I just had a really great day of surf. It started out with me arriving at dawn at the north end. Crappy onshore small mush with to many guys out. I drank a cup of coffee and ate a donut and that motivated me to give it a try anyway. I'm glad I did because over the hour I was out the crowd dwindled and so did the wind. I matted waves on my Neumattic and stayed warm in my new wetsuit (Sierra Trading Post score.) After an hour I headed to the beach to meet a guy. He was already coming down the sand with his mat. He and I and only a few other guys surfed fun 3-4' peaks for another hour as the surf glassed off. I was even considering swapping out for my Pacheco. Things started to deteriorate and we headed to the beach. He showed me his HPD XL that he was selling, which was the reason we were meeting today. It was clean, nearly perfect condition, and came with a padded bag for a great price. I gave him the cash with no haggling and told him to keep in touch if he wants to surf again.
After he left I continued talking with a guy we had been surfing with. He was riding a modern 8' Hansen 50/50, leash-less, and with much skill. We chatted about surf mats, San Diego, and weird boards. I got him stoked on the idea of a longboard Bonzer from Mike Eaton. I hope to see him again sometime because he was friendly, a good surfer, and is into "not thrusters."
While we had been talking the surf got good again and since I still hadn't taken off my wetsuit, I decided to give the HPD a dip. It's a bit odd to ride because the tail is really wide. This makes it so you have to put your whole body on the inside rail to get it to hold a line. I did it right a few times and got the feel, but also got a good feeling of the wrong way to do it.
Before today I've surfed here and there. A Sunday at bad LMar with my kayak buddy, a few weekday mornings with my little buddy at LMar. It's nice to see him getting more comfortable, strong, and skilled at surfing. "In my day" we learned to surf by someone taking us out and we just had to deal with it alone for the most part. Now we pull our young ones out through the waves and push them into the right ones. Follow them to shore to make sure everything is okay and pull them back out again. It gives people a more fun experience for their first time, but is less fun for me! He was getting the hang of things last time and I had more time to catch waves on my own.
I did get a day at the north end a few weeks ago that was similar to today. It started out crummy but got pretty good! I was out with JZ and he got a look at my wave that is the closest I've gotten to a tube ride in years. He couldn't verify it from his angle, but I saw the lip over my head. I'll say I was under the lip but not behind the curtain.
I'm out of shape for the coming winter waves, but I have the free time to fix that before the first swell of fall arrives.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
Some surf mat talk
Another situation at mi4le when the waves were "good enough to surf" but I opted for the surf mat. I have recently repaired the crushed valve stem on my Neumatic, so I was amped to get it back in the water. I broke it right around the time I got my 4GF mat, so I switched to riding the new mat and therefore have little experience to compare the two. So, back on the Neumatic out in the waves that work best on the mat.
One thing is that the Neumatic is larger and therefore gets into waves easier. The flip side of this is that it's a bit harder to duck under waves. This became an issue when I went to the point and got caught (more than once) by 7' set waves. Going from the right spot to way inside in the course of three set waves is a bummer. I got pushed out of position for any more set waves and had a struggle to get back to the outside. But, when I got one, it felt good. The one thing that was most noticeable was that the Neumatic feels like it's easier to turn. Like it was more rocker and rolls from rail to rail better. Using surfboard language to describe surf mat riding and design doesn't translate well, but that's the best I can do. I also think the Neumatic is faster, but I can't say for sure without more testing. MORE TESTING!
As a fun comparison between surfboards and mats, I'll describe what happens when the lip hits. On a surfboard if you are in the tube and the tube pinches shut and hits the nose of your board you are suddenly launched up and forward. The lever action of the nose going down lifts the tail, and when the nose goes down the forward momentum of the board stops and your body continues. But since you're inside the tube you quickly hit the twisting lip and get sent to the bottom of the ocean.
In contrast, when I am in the tube riding a mat and the lip comes down on me, the process is slower. The lip hits the front of the mat and the mat deforms sending air to other parts of the mat. I can feel the mat bending down and I try to pull it upwards. Inevitably the mat sinks front first and I'm flung into the twisting lip and to the bottom of the ocean. The difference is only a fraction of a second, but that time is spent fighting the inevitable with the hope and belief that maybe this time I can save myself! So far it's just a hope, never proven to be true.
And:
Daniel Thomson is a crazy good mat rider and makes me want to invest in a Krypt mat.
Greame is making cool looking mats for a pretty penny (or pound actually) in the UK.
Dale Solomonson is still missing. (Sad face, no link, ITS GONE!)
Paul Gross is giving a wonderful "History of Surf Mat Design" over on his blog.
Plus many other low end sub $100 mats out there for the curious.
And a new friend, http://californiasurfcraft.com/, who makes handplanes, paipos, and mat(s).
Stacy down at Sawyer carries mats (and other alt surf) and rides them as well.
One thing is that the Neumatic is larger and therefore gets into waves easier. The flip side of this is that it's a bit harder to duck under waves. This became an issue when I went to the point and got caught (more than once) by 7' set waves. Going from the right spot to way inside in the course of three set waves is a bummer. I got pushed out of position for any more set waves and had a struggle to get back to the outside. But, when I got one, it felt good. The one thing that was most noticeable was that the Neumatic feels like it's easier to turn. Like it was more rocker and rolls from rail to rail better. Using surfboard language to describe surf mat riding and design doesn't translate well, but that's the best I can do. I also think the Neumatic is faster, but I can't say for sure without more testing. MORE TESTING!
As a fun comparison between surfboards and mats, I'll describe what happens when the lip hits. On a surfboard if you are in the tube and the tube pinches shut and hits the nose of your board you are suddenly launched up and forward. The lever action of the nose going down lifts the tail, and when the nose goes down the forward momentum of the board stops and your body continues. But since you're inside the tube you quickly hit the twisting lip and get sent to the bottom of the ocean.
In contrast, when I am in the tube riding a mat and the lip comes down on me, the process is slower. The lip hits the front of the mat and the mat deforms sending air to other parts of the mat. I can feel the mat bending down and I try to pull it upwards. Inevitably the mat sinks front first and I'm flung into the twisting lip and to the bottom of the ocean. The difference is only a fraction of a second, but that time is spent fighting the inevitable with the hope and belief that maybe this time I can save myself! So far it's just a hope, never proven to be true.
And:
Daniel Thomson is a crazy good mat rider and makes me want to invest in a Krypt mat.
Greame is making cool looking mats for a pretty penny (or pound actually) in the UK.
Dale Solomonson is still missing. (Sad face, no link, ITS GONE!)
Paul Gross is giving a wonderful "History of Surf Mat Design" over on his blog.
Plus many other low end sub $100 mats out there for the curious.
And a new friend, http://californiasurfcraft.com/, who makes handplanes, paipos, and mat(s).
Stacy down at Sawyer carries mats (and other alt surf) and rides them as well.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Circle Back
I have free time lately. I have less disposable income lately. I have wanted to get a 7' hull. I have wanted to try the VeeBee. I am intrigued by the MGB Bonzer. Not having the money to invest in any of these interests I have instead circled back on my existing quiver. I'm lucky enough that I haven't had to sell any boards, and to have put away quite a little stock for myself to play with. A few days ago I brought my 10'2" "JOneill out to OB. The waves were small and clean, just right for getting the feel of the board again. I've ridden two of my fathers longboards recently and my success on them gave me confidence to give the JOneill another try. First, a bit of explanation.
The JOneill is a remake of an early 60's board my dad owns. The original board rode well for me and I wanted a railbanger longboard. My dad had an exact replica made as my M.S. graduation gift. It's 10'2", tri-band stringer. Big round and fairly parallel rails, big ole skeg, lotsa belly and flat rocker. Not quite a D fin, but nearly. Most notable is that it's made with classic Clark foam and a heavy glass job. It weighs in somewhere in the upper 20lbs I guess. The original board was branded Oneill, but Junod did the remake. So, JOneill.
The board worked fairly well for me. It has weight to help it punch through waves at OB when there's no way around them. When I get a wave with some energy I can turn the board and handle it fairly well. When I get a wave with even More energy, I get into trouble. I can handle most situations if they don't require a big change in direction. I made a mistake of fading into the peak too far and not being able to swing the board around quick enough to change direction and not go face first into the pit at the peak. Lesson learned. It also doesn't whip around and drop in when I decide at the last minute that I want the wave right in front of me. Most of the waves that day were short rides going to nothing after passing over the sandbar. I got many waves in an hour and a half, and was more able than most to paddle against the current. The current was ridiculous for how small the waves were.
After surfing that big board I stopped in at Mollusk to check out the Liddle boards. Surprisingly, I was not too impressed with them and credit my sudden lack of interest (ending a 6-month streak) to ridding the JOneill. It doesn't travel as well as a 7' board would because I can only carry the JOneill in my truck while a 7' board could squeeze into my sedan. That right there is enough reason to still invest in a mid-length board for small waves. But, for now, I can ride the JOneill when the waves are small.
Or, OR, or I can use the mat. I continue to put the 4GF (5GF model) to use. I had a small surf at Rockaway on the mat. Nothing special except I wouldn't have enjoyed surfing very much on any other board. I've also been meeting up with a guy in SF who is interested in mats, and also makes handplanes. I let him try the mat and he liked it. He's made one attempt at making a mat and will try again with the gained knowledge of seeing my mat. It got me motivated just enough to try to repair the valve on my Neumatic. I think I messed up the repair, but I'll keep working on it until it's good enough to use.
The JOneill is a remake of an early 60's board my dad owns. The original board rode well for me and I wanted a railbanger longboard. My dad had an exact replica made as my M.S. graduation gift. It's 10'2", tri-band stringer. Big round and fairly parallel rails, big ole skeg, lotsa belly and flat rocker. Not quite a D fin, but nearly. Most notable is that it's made with classic Clark foam and a heavy glass job. It weighs in somewhere in the upper 20lbs I guess. The original board was branded Oneill, but Junod did the remake. So, JOneill.
The board worked fairly well for me. It has weight to help it punch through waves at OB when there's no way around them. When I get a wave with some energy I can turn the board and handle it fairly well. When I get a wave with even More energy, I get into trouble. I can handle most situations if they don't require a big change in direction. I made a mistake of fading into the peak too far and not being able to swing the board around quick enough to change direction and not go face first into the pit at the peak. Lesson learned. It also doesn't whip around and drop in when I decide at the last minute that I want the wave right in front of me. Most of the waves that day were short rides going to nothing after passing over the sandbar. I got many waves in an hour and a half, and was more able than most to paddle against the current. The current was ridiculous for how small the waves were.
After surfing that big board I stopped in at Mollusk to check out the Liddle boards. Surprisingly, I was not too impressed with them and credit my sudden lack of interest (ending a 6-month streak) to ridding the JOneill. It doesn't travel as well as a 7' board would because I can only carry the JOneill in my truck while a 7' board could squeeze into my sedan. That right there is enough reason to still invest in a mid-length board for small waves. But, for now, I can ride the JOneill when the waves are small.
Or, OR, or I can use the mat. I continue to put the 4GF (5GF model) to use. I had a small surf at Rockaway on the mat. Nothing special except I wouldn't have enjoyed surfing very much on any other board. I've also been meeting up with a guy in SF who is interested in mats, and also makes handplanes. I let him try the mat and he liked it. He's made one attempt at making a mat and will try again with the gained knowledge of seeing my mat. It got me motivated just enough to try to repair the valve on my Neumatic. I think I messed up the repair, but I'll keep working on it until it's good enough to use.
Monday, April 21, 2014
A Surf Mat kind of weekend
I surfed Mi4le Friday mid-morning hitting the sweet spot between the dawn crew and the late morning crew. The tide was really low and the dawn crew wasn't having much luck on the inside reef. I was, though, on my 5GF. Late drops with occasional lip launch belly flop then run the inside hollows. I did this on fast rotation for about an hour before the hard board surfers caught on and started competing with me for waves. I took the opportunity to take some waves at the outer second peak. Then the late morning crew came out and pushed me off that peak too. I ended up at 1st peak dumps, which was showing potential for connecting all the way in. I was tired by then so I took one in and called it a successful session.
As I was first heading out a board surfer coming in stopped to ask me about the mat. He had plans for a vacation to Mexico and wasn't sure he could bring a board. I told him the mat is difficult at first, but plenty of fun. It travels well, and I gave him a few fin options with a quick lesson on how to choose. I directed him to the 4GF website, but also offered the option to pick up a Krypt in town at Sawyer if he didn't have patience to wait for what I told him was, in my opinion, a better mat for most people (4GF.)
Friday was fun and fulfilling, so I didn't feel a need to challenge the in-town Saturday masses for marginal waves. I checked at dawn and didn't like what I saw at Suicides. I ate a big breakfast and cleaned up the house a bit. I was ready to leave town but made one last check of the conditions. On my way to the beach I ran into another surf matter suiting up and decided to suit up too, site unseen. We ended up disagreeing on the best choice and he went to Sewers while I went to Suicides. I think I made the better choice, because I got quite a few waves in one hour while he got three in the same time. While I was out surfing I got a few questions from some board surfers in the water.
Things have changed for mat surfing in the last 5-10 years since I first tried a mat. At first the questions were more like, "What the F is that thing?" Now the questions are more like, "Is that one of Paul Gross's mats." and "Where can I get one?" I still get a snide remark just about every time I ride, but it really doesn't bother me because I'm usually having a great time riding tons of waves away from the main peak!
As I was first heading out a board surfer coming in stopped to ask me about the mat. He had plans for a vacation to Mexico and wasn't sure he could bring a board. I told him the mat is difficult at first, but plenty of fun. It travels well, and I gave him a few fin options with a quick lesson on how to choose. I directed him to the 4GF website, but also offered the option to pick up a Krypt in town at Sawyer if he didn't have patience to wait for what I told him was, in my opinion, a better mat for most people (4GF.)
Friday was fun and fulfilling, so I didn't feel a need to challenge the in-town Saturday masses for marginal waves. I checked at dawn and didn't like what I saw at Suicides. I ate a big breakfast and cleaned up the house a bit. I was ready to leave town but made one last check of the conditions. On my way to the beach I ran into another surf matter suiting up and decided to suit up too, site unseen. We ended up disagreeing on the best choice and he went to Sewers while I went to Suicides. I think I made the better choice, because I got quite a few waves in one hour while he got three in the same time. While I was out surfing I got a few questions from some board surfers in the water.
Things have changed for mat surfing in the last 5-10 years since I first tried a mat. At first the questions were more like, "What the F is that thing?" Now the questions are more like, "Is that one of Paul Gross's mats." and "Where can I get one?" I still get a snide remark just about every time I ride, but it really doesn't bother me because I'm usually having a great time riding tons of waves away from the main peak!
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
A Fuca waves
Took a trip to the Great NW to visit the parents. The weather was great and there was a small swell in the water. It was a bad angle for the side of the Strait I was on, but we set off anyway. The first few stops showed no signs of any swell and we had decided to just look at spots. We got to one of the more obvious spots and there the swell was. The normal wave was too small to ride but showing it's form. I jumped in the water at the other side, where the main wave normally blows out the shoal ruining that other wave. It was just big enough to surf on one of my fathers 10' boards, and the wave was a quick section to a channel, but I surfed by myself for an hour in knee high waves. Only the largest wave of the set was knee high, but I had fun. The tide change was enough to kill it and I came in and sat on the cobbles and ate Spam out of the can with my dad. He took a few photos of me surfing, but I promised to not make them public.
The rest of the trip was more landlocked. I tried fly fishing casting with my father, did gardening with my mother, and we all worked together to split some logs for next winter's firewood. I spent one day walking around Seattle and found it pleasant enough to explore further.
I gave a surf report to the Js and JB has family closer to the surf spot that my parents are. He showed interest in making a surf trip in that area, and it would be easy for me, so I'm down. JZ had a great trip to mainland Mex with consistent (if not epic) surf the whole trip. If I can convince someone to pay me to use my skills (job) then I'd like to mex it up too.
The rest of the trip was more landlocked. I tried fly fishing casting with my father, did gardening with my mother, and we all worked together to split some logs for next winter's firewood. I spent one day walking around Seattle and found it pleasant enough to explore further.
I gave a surf report to the Js and JB has family closer to the surf spot that my parents are. He showed interest in making a surf trip in that area, and it would be easy for me, so I'm down. JZ had a great trip to mainland Mex with consistent (if not epic) surf the whole trip. If I can convince someone to pay me to use my skills (job) then I'd like to mex it up too.
Monday, March 17, 2014
The long wait continues
I was terribly optimistic at the time of last posting. I figured I had a new job "in the bag" and I was counting chickens. Well, that one didn't pan out, nor did the next one of similar description. I have continued to apply for jobs but I have gone through a drought of responses. Who knows, maybe they will all reply at once.
In the meantime, I've been able to surf a bit. I've had some pretty good sessions at OB, and even SC. I spent a few days down in SC mid-week and took advantage of new sand at a normally crowded surf spot. The new sand and the bit of swell combined to make a new wave with far fewer people than normal. I rode the GeeBee to get a feel for the hull style. With a very flexy fin it bogged on turns, which was fun in a way. With the proper fin in the center of the box it ran just fine. With that same fin at the front of the box, WOW! The thing surfed more like it was a round disk than a surfboard. It certainly opened my eyes to what can be done with fin movement. I think it's especially sensitive because the overall board length is so short at around 6'. And then last week I caught the rising of a swell with the dropping of the tide and had some good lefts at OB. The wind was offshore which helped make the waves hollow.
And to continue the drought theme, California is in a serious drought. It's our first year to have a vegetable garden at our home and I feel conflicted about watering the plants. Besides the vegetables we're trying to grow, the rest of our yards are low water needs. Not fully succulents, but mostly tolerant plants. I am still moving forward with planting food, just with a twang of reluctance.
In the meantime, I've been able to surf a bit. I've had some pretty good sessions at OB, and even SC. I spent a few days down in SC mid-week and took advantage of new sand at a normally crowded surf spot. The new sand and the bit of swell combined to make a new wave with far fewer people than normal. I rode the GeeBee to get a feel for the hull style. With a very flexy fin it bogged on turns, which was fun in a way. With the proper fin in the center of the box it ran just fine. With that same fin at the front of the box, WOW! The thing surfed more like it was a round disk than a surfboard. It certainly opened my eyes to what can be done with fin movement. I think it's especially sensitive because the overall board length is so short at around 6'. And then last week I caught the rising of a swell with the dropping of the tide and had some good lefts at OB. The wind was offshore which helped make the waves hollow.
And to continue the drought theme, California is in a serious drought. It's our first year to have a vegetable garden at our home and I feel conflicted about watering the plants. Besides the vegetables we're trying to grow, the rest of our yards are low water needs. Not fully succulents, but mostly tolerant plants. I am still moving forward with planting food, just with a twang of reluctance.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Closing in fast
I want this:
Plus this:
Plus this:
With some of these:
tapered pinlines and deck patch.
The shaper is Andreini. The board is his somewhat-mellower-but-still-very-much-a hull. The dimensions are to be decided, but will be around 7'. The goal is a good paddler that still can duck dive if needs be. It's been tough for me deciding between a knife railed hull and a down railed gunnier type board. I've ridden both, had good waves on both. I think a hull would get used more, and I have a slightly too small downrailer that I can use if I am really needing that feel.
The artist is a friend of mine, Katie Owens. You can find her work on Society6.com and other similar places. The art will be printed on rice paper by a company like boardlams.com. I'm think either smaller on the deck near the nose or very small mirror images in the same location. Larger on the bottom a bit forward of center, maybe lined up with the wide point.
I believe the glassing is out of the Haut shop, although I'm not sure what the glassing company calls themselves. There is always a high quality of work coming out of that shop, so I'm confident they can do the pinlines I want.
I'm not sure of the final cost but I'm afraid it'll be near $1K. Andreini suggests his boards finish with a sand coat for the water shedding properties. I think that would wash out the artwork, so I will ask first and go with gloss if the glasser agrees with my idea. I just want the pinlines along the rail covering the glass wrap line, and maybe on the deck patch line. The deck patch wont look like what's shown above because I want it to carry to the tail. I'd love to have the fin glassed in for "style points" but I don't know if I'd be able to fit it into my Sentra. If I can't, I wont surf it as much so I'm going with the box. Glassed leash loop, or none and I'll get one of those glue on ones.
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