Author Topic: Shmoo Surfing  (Read 2171 times)

Ichabod Spoonbill

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Shmoo Surfing
« on: July 18, 2011, 08:07:13 AM »
I finally got my NSP 11' in the waves. My wife and I joined an outfit in Jacksonville called Black Creek Outfitters who were having an SUP demo day. We had our own SUPs, but we wanted to have our first wave session with others. We went to Atlantic Beach and got into the water with about fifteen other SUPers. There were a few experienced guys on the water too giving tips to us newbies (and wave newbies). The waves were pretty small and mushy, but they were perfect for learning.

I got the handle of it after a while. I'd say after an hour of just getting my bearings and getting used to the up and down I was riding waves. I had to learn that quick paddle, paddle, paddle to accelerate onto a wave, which took a few tries. I've done body surfing and boogie boarding so know the feeling when a wave catches you. My biggest problem in the beginning was pearling the board; I had to get used to moving back a few feet on the board once I caught it. Then it was seriously fun! My wife was having back pain so she was not doing so well. Also her board (Amundsen 11'3") isn't as wide as mine so she was falling more. She initially claimed her board was too wonky to surf on, so we traded then I started catching waves with her board. Not the board!

We got chased from the beach by a thunderstorm, but not after seeing some very cool marine life. Two small pods of dolphins and a manatee. The next day my wife and I returned with our children (twin three year-old girls and a seven year-old son). Since my son Gabriel, whom I nickname the Shmoo, is fairly adventurous I decided to try something really fun. I put a PFD on the dude then he climbed on the nose of my board. I then knee-paddled out to waist-high water and tried catching some of the waves with him. It was amazingly easy. Gabriel stayed prone the first ride but on the second the little dude just stood up and rode the nose in! We repeated it about half a dozen times.

That was probably the coolest thing I've ever done with the kid. I'm hooked. BTW, has anybody every messed up the tops of their toes after knee-paddling? I was bleeding after the second day.

-Ian
Pau Hana 11' Big EZ Ricochet (Beluga)

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Re: Shmoo Surfing
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2011, 08:34:43 AM »
Super cool-looks like the SUP addiction is setting in and spreading to the entire family!-Nice.
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AJR

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Re: Shmoo Surfing
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2011, 09:29:19 AM »
Awesome!  I can't wait til I can take my son out...  He's 7 mo old so I'll need to wait at least a year!   :-)

Bleeding toes are common. NSP has a fairly soft top so u should get callouses. If not I sometimes I'll wrap medical tape around the worst ones. Or just practice standing on the board in the knee high water and paddling out upright.

 


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