My neighbor has finally let me borrow his 7’11" MP Sopwith Camel.
Dimensions:
18 1/2
23 1/4
16 1/2
with a pronounced S-deck and mid board Vee…
original fin…needs some work to make her water tight…but overall looks like a good rider if the Vee is not too heavy.
any information on these? He wants me to sell it for him after i ride it…
Will try to bring it down to the UCSD Cancer Luau to get Tom Morey to check it out for me…
pictures below if i can work it out…
thanks…
W
Put out an APB for Dennis Ryder. No doubt he shaped at least a few of these in his years with MP.
Those boards were made in '68/69. a noticable feature was that they didn’t have a gloss coat on the deck. If I remember correctly the deck was taped off and the weave of the glass showed through. Almost seemed as if there was no hot coat, just a lam coat. Thinking back then was lighter weight. You can also try contacting Thane Pope he may be able to give you some info on the board.
I had a couple of camels when I was a kid. They didn’t all have the textured decks. There were a number of people doing that during that period. I remember being told that they brushed on a light hot coat and then squeegeed it off. It worked and it was light, but it could tear up bare skin if you let the wax get thin. I remember there being a ton of float in those boards. I had one in the mid 7’ range (If I remember correctly) I could knee paddle at about a 170 pounds. (I was a big kid) Dennis is the go-to-guy re information on these boards. I’d love to find one, just for old time’s sake. Been keeping my eyes peeled for decades. They ain’t easy to find.
as a youngster i too had a camel for a while. fun board. i saw a nice one on display a few years ago at a restaurant on the pier in santa barbara. owner did not wnt to sell it, though i tried…it’s the only one i’ve seen around in a looong time…
I had a 6’9" Sopwith in '69. I rode it to death. It was a perfect fit for me, it seems.
My surfing advanced more in one year than it had in the previous 6. It’s true that some
had a textured deck. Mine didn’t. It was also pretty fragile for the times. Dinged easily.
I loved that board. Sold it for $10 after it had deteriorated beyond what mere glass and resin could fix. It had the adjustable WAVESET system with the Greenough Stage IV fin.
There were probably at least 2 to 3 thousand Camels made from late ’68 to fall of ’69, if not more. The early ones were in the 7 foot range and as the seasoned cycled they got down in the 6’s.
They were stringer less and only available in every odd inch. Also, as time passed they came with textured decks. I don’t remember any having color. In ‘69 it was the only board that MP made and the whole deal was about making as many as possible for as little as possible.
They were made in Saticoy in the factory that became the Hollow Wave factory…. And that was later bought out by William Dennis. The building is now a flooring warehouse… at least the last time I was out that way it was.
I don’t ever remember riding one. But, plenty guys did, and had fun… best for small summer surf I’m sure.
D.R.
I recently came across this website in an effort to find the value of my 7’9 Camel. I am the original owner. I purchased the board from the Ventura MP shop I believe in 1969/70. It is #857. Reading DR’s message it would seem mine was one of the first to be made. It has been well used but still in one piece. It has been stored in a wharehouse for the past 20 years. Recently I let my grandson use it for a session at Mondos. Is there any value for this historic board or is it just another “OLD BOARD” ? Pics on request.
Historic is not a word I’d use. And asking for a value with no pics is kind of pointless. A mint condition board is not the same as a beater. Plus, rarity makes a big difference in value. As Dennis Ryder said, they made a lot of them.
The fin is worth $100-150. The board (with fin) is worth the same, or less.
I’ve have one also.! I had it custom made in ‘69 or 70, #1545, it’s marked 8’0 but it measures a little under 7’11. Used the board for years until I bought a 7’ Art double skeg (nice board too). The last time I used the Art I was too out of condition (and old!!) to enjoy it…switched to the Camel and had a great day, it’s so easy to ride and knee paddle! With years of use and my repairs it’s not pretty any more, they didn’t want to build it with a stringer, and the glass is really thin, so it digs easy. The worst moment was going down the New Jersey turnpike…I heard some flapping noise, looked up just in time to see the nose rip off (should have repaired those two opposite digs!!)…I ran back though traffic and grabbed the nose before it got crunched…I risked death to save that board…so I’ve never been able to part with it!! The nose repair worked OK, but this board isn’t going to make it to a museum…I’ll use it until I can’t paddle any more!
Sorry the pix are flipped…tried to flip them over twice…didn’t work!
Yes. Most Camels were stringerless or had just a glue line. The glass jobs were quite light and I think that’s why not many survived for very long. I rode mine to death over the span of about two years. Deck was delammed from mid point to tail and one whole rail was shot. I managed to sell it for $20 to a beginner who was willing to try repairing it.
