Surfing

[Huell Howser]

Expand Quote

had a cool thing happen - I bought a 3/2 ripcurl ebomb wetsuit in 2019 sometime and it lasted me about 2 & 1/2 years then finally got a little hole in the leg and thinned out in the crotch. I sent it to ripcurl to get it fixed January this year and was told it would be returned in about 4-6 weeks. I finally emailed them after 3 months with no response and they said 'due to covid they don't have the materials to fix my wetsuit right now' so they 'put me under warranty' and gave me a the amount of store credit to buy another ebomb. So stoked, was not expecting this to happen at all. I have read some negative stuff online about ripcurl's suits but I have always liked mine and now I feel like imma buy them for life

[close]

that fucking rules. i've had like 3 ripcurl suits and they've all held up for multiple seasons, but i never bothered to try and get them fixed or replaced when they started leaking. i think i still have a leaky 3/2 around somewhere, i may try to send it out and see what happens. did you still have a receipt or any paperwork or anything like that?

i'd say its worth a try. worst comes to worst they will just repair it where it's needed and you'll pay a small amount. I brought mine into an actual Rip Curl shop with no receipt and they sent it in after inspecting where the repairs needed to be done. I didn't buy the suit at a rip curl shop either

[Frank and Fred]

Spring has been pretty shitty up here in the PNW but still managing a weekly go out. Fun session yesterday on my 6'2" twin. I think I may have done one of my best backhand cut backs to date on it. Full rebound off the white water. The twin didn't lose any speed whatsoever through the whole turn, felt great. Still haven't got my new CI wet (or even waxed) yet...

[Huell Howser]

@Frank and Fred hey, at least you've been getting out. I don't think I have ever regretted going out even if it is shitty, usually always leaves me feeling better than I did before. That cutback sounds rad, nice. Why haven't you brought out the CI? Saving it for certain conditions? My friend who I kinda look to for guidance in surfing when talking about my single fin said to me 'you gotta take that thing out in all conditions - small, big, shitty, steep, everything... to really understand how to ride it'  and that has stuck with me since haha

i am trying not to dwell on it too much but i did infact see a shark recently(luckily on vacation and not at my home break) and it has sent my head for a spin since. it was way inside

[mj23]

i just got a new job and i'm moving back to nyc where i can surf my old home breaks 

i'll miss a lot about austin but i will NOT miss driving 4 hours to surf

and i'm gonna make a little more money so maybe i can go on some surf trips. anyone here ever go down to puerto rico?

[bigdave]

@Frank and Fred hey, at least you've been getting out. I don't think I have ever regretted going out even if it is shitty, usually always leaves me feeling better than I did before. That cutback sounds rad, nice. Why haven't you brought out the CI? Saving it for certain conditions? My friend who I kinda look to for guidance in surfing when talking about my single fin said to me 'you gotta take that thing out in all conditions - small, big, shitty, steep, everything... to really understand how to ride it'  and that has stuck with me since haha

i am trying not to dwell on it too much but i did infact see a shark recently(luckily on vacation and not at my home break) and it has sent my head for a spin since. it was way inside

Where'd you see the shark?

[Huell Howser]

@bigdave Catalina - I know its super common over there but this thing was about 3 ft from the shore and luckily someone yelled so we we got out of the water. I couldn't make out what type it was but I could see it's silohoutte right in the small break crashing on the rocky shore. it was probably between 6/7ft

[Frank and Fred]

@Huell Howser I always have a weird block with new boards. As soon as I surf it once, that will be it. It now has a traction pad and fins. I'll wax up a base coat this weekend... haha..

But also, mostly harsh winter conditions have meant I've needed the old reliable heavy water paddlers. (ie mid length crutches)

[finecojeffe]

Just wrapped up making this 5'4" twin fin. It's got a single concave into a mid-to-deep double concave through the tail.

dims: 5'4" x 20.75" x 2.25". I have no clue on the volume exactly, but math puts it around 27-28 liters. I'm 5'9" and 175+ pounds and plan to surf this in small to shoulder high surf if we ever get shoulder high surf. It should be fine in 1'-2' waves though.

[Frank and Fred]

Hell yeah @finecojeffe I'll take a 5'8" version!

Let us know how it goes.

[finecojeffe]

Hell yeah @finecojeffe I'll take a 5'8" version!

Let us know how it goes.

will do...hoping to get it out tomorrow afternoon

[finecojeffe]

wound up getting a few after work yesterday. Waves were real small barely cracking 1'-2'. Still trying to find the sweet spot on the board. Take-offs are real nice and it paddles really well. But I kept swamping the nose after a few pumps so I need to adjust to a slightly narrower stance, or maybe squat a little more so i don't keep so much pressure forward. That's always been a problem of mine though since I favor my front foot.

Either way I was able to snag a few really fun waves and based on them and how the board likes to surf I'm thinking it will be good up to head high, possibly overhead. It didn't feel too loose, for which I think the deep double concave helped, but it could release and spin when I wanted. I used the fcs2 MR twin fins. I think they're the right choice as the boxes are set only 6" up from the tail. I have a set of the modern keels, but they might stiffen it up too much for me.

[Frank and Fred]

Rad. yeah, I always have to remind myself to surf twins more off the tail.

[botefdunn]

Just wrapped up making this 5'4" twin fin. It's got a single concave into a mid-to-deep double concave through the tail.

dims: 5'4" x 20.75" x 2.25". I have no clue on the volume exactly, but math puts it around 27-28 liters. I'm 5'9" and 175+ pounds and plan to surf this in small to shoulder high surf if we ever get shoulder high surf. It should be fine in 1'-2' waves though.

 

thas a beaut, nice work. try it out yet? how's it feel?

[finecojeffe]

thas a beaut, nice work. try it out yet? how's it feel?

thanks. two posts up is my little review after a sesh.

[Huell Howser]

wound up getting a few after work yesterday. Waves were real small barely cracking 1'-2'. Still trying to find the sweet spot on the board. Take-offs are real nice and it paddles really well. But I kept swamping the nose after a few pumps so I need to adjust to a slightly narrower stance, or maybe squat a little more so i don't keep so much pressure forward. That's always been a problem of mine though since I favor my front foot.

Either way I was able to snag a few really fun waves and based on them and how the board likes to surf I'm thinking it will be good up to head high, possibly overhead. It didn't feel too loose, for which I think the deep double concave helped, but it could release and spin when I wanted. I used the fcs2 MR twin fins. I think they're the right choice as the boxes are set only 6" up from the tail. I have a set of the modern keels, but they might stiffen it up too much for me.

nice, that thing looks rad. i'm 6'2 around 175-180 and smaller waves on my 5'10 are probably the toughest for me to surf. i feel like i need some power behind me or else I just sink haha... need to get better in that regard. I am not too familiar with twins, during a recent session I swapped boards with my buddy for a few waves - he has a 7'2 pin tail twin(kinda like something you'd see torren martyn on) and it took me a few waves to just barely start understanding it...

Have you been shaping boards for others as well?

[finecojeffe]

nice, that thing looks rad. i'm 6'2 around 175-180 and smaller waves on my 5'10 are probably the toughest for me to surf. i feel like i need some power behind me or else I just sink haha... need to get better in that regard. I am not too familiar with twins, during a recent session I swapped boards with my buddy for a few waves - he has a 7'2 pin tail twin(kinda like something you'd see torren martyn on) and it took me a few waves to just barely start understanding it...

Have you been shaping boards for others as well?

we're just about in the same weight range. I think it comes down to making the board work in small waves vs letting the wave push. For instance generating speed the moment you pop up isn't dissimilar from tic-tacking like a maniac and looking like one while doing so! Short rides with quick bursts. I'm always hunting for the smallest board in the smallest waves until summer hits then I'm back on my 8'3" twin.

As for making boards for other people, I definitely have in the past. It's mostly a hobby and I'm horrible at marketing myself so it's been just a few boards for friends. I haven't sold a single one outside of that, but I've only tried with one board so far.

heres the super low res, surfline cam perspective of me flailing in those small waves I mentioned:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CcTE0yAl85D/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

[Huell Howser]

@finecojeffe Yeah good point, pumping like a maniac might be something for me to try out haha. I usually just rely on the initual pop up for speed like you mentioned


nice vid, fun to see yourself on surfline haha. I can see those bumpy conditions you're talking about. I can see how surfing quick waves like that probably makes you a much better surfer in the long run. also looks so nice being in blue tropical water

I usually don't have luck seeing myself on there because when I am out in the water I'm usually not conscious of where the cams are placed/staying near them. always stoked when I do find a clip though

here is a wave that I actually was in front of the cam for from a few weeks back, ended up being one of the longer ones i got during the session so I was stoked to play it back. had a good time with some friends at a spot that is usually not breaking. cruisin on that single fin egg

https://imgur.com/a/IMV9rT8

[Frank and Fred]

Ha! Good old Kook Cams. We had one at the winter spot until the locals had enough... Not before I caught myself on a small winter day though... Shame I was riding a borrowed oversized pumpkin seed that day...

[Huell Howser]

kook cams is right haha. i do rely on them to get my ass outta bed sometimes...

@Frank and Fred did the locals contact surfline to get it taken down?

[Frank and Fred]

They put signs in front of it. Literally a giant placard that said, "KOOK CAM" on it. It may even have been vandalized. Living in Portland I use cams also but that one needed to go, it was too good.

[finecojeffe]

@finecojeffe Yeah good point, pumping like a maniac might be something for me to try out haha. I usually just rely on the initual pop up for speed like you mentioned


nice vid, fun to see yourself on surfline haha. I can see those bumpy conditions you're talking about. I can see how surfing quick waves like that probably makes you a much better surfer in the long run. also looks so nice being in blue tropical water

I usually don't have luck seeing myself on there because when I am out in the water I'm usually not conscious of where the cams are placed/staying near them. always stoked when I do find a clip though

here is a wave that I actually was in front of the cam for from a few weeks back, ended up being one of the longer ones i got during the session so I was stoked to play it back. had a good time with some friends at a spot that is usually not breaking. cruisin on that single fin egg

https://imgur.com/a/IMV9rT8

Conditions were bad enough that people didn't show, that's the only way I catch myself on cam. I also know what time I catch waves because I have to wear a watch so I know when my parking meter is up, I just try look at it after a wave is caught that I feel like reviewing. I'd say about 99% of the time, the review makes me realize either how bad the camera angle is or how much I need to learn...and the camera doesn't lie.

Cams don't ruin south beach because there's only 2 breaks in miami so no matter what if the waves get any good it will be packed. What's crazy about this spot is about 1-2 times a year it lights up and there is no preparing you for it if you've never surfed overhead barreling beach break. Waves come in super fast and jack up. Before I moved here (almost 20 years ago) I never thought there was even a chance for anything above knee high just based on geographic location with the bahamas blocking the open ocean swells.

here's a nice vid of the 2020 swell I found on youtube showing the conditions. FFW to 1:03 to start seeing them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5A6TkuShgw

[finecojeffe]

Getting back to the yellow board i posted recently, I was able to get out yesterday in some fairly sizeable surf. Went to Jensen Beach and paddled out as far as I've ever paddled since I saw one guy out there. Forecast said 2'-3' so I was on the yellow twin. Once I got so far outside I saw the guy was on a rescue board, which I guess is 12' or more. Waves were like open ocean swells and much bigger than I thought looking from the beach. So anyway my estimation of head high to overhead for this board was off. It took off too fast and was difficult to control under those conditions. I found myself having a hard time just setting rail and would slide out. Not fun getting shoved deep so far off the beach and nearly alone. I caught a few waves that went well but I had to basically pick the s/medium ones. Wound up swapping boards after about an hour. I'd say the twin could handle shoulder high at most after this session.

[botefdunn]

@finecojeffe nice to really test the limits of the board, sounds a bit scary but epic usually is. The levels here have been bad for a few weeks, I've driven a couple times to chase waves, but that isn't really my thing, especially with the price of gas. Can't wait  for the waves to come back, i feel like the og surfers these days, landsurfing to pass the flat days.

[Huell Howser]

@finecojeffe that sounds like an a perspective changing session, especially almost by your lonesome haha. Luckily during similar sessions, I have at least been out with one friend so we can keep an eye on one another. Even though big and stormy isn't my deal, paddling out and 'survival surfing' during those sessions has definitely made me more calm on regular days when bigger sets roll through. At least ya know not to bring out the twin under those conditions haha

reminds me of this john john florence vid I watched recently where he talks/analyzes getting caught in a rip current and taking a ton of waves on the head:
https://youtu.be/Z8HQBA4dh_8

so freaky. of course that's at pipe and I have never even surfed in Hawaii but rip currents exist everywhere lol

@botefdunn where are you usually surfing at?

[botefdunn]

@Huell Howser I'm a lowly river surfer on the east coast, but inland, hours from any  ocean waves. :'( Winter snow runoff has pushed all the river levels high lately, which buries the waves.

This my local, sometimes it gets pretty good, generally stays small but fun like in the pic.

*fyi not me in the pic!

[Huell Howser]

@botefdunn hey, nothin wrong with that. River surfing sounds fun as hell! would love to try it out at some point


I like to hear about people’s local spots. Thanks for sharing

[finecojeffe]

@finecojeffe nice to really test the limits of the board, sounds a bit scary but epic usually is. The levels here have been bad for a few weeks, I've driven a couple times to chase waves, but that isn't really my thing, especially with the price of gas. Can't wait  for the waves to come back, i feel like the og surfers these days, landsurfing to pass the flat days.

Definitely a little scary. Not scary while paddling, just while sitting and waiting. I'm back on the landsurfing soon too since it's about to be so as flat as can be here in SoFlo until either a hurricane or next fall.

@finecojeffe that sounds like an a perspective changing session, especially almost by your lonesome haha. Luckily during similar sessions, I have at least been out with one friend so we can keep an eye on one another. Even though big and stormy isn't my deal, paddling out and 'survival surfing' during those sessions has definitely made me more calm on regular days when bigger sets roll through. At least ya know not to bring out the twin under those conditions haha

reminds me of this john john florence vid I watched recently where he talks/analyzes getting caught in a rip current and taking a ton of waves on the head:
https://youtu.be/Z8HQBA4dh_8

so freaky. of course that's at pipe and I have never even surfed in Hawaii but rip currents exist everywhere lol

@botefdunn where are you usually surfing at?

The rips here are usually helpful at least to just paddle out, but if you lose a board I imagine it would suck pretty bad. That vid is nerve-racking. I can't imagine being that stuck for that long and nobody even really notices.

The one fairly uncomfortable/scary wipeout i had last saturday was when I couldn't set rail and pitched right where the lip broke sending me straight down. I got to the point my leash was taught, my board was tombstoned, I was stretched out upside-down  and I couldn't right my body to swim to the surface. As soon as the wave passed I swam up and took another on the head. Wound up with a little whiplash and a lot of water in my sinus.

River surfing looks fun. I haven't looked in to it much, but do people ride thinker but shorter boards compared to ocean surfing? It would be cool to do a hike-camp-surf trip along a river.

[Frank and Fred]

That Nathan Florence vid was super interesting. I don't typically enjoy Been Gravy but his counter-analysis was cool also. We deal with a lot of weird rips and heavy water here in the NW and you can get into some really challenging situations where you can't get out or in. Exhausting in a 5mm wetsuit but nothing like that.

I'm blowing the afternoon of work... its pretty junky storm swell today, forecasted to clean up but it could still be two hours of being sucked around only to drop into a steep chunky close out or two... looking forward for La Nina to break free but its not happening yet...

[Huell Howser]

@Frank and Fred oops, just realized I said John John, meant Nathan. always mixing them up haha. Yeah, agreed on the Ben Gravy, seems like the equivalent of a youtube skater with weird off-brand sponsors but I did enjoy his video as well

[mj23]

on the topic of river surfing, i just learned that there's a standing wave near austin. gonna try to check it out before i leave. the guy in this first video is using a wakesurf board, but i also found a rental company nearby that actually uses inflatable boards. if you watch the second video you can see it. seems to turn like shit lol, i'll try to find like a wavestorm or something at least

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHwqdQSqlu4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl4AH7Au2Bs