less accessible beaches.

This is a very contentious issue for Surfrider, as we (yes I work for Surfrider SD County) go up against wealthy, powerful homeowners and developers who have endless funds to malign us and spread misinformation. I'm in no way anti-coastal homeowner, either, and I have empathy for property owners whose coastal homes are put in jeopardy by extremely alarming sea level rise projections. There ARE protections put in place for sea walls built prior to the CA Coastal Act (1972).

That said, Surfrider is in essence fighting for what the CA Coastal Act enshrined - the beach belongs to all Californians, not just those wealthy or fortunate enough to own beachfront properties. We will keep fighting this fight for the greater good of all surfers, beachgoers, our coastal heritage, and our coastal environment.



 


13
Gear Talk / Re: BigBoy 12' Sunova Search
« on: February 08, 2019, 09:03:37 PM »
How is the Point Break different from the Search, specifically?

This surf expedition type board has been appealing to me for a long time.

14
Gear Talk / Re: Infinity New Deal 10x27"
« on: February 08, 2019, 09:00:34 PM »
That board looks plain awesome to my eyes.

I took out my custom Pearson Arrow Laird 9'0 x 28 3/4 squash tail today for the 1st time in 6 months and had a total blast. I "reverse converted" to prone longboarding about a year ago.

A narrow 10'0 is IMO ideal for a SUP. I had the Surftech Laird 10'0 x28.5, but I hated the lifeless Tuflite feel. It was heavy too and paddled like a dog.

Congrats on the New Deal. You'll be "king of the beach" for sure!

15
General consensus is that mineral-based sunscreens are "reef friendly." these are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the active ingredients.

Chemical sunscreens have been shown to damage coral reef, especially OXYBENZONE and OCTINOXATE.

Hawaii was the 1st state to ban these 2 chemicals last year. Key West recently followed, like earlier this week I believe.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/03/health/hawaii-sunscreen-ban/index.html

This is not my specialty area, but as an environmental activist, I'm happy to share what I do know about this subject.

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