Topics

31

Flatwater and Touring / Early Spring on Constitution Marsh

« on: April 10, 2017, 09:43:56 AM »

I took my Pau Hana Ricochet into Constitution Marsh yesterday. This is a marsh behind Constitution Island, and that's owned by West Point. I've done this trip before but never so early in the year. My goal was a waterfall at the far southern end, maybe a mile and a half in. The tide was about two hours ebbing when I put in, so I was worried I wouldn't make it. The marsh can get very shallow at low tide. That's good when you're going under the train bridges, but bad across the mud flats.

Interesting seeing a marsh when things are just beginning to grow. Normally it's filled with tweeting, but I only saw our usual winter residents: crows, vultures. I saw a couple of carp in the water. I saw a bald eagle nest, which are getting well established around here.

The marsh is usually pretty turbid, but there are some cool sections where creeks run into it and the clear water hits the muddle water. You get this clear division between the two waters briefly. The water was still in the low 40s, so no swimming yet.

I couldn't make it to the waterfall. I'll have to try again just before high tide. Next trip!

32

Gear Talk / Pau Hana Ricochet Board Review

« on: March 11, 2017, 09:15:11 AM »

Okay, I'm putting my damn money where my mouth is. I got a Pau Ricochet 11' Big EZ board which will be a long-term test.

An 11' all-around is kind of backwards step. The tendency is as you get better you go for a more specialized board. But that's not most SUPers. Most people get one board, so I'm going to put this board through a long term test as a one-board quiver. (It's part of a SUPexaminer series I'm doing.) I just unpacked it so didn't get a great shot of the whole board. It's weird unpacking a board in the snow, but it was 60Ί last week, I swear!

The Ricochet texture is a little odd. Not bad, just different. It reminds me of some of those matt-finish books. It's not plasticy like one of those Bic Dura-Tecs, but it doesn't quite feel the same as a standard EPS board. It doesn't feel very hard, but from what I understand the strength in this board is how the walls bend. I don't think will be a problem.

Not a lot of rocker in this board. It'll be fine for the wimpy surfing I do, but the curve looks biased towards flatwater. It's got a planing nose, but the rest of it feels like a cruiser. It's pretty flat, so I'm sure it would fine for yoga.

It's got nine of these Seamount plugs. This is a fancy name for a screw mount instead the bungie tie-downs were used to. You can get all sorts of accessories for the Seamounts like phone and rod holders. Soon I'll be getting a GoPro mount and some bungie tie-downs. I like the Seamount on the underside of the nose so I can mount an underwater GoPro.

Can somebody tell me what this hole through the tail is for? A flag plug? I'm confused.

I'll get this thing on the water soon. It's 25Ί and windy right now. In the next week or so. I'm really looking forwards to testing this out!

33

Fish Tales, Stand Up style / Underwater Board-mounted GoPro

« on: January 31, 2017, 01:17:18 PM »

I have a new GoPro Session, and I've been thinking of some innovative ways to use it. One idea I had was to mount it on the underside of my board and create a moving fishcam. I could imagine some really fun video with that. You could take it to the beach and check out what's really underneath you. I remember last time I was at Jacksonville Beach, I saw some big schools of small fish swarming just beyond the surf line. Wouldn't it be cool to put a camera in those and see what's going on?

I could also imagine some gorgeous video of underwater vistas. You could do fish counts with it as well, which might count as scientific research. It might be even cooler to pair it with a SmartFin (http://smartfin.org/project/) and combine the fish count data with water conditions.

I'm just dreaming at this point, but I'm thinking of trying it. I'm going to replace all of my all-around/surf SUPs with a Pau Hana Ricochet board, which has underwater SeaMounts. I know there will be an issue with collisions, so I'll need to be extra careful and tether the GoPro to the board.

Anybody ever try something like this?

34

Gear Talk / GoPro Tether Point Mount

« on: December 25, 2016, 05:58:51 PM »

I don't know if this has been covered before, but I need a mount for my new GoPro that will attach to the built in tether points on my NSP board. I've seen a threaded screw mount that will attach to the tether point, and I want to attach the GoPro there. Can anybody point me in the right direction.

I swear I saw the headwear on a webpage, but I can't find it for the life of me.

35

Random / I'm Damn Grateful

« on: December 24, 2016, 07:14:33 PM »

Yeah, I could say the usual, but my son is alive today.

We're in the Albany, NY are where his Opa lives. Gabriel wanted to do some last-minute holiday shopping. We went to a local bookstore to get something for his mother. I was on line when I realized I'd left my phone in the car. I sent Gabriel back to get it.

About a minute later someone came into the bookstore asking for an "Ethan" and said something else. Someone rushed out and I kind of discounted it. But Gabriel didn't come back. I left my unpaid purchases on a shelf and went outside. Down the street there was a crowd around someone on the ground.

These were about the worst moments of my life when I realized the person on the ground was my son. Someone said, “He was hit by a car.” It took about twenty seconds for Gabriel to move. He was face down. There was a doctor and nurse there already. They were passers by. Then he started crying, which was f---ing music to my ears. They tested his hands and feet, and Gabriel could move them.

The EMTs and police got there pretty quickly. I had to call my wife with the terrifying message, "Our son had been hit by a car.” They put Gabriel on a stretcher board and loaded him in an ambulance. I was getting the feeling he was okay. He had bitten his tongue pretty badly, but he wasn't complaining about any other pain. It looks like he had been coming back to the store with my phone and crossed a parking lot entrance. The car had turned into the lot and hit him. It wasn't at high speed.

Long story short, he's in pretty good shape. The CAT scan found nothing wrong. His tongue is bruised and swollen, his face is a little scratched from hitting the grass alongside the sidewalk, but everything else is fine. The hospital discharged him and we went home for our traditional German Christmas Eve.

Hug your kids tight, everyone!

36

SUP General / The Ghost Board: Confession Time

« on: October 21, 2016, 04:10:46 AM »

Okay, tell me you haven't done this! Anybody?

http://supexaminer.com/2016/10/the-ghost-board-seen-but-never-noticed/

When my wife finds out, I'm in trooooouble!

37

SUP General / Dequivering

« on: October 02, 2016, 07:38:00 AM »

In the last few months I've come to a different place with my SUP hobby. Go go down to a minimum quiver, with owning the fewest boards that will do what i want. At this point it means two boards, my NSP 14' Race and an all-around. I think I was fooling myself that I was going to be a surfer, and the truth is I just don't live close enough to the waves for that to happen. For my skill level, and all-around is enough.

I'm going to get one of those 11' Pau Hana Ricochet boards — the really tough model — and that will be my second ride. My old NSP 11' will go to my son or my nephew. And I think that's all I need.

I think I'd rather just work on my skills and my SUP writing than just getting boards. I mean, there's nothing more fun than unpacking a new board, but… I don't know. Skills matter more than quiver. Not that I'll ever be one of those awesome paddlers, but I'm content to just keep doing my best. Funny thing is, I'm loving this older NSP. It's definitely making me a better paddler, and that's a great place to be.

38

SUP Advocacy / Looking For Young Paddlers!

« on: September 24, 2016, 05:05:35 AM »

You guys probably know I write for an online SUP website called SUP Examiner. We're doing a project now highlighting young standup paddlers. These aren't the kids winning their local races (although that would be fine) . These are just kids on boards, having a great time. They could be experts or just learning. If you have or know a young person who'd like to be profiled, have them (or their parent) fill out this Google Form link.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScL5r5djzbNyoy-uMafjoA3yfrPGpvlCwClyDvkSSykf8fqCw/viewform?c=0&w=1

This is going to be a really fun project. It would be cool to get a few kids from the Zone!

Admin: Just letting you know, this is not a commercial venture for me. I get no reimbursement for this project or from SUP Examiner at all.

39

SUP General / SUP/Kayak School Club

« on: September 13, 2016, 06:36:41 PM »

I was at a school meeting today when I let spill an idea. Why not create a boating club for the kids? The school is two minutes (by car) from the Hudson. There's a town launch site. We could do a mixed group of SUPs and kayaks. This would tie into the school environmental goals too, which are fairly extensive.

A boating club would have other benefits too. It would create a sport for kids who might not go for team sports. It would be a great way to explore our local waterway. It would be a great way to establish a real relationship with this amazing waterway on our front door. The administration was surprisingly interested in the index, maybe getting a fleet of a dozen tandem kayaks and SUPs. This would be for grades 5–8. Apparently the money might be there.

My question to the group is, how the hell would I set up such a thing? I assume I'd have to be ACA certified with kayaks and SUPs. (I'm PaddleFit 2, but I let the certification lapse.) Would I have to be lifeguard certified? Water safety? I don't know, but I'd be willing to jump through the hoops to do it. The equipment is probably the easiest problem to solve. It's really how to get a program like this off e ground. I would want to combine it with environmental awareness too as well as fitness and water safety?

Guys and girls, what do I do?

40

Gear Talk / Good Inexpensive Waterproof Camera

« on: August 19, 2016, 07:28:51 AM »

Does anybody have a recommendation for a good waterproof camera in the $100–$200 range. i don't want to go super cheap, but I don't want anything really high end. I just want to take pictures and little movies on the water without too much fuss.

The iPhone thing in a waterproof case just isn't cutting it. I want a real camera again.

41

SUP General / My Project: The Kids' Guide to Standup Paddling

« on: August 01, 2016, 05:37:54 AM »

This is some thing I could use some help with. I'm working on a book The Kids' Guide to Standup Paddling. It's going to be a 10–20K word book introducing kids to the sport. My age target is 9–14.

The ace in the hole for this book is not me and my scintillating prose, but my wife who's a skilled illustrator. She will be illustrating all those tricky techniques that are hard to describe with just words and difficult to photograph because you're on the water. She's really good. Right now she art directs and sometimes illustrates the Pinkalicious spin-off books, which probably means nothing to you unless you have a six year old daughter. She also knows how to be funny and cute with her pictures, the kind of thing which kids really like. Hand illustrations also make it easier to deal with diversity issues. I don't know if I could assemble a truly diverse group of kids for photos, but she can easily draw them.

Here's the basic outline:

1. Forward
     A. A thanks for the person to begin standup paddling, especially making sure they do this in the presence of an adult.
     B. A brief history of standup paddling
2. Equipment
     A. The board
     B. The paddle
     C. The leash
     D. PFD
     E. Safety gear
3. Skills
     A. Paddling
     B. Reading the water
     C. Advanced skills
4. Paddle adventures
     A. Touring
     B. Racing
     C. Surfing
5. Some final things
     A. Paddle resources
     B. Electronics


The way you sell a nonfiction book, as far as I understand, is to write a proposal, including a marketing plan, an outline, and a first chapter. I actually have the second and third done. I wrote the Paddling chapter and Kirsten is looking it over.

It's the marketing plan which is vexing me. I have to create a plan in which I will help this book get sold. Do people have skills with this? I'm fumbling a bit. I can use SUPexaminer to advertise it, and I probably can get this book reviewed at all the major SUP websites, but how else would you do this? I guess it could be placed in SUP shops too, but how?

Thanks to anyone who has suggestions!

42

Classifieds / NSP Elements 9'8" Surf for Sale

« on: July 31, 2016, 04:49:17 PM »

Hey guys, I'm selling my surf SUP. I thought I was going to use it a lot more, and I'm not. It makes me sad, but I don't want to hang onto boards I just won't use much.

Here's the Craigslist listing:

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/spo/5710257674.html

I'm listing it on CL for $750. Zoner price $700. Includes leash and bag. The rails are taped. There are a few paint chips on the rails. One chip near the tail might have a tiny crack, which I've repaired.

43

NorthEast / Spoony's in Cape Cod!

« on: July 24, 2016, 05:44:58 AM »

I'm in Truro for the week. Already did dawn patrol at Head of the Meadow beach. The waves were… Okay, the waves sucked. They were small, lumpy, and disorganized. I didn't get a single good ride on my 9'8". I probably would have fared better on a bigger board, which I have with me. Next time I'll bring both.

If any Zoner wants to hang out, especially for a day of waves, let me know!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

44

Downwind and Racing / Downbreezing With the Kid

« on: July 13, 2016, 06:43:20 PM »

So I took out on the Hudson today. My son Gabriel and I did a 1 1/2 mile down river but upwind run to a creek I wanted to check out. The wind was starting to push a little hard in our faces. Out in the middle of the channel I was seeing whitecaps, but we were hugging the shore and getting a little more shelter. We were both on Amundsons, me on a 12'6" and him on a 2008 vintage 11'3".

It was a bit of a push for the kid upwind, and we rested at the entrance to the creek. Afterwards he wanted to turn back, which we did, avoiding the incredible growth of water chestnuts along the creek bank. I wanted to push a little into the channel, hoping my son had the skills to keep the board stable and ride the wind a little.

He had the skills. I showed him how to paddle just enough to keep his nose pointed in the right direction and to catch the little swells coming from behind. After a few minutes, he got it! He was getting some mini-runs and started whooping it up. “Dad, this is really fun!”

“That's why I do this.” We had a great time riding the swells back. They were pretty small — maybe a foot — but we were having a blast. It was nice not to have to worry about him in the slightly adverse conditions and to just to have fun. Yeah he fell, but so what. He got back up and kept going.

We're heading to Cape Cod soon (Watch it!) and I told him, “You're ready for the waves!”

45

Technique / Take Off Your Damn Shoes!

« on: July 01, 2016, 08:13:12 PM »

I pretty much always wear shoes on my board. In the cold months it's booties; in the summer, it's Tevas. There are sharp rocks everywhere, plus there's the dreaded water chestnut pod. Even that 20 foot walk to the water's edge can be hazardous.

Here's the thing. I've been trying to get a better handle on this tippy NSP 14' Race. There's no recessed standing area, so I'm pretty high. I haven't fallen since changed the stock fin to a Gladiator Hybrid, but it's wonkier than I'm used to. There's a lot of secondary stability, which is good, but I'm a bit more gun shy than before.

To make a long story short, I took my Tevas off while paddling and noticed a huge difference. I'm sure it was part that I was lower and part that I could grip the deck with my feet. I guess those bungee cords in the front serve a purpose!

After I did that, I had a really fast run (for me — nothing to write home about). The water was unusually flat, but I know my stability helped.

Sometimes it's the simple things! Any other suggestions for stability are appreciated. I might just need more time with this thing, maybe take it out in more choppy water.