A fun project I been working on with DD. Basically a 10-6 SUP charger… Darrick is a really cool guy that has a passion for waves that I will never go out in… He along with Laird have already SUP surfed huge waves but on 12’ tankers! Time to take it to the next level… The first of a few we have planned… Also making some guns for other notable big wave chargers… This North Shore season is gonna be interesting! Ahwooooooooooo!!!
Fresh off the APS 3000… From nose to tail…
Tail to nose…
Hey CN.
Hot looking boards as per usual mate!
Whats the rail profile look like from side on?? Do you have a pic of the rails ?
Just interested to see what rails you think work best for SUP boards and why?
Cheers
Ant
In the mid 60’s I had ‘‘broken the rules’’ for big wave guns by making a 10’ 8’’ x 23’’ gun for Dr. Marshall White, that he rode quite successfully in 15’ Lani walls, and in Dec. 69 in 30’ Makaha. Guns of the day were typically 20’’ to 21 1/2’‘, so 23’’ was a violation of the belief system then in vogue. Your project is quite interesting.
Can’t wait to see the results.
Post some pics of the finished product.
Keep the stoke alive.
Cheers
-B~
Aloha Bill,
This project came about one day when Darrick and I were talking at Haleiwa. We were talking of pushing the limits of SUP surfing when he mentioned they already surfed Jaws around 20’ on Stand Ups… I asked him what board did he ride and he showed me basically a giant round nose SUP tanker around 28" wide cruiser log meant for nothing other than learning how to stand up paddle in 2 foot waves… All I could say was… “You rode that in huge waves???!!” A person has to be absolutely confident beyond what I can comprehend to ride those logs in those waves! Its a sure beating… To top it off, they stayed out for hours! Honestly, its not going to be hard to surpass the board performance of what they are used to…
So anyway, Darrick and I got pretty excited about this and here we go! He’s the perfect test pilot… No way in hell will I surf waves he’s talking about… I’m all over this project… For him to do it on those other boards already gives me confidence I can build these guys boards that will at least be able to angle in better and have a tail that can drive it better… Yeah the width will be there for sure… I only wish I could go as narrow as 23" Haha!!! Not trying to re-write the book on big wave width… Just the SUP book… Hehehe!!
The 28’’ width was probably necessary because of the BIG BALLS on board!!! Getting into the wave early is the ‘‘secret’’ of course. But still, 28’’ is impressive. I’m very interested in hearing about the dimensions that your collaboration with Darrick produces. You guys are breaking new ground. Always exciting to see. Best wishes for your success. Aloha Nui.
HAHA! No doubt! I met DD today and we went over a bunch of future stuff… Looks like the big wave arena is wide open for this and not to many takers… Any wonder why?? Hehe! Never the less, we’re gonna take it as far as its still fun and smile all the way… Dave Kalama, Laird and that crew will no doubt have their shapers making them big spears this winter or maybe even knocking on my door… Who knows… Who cares… Big caverns await us… Nobody else out there heading down this road yet…
Getting it done… Solid swell possible late next week to next weekend… Maybe 8’ Hawaiian? Maybe more?
Nose to tail with some screening to do before sealing… Glass tomorrow…
Hey Blane
are your blanks coming off Chris’s APS3000 with square rails or are you having them put on the rails for you?
Chris didn’t recommend cutting the rails with his APS3000 but it looks like Miki has it figured out based on the pictures on their website. I think CMP was building some kind of curved a rail tool to hold his paper to cut those EPS SUP rails.
It also looks like Miki’s and Kalani folks are able to get a much finer finish will almost no cutter lines you have to clean up like the 32 cut from Chris…
As far as cleaning up what kind of block/paper are you using?
I bought one of those double handled velcro’d faring blocks from FH
figured it might be better that the ol’ trusty cut 36 grit sanding belt stapled to a 2 foot long 2"x4"
I heard that DP was using HD foam blocks directly on the EPS to get the final finish before sealing. Never seen it done but have heard alot about fine sanding foam with higher density foam.
I think the SUP guns you are doing will be a perfect fit for where all this is eventually heading.
(high performance SUPing outer reefs)
Did you see this 16’ 100lb beast Eric Haas had Otis them make for him to use at Waimea this year?
I mean how big is that guy? Look at that fin… (love that pic of him in his football gear at the bay)
Howzit oneula!
are your blanks coming off Chris’s APS3000 with square rails or are you having them put on the rails for you?
Coming off square bottoms… I don’t mind finishing them up… I can get the right edge I want that way… Some boards i go softer, some harder…
As far as cleaning up what kind of block/paper are you using?
I use the foam block from Clark with 40 grit white paper to start… Then on to 100 grit then to screen… My 10 footers now take me around 40 minutes or so to get to where I’m laying out fins… I’m slow but its like therapy for me…
Did you see this 16’ 100lb beast Eric Haas had Otis them make for him to use at Waimea this year?
I mean how big is that guy? Look at that fin… (love that pic of him in his football gear at the bay)
Eric Haas is a MADMAN!!! Bonga told me this story once where Eric was surfing crazy Sunset… Just macking then closing out on a rising swell… Eric just paddled to Haleiwa! That’s around 8 miles of very trecherous seas when Sunset and even Waimea are too gnarly to come in… That board is just a perfect crazy ass vehicle for a guy like Eric Haas!!! Balls of frigging granite!
Please share some water shots of these craft when the conditions come together. This is some cool sh*t !
eric haas is the real thing.
I am pleased every time he stops by.
…ambrose…
hmmm
I’ll have to talk to him about the fin
dont kid yourself
eric knows the paddle
spawn of the waikiki
beach culture
look for the 16 footer with the paddle
the paddle handle has an ankle strap for swimming
at least the picture he showed me from th first beach boy event at the buff contest…
you know the one
where the board is in the air
and he is in the air above
with every indication
that he’s gonna land
and continue riding?
photo taken from the point perspetive
looking backtowards the shorebreak
not from the Life guard tower watching
the demonstrative traffic
styles so much more common
in contemprary photo journalism.
eric treads un common paths…
its fall .soon he may come kauai
he may need to ride a sailboat to bring the 16’eer
Howzit Ambrose,Is Eric still here on Kauai? I haven’t seen him around for a couple of years,last time was when he entered the Pine Trees Longboard Classic.Aloha,Kokua
This is mind blowing! Looks like you are turning into the go to guy for progressive SUP boards. It’s so neat to watch the sport progress. I can hardly wait to see these guys SUP the bombs this winter. (I’ll watch from a safe distance.)
Keep up the passion and keep us posted.
Aloha,
D
Hi CarveNalu -
WOW… seems like about a year ago you were fooling around on a Surftech. Now, you’re suddenly a player in the industry with a big wave expert like Darrick Doerner riding one of your boards. Just having a guy like him on board is a huge vote of confidence.
Congratulations. I’m really stoked for you!
Yeah it seems like he’s just on the fringe of the media…
You see and hear about him every now and then but he never gets the same glorified press as the maui boys or other big wave guys but you just know he’s one of those main guys that only shows face when it’s narly. Kind of like Roger Erickson and Kimo… There’s a bunch more I’m sure…
That photo of him at Buff’s with the paddle in the air was as classic as him taking the drop on the cover of surfer in those football pants and green top… (Chippie hint hint?)
Jeff Johnson did a story on him in the Surfer Journal Vol 9
Hi CarveNalu -
WOW… seems like about a year ago you were fooling around on a Surftech. Now, you’re suddenly a player in the industry with a big wave expert like Darrick Doerner riding one of your boards. Just having a guy like him on board is a huge vote of confidence.
Congratulations. I’m really stoked for you!
Thanks John! Its pretty funny actually… A lot of shapers and surfers I respect as heavy duty watermen that I’ve looked up to for their knowledge and experience all of a sudden start asking me what I think… In my head I’m thinking my signature here… “I don’t know sh*t, but I’m having fun experimenting!” Haha! I try to listen closely to those who know what’s going on and their own experiences with SUP surfing… Bonga has a certain theory on things… Parmenter has his direction etc… I also like to talk with the average guy… The average surfer who does it everyday… Where are they struggling… Where are they having an easy time… DD’s boards will be a result of many peoples boards and experiences…
Another funny thing from the other day… A fairly well known shaper here in Hawaii was telling me what he’s going to do with his new stand ups and his theory how its just an extra large longboard… He is going to do some things I’m trying to forget from last year… Things that I know for a fact will make his customers miserable… He was to smart to have some newbie like me share ideas with him even if he never SUP surfed in his life… If these shapers came to Swaylocks and did a search, they would find things that would save them a heck of a lot of time!
On the other hand Jock Sutherland paddled up to me last Sunday and asked me point blank, “OK Blane, what’s the secret to that?” I told him no real secret and to paddle a lot. Time spent with a good board and it all comes together like anything else… He was completely stoked and open to learning about it… If he ever asks, I’d make him a board in a heart beat… He’d rip on one! Guys like him make me stoked about it even more…
This winter is gonna be sooo fresh and fun! Next Thursday on we should get a nice new solid swell…
In my head I’m thinking my signature here… “I don’t know sh*t, but I’m having fun experimenting!” Haha! I try to listen closely to those who know what’s going on and their own experiences with SUP surfing… Bonga has a certain theory on things… Parmenter has his direction etc… I also like to talk with the average guy… The average surfer who does it everyday… Where are they struggling… Where are they having an easy time… DD’s boards will be a result of many peoples boards and experiences…
On the other hand Jock Sutherland paddled up to me last Sunday and asked me point blank, “OK Blane, what’s the secret to that?” I told him no real secret and to paddle a lot. Time spent with a good board and it all comes together like anything else… He was completely stoked and open to learning about it… If he ever asks, I’d make him a board in a heart beat… He’d rip on one! Guys like him make me stoked about it even more…
Aloha Carve Nalu - maybe it’s time to think of some sort of embedded disclaimer, except,of course, for Eric Hass. here at Sway’s, it’s really bitchin to have a sense of kindship of sorts, knowing you(well, kind of) before your endeavor commercially. The curve is on the incline, and it is fun to watch. Maybe it’s time to have your own blog in place for historic record and stories. But then again, I guess that’s what you give us here. In a way, this is a small community, but really…it’s huge. Good luck and be safe! ==ep
I agree… I feel like I know a lot of you guys here. Swaylocks is just a wealth of information for any level board builder… The curve is definately on the incline because of Swaylocks… My brain is just popping with ideas and sometimes I can’t sleep at night thinking of designs I want to try or lines I want to draw on the wave…
Got a call this afternoon from Leleo Kinimaka in Kona. I made him a custom 9’-6" SUP Diamond tail and today was the first time he tried it. I made it with 5 boxes. He ran the bigger twin Future Vectors up front, 4" side bites behind and a 3D FCS w/center box adapter and said the board was just ripping unreal! He said he surfed 4 times today… He’s super stoked with it… The feeling of making a board that an experienced surfer like Leleo can get all stoked on is really satisfying. So far I’ve been fortunate to have great results from all the boards that went out… So far no duds… Hopefully, things will continue this way… Its fun!
carvenalu: it is fascinating & informative to watch your progress via swaylocks. your innovation & enthusiasm & dedication gets me stoked. thanks mate.
Here’s some pics of one stoked out Darrick Doerner… The board came out nice and we were both stoked on how well it paddled and caught little waves with ease… We both agreed its going to catch some bombs really well… It has a certain glide to it that comes from 2.5 lb foam and a heavy glass job… Exciting stuff! I even got to meet Aloha Bill from Swaylocks today!
Double D…
Before dropping the board off to DD, I met with some friends who are also ordering boards for this winter. These guys are hardcore extra large surf guys and we are currently working on some boards for some really crazy waves! Its pretty fun building boards for guys at this level… I really get into it and want to make them get some giant barrels while SUP surfing! They told me straight… “We want to pull into some giant ones!” Hahahaha!!! OK!!!
The riders of the next batch of SUP Guns…
