Portugal peniche supertubos /Molhe Leste surfboard

General Discussion
1

hey everyone, i have been folowing this website for some time now , this is my first post.

I am a local to supertubes/molhe leste , peniche portugal

a bit of personal surf history -

Learned to surf in supertubes about 2 years ago with a broken board, 6´2 17 1/2 2 1/2 , with a lot of rocker , learned to surf by doing crazy vertical drops , that was the only way i could surf with that board . i dont know how to surf small/mushy waves

then a friend shaped me a 6´4 18 3/4 2 5/8 , and i learned how to have a surf line, how to padlle, how to surf mushy waves .

a cople of month ago i bought a 6´0 18 1/4 2 1/4 very used,  just to try a smaller board . this 6´0 is very light, very fast and started to destroy my surf line, ( and my back/kidneys) , but also opened the door to vertical surfing and air manouvers .

I started to repair boards ( from a small ding to a broken in half )a
couple of months ago and i feel confortable fibreglassingits time to
shape my first one .

I want to shape a board exclusive for Supertubos /Molhe leste .

dont think supertubos need´s a presentation , so i will talk a bit about molhe leste (my primary wave)

molhe leste is a right world class wave ,  hollow, fast wave , that breaks in a sand bar, due to a pier reflexion wave. its about 50-100 meter lenght .

almost like a crazy j-Bay

the take off is completly vertical, very critic ( exactly like te wedge wave , but a right) .

it starts to work with 1 meter ( 3 feet) and can be 3m +  (10 feet +)

some images of this wave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

what sould be the caractersitcs of a board build exclusive for this wave ?

i really wanted a round pin tail, and a 5 fin setup .

Mauricio

 

2

sorry about the bad english

i forgot to tell you that  i have 66 kg and 1, 75 meter (5 ´9 feet )

3

on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbet2rK1oOc

 

on htis video you can see molhe leste working on a very very small day .

please take a look at the take off  and how fast this wave is .

Bodyboarders when its small are by the dozen and i need to drop faster, ( or late) then them

4

Do a board with lots of volume under the chest for maximum paddle power, and maybe longer too. It'll help you get into those waves early, so that you don't have to take off on super steep faces. Plus, it'll help you catch waves that the rest of the crowd will miss :)

If I were to surf it, i'd go with a 6'10-7'2, maybe 19 inches wide, and 2 3/4 inches thick. Pull in the tail too.

5

the longest board i have is a 6´4, and i use it for 8 feet + . or really small .

I have never tried anything bigger than that size .

at first i tought about a 6´1 with 18 1/2 and 2 3/4 , i have been researching this afternoon for the winning boards design at J-Bay , and found this little gem  :

 

 

kelly slater winning board at j-bay this year, this thing looks fast , has a 5 fin , and a round pin tail like i wanted .

its 5´9 18 1/4 2 1/4

can seem to find more info about it …

seems to be wider on the nose, and middle, with a narrow tail . I think it can hold up some volume ?

6

Kelly Slater also rides sub 6' boards at pipe. My advice is to not imatate "pros" boards whatsoever, because they ride what works for them, and chances are, it won't work for you.

Basically you have two broad options:

1. Shorter board with more rocker. This will give you more maneuverability, and ability to take off late. More rocker allows you to have more forgivness on steep drops. drawbacks are that you can't get in earlier, and more rocker means less speed.

2. Longer board with less rocker. I'm not saying flat, but rather less  rocker than the one I just discussed. This will allow you to catch waves early, set up, and hold a solid line. also, you can outpaddle the crowd. It will be faster, but on late takoffs, you have a greater chance of pearling.

Also, being realistic in choosing a board is key. You need to find a balance between maneuverability, and control. Leaning to heavily towards one side or another will cause you to lose key design features that would have otherwise benefited your surfing. Remember, if it is a fast wave, and speed is key for you, then designing a board that is going to help you rip super hard may not be the best idea.

 

7

a board used just for a right hand point break should have less rocker than one used at a hollow beach break.

 

8

that looks like a fun wave Mauricio! it doesn't look as critical as i had originally thought when reading your description though. maybe because it's a small day? so, in our archaic system of inches and pounds, you're 5'9" x 145 lbs. i agree with Astevens about not imitating pros boards. the common misconception is that a pros board will help you to surf better. in actuality, it's kinda like skipping a chapter in a book. it's best to ride the kind of board that will help you to progress now. that being said, i think the board you need is:

 somewhere around 5'10" x 18 3/4" x 2 3/8" (maybe even 2 1/2") ... leave the thickness in the middle, under your chest. more than you are used to. more than is fashionable. thin the rails to a shape similar to your favorite board. rocker right around 5 1/4" and 2 1/4" maybe even less like 5" and 2". i would keep the bottom simple if this is your first shape. flat works well. 5 fin option for sure... we have similar waves where i surf and i'm basing my suggestion off of what has been working well for me lately. i'm 6'0" x 175lbs and, looking at that wave up to about head and a half, i would ride a 6'0 x 19" x 2 1/2" with right around 5 1/4" and 2 1/4" rocker. it looks like the takeoff spot is well defined so, you don't need volume or length for paddling around and chasing down waves so much. really, you just need enough board to take off under the lip then, it's all about the ride. catching that wave looks like it is all about positioning. it's not the kind of wave where you take a bunch of strokes to get in... on the other hand, you've only been surfing 2 years? some extra length and volume could be a good thing at this stage now too. i wouldn't go much longer than 6'4" if i were you though......

your best bet is to try as many different boards as possible before you drop some $ on a new board. find out what works for you and what doesn't.

anyways, that's my 2 cents...

EDIT: and, just to clarify,... i'm a junk shaper and a mediocre surfer so, take all of the above with a grain of salt.

9

Welcome to sways, Mauricio. Molhe Leste looks a lot like Sebastian Inlet, cross waves off the jetty creating a wedging peak and running down the line. Since you've done all your surfing on shortboards, I don't think you really need to go bigger than 6'1'' or 6'2''. But you really need to be honest with yourself about your ability.

IMO you're on the right track, a good hpsb shape with a slightly narrower round or round pin tail is going to work well there. Your first shape is going to be an adventure, try to make it easier by finding a blank (I'm assuming you're talking about doing a PU/PE) that is close to shape, particularly in terms of bottom rocker. You want to yield 5'' or a little more on nose and about 2.5'' on tail.

10

Spot on, Chrisp! Mauricio, what a great wave, I want to move there especially looking at Paul Jensen’s trip photos. Looks like a wonderful place. I’d follow what Chrisp recommended though maybe go with a 2 1/2  (6.35 cms?) minimum thickness. If it is real hollow the tail could have a touch more rocker at 2 1/2 like Mike Daniel said.

11

thank you all very much for this precious info .

criph , i think you really understand how this wave works . the take off is exactly like you said, you just need to take 2 paddles, be on the right spot, and the wave carries you down under the lip .

now i have some doubts

shall i go for a 6´0 with more foam and widder , or go for a 6´1 with less foam  and less wide ?

i really like a board that feel´s heavy, so that i may use all of my body to turn it and create a beautifull surf line .

carefully reading these post´s i will do it  with chest thickness , wider nose area  narrower tail and i will try to copy the outline of my 6´0 .

the 5 system will be installed and i will use fcs fusion system.

i am open to all of the hints you give me about designing boards for this wave .

 

as a gift to all of you i will ( in a couple of day´s) show you the spots around peniche  !

this is just a preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

supertubos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

meio da baia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

belgas rights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mauricio

 

 

ultimately i want to shape a quiver just to surf all of the waves of peniche , taht can go from crazy supertubes, to hollow fast waves, secret reef waves , or the soft but with long walls waves of north peniche

12

thanks TBlank! for sure, Portugal looks FUN!... Mauricio, those other spots you posted look like you might need to paddle around more to chase down peaks? if you are designing a board to work well at all of them, some more volume and/or length could be beneficial... also, anything Mike Daniel suggests, trumps anything i suggest, every time. if our suggestions are similar, it's just because i got lucky. so, probably 2 1/2" tail rocker like MD and TB suggest is the go...

13

this board is just for molhe .

later i want to build a board for each one of the spots …

i think portugal its one of the best surfspots in europe, we have 600 km of shoreline and good waves from top to bottom . every day all year long

Peniche is a special place because its a peninsula, so its surounded by water on its side wich means that when one side its onshore, the opost beach is working.

there is ALWAYS a wave to surf here .

 

14

I have the PERFECT board for you and that wave…but I must deliver it to you in person.

Please advise on the best time of year to arrive and your address so that I can find you.

15

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there is ALWAYS a wave to surf here .

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okay, now you're just gloating! =)

i don't usually watch contests but was interested in Portugal and when the circus went there last year, i checked out the videos. it looked REALLY good! especially that bomb that Bobby Martinez took off on! that thing just destroyed him

16

Mauricio!?!? SSSHH!! Keep it under your hat! You have paradise right at home. Good On Ya!

17

I surfed there in 1982.  I stayed with some local surfers at a house on the  Baleal (Spelling?) peninsula.  The waves were flat every morning and then the tide came up and pushed the waves to head high, a perfect peak right of the seawall.  I have fond memories of “pesce spada and vinho verde.” Good times.

I’m a little skeptical about the five fin you speak of.  It is actually not a five fin, but rather a quad/thruster convertible.  You don’t surf it with five fins.  And I think it’s hard to get the tail curves to work with both fin set ups.  Almost everyone I’ve heard that has a “convertible” surfs it almost exclusively in one set up or the other.

There is a really, really good five fin set up that has a lot of adherents, myself included. See Greg Griffin Surfboards : Sunset Point, Hawaii

Also there is the bonzer set up that was refined in hollow beachbreak waves.  You should look into that too, although it might be a bit much for a first board, what with the single to double concaves and flutes and all…

 

Anyways, good luck with your build.  You will become an addict like the rest of us.

18

Listen to Mike Daniel, I have had nothing but good boards come from him. Peniche looks awesome I have watched the ASP contest there these past two years and the waves look super fun, I hope one day to get the chance and surf there.

You are about the same size as I am, (I am 5’10" and 65kg) and my board for waves like that is between a 5’11" and a 6’2". The 6’2" is for bigger heavier waves like supertubos when they are between 2-4 meters  and the 5’11" is for waves like Belgas up to 2 meters and a wave like Mohle up to about 3 meters. The bigger board is 6’2"X18 3/8"X 2 3/8" with the tail width being 13 13/16" And the Nose being 10 3/4" with a round tail and single to subtle double concave, with similar rocker to what Mike Daniel described. It has really thin rails for responsiveness. The 6’2" would probably be the board for you when the waves are the size of the first pictures you posted, though if you want to draw longer more fluid lines I would consider adding an extra inch. Thrusters work really well, bonzers work too, and from the way you describe how you would like to surf, I wouldn’t hesitate to research them to see if that is what you want.

Remember the more narrow and curves add control and hold but sacrifice speed. The straight and wide are hard to control, but are fast.

All the best

Kyle Dexheimer

19

thank you all for the input its  proving to be very very helpfull .

Tblank, the blank i will use is from USblanks, maybe the 6´2 P , so that may play with the rockers  ?

what should be the best rocker to aply ? In my 6´4 i have a single -to- double- to vee on the tail and feels really conforatble and snappy .

 

for the user that was here in 1982 , those were the times, you probably meet the pioneers of surf in peniche .Pedro Black, Leopoldo ,joao coelho, luis chaves .

you said it right - baleal its a giant bay , that works with middle and high tide, 

That food is called Peixe espada e vinhoverde ( SWORD FISH and green whine ), great time hem ?

the link bellow, shows some photo from those years , (mainly surfing in molhe leste) , maybe you can recognize them ??

http://www.cm-peniche.pt/_uploads/Videos_Surf/Primordios_Surf.pps

 

Its a powerpoint presentation

as i said i will do just a quick tour of the waves in peniche as a way to say thank you .

 

Mauricio

 

 

 

20

Hola Mauricio, The 6’2" P is close to what is mentioned, but the 6’3" & 6’4" EA have a little volume to play with. These will help with paddle power as Chrisp has mentioned if you are surfing beach breaks and peaks are shifty. Having to adjust position and catch waves you want something that will get you there without much fight. I’d say the P model is good for the Jetty right where the takeoff is more defined. Buena Suerte Amigo.

ps. If you like that single to double bottom I’d say stay with that and dial your rockers in to what works and feels the best. Once that is established, you can begin to play with different bottom contours. For starters, the P blank won’t take much but some skimming, foil and then bottom contours. That blank is a good choice for the right hander. It’s pretty close already. This can be the benchmark for your other boards to help you see what you can tweak or not. Refer back to that when you are thinking of modifications.

 

pps. Sorry if this is too much info or if it sounds as if I’m talking down to you. You may already know this stuff better than I. BUT, also keep records of what you shape using the same methods for measuring each time. Keep the numbers for the future in case the board ever breaks on you. Document all you can so you always have that reference. Once you have the right rocker for these lengths, make a full size template of the rocker nose to tail. This makes it very easy to make changes in the foam.