Waves were not waves. We spent a lot of time taking and BS about. So I really can not comment on the 5 fin thing except that Griffin makes really sharp fins.
As for the tri fin thing.....well this is a pandoras box. I do quads. But my personal opinion that Tri Fins are the board to beat.
Hello Jeff...I was there the day Resinhead snapped his wood skin board....Scarry big...any board would have snapped.
There's plenty of guys down south that will loan you a board to test drive. And I don't mean a two hour drive by. My door is open,,,I don't build big wave boards but I have stuff to loan out. I've had one of Keith's boards for a few weeks...one day I love it , one day I can't get it right.......There's style in surfing and style in shaping....I'm a longboarder riding shorter boards....Keith is a shortboarder....building all kinds of stuff !!! 3 weeks riding a Keith board is a good thing...I'm almost done shaping my very own "rip off" copy......
......but my surfing style is eggs and logs....small wave stuff.... Drive down south on a Sunday...check out some boards........................Stingray........
coming into this conversation a little late…
Duckdiving doesn’t really matter at Sand Dollar.
Take a wave in and do a lap.
Do the lap with a buddy and shoot the poo while you go =)
not sure I agree Chris…yes there is a channel back out, but its common to be caught inside just a bit; if you can duckdive the first wave or two of the set, you might be in the perfect spot for that elusive third one (aka the white canoe wave as Ambrose has called it…)
I am certain they call it Sand Dollar Beach because of all the time I have spend dredging and rolling along the bottom, post wipeout. I find them in my ears, my nose, and even in my wetsuit.
Chris, I'll do the walk of shame with you anytime. It's nice to get caught up and talk family and stuff. That water is so cold I'm only good for about 4 duckdives then it Mr. Freeze time.
when that beach is good it's like Disneyland. Catch ride, end ride, run to get back in line...Do again.
Not sure if I agree with Keith or Chris. What kept happening to me is that I’d hang inside because I was on a smaller board and couldn’t chase them down from outside and then I’d get caught inside. A couple of times I got caught inside and had to take that lap…WITHOUT EVER HAVING CAUGHT A WAVE. That frustration is what got me thinking about a dedicated board. I definitely think having a board big enough to chase them down from outside is the call, especially when it got crowded and most of the crowd was caatching them from outside. I have the same problem at PV Cove with longboards. I’m always in search of that elusive happy medium of a board that can get in early and still turn.KInd of like the board the Fuhrer is searching for- Hitler’s Surf Trip Ruined - YouTube
Hey Jeff,
I have the solution to your Cove dilemma. Paddle out in the dark, low tide coming up, and you may get 45-60 minutes all to yourself. That's what i do. Just don't let the little water splashes spook you. It's really quiet out there just before dawn.
Hope all is well with you and yours.
That’s my beach break modus operandi. But ut doesn’t work for me at the Cove. I always park in the dark, when you can barely see the whitewash triangles. But there’s always cars already there! I paddle out pre dawn and can count on one hand the times I was first out. There’s a really dedicated dawn patrol at that spot.
Jeff I don’t know if this will help because I have no idea of what Sand Dollar is like. I have been surfing out at Diamond head in solid overhead waves and they have a tendancy to back off at the wrong time making it very hard to catch. They also tend to double up after they back off and then there’s a really thick wall with a wide lip area.
I’ve been using shorter boards again, anywhere from 6-0 to my brother’s 6-8 assym. What I’ve found to work well for me is to look for the spot where the wave has a slight double section at the top. I’ll get in there then do a pump/launch and a few hard paddles. That usually gets me moving really well and I can get over the hump and onto the face. If needed, I’ll paddle hard with the extra momentum from the pump/launch technique I can usually get into something that I’ll never catch just paddling.
I find that the shorter boards allow for steeper drops as long as you can get to your feet quick enough. Otherwise something with a lot of meat under your chest like a older style gun. I have a 7-4 or so that is pretty thick about 3 inches and very low rocker that paddles like a much longer board. It catches waves well, and rides great even in solid overhead. It’s the board with the wood top. I’ll do the pump technique with all my boards.
So on our way up the coast last week I stopped to check out Sand Dollar. From the top of the cliff I see head high waves, triangles of whitewater, sunny weather and no one out! Stocked! So I run back to the car. My wife and daughter are there and they can see it in my eyes. “Just do what youhave to do,” they say. I frantically scramble into my wetsuit and run down the trail, just frothing over sunny empty headhigh Sand Dollar. Then, when I get the the bottom of the steps I look to my right and… there’s fifteen surf schoolers in matching rash guards practicing pop ups on identical foamies. The horror!
I paddled out and was soon joined by the aforementiones surf shoolers and their instructors. I almost wanted to say something, but they soon spread out and were not really an issue. But still…I had this feeling, “Is nothing sacred?”
As a postscript - we went up to Mendocino. The beach break there was waist high and sloppy. As I was getting out I noticed comic book perfect sand bottom peelers breaking up the rivermouth. OK, so they had 18" faces, but I ended up spending an hour belly boarding perfect, J-Bay like peelers, comlete with the run back up the point. If only I was 8" tall!
gotta work with what ya got!
only a month and a half out…
i left an 8’ CMP/BB30 corecork gun and a 8’ Griffin 5 fin rocket with Keith in April
The sways crew is more than welcome to give them a go at Big Sur this year
someone just has to bring them up from Keith’s place as he’s already packed with family and family boards.
Ian’s also more than welcome to challenge Charlie’s(CMP/BB30) core cork beast in his heavy waves up north afterwards…
Jeff I’m not sure if Bernie’s coming, but he left a couple of boards with Keith. They would be able to handle solid overhead waves, maybe 2xOH. I think he left a Griffin and a Cork round pin from CMP. I’m not sure if Keith will be able to bring the boards up, but someone from SD may have the extra space.
PM Bernie and see what he plans to ride if he comes up. He has a stash of boards that can handle juice and size. Maybe he can bring the cork Jemini that CMP made.
I hope you guys can make it. It’d be good to finally share a lineup with both of you.
E Bra, you must have posted while I was trying to write mine.
you mean eh Bro as in Brother
and not eh Bra as in Bassiere…right?
finally rode the corecork gemini sunday
but the waves were too small and weak (tide)
seems like I lost my backfooting
need to stay on griffins more (rode that sat same problem)
got chased out by a tiger water was muddy.
should’ve gone sat am as the waves looked good on joey’s post
but they got chased out by an 8’r too
really sharky sharky lately
bet the 8’6" Rusty Desert Island would go good at sand dollar
but I don’t know if I make it this year again
hopefully the boards do so people can try them
may have a new secret weapon to bring if I ever do
I don’t know no Bro… duded. Dat’snot local speak. We say Brah as in Braddah. Can also be Bruddah, but not Bro, that is socal, dude.
That 8’ Assym would be the thing. The damned sharks wouldn’t know what the heck they’re looking at. Tell you, paint the bottom to look like the underside of an Orca and they won’t boddah U.
I can bring up the boards from Keith. Your next trip up or mine down to SD I can get them.
I will be bringing a 7’3" and at 9’er – both recently completed single fins. Actuall the 9’ board is soon to be completed. By September it will be in the recently completed category. I have high hopes for the 7’3" at Sand Dollar. It has performed pretty nicely at the Sant Cruz point breaks. I can’t wait.
