anyone here had a good surf lately ?
or a board that has been giving you enjoyment ? new fins that work really well ?
I’d love to hear about that …
cheers !
ben
…we are so blessed to be able to surf …
Pretty fun south swell action in Central California. Riding and enjoying my newest fish. 9x5’s double foiled. The first time I’ve used that template double foiled and it seems to work really well. The board is a 5’10". Mike
great stuff Mike !
…tell me more …
nose, tail width …pin to pin measurement ?
how far up were the keels ?
…photos ? [yes please !!]
What size surf ?
point, reef, beachies ?
… paint me the full picture , if you don’t mind ? [I’m a visual person !]
cheers !
ben
Surfed my balsa laminate longboard with 2 sponsored guys & their shaper on Tuesday. The shaper brought out 4 boards for the 3 of them to test out but they all wanted to try the balsa. Fun seeing really, really good surfing on my board.
One of the 2, a good friend of mine, watched me go by him on the nose from the inside. I went pretty close, at high speed. Afterwards, he paddled over to me with a strange expression and said that the tail of my board was ‘fluttering’ as I went by. Not cavitating or vibrating, but with the water, almost like a mat.
I do know by now that the wood has very different flex/return characteristics than a foam & glass board, but fluttering? The board sure does lock in for noserides, but I never thought this was why. Maybe its that epoxy break-in period that Greg was talking about. I thought that with the solid balsa rails and the 22 lb, it was quite rigid.
The same guy was getting so much return out of his bottom turns that he’d fade deep, push a turn, run to he nose & get flung off. He’s lighter than me. Took him 4-5 waves to be able to stay on the board. Hilarious to watch. It also felt good to be the one who knows how to surf the thing…
Bert, if you’re reading along, I haven’t heard mush about your longboards being used for drop-knee turns & going to the tip. They’re light & multi-finned and your team guy needs to score points, so I guess you mostly build 'em as ‘modern-performance’ longboards.
What would you do differently for a single fin noserider? As simple as less rocker in the nose & more glass for weight, or do you move the flex points? Thicker wood in the rails or a wood stringer to center some weight?
Don’t build 'em?
Not telling?
…it was an amazing feeling for me today , having 4 foot of board in front of me and over four foot of board behind me , while I was trimming across little waves .
Something I never really thought about much , riding a 5’7 stubbie or a 6’5 "benzer bottom " thruster, at present !
A nice change , I must say … it made me want to shape the 8’er blank at hicksy’s !!
ben
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A nice change , I must say … it made me want to shape the 8’er blank at hicksy’s !!
Haha! You MUST do it sooner or later…
and now , a little of my weekend at Grant’s garage …
after commenting to a girl at dewsons supermarket , who had her wrist bandaged , “did you break your arm doing too much karate ?”
and her , with a stunned expression replying , “yes” [!!] twilight zone music now] …
I stated working on some single fins for our numerous single fin boards .
I commented to Grant , “if you see any old single fins , at council collections or anywhere else , no matter how bad the boards are , if the fins are still on them , please grab them , as we can salvage them , mould the bases , and use them in boxes on our boards” …
An hour later , Grant’s next door neighbour drops around with three OLD single fins , with the fins still intact !! [more music please ] . He said a mate of his just threw out another 8 before he knew [!], so he mentioned to the guy , “I know a guy who could use these …don’t throw the others out …”
So , Grant took some photos of the boards, I moulded some bases for two of the single fins …
Rex was following me around all weekend , when he wasn’t rummaging under stuff looking for the mouse that lives in hicksy’s garage . [the mouse ran between us this afternoon …you should have seen the poor old fellah’s face …at 56 [human] years , he couldn’t move quick enough to give chase , and spent the next HOUR snortling around , trying to sniff it out . Obviously annoyed at himself that he didn’t catch it…
ah…it was CLASSIC !! …“you should been there !!”
“chip”
p.s. - IF I can figure out how to "get the photos off " this disc that Grant gave me as I left…thanks mate ! [yep, digital camera!] , I’d like to show you the boards , and fins …
G’day fella’s,
Probably don't hear too much about the surf up my way, but those highs that keep spinning by South Oz send plenty of wind across the Gulf of Carpentaria. There is a surprising amount of set ups if you are willing, or desperate enough to look. The wind is now 20 knots E.S.E, so tomorrow should be on at the local left hand reef. I'll post photos in the near future. Despite the presence of big ol' crocs, plenty of us head out for a wave. You've gotta get the fix somehow, eh?
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"… So , Grant took some photos of the boards, I moulded some bases for two of the single fins … " "…IF I can figure out how to “get the photos off this disc” Grant gave me as I left [yep, digital camera!] , I’d like to show you the boards , and fins …
well , the digi for some reason is still overexposing , but here’s a couple …
“hicks’ chicks LOVE the sticks” !!
[grant’s trying to make them all goofy…
fortunately , Kate wasn’t having a bar of it !! ]
Hey Hyatt,
I’ve travelled up that way, but didn’t get any waves on what is a beautiful and isolated coastline. Not your average spot for a surf trip.
We did however get some of the biggest and roughest seas crossing the gulf. I’ve got no doubt there would be waves around there.
Friends I know have surfed the windswell in Port Phillip Bay, and I’ve surfed the onshore junk in north Queensland many times, so the fetch of the gulf probably has more potential than most of us would think.
Catch a wave for me, but you can keep the crocs!
the boards were [l to right] … 6’9 odyssey, 6’4 backyarder [with ‘star’ sticker …no nose !!] and a blaxell 7’5.
none keepers …except for the fins !! [“yewww” , Josh ! I’m moulding bases so they can be used in hickster and chipster boards …]
funky 1970s logo … " groooovy, man ! "
[ the guy’s name may ring a bell among 70s surf movie fans ? ]
Hey Hyatt
Welcome aboard mate. You reminded me of the surf at Onslow in WA. You had to wait for a cyclone before you got any swell and when you did some dork from the SES decided that it was too rough to surf and ordered you out of the water!!!
Took me 3 hours to get out and they were really upset with me for some reason…
bonzer runners scene 3 , take 4 …[long story]
uh oh …who’s watching again ??
take 2 …
almost a set…
Those shots of the Hixy Chix on Stix came out well. I think there’s some kind of conspiracy happening, they’re all wearing pink tops…
And Mackenzie stood up as a natural on the skurfboard…
Switchfoot at the age of 7…
pink tops aside , the natural thing could be my secret influence hehe
switchfoot at 7 is good !!
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the boards were [l to right] … 6’9 odyssey, 6’4 backyarder [with ‘star’ sticker …no nose !!] and a blaxell 7’5.
none keepers …except for the fins !! [“yewww” , Josh ! I’m moulding bases so they can be used in hickster and chipster boards …]
Nice Finds! but why are they no-keepers? you could strip the glass of and make your next fish…
Hey Josh
You’d say they were no keepers if you saw them up close, very sad condition but the fins are great!!!
Yeah they probably are baaaaaad BUT nothing is unfixable…
My recent stoke is getting a STL 35mm Camera its a old Ricoh. so stoked on that. yeew. and an extra zooooom lens. yeew!.
Josh.
Hi Chip! I started ‘molding fin bases’ the other day using urathane, the stuff used for skatey wheels. Pics when done. Interesting stuff pu. ages to cure.
Josh.
keep up the experimenting Josh !!
…believe me , when I say a board is beyond saving , it really , REALLY is !! [most boards I have salvaged and resurrected from the dump , people couldn’t believe it ! ]
but these were BAD , trust me …
the fins , however were saveable …one was almost a keel size !
ben