It being my one day 'off', relative to the other days 'off'.
Off course, the wind is already 22 knots from the North and surf will not be found today...
But I do get to pick up two cheap wetsuits.
A Hotline and a Mutant, both hooded 5/4's...
Both less than a year old for 150.00.
Half the cost of one of these suits new.
I love my Hotline, even at 4/3 I am warm most of the year. With the water being at 48 lately, I have had the coldest hands but the warmest ass.
Cold hands because I don't wear mittens, I am a hand dragger and there is no 'feel' with mittens on.
Of course, I don't get to whine about cold hands...
But Hotline is one of the last US companies making suits here.
And that suits me and my ethos to a T.
I cut the masking off of Mikes board last night, looks good, the tailblocks show through pretty nicely right now, hopefully we can keep them that way. Doing the bottom this morning and then the deck again later today with any luck.
Its cold out and cure times are slow. Yeah, I can add catalyst but a slow cure is much stronger with more flex.
We did a reverse lap on it, the deck first rather than the bottom as he wants a traditional looking board. I don't know when glassers starting doing the bottoms first, probably a hundred discussions on sways about it though.
Doing the deck first is a bit easier in terms of knocking seams down after cutting, its much easier to fill a flat surface than the deck joint. I will baste the laps anyway because I hate blisters and air bubbles. A pain to fix and they show all the way through.
Swaylocks has gone into the toilet since Mike swapped over to a new format.
No search functions, can't stay signed in, no PM's, its become unusable.
I just tried to find a link for 'lap basting' and no bueno.
And no one can communicate to him these issues.
Hilarious.
But not funny when you want info.
Oh well, its still free.
Well, here comes a bit of the Sun...
See ya.
No surf=grumpy surfer
No surf yesterday or today...small and junky...
Doing some glassing today on three boards with any luck. Its warm out and no surf so...
I was planning on shaping out a few longboards for sale, spring is coming and I wanted to offer up an alternative to the Chinese and Thailand boards most shops sell up here.
Its tough to build something stock though, I don't do clear boards (haven't yet anyway) and some people are picky about colors.
I prefer color, lots of it right in the resin. Not only is it fun to do but it helps to create an original looking board. I was in SC once and there were 4 surfers riding the exact same surttechshit.
Not original.
And stock longboard shapes leave much to be desired, way too much compromise.
You either end up with a HPLB or a traditional noserider.
Most longboard buyers ride that much foam for the comfort, not so much the traditional style or the HP style.
I figure I should shape out 4 9'2" 's and do 2 traditional and 2 HP. If I am lucky, I can cover all the bases and get some money up for some more retro singles.
I am pretty happy with the templates I am using on the 8'4" blanks, though they are shaped for surfing right here in my backyard.
It seems to take a long time surfer though to see the beauty in these older retro boards. They are not 'eggs' or funboards but more of a down the line board, something that allows clean lines and drawn out bottom turns.
I ain't seen no Slater's 'round here.
Well, not much else happening.
Going to try and run video on the glassing today and upload it...should be fun given my 'puter is a retro thing too...
At least the Sun is out.
Doing some glassing today on three boards with any luck. Its warm out and no surf so...
I was planning on shaping out a few longboards for sale, spring is coming and I wanted to offer up an alternative to the Chinese and Thailand boards most shops sell up here.
Its tough to build something stock though, I don't do clear boards (haven't yet anyway) and some people are picky about colors.
I prefer color, lots of it right in the resin. Not only is it fun to do but it helps to create an original looking board. I was in SC once and there were 4 surfers riding the exact same surttechshit.
Not original.
And stock longboard shapes leave much to be desired, way too much compromise.
You either end up with a HPLB or a traditional noserider.
Most longboard buyers ride that much foam for the comfort, not so much the traditional style or the HP style.
I figure I should shape out 4 9'2" 's and do 2 traditional and 2 HP. If I am lucky, I can cover all the bases and get some money up for some more retro singles.
I am pretty happy with the templates I am using on the 8'4" blanks, though they are shaped for surfing right here in my backyard.
It seems to take a long time surfer though to see the beauty in these older retro boards. They are not 'eggs' or funboards but more of a down the line board, something that allows clean lines and drawn out bottom turns.
I ain't seen no Slater's 'round here.
Well, not much else happening.
Going to try and run video on the glassing today and upload it...should be fun given my 'puter is a retro thing too...
At least the Sun is out.
Just like yesterday only better...
If thats possible.
Mike got the noseblock done but a certain spot was calling.
Not as good as it gets but good none the less.
Was going to glass the deck tonight but will wait, much masking to do anyway and its best left for tomorrow.
My fin of choice (for the moment)..
.
My 'smells like dead seals in there' rig...
See ya.
Mike got the noseblock done but a certain spot was calling.
Not as good as it gets but good none the less.
Was going to glass the deck tonight but will wait, much masking to do anyway and its best left for tomorrow.
My fin of choice (for the moment)..
.My 'smells like dead seals in there' rig...
See ya.
Just another day...
Helped Mike do the tailblocks, I had attached them and done the final shaping (with some room to spare just in case). Balsa. colored with acrylic paint pens and then sealed before glassing.
After that, time to check the surf....
Yep, some surf...
And on the way home, time to help a friend do some gardening...
And then a nap...
Yep, just another day...
After that, time to check the surf....
Yep, some surf...
And on the way home, time to help a friend do some gardening...
And then a nap...
Yep, just another day...
To make it 'go'...lean back...
Had a short but sweet session at The Spot Which Must Not Be Named, six of us out but only three with the place wired up. Lots of hooting and hollering as the sets peeled through.
I was out on the 8'0" with a different fin (9.5 GL Flex) and the board was working very well for the spot. The drive off the bottom was more defined and stable, the sweet spot has moved back a few inches but the biggest change was the speed in trim and on the pump.
Had one wave from pretty deep and there was a guy who had been caught inside on the previous wave. he was in my line so I took the high trim, hit the bottom and two roller coaster pumps and I went all the way around him into a nice roundhouse cutback. I hit the rebound with more speed than I had going in, whipped it around just in time to see the guy caught inside take the wave on the head.
I smiled as I sped by...
Another little grom was out, Thomas I think, he got buried deep inside next to the rocks. I was paddling back out and looked over to the boneyard and there he was, taking waves on the head and losing ground to the rocks. I paddled over closer and mentioned to him he might want to paddle hard and quickly...
He made it out and stayed shoulder bound the rest of the session.
I had to run so I only got an hour of it, 11 waves, 7 to the beach.
Stopped at the SUP spot on the way to pick up Stella from school and had a go for 20 minutes on the SUP.
I fit the tail and nose blocks to Mikes board and this morning we should be glassing it. Well, he should. I will mix and pour but the rest is on him. I told him to wear long sleeves and gloves, cant wait to watch a total newbie wrap the rails!
After that...going to hit it again with the tide push, should be good and if not, I have the SUP ready to go.
I got a template for a MP style pintail, an outline he still favors but with more of a stubbie type tail section. I have the blank shaped and ready for the rails but there is some confusion out there....and of course, Sways is down with some new program and no one can post....
I am building the board for a certain local spot...
That doesn't break often but when it does...it will leave slower boards behind. And its not a spot you want to get behind the wave on...
Well, back to it, some filing and sanding to do before my firewood guy gets here at 0700.
See ya.
I was out on the 8'0" with a different fin (9.5 GL Flex) and the board was working very well for the spot. The drive off the bottom was more defined and stable, the sweet spot has moved back a few inches but the biggest change was the speed in trim and on the pump.
Had one wave from pretty deep and there was a guy who had been caught inside on the previous wave. he was in my line so I took the high trim, hit the bottom and two roller coaster pumps and I went all the way around him into a nice roundhouse cutback. I hit the rebound with more speed than I had going in, whipped it around just in time to see the guy caught inside take the wave on the head.
I smiled as I sped by...
Another little grom was out, Thomas I think, he got buried deep inside next to the rocks. I was paddling back out and looked over to the boneyard and there he was, taking waves on the head and losing ground to the rocks. I paddled over closer and mentioned to him he might want to paddle hard and quickly...
He made it out and stayed shoulder bound the rest of the session.
I had to run so I only got an hour of it, 11 waves, 7 to the beach.
Stopped at the SUP spot on the way to pick up Stella from school and had a go for 20 minutes on the SUP.
I fit the tail and nose blocks to Mikes board and this morning we should be glassing it. Well, he should. I will mix and pour but the rest is on him. I told him to wear long sleeves and gloves, cant wait to watch a total newbie wrap the rails!
After that...going to hit it again with the tide push, should be good and if not, I have the SUP ready to go.
I got a template for a MP style pintail, an outline he still favors but with more of a stubbie type tail section. I have the blank shaped and ready for the rails but there is some confusion out there....and of course, Sways is down with some new program and no one can post....
I am building the board for a certain local spot...
That doesn't break often but when it does...it will leave slower boards behind. And its not a spot you want to get behind the wave on...Well, back to it, some filing and sanding to do before my firewood guy gets here at 0700.
See ya.
Wet weekend
As in rain, not too much but enough to keep me around the house more.
Finished all the repairs and then got to the SUP sanding, put it off long enough.
But as I carried into the shop, I made a wrong turn and loaded it up in the van and just went surfing instead.
Windblown 1' slop was all I could find but it was enough for some stoke.
I like the fact that I can turn the board around so quickly and not let anything rideable get by.
Rode some long crumblers to the sand, jump off and paddle back out to do it again.
I really like the way it surfs, a bit like a log, a bit like a fish with that wide tail. It bottoms turns in a very predictable push and likes to let me determine the line rather than it. I only fell twice while paddling and I can honestly say it was the sometimes 25 knot wind that did it...maybe.
Today is fitting nose and tailblocks to Mikes board and maybe getting the first glass on.
They are my first blocks so I will be taking pictures of the whole process.
Thats it fo rme, its early, going to check the surf but it looks messy out and its 32 degree's.
Brr...
Finished all the repairs and then got to the SUP sanding, put it off long enough.
But as I carried into the shop, I made a wrong turn and loaded it up in the van and just went surfing instead.
Windblown 1' slop was all I could find but it was enough for some stoke.
I like the fact that I can turn the board around so quickly and not let anything rideable get by.
Rode some long crumblers to the sand, jump off and paddle back out to do it again.
I really like the way it surfs, a bit like a log, a bit like a fish with that wide tail. It bottoms turns in a very predictable push and likes to let me determine the line rather than it. I only fell twice while paddling and I can honestly say it was the sometimes 25 knot wind that did it...maybe.
Today is fitting nose and tailblocks to Mikes board and maybe getting the first glass on.
They are my first blocks so I will be taking pictures of the whole process.
Thats it fo rme, its early, going to check the surf but it looks messy out and its 32 degree's.
Brr...
Repair day...
Doing nothing but repairs today...
replacing the glass on fin with a box on the 10'0" log. The fin had taken a beating last week and there was some delam. I was going to fit a box in the first place but FS dropped the ball and I didn't want to wait two weeks for a box.
I will use the same fin template as it worked really well for the board.
The Hull is getting a bit of hotcoat along the stringer, it was thin in a few spots and the wood was taking on water where I scraped it up.
Lastly...
I got an email from a guy who wanted blanks up in Portland way back in early December, I said sure, they will be there when you get back on the 3rd of January.
I cut him the super deal, I mean a smoking hot bargain bro-down deal.
That date came and went without an email or a phone call.
He never picked them up and they were sold a week ago to some one else.
He emailed me today and said he was going to pick them up...yeah.
They were 1/3rd the cost of retail with no shipping and the dumbass missed out.
Fucking kids.
Always do what you say you are going to do.
Well, back to the repairs.
Yuck.
replacing the glass on fin with a box on the 10'0" log. The fin had taken a beating last week and there was some delam. I was going to fit a box in the first place but FS dropped the ball and I didn't want to wait two weeks for a box.
I will use the same fin template as it worked really well for the board.
The Hull is getting a bit of hotcoat along the stringer, it was thin in a few spots and the wood was taking on water where I scraped it up.
Lastly...
I got an email from a guy who wanted blanks up in Portland way back in early December, I said sure, they will be there when you get back on the 3rd of January.
I cut him the super deal, I mean a smoking hot bargain bro-down deal.
That date came and went without an email or a phone call.
He never picked them up and they were sold a week ago to some one else.
He emailed me today and said he was going to pick them up...yeah.
They were 1/3rd the cost of retail with no shipping and the dumbass missed out.
Fucking kids.
Always do what you say you are going to do.
Well, back to the repairs.
Yuck.
Babylon and on and on...
Did the Ptown trip, hate the place, love the girls...and them funny little hipster boys with the skinny pants.
OMG.
Met up with Troy, would have loved to shoot the shit but he had to run. Poly picked up a few blanks too as well as a super cool dude named Norio, he is from Da Islands and full of stoke.
Missed Kyle but maybe next time.
Cold as shit up there, how do they stand it?
As I drove up, the Coast was as good as it gets for 145 miles. A-framed beach break with gentle offshores everywhere.
Picked up Pauls' paddleboard, its bound for Davids place, a trade for a 13'6"...thats some longboard.
Anyway, went well, home is good.
Burnt, filthy from the City and I have a headache.
Ha.
See ya.
OMG.
Met up with Troy, would have loved to shoot the shit but he had to run. Poly picked up a few blanks too as well as a super cool dude named Norio, he is from Da Islands and full of stoke.
Missed Kyle but maybe next time.
Cold as shit up there, how do they stand it?
As I drove up, the Coast was as good as it gets for 145 miles. A-framed beach break with gentle offshores everywhere.
Picked up Pauls' paddleboard, its bound for Davids place, a trade for a 13'6"...thats some longboard.
Anyway, went well, home is good.
Burnt, filthy from the City and I have a headache.
Ha.
See ya.
Summer...
I gave in and loaded up for Portland yesterday only to lose a fuel pump relay 9 miles north of town...
Took and hour to figure out it was the relay so I hotwired the fuel pump and made it home. I dug around the old parts box but couldn't match the bad relay. Can't run the pump at the wrong voltage so I called it.
I grabbed the wifes wagon and hit the beach...
Had a nice summer kind of day. Swell was too big here and too small there but just right where I was.
Smoked out with some friends and we had a fun little session, all four of us spread out, like I said, it was summer-like.
The van is still loaded for Portland and if I can find an open shop today, I will get a relay and head up, I need the dough from the blanks so I can get to glassing the spring time longboards.
I have now shaped...
A retro fish, a 9'0" HP longboard, a 10'6" log, a 10'0" log, an 8'0" V-panel hull type thing, a 6'6" mini Simmons, a 9'4" log, a 9'2" modern longboard, copied a XXXXXX at 9'6" and a 9'4" SUP...I think I am missing something...
But yeah, I have shaped one of everything but a thruster...
Why not a thruster?
Because I don't ride one.
How the hell can I shape out something I know nothing about?
Well, suns up, going to start calling around to see who is open for my relay, I knew I should have just gone surfing first thing yesterday.
Priorities you know.
And thanks to the guy in Florence who stopped and happen to have a bit of fusible link in his tool box, that shit is handy. I owe you a wave.
Took and hour to figure out it was the relay so I hotwired the fuel pump and made it home. I dug around the old parts box but couldn't match the bad relay. Can't run the pump at the wrong voltage so I called it.
I grabbed the wifes wagon and hit the beach...
Had a nice summer kind of day. Swell was too big here and too small there but just right where I was.
Smoked out with some friends and we had a fun little session, all four of us spread out, like I said, it was summer-like.
The van is still loaded for Portland and if I can find an open shop today, I will get a relay and head up, I need the dough from the blanks so I can get to glassing the spring time longboards.
I have now shaped...
A retro fish, a 9'0" HP longboard, a 10'6" log, a 10'0" log, an 8'0" V-panel hull type thing, a 6'6" mini Simmons, a 9'4" log, a 9'2" modern longboard, copied a XXXXXX at 9'6" and a 9'4" SUP...I think I am missing something...
But yeah, I have shaped one of everything but a thruster...
Why not a thruster?
Because I don't ride one.
How the hell can I shape out something I know nothing about?
Well, suns up, going to start calling around to see who is open for my relay, I knew I should have just gone surfing first thing yesterday.
Priorities you know.
And thanks to the guy in Florence who stopped and happen to have a bit of fusible link in his tool box, that shit is handy. I owe you a wave.
In a hurry...
Always in a hurry...
Supposed to run up to Portland today but I think I am blowing it off till tomorrow...
Surf was good yesterday, too good...even the lower tides didn't screw everything up too badly and most spots were rideable through out the day.
I was up early and fit the box to the SUP, put on the hotcoat and had the fucker in the water by noon...its not finished of course but it doesn't have to be to ride it.
I was in a hurry...
I had worked pretty hard on the board, cutting the blanks, fitting them together with a new stringer, shaping it out with a concave deck, full outline but with lots of curve to it, especially through the tail.
I hit the local SUP spot, suited up in 2 minutes flat, scraped the deck with wax real quick and hit the water.
I was really concerned about how well it would float me and as soon as I stood on it...Well, I was happy.
Its a surfing SUP...
9'4" by 31.5 by 26 nose by 22 tail, thickness at 4.25. I can pivot turn it at a dead stop, whip it around and go. It surfed pretty good in the 1' slop but its not much of a noserider. I got close to some fives but tens wont happen I think. Its loose-well, as loose as a 9 inch base fin at 10 inches tall will let it be. Did a few drop knee turns backside, some classic poses in trim (paddle behind my back-thanks...) and even managed to kick out over the whitewater and stay on (twice!).
I fell a bit just paddling, that part is tough in SUPing, its a whole nother set of muscles you work doing this and fatigue got me the second hour.
My hand was fucking killing me but stoke is a powerful pain reliever, it was hard to grab and twist the paddle with my hand but ya know what? It was worth it.
Its only my second time SUPing, the first was on an old windsurfer I have, using a canoe paddle...kook! But I didn't know if I wanted to build one or not and trying it out that way was pretty cheap. A buck for the board and 8 bucks for the paddle.
So I am pretty stoked, I have a SUP, its made right fucking here in America and it cost me 175.00 and 18 hours of work.
The only issues I have with it are a bit more nose rocker in the last 12 inches would have been good, a bit of a flip in the nose for the tighter take offs.
Oh...the other SUp'er out was on an 1800.00 custom Jimmy Lewis...
I was out on a custom Tony Lewis...ha!
And I have a sequined fabric inlay on the nose...
Well, I need to get up out of here and think about Portland, I have 6 blanks to get up there but I don't want to waste today sitting in my van all the way to Babylon...so some courtesy emails need to go out, after all, they know they are dealing with a...surfer, we all know how flakey they can be....
Mahalo and see ya in the water....
Supposed to run up to Portland today but I think I am blowing it off till tomorrow...
Surf was good yesterday, too good...even the lower tides didn't screw everything up too badly and most spots were rideable through out the day.
I was up early and fit the box to the SUP, put on the hotcoat and had the fucker in the water by noon...its not finished of course but it doesn't have to be to ride it.
I was in a hurry...
I had worked pretty hard on the board, cutting the blanks, fitting them together with a new stringer, shaping it out with a concave deck, full outline but with lots of curve to it, especially through the tail.
I hit the local SUP spot, suited up in 2 minutes flat, scraped the deck with wax real quick and hit the water.
I was really concerned about how well it would float me and as soon as I stood on it...Well, I was happy.
Its a surfing SUP...
9'4" by 31.5 by 26 nose by 22 tail, thickness at 4.25. I can pivot turn it at a dead stop, whip it around and go. It surfed pretty good in the 1' slop but its not much of a noserider. I got close to some fives but tens wont happen I think. Its loose-well, as loose as a 9 inch base fin at 10 inches tall will let it be. Did a few drop knee turns backside, some classic poses in trim (paddle behind my back-thanks...) and even managed to kick out over the whitewater and stay on (twice!).
I fell a bit just paddling, that part is tough in SUPing, its a whole nother set of muscles you work doing this and fatigue got me the second hour.
My hand was fucking killing me but stoke is a powerful pain reliever, it was hard to grab and twist the paddle with my hand but ya know what? It was worth it.
Its only my second time SUPing, the first was on an old windsurfer I have, using a canoe paddle...kook! But I didn't know if I wanted to build one or not and trying it out that way was pretty cheap. A buck for the board and 8 bucks for the paddle.
So I am pretty stoked, I have a SUP, its made right fucking here in America and it cost me 175.00 and 18 hours of work.
The only issues I have with it are a bit more nose rocker in the last 12 inches would have been good, a bit of a flip in the nose for the tighter take offs.
Oh...the other SUp'er out was on an 1800.00 custom Jimmy Lewis...
I was out on a custom Tony Lewis...ha!
And I have a sequined fabric inlay on the nose...
Well, I need to get up out of here and think about Portland, I have 6 blanks to get up there but I don't want to waste today sitting in my van all the way to Babylon...so some courtesy emails need to go out, after all, they know they are dealing with a...surfer, we all know how flakey they can be....
Mahalo and see ya in the water....
Might be time to call it...
Had a go yesterday at four different spots, moving from one to the other as the tide came up and then fell.
Lots of good waves, a few people out, nice weather as it was 60 on the beach and sunny out.
Swell was good, a solid 6' at 16 seconds.
I haven't been surfing too well this past week, falling, losing my board...took some long swims a few days ago, something I don't do very often.
So I was thinking it was me, I am just out of it or something.
Yesterday I racetracked an inside bowl through a rocky section, I was in the tint on the nose and saw that the wave was going to open up so I ducked and grabbed the outside rail and slid up in to a nice little tube ride in a cheater five stance.
I got blown out.
Hard.
And raked and dragged over the inside rocks.
The board spiraled between two pillars and up into a little bay, bouncing around in and on the rocks till I could get to it.
It looked ugly for the board.
I scraped my hand pretty hard across one submerged rock as I was getting tumbled, at least it wasn't my head but bad enough to cut it up pretty bad and leave a bad bruise across the palm. Its blue this morning and useless.
It could have been worse.
An hour later, I was at another spot with the high tide/swell combo working.
There were three of us out and I got to talking to Bobby, I related how shitty I had been surfing lately and he said something that put it in to perspective.
Progression as a surfer will have you falling.
And it made some sense.
I have been trying new things, throwing the longboard up backside hard into the face for a high line trim and running up for ten over when in all likely hood, the wave was going to pitch me out and the fin/rails were not going to hold.
But they will and I have been making some insane lines backside.
But this leads to me eating it occasionally.
Or often.
So it makes sense. It may not be that I am surfing poorly but that I am trying different things, different lines, more tip time, harder cutbacks and just not making them yet.
Progression.
So I put a leash on my log.
Call me a dog, call me lazy and perhaps a bit of a hypocrite...
But I am progressive.
I am not one for competition any more, been there done that.
Except maybe with my self, my age and my own version of surfing.
Oh, the board got a good ding to the nose and a shatter on the fin tip but was otherwise fine.
Lucky.
Like me.
Anyway.
My hand hurts and I know why.
Its ok.
I look forward to the next time I duck and racetrack that inside bowl.
In the tint.
Eventually I will make it.
Progression.
I guess one should surf like no one is watching.
See ya.
Lots of good waves, a few people out, nice weather as it was 60 on the beach and sunny out.
Swell was good, a solid 6' at 16 seconds.
I haven't been surfing too well this past week, falling, losing my board...took some long swims a few days ago, something I don't do very often.
So I was thinking it was me, I am just out of it or something.
Yesterday I racetracked an inside bowl through a rocky section, I was in the tint on the nose and saw that the wave was going to open up so I ducked and grabbed the outside rail and slid up in to a nice little tube ride in a cheater five stance.
I got blown out.
Hard.
And raked and dragged over the inside rocks.
The board spiraled between two pillars and up into a little bay, bouncing around in and on the rocks till I could get to it.
It looked ugly for the board.
I scraped my hand pretty hard across one submerged rock as I was getting tumbled, at least it wasn't my head but bad enough to cut it up pretty bad and leave a bad bruise across the palm. Its blue this morning and useless.
It could have been worse.
An hour later, I was at another spot with the high tide/swell combo working.
There were three of us out and I got to talking to Bobby, I related how shitty I had been surfing lately and he said something that put it in to perspective.
Progression as a surfer will have you falling.
And it made some sense.
I have been trying new things, throwing the longboard up backside hard into the face for a high line trim and running up for ten over when in all likely hood, the wave was going to pitch me out and the fin/rails were not going to hold.
But they will and I have been making some insane lines backside.
But this leads to me eating it occasionally.
Or often.
So it makes sense. It may not be that I am surfing poorly but that I am trying different things, different lines, more tip time, harder cutbacks and just not making them yet.
Progression.
So I put a leash on my log.
Call me a dog, call me lazy and perhaps a bit of a hypocrite...
But I am progressive.
I am not one for competition any more, been there done that.
Except maybe with my self, my age and my own version of surfing.
Oh, the board got a good ding to the nose and a shatter on the fin tip but was otherwise fine.
Lucky.
Like me.
Anyway.
My hand hurts and I know why.
Its ok.
I look forward to the next time I duck and racetrack that inside bowl.
In the tint.
Eventually I will make it.
Progression.
I guess one should surf like no one is watching.
See ya.
Sold out...
Did the blank count today as I wasn't sure what I have left.
It looks like I have 6 more to part with, those are going to Portland this weekend...
And thats it.
Leaves me sitting on 38 total, all over 8'4" except for a few stringerless fish blanks.
I bring this up because while I have been selling these at less than half of retail, they haven't exactly flown out the door.
I got a call this morning for the 9'8" blanks, I have three left, I was offering them up at 75.00 a week ago.
No more.
Go to Fiberglass Supply and get one for 141.00 and shipping at 150.00 per box of four.
So yes, I am laughing.
Those guys who hemmed and hawed and frankly waited too long, sorry.
Long period swell this morning, looking good in an hour or so.
And yes, I put a leash on the go to board.
I don't feel up for the swim today.
Call me a dog.
See ya.
It looks like I have 6 more to part with, those are going to Portland this weekend...
And thats it.
Leaves me sitting on 38 total, all over 8'4" except for a few stringerless fish blanks.
I bring this up because while I have been selling these at less than half of retail, they haven't exactly flown out the door.
I got a call this morning for the 9'8" blanks, I have three left, I was offering them up at 75.00 a week ago.
No more.
Go to Fiberglass Supply and get one for 141.00 and shipping at 150.00 per box of four.
So yes, I am laughing.
Those guys who hemmed and hawed and frankly waited too long, sorry.
Long period swell this morning, looking good in an hour or so.
And yes, I put a leash on the go to board.
I don't feel up for the swim today.
Call me a dog.
See ya.
Yep.
The surf was good today and the swimming wasn't bad either.
I need to get back on my game or put a leash on my go-to board.
12 waves in 90 minutes.
4 back to back swims.
Tomorrow is looking good, I will be on the stand up watching the swell come up.
See ya.
I need to get back on my game or put a leash on my go-to board.
12 waves in 90 minutes.
4 back to back swims.
Tomorrow is looking good, I will be on the stand up watching the swell come up.
See ya.
Nice
...to work outside in the Sun...
Did the hot coat and baste on the SUP, looks good, all the pukas and voids have gone the way of the resinhead, just finished sanding it out to 220.
Tomorrow will go to 400 and the bottom is done. I will then do the deck and rails again in 6oz, that will cover up the deck and its crazy resin pattern-but you cant waste resin so...I am going with a solid blue with a few drops of white and some white pinlines.
Looks like a clown threw up.
I will cutlap the deck to the bottom and then hotcoat the whole thing again, insert the box(es) and paddle it. Actually might paddle it Friday.
Finished putting the fins on the mini Simmons inspired craft, I don't think I can ride it as its meant to be ridden, its little, I aint.
I need to fit the leash loop and finish the tail patch and she is done.
I will give it a try but....
If any one is thinking about a Simmons type twinny, its up for sale at 200.00...
Try getting a Zamora or Swift for that and the deal is, no one has the real deal anyway. Every one of these boards is just an interpretation.
My outline and take on it came from Murray and yes, Zamora.
Oh, and that guy in SC who had one at 7'2".
Tomorrow has a funny swell model, longer period but really small. be interesting to see how it plays out.
My foot is still pretty bad but its my back foot, not important really.
I get to go up to Portland this weekend for another blank delivery, I am almost officially sold out as I want to keep 40 for myself.
I have made about half of my money back from the initial buy so the wife isn't too unhappy. But at 12 to 15 bucks profit per blank....well...I bought them all to cover my trip costs and spread the happy, ya know? Seems I will get there and have my 40 or so blanks at 40.00 each, my cost.
Not bad when an 8'4" from FS is 90.00 and shipping.
And of course, I am sitting on enough foam to shape a board a month for the next 3 years.
Well, gonna go play Nintendo with my girl, hands are done with board stuff.
See ya.
Did the hot coat and baste on the SUP, looks good, all the pukas and voids have gone the way of the resinhead, just finished sanding it out to 220.
Tomorrow will go to 400 and the bottom is done. I will then do the deck and rails again in 6oz, that will cover up the deck and its crazy resin pattern-but you cant waste resin so...I am going with a solid blue with a few drops of white and some white pinlines.
Looks like a clown threw up.I will cutlap the deck to the bottom and then hotcoat the whole thing again, insert the box(es) and paddle it. Actually might paddle it Friday.
Finished putting the fins on the mini Simmons inspired craft, I don't think I can ride it as its meant to be ridden, its little, I aint.
I need to fit the leash loop and finish the tail patch and she is done.
I will give it a try but....
If any one is thinking about a Simmons type twinny, its up for sale at 200.00...
Try getting a Zamora or Swift for that and the deal is, no one has the real deal anyway. Every one of these boards is just an interpretation.
My outline and take on it came from Murray and yes, Zamora.
Oh, and that guy in SC who had one at 7'2".
Tomorrow has a funny swell model, longer period but really small. be interesting to see how it plays out.
My foot is still pretty bad but its my back foot, not important really.
I get to go up to Portland this weekend for another blank delivery, I am almost officially sold out as I want to keep 40 for myself.
I have made about half of my money back from the initial buy so the wife isn't too unhappy. But at 12 to 15 bucks profit per blank....well...I bought them all to cover my trip costs and spread the happy, ya know? Seems I will get there and have my 40 or so blanks at 40.00 each, my cost.
Not bad when an 8'4" from FS is 90.00 and shipping.
And of course, I am sitting on enough foam to shape a board a month for the next 3 years.
Well, gonna go play Nintendo with my girl, hands are done with board stuff.
See ya.
Dropped....
Dropped a bucket on my foot-no surf for me...
And to make it worse...
As I was laminating the bottom of the SUP...I noticed I had not knocked down the deck lap on the bottom....what a mess, nothing I cant fix but...DAMMIT.
Way too late to do anything so today, I get to grind away all of the pukas and voids...
What a week.
Yuck.
Any one have ideas on a fin set up for this thing?
Tail is 19", thickness is 4.25 at the step rail. Length is 9'4", width is.....31.25, wide point is 10" in front of center.
Nose is somewhere around 29"...
BIG single with side fins?
Its built from scraps, literally.
Scrap glass, scrap tinted resin I had left over from the Christmas board and two 9'8" blanks that were pretty bad. (I cut them down and put in a 1/2" stringer)
Concave deck with step rails, slight belly to flat to very slight V.
Square tail.
Oh, sequined fabric on the nose because I let Stella help and thats what she wanted.
Hey, anything is possible.
One more 10 oz on the bottom (not scrap) and another 6 on the deck along with one more tail patch.
Whew.
Its HUGE.
But I only have 74.00 in it....
And to make it worse...
As I was laminating the bottom of the SUP...I noticed I had not knocked down the deck lap on the bottom....what a mess, nothing I cant fix but...DAMMIT.
Way too late to do anything so today, I get to grind away all of the pukas and voids...
What a week.
Yuck.
Any one have ideas on a fin set up for this thing?
Tail is 19", thickness is 4.25 at the step rail. Length is 9'4", width is.....31.25, wide point is 10" in front of center.
Nose is somewhere around 29"...
BIG single with side fins?
Its built from scraps, literally.
Scrap glass, scrap tinted resin I had left over from the Christmas board and two 9'8" blanks that were pretty bad. (I cut them down and put in a 1/2" stringer)
Concave deck with step rails, slight belly to flat to very slight V.
Square tail.
Oh, sequined fabric on the nose because I let Stella help and thats what she wanted.
Hey, anything is possible.
One more 10 oz on the bottom (not scrap) and another 6 on the deck along with one more tail patch.
Whew.
Its HUGE.
But I only have 74.00 in it....
Beautiful day...but...
Man, what a day.
Its was nice out.
warmer, a bit of wind, a bit of swell.
Wasn't sure I wanted to ruin it and paddled out but I did.
And man, was I right.
Over the falls and way too late the first three waves.
Caught inside twice.
And that was before I even had a wave.
It did not get better.
Sometimes you kick, sometimes you get kicked and yesterday was just that.
Oh well, I did eventually get three little waves that I almost did not flail on.
I had been out four days in a row and with a bit of flu too but...
(content removed by special request...)
On the shaping front...
I will try to take pics today of the Greenough looking spoon I am working on if I can find it in the foam dust.
First you take a 5'0" piece of foam, shape the bottom, glass it over and over again.
Flip it and remove every bit of foam except the rails and 24 inches of the nose.
The scoop it out real clean like.
And then...
You get the picture.
Of course, with the way I surfed yesterday, a knee board might be safer at this point.
The mini Simmons is waiting for the fins to go on...
The stand up is waiting for more glass, I only need another 80 yards...kidding, but that damn thing is HUGE.
I plan on finishing out the blank on the Andreini copy/template board. I added a full 12 inches to the outline, thought better of it (its a board I want to sell, not keep).
Now if I can get the bottom contours correct instead of just shaping a stubbie out of it I will be doing good.
I have a new squeegee so I really need to lam something today.
Well, back to sways to see whats up.
See ya.
Its was nice out.
warmer, a bit of wind, a bit of swell.
Wasn't sure I wanted to ruin it and paddled out but I did.
And man, was I right.
Over the falls and way too late the first three waves.
Caught inside twice.
And that was before I even had a wave.
It did not get better.
Sometimes you kick, sometimes you get kicked and yesterday was just that.
Oh well, I did eventually get three little waves that I almost did not flail on.
I had been out four days in a row and with a bit of flu too but...
(content removed by special request...)
On the shaping front...
I will try to take pics today of the Greenough looking spoon I am working on if I can find it in the foam dust.
First you take a 5'0" piece of foam, shape the bottom, glass it over and over again.
Flip it and remove every bit of foam except the rails and 24 inches of the nose.
The scoop it out real clean like.
And then...
You get the picture.
Of course, with the way I surfed yesterday, a knee board might be safer at this point.
The mini Simmons is waiting for the fins to go on...
The stand up is waiting for more glass, I only need another 80 yards...kidding, but that damn thing is HUGE.
I plan on finishing out the blank on the Andreini copy/template board. I added a full 12 inches to the outline, thought better of it (its a board I want to sell, not keep).
Now if I can get the bottom contours correct instead of just shaping a stubbie out of it I will be doing good.
I have a new squeegee so I really need to lam something today.
Well, back to sways to see whats up.
See ya.
Yesterday...
Had a go at the Spot That Eats Fins, nothing special happening but compared to other local spots, its was the only thing that looked 'fun'.
And it was alright, tight drops over submerged rocks leading to some fun down the line waves.
Going back this morning as the swell has come up a bit so there may be more to be had there.
Sways...
As a 'new' shaper, my first web page every morning is of course sways...
Because sometimes a shaper got drunk the night before and spilled every little secret on a thread...well, maybe.
But as a resource for any one wanting to shape or even a surfer trying to find a design that works for them, sways cannot be beat.
There is a thread on the Simmons trend going that has my eyes popping and my pencil flying across the paper.
I have been up since dark thirty, staring at foam, staring at the planers, tools.
Counting yards of glass and checking out my growing fin collection...
4 Gheppie keels, not to mount but to copy.
1 G and S True-Ames Retro, again to copy though it will go into my 10'0" when I snap the glass on out someday.
Harbour HP 10", one of my favorite fins on retro single fins.
Lok Box Twinzer and Quad set up...ebay score for 20.00, all 8...
My old David fin from 1967...belonged to my Father, I have copied in this fin 4 times now, different foils, woods and once in glass.
Joel Tudor Flex series in a 9.5"
True Ames L Flex at 9"
Two Wingnut fins from Rainbow or whoever, ok as sold but with added foiling, much faster. Seems they come with a bit of a flat spot in the foil.
Set of fins from my old fish, a 1975 Clyde Beatty Rocket Fish. At 5'6", it was the shortest board I ever surfed back in the day.
Might be a few others I am missing...
Fins have gotten so pricey that I treat each of these like gold.
With production moving to China and me not wanting to use anything not made here in my boards, they are like gold to my sensibilities.
Which leads to my gagging this morning when I checked Portlands cl...
"Rebel, shaped in Eugene, Oregon..."
Yeah.
There are 16 boards for sale up there and 9 are from China.
Russo recently swapped over to all epoxy.
Bates at 7 is doing epoxy now too, though I think its epoxy over poly but I could be wrong. I sure like some of his color work.
I think epoxy has its place, not under my feet yet but thats because its a pain in the butt to work with and doesn't fit into my plans. You can't be a backyard retro hack shaper and be as clean and neat as epoxy requires you to be.
I also have come to believe that a properly glassed and cured polyester resin board is just as tough as epoxy without the expense.
Epoxy doubles my glassing costs per board.
Doubles.
And EPS blanks....they suck. They tear out, they have voids and pukas and anything that requires me to put on drywall compound before I glass it...yuck.
They are getting better, Marko and Segway are putting out new stuff all the time, having shaped both, the Marko wasn't bad but compared to the feel of old school poly...nah.
Now, if epoxy was as tough as they wish it was, I would use it on my own personal boards. I am tough as hell on my shit, I mean I dont even own a board bag.
I respect my boards but I don't et them get all prima donna on me.
Why spoil the bastards?
But what epoxy does offer is flex before it breaks open or dings.
A slow cured poly board offers the same flex and stretch in the glass before cracking.
Slow cure.
Production shops kick everything pretty fast, they have to.
I don't.
And looking at the deck of my 10'0"-which does not have a deck patch, slow cure and a proper glass schedule is as good as epoxy with half the cost.
And I don't have to give money to any one in Florida.
Eventually I may do a few but for now, what has worked for almost 60 years is just fine by me.
Now, where is my Bamboo cloth and Hemp blank at?
And it was alright, tight drops over submerged rocks leading to some fun down the line waves.
Going back this morning as the swell has come up a bit so there may be more to be had there.
Sways...
As a 'new' shaper, my first web page every morning is of course sways...
Because sometimes a shaper got drunk the night before and spilled every little secret on a thread...well, maybe.
But as a resource for any one wanting to shape or even a surfer trying to find a design that works for them, sways cannot be beat.
There is a thread on the Simmons trend going that has my eyes popping and my pencil flying across the paper.
I have been up since dark thirty, staring at foam, staring at the planers, tools.
Counting yards of glass and checking out my growing fin collection...
4 Gheppie keels, not to mount but to copy.
1 G and S True-Ames Retro, again to copy though it will go into my 10'0" when I snap the glass on out someday.
Harbour HP 10", one of my favorite fins on retro single fins.
Lok Box Twinzer and Quad set up...ebay score for 20.00, all 8...
My old David fin from 1967...belonged to my Father, I have copied in this fin 4 times now, different foils, woods and once in glass.
Joel Tudor Flex series in a 9.5"
True Ames L Flex at 9"
Two Wingnut fins from Rainbow or whoever, ok as sold but with added foiling, much faster. Seems they come with a bit of a flat spot in the foil.
Set of fins from my old fish, a 1975 Clyde Beatty Rocket Fish. At 5'6", it was the shortest board I ever surfed back in the day.
Might be a few others I am missing...
Fins have gotten so pricey that I treat each of these like gold.
With production moving to China and me not wanting to use anything not made here in my boards, they are like gold to my sensibilities.
Which leads to my gagging this morning when I checked Portlands cl...
"Rebel, shaped in Eugene, Oregon..."
Yeah.
There are 16 boards for sale up there and 9 are from China.
Russo recently swapped over to all epoxy.
Bates at 7 is doing epoxy now too, though I think its epoxy over poly but I could be wrong. I sure like some of his color work.
I think epoxy has its place, not under my feet yet but thats because its a pain in the butt to work with and doesn't fit into my plans. You can't be a backyard retro hack shaper and be as clean and neat as epoxy requires you to be.
I also have come to believe that a properly glassed and cured polyester resin board is just as tough as epoxy without the expense.
Epoxy doubles my glassing costs per board.
Doubles.
And EPS blanks....they suck. They tear out, they have voids and pukas and anything that requires me to put on drywall compound before I glass it...yuck.
They are getting better, Marko and Segway are putting out new stuff all the time, having shaped both, the Marko wasn't bad but compared to the feel of old school poly...nah.
Now, if epoxy was as tough as they wish it was, I would use it on my own personal boards. I am tough as hell on my shit, I mean I dont even own a board bag.
I respect my boards but I don't et them get all prima donna on me.
Why spoil the bastards?
But what epoxy does offer is flex before it breaks open or dings.
A slow cured poly board offers the same flex and stretch in the glass before cracking.
Slow cure.
Production shops kick everything pretty fast, they have to.
I don't.
And looking at the deck of my 10'0"-which does not have a deck patch, slow cure and a proper glass schedule is as good as epoxy with half the cost.
And I don't have to give money to any one in Florida.
Eventually I may do a few but for now, what has worked for almost 60 years is just fine by me.
Now, where is my Bamboo cloth and Hemp blank at?
Went south
...yesterday and then North.
First up was dropping off ten blanks at S's house and then spending two hours drooling on his quiver of old school, new school surfboards...
What a wealth of history to draw upon.
Hopped back in the van and was going to hit the local spot but went home for breakfast instead.
Ooops.
By the time time I got there, 6 out and two more looking.
Funny thing though and I attribute it to how bad I smell...
Only two out when I paddled to the peak.
It was good and tight, I like the spot when it gets critical like that, every drop over the big rock, wave sucks up tight and heaves you over the edge and into the kelp bed.
Swoop out of the bottom turn, a full out onto the flats roundhouse cutback around the thickest of the kelp as the wave reforms on the inside.
A steep take off with a heavy penalty if you fall or hang up.
Had ten waves in 40 minutes and called it before it shut down completely.
Um...I forgot my leash, didn't notice until I dropped in on my first wave.
Now, that may be considered bragging, like "oh, Mr. Surfer/Shaper dude is too cool for a leash"...no, it's really a matter of pride.
On the one hand, the leash is ancillary to surfing, on the other its a chickenstring.
But to treat it as a tool you can choose to use or not or even better, just forget the fucking thing and not worry about it.
Of course, to lose the board at such a rocky spot would really fuck my day but its not like I cant fix it...
Which brings up this little tid bit:
I have not dinged ONE of the boards I have shaped.
Not one.
I did drop the 10'6" I recently sold and popped the fin box.
The deck of the 10'0" is getting its share of heel dents but it has 40 sessions on it too. The Blue V-Panel has had three sessions at the Spot That Eats Fins, two leashless.
Now, if I had a 900.00 Tyler, you could be sure it would have its share of snackles and dings...
Will be right on time this morning somewhere around here though I hear its better 52 miles south.
Oh well, no time.
I got a new template from S yesterday and I want to shape it out before the idea's get washed away in a flood of common sense.
I talked to DR last evening by email, he related to me the S deck foil he uses on his hulls. I read his post at Sways on the subject and DR is always willing to answer some questions and share his knowledge. He and my Father knew each other back in the day around North County LA, they surfed Zero's and Leo together and competed at a few of the Ventura County contests.
Wish I had been a little older then but then I would be even older now...uh...its early...
Well, thats the news on the retro front. Surf this am and then into the shaping room to recreate one of the boards S shared with me.
Fucking Paradise some days.
See ya.
Oh, the next time I laugh at one of my laps...I will look at this picture and not feel so bad.
The shaper is a Craftsman no doubt about it, I just find it funny that, well, have a look...
It doesn't hurt anything to have laps this uneven, especially free laps.
Pic stolen outright from J. Hall at DB. (who inspired me to do the mini Simmons).
First up was dropping off ten blanks at S's house and then spending two hours drooling on his quiver of old school, new school surfboards...
What a wealth of history to draw upon.
Hopped back in the van and was going to hit the local spot but went home for breakfast instead.
Ooops.
By the time time I got there, 6 out and two more looking.
Funny thing though and I attribute it to how bad I smell...
Only two out when I paddled to the peak.
It was good and tight, I like the spot when it gets critical like that, every drop over the big rock, wave sucks up tight and heaves you over the edge and into the kelp bed.
Swoop out of the bottom turn, a full out onto the flats roundhouse cutback around the thickest of the kelp as the wave reforms on the inside.
A steep take off with a heavy penalty if you fall or hang up.
Had ten waves in 40 minutes and called it before it shut down completely.
Um...I forgot my leash, didn't notice until I dropped in on my first wave.
Now, that may be considered bragging, like "oh, Mr. Surfer/Shaper dude is too cool for a leash"...no, it's really a matter of pride.
On the one hand, the leash is ancillary to surfing, on the other its a chickenstring.
But to treat it as a tool you can choose to use or not or even better, just forget the fucking thing and not worry about it.
Of course, to lose the board at such a rocky spot would really fuck my day but its not like I cant fix it...
Which brings up this little tid bit:
I have not dinged ONE of the boards I have shaped.
Not one.
I did drop the 10'6" I recently sold and popped the fin box.
The deck of the 10'0" is getting its share of heel dents but it has 40 sessions on it too. The Blue V-Panel has had three sessions at the Spot That Eats Fins, two leashless.
Now, if I had a 900.00 Tyler, you could be sure it would have its share of snackles and dings...
Will be right on time this morning somewhere around here though I hear its better 52 miles south.
Oh well, no time.
I got a new template from S yesterday and I want to shape it out before the idea's get washed away in a flood of common sense.
I talked to DR last evening by email, he related to me the S deck foil he uses on his hulls. I read his post at Sways on the subject and DR is always willing to answer some questions and share his knowledge. He and my Father knew each other back in the day around North County LA, they surfed Zero's and Leo together and competed at a few of the Ventura County contests.
Wish I had been a little older then but then I would be even older now...uh...its early...
Well, thats the news on the retro front. Surf this am and then into the shaping room to recreate one of the boards S shared with me.
Fucking Paradise some days.
See ya.
Oh, the next time I laugh at one of my laps...I will look at this picture and not feel so bad.
The shaper is a Craftsman no doubt about it, I just find it funny that, well, have a look...
It doesn't hurt anything to have laps this uneven, especially free laps.Pic stolen outright from J. Hall at DB. (who inspired me to do the mini Simmons).
Dueling Desperadoes
Had a surf with another dumbass, guy like who will paddle out in anything.
It was windblown crap and maybe 2'.
But I got some for an hour anyway.
My two flex fins came today, need a bit of sanding and sealing but nice nonetheless and half the price of new.
Plan on glassing more this evening.
I swapped my storage space for my glassing space in an effort to control the temp and dust better.
Painted the walls blue.
Put in a bigger fan and two electric heaters.
Temperature is so important when glassing and keeping the dust down keeps the pinholes and divots at bay.
Passing along ten more blanks (actually 11) to another local, one of the few around with a willingness to try new and different things. He has a ton of surfcraft, hulls and longboards and who knows what, lots of designs to draw upon.
He got me thinking about shaping a spoon type thing with a hull.
I have never kneeboarded on purpose but one of those might be fun to build and I have a blank that wont be good for anything else.
Anyway, thats the news...
It was windblown crap and maybe 2'.
But I got some for an hour anyway.
My two flex fins came today, need a bit of sanding and sealing but nice nonetheless and half the price of new.
Plan on glassing more this evening.
I swapped my storage space for my glassing space in an effort to control the temp and dust better.
Painted the walls blue.
Put in a bigger fan and two electric heaters.
Temperature is so important when glassing and keeping the dust down keeps the pinholes and divots at bay.
Passing along ten more blanks (actually 11) to another local, one of the few around with a willingness to try new and different things. He has a ton of surfcraft, hulls and longboards and who knows what, lots of designs to draw upon.
He got me thinking about shaping a spoon type thing with a hull.
I have never kneeboarded on purpose but one of those might be fun to build and I have a blank that wont be good for anything else.
Anyway, thats the news...
Fun session
Surfed the local crapass/last resort BB this afternoon. With the SE wind at 30 knots plus, it was th eonly spot to have a hope. Clean, windswept peaks and it then it slowly walled up as the tide dropped. The in betweens were fun and I burned more than a few 50 yard lefts, not bad for crapass beachbreak.
Rode the log as its the best board in waist high conditions bar none.
Got an order confirmation from FS, yay, fin boxes by Friday they say.
I also got an LBH True Ames Squirrel fin I bought on ebay, its a minty fin and has a great resin bead and bright yellow color.
Now, if I had a fin box.
Jen rode my blue V-Panel, she liked it as it has more foam to it than anything she rides. She sure tested the resin leash loop, she bails off the board on every wave, letting the leash do the work.
Whatever floats your boat but thats kinda tacky.
It was just her and I out for two hours and then a sponger and some guy I have seen before came out and were swept down past Hippies to the Penis Rock.
Where the wind blows through the gaps and the consistent southerly push, I think they went all the way to Reedsport...
Not much else, more glassing tonight.
Mini-inspired Simmons will be dome soon, just some sanding and fitting a loop to it.
I will probably throw it up for sale while its still new rather than ride it.
See ya.
Oh, checked my pots after surfing and these two wanted to come home for dinner....
Rode the log as its the best board in waist high conditions bar none.
Got an order confirmation from FS, yay, fin boxes by Friday they say.
I also got an LBH True Ames Squirrel fin I bought on ebay, its a minty fin and has a great resin bead and bright yellow color.
Now, if I had a fin box.
Jen rode my blue V-Panel, she liked it as it has more foam to it than anything she rides. She sure tested the resin leash loop, she bails off the board on every wave, letting the leash do the work.
Whatever floats your boat but thats kinda tacky.
It was just her and I out for two hours and then a sponger and some guy I have seen before came out and were swept down past Hippies to the Penis Rock.
Where the wind blows through the gaps and the consistent southerly push, I think they went all the way to Reedsport...
Not much else, more glassing tonight.
Mini-inspired Simmons will be dome soon, just some sanding and fitting a loop to it.
I will probably throw it up for sale while its still new rather than ride it.
See ya.
Oh, checked my pots after surfing and these two wanted to come home for dinner....
Well, she said it...
On top of having issue's with FS...our 'local' supplier of fin boxes and cloth...
Don't ask, lets just say...good luck getting your order any time soon.
I have no boxes, no boxes means no boards are getting finished.
I ordered these boxes in early December...
I do have fins though...ebay has been a great source for fins...
SCORE!
The wife last night asked if I had sold any boards off lately.
"Why no honey, I haven't..."
She then mentioned what I have spent and how, perhaps, I should go ahead and at least get rid of one.
Yeah. Thats harder than you think.
One, the economy sucks, people may be buying food but a one off hand shaped surfboard probably isn't high on the list.
Two, surfers are picky, they like 'name' brands.
And around here, they like chinese shit too.
Three...
Well, its tough to sell a board. Having sold 3 now, 2 were because the guys saw how well they rode and 1 was such a deal the guy couldn't pass it up.
It costs me 140.00 to build a fish.
I had a fish up on CL and only had a few nibbles at 250.00.
Thats less than 4.00 an hour to me.
So I rode it a lot lately, now its 'used'.
I have never put a leash on it.
I have done fly away kickouts in 20 knot winds just to see how far it will fly.
I can ask less for it.
I have to.
The wife says so.
So I put it on craigslist again, at 175.00
175.00 for a hand shaped fish.
I do think that board sales and styles are directly related to local skills and conditions.
I only surf local pretty much, that is within 5 miles of my house.
So my boards reflect that, they are made for Oregon surf.
A bit thicker, a bit stronger, a bit longer.
For all the good it does me.
The wife said as long as I sell one a month, I can build as many as want.
Well, here is hoping the fish swims away at some point soon...
Maybe some fake Surf Tech logo's would help.
Don't ask, lets just say...good luck getting your order any time soon.
I have no boxes, no boxes means no boards are getting finished.
I ordered these boxes in early December...
I do have fins though...ebay has been a great source for fins...
SCORE!
The wife last night asked if I had sold any boards off lately.
"Why no honey, I haven't..."
She then mentioned what I have spent and how, perhaps, I should go ahead and at least get rid of one.
Yeah. Thats harder than you think.
One, the economy sucks, people may be buying food but a one off hand shaped surfboard probably isn't high on the list.
Two, surfers are picky, they like 'name' brands.
And around here, they like chinese shit too.
Three...
Well, its tough to sell a board. Having sold 3 now, 2 were because the guys saw how well they rode and 1 was such a deal the guy couldn't pass it up.
It costs me 140.00 to build a fish.
I had a fish up on CL and only had a few nibbles at 250.00.
Thats less than 4.00 an hour to me.
So I rode it a lot lately, now its 'used'.
I have never put a leash on it.
I have done fly away kickouts in 20 knot winds just to see how far it will fly.
I can ask less for it.
I have to.
The wife says so.
So I put it on craigslist again, at 175.00
175.00 for a hand shaped fish.
I do think that board sales and styles are directly related to local skills and conditions.
I only surf local pretty much, that is within 5 miles of my house.
So my boards reflect that, they are made for Oregon surf.
A bit thicker, a bit stronger, a bit longer.
For all the good it does me.
The wife said as long as I sell one a month, I can build as many as want.
Well, here is hoping the fish swims away at some point soon...
Maybe some fake Surf Tech logo's would help.
"I went surfing instead"
Yeah, wanted to get some board related stuff done but something told me to have a look first.
Had some fun log waves and then transitioned to the 6'6" fish...thats a hard one for me, coming off of 10'0" onto a board that I can do ollies on.
I got four waves on it, I cant get over how well it paddles in to waves, must be the flat rocker and width (23").
I like the board but I thought it would flex a bit being stringerless. I haven't had it out in more than waist high surf yet but even at shoulder high and coming off the bottom hard (I ride logs, I can over power a short board with one leg), I dont feel any flex. Some spring maybe but the damn thing is so fast anyway its hard to tell.
I did lose it and went for a swim, watched it bounce towards the rocks and then get caught in a small southbound rip-thank goodness.
I did step right off the tail...more than once.
I have the prep done on the retro single, its masked and ready for glassing, maybe this pm as its warm enough to kick it.
Anyway, thats the news for me, tough day in Paradise....
Had some fun log waves and then transitioned to the 6'6" fish...thats a hard one for me, coming off of 10'0" onto a board that I can do ollies on.
I got four waves on it, I cant get over how well it paddles in to waves, must be the flat rocker and width (23").
I like the board but I thought it would flex a bit being stringerless. I haven't had it out in more than waist high surf yet but even at shoulder high and coming off the bottom hard (I ride logs, I can over power a short board with one leg), I dont feel any flex. Some spring maybe but the damn thing is so fast anyway its hard to tell.
I did lose it and went for a swim, watched it bounce towards the rocks and then get caught in a small southbound rip-thank goodness.
I did step right off the tail...more than once.
I have the prep done on the retro single, its masked and ready for glassing, maybe this pm as its warm enough to kick it.
Anyway, thats the news for me, tough day in Paradise....
Why shape?
Had a three hour design sesh last evening with two of the locals guys I surf with a bit.
The discussion ran from all types of design to who the biggest kook is locally.
One of the guys asked me why I started shaping my own boards...
I had the easy answer, "money'.
When you drop 600.00 for a shop board or a custom, it lasts you maybe a year or two (some of us surf a lot) and then on to the next.
I go through boards, more than 8 ridden into the ground in the last four years.
8.
Thats a bit of dough.
I always went with shapers I have used before, a sure thing when it comes to knowing what works for you and how you surf.
And after snapping my last 960.00 Harbour...
Well, fuck that.
So I looked into shaping my own.
Blanks are not available to me without insane shipping costs-like 140.00 for a blank and 110.00 in shipping.
Whats the good in that?
So when the chance came up to score almost 100 blanks for cheap, I took it.
Never shaped a board but I bought 100 blanks.
But thats me, in a for a penny...
And its funny, when it came to design and what works for me, I had it easy.
After so much time in the water and riding so many different boards over the years, I had a good grasp of what I wanted to ride, what I would like to ride and what I might be able to shape for others.
I put together a small shop in my basement.
I gathered up templates and outlines and fin foils and more information than I really needed.
I watched endless vids on glassing.
I hung out on sways for hours.
I asked a lot of questions.
Its been a learning experience.
I haven't shaped a dog yet, they all float!
My first wave on the first board was a 100 yard left.
Every surfer should have the feeling I got when I kicked out.
"I did it".
And its allowed me to get a nice quiver together...
Currently, I have two hulls, one fish, one 10'0" log and a neat Mini-Simmons inspired thing.
And I am riding shorter boards more often than not.
As I get close to 50 years old, that aint a bad thing.
One side effect is that I really get down on those who choose to ride imported boards, I dogged team surftech pretty hard a few weeks back, four guys out and three were on those plastic pieces of shit. I back paddled them, snaked them and made it known loudly that I was giving no quarter to those who ride that crap.
And leashes...I went without for two months straight, even surfing The Spot That Eats Boards without one.
Its soulless to dog others and their choices I admit...but I like it anyway.
Shaping my own, riding my own, gave me a certain confidence.
I know my surfing has improved by half.
I am looking forward to doing a lot more.
I hope to sell more finished boards, not for the money (because there is no money in it) but because each one I sell lets me do another.
And another.
Well, there was more I wanted to say but like sex, the more you think about it the more you want it.
Going to the basement, I have an idea for a shape...
The discussion ran from all types of design to who the biggest kook is locally.
One of the guys asked me why I started shaping my own boards...
I had the easy answer, "money'.
When you drop 600.00 for a shop board or a custom, it lasts you maybe a year or two (some of us surf a lot) and then on to the next.
I go through boards, more than 8 ridden into the ground in the last four years.
8.
Thats a bit of dough.
I always went with shapers I have used before, a sure thing when it comes to knowing what works for you and how you surf.
And after snapping my last 960.00 Harbour...
Well, fuck that.
So I looked into shaping my own.
Blanks are not available to me without insane shipping costs-like 140.00 for a blank and 110.00 in shipping.
Whats the good in that?
So when the chance came up to score almost 100 blanks for cheap, I took it.
Never shaped a board but I bought 100 blanks.
But thats me, in a for a penny...
And its funny, when it came to design and what works for me, I had it easy.
After so much time in the water and riding so many different boards over the years, I had a good grasp of what I wanted to ride, what I would like to ride and what I might be able to shape for others.
I put together a small shop in my basement.
I gathered up templates and outlines and fin foils and more information than I really needed.
I watched endless vids on glassing.
I hung out on sways for hours.
I asked a lot of questions.
Its been a learning experience.
I haven't shaped a dog yet, they all float!
My first wave on the first board was a 100 yard left.
Every surfer should have the feeling I got when I kicked out.
"I did it".
And its allowed me to get a nice quiver together...
Currently, I have two hulls, one fish, one 10'0" log and a neat Mini-Simmons inspired thing.
And I am riding shorter boards more often than not.
As I get close to 50 years old, that aint a bad thing.
One side effect is that I really get down on those who choose to ride imported boards, I dogged team surftech pretty hard a few weeks back, four guys out and three were on those plastic pieces of shit. I back paddled them, snaked them and made it known loudly that I was giving no quarter to those who ride that crap.
And leashes...I went without for two months straight, even surfing The Spot That Eats Boards without one.
Its soulless to dog others and their choices I admit...but I like it anyway.
Shaping my own, riding my own, gave me a certain confidence.
I know my surfing has improved by half.
I am looking forward to doing a lot more.
I hope to sell more finished boards, not for the money (because there is no money in it) but because each one I sell lets me do another.
And another.
Well, there was more I wanted to say but like sex, the more you think about it the more you want it.
Going to the basement, I have an idea for a shape...
Day off...
I had planned to fit the fins to the mini thing but I think a day off is in order. Should be some waves this am somewhere around here...
No, really.
Still under the weather, feeling yuck, def need to surf.
Suits are dry, booties too.
Shaping has slowed down some, I have two ready to glass and Mikes' board too.
My local supply house has been out of resin for two weeks now, they didnt realize 'they would sell so much'.
I cleaned them out in the last two months, 600.00 worth of resin and glass.
Its costing me about 100.00 a board right now for resin and glass.
Cant figure out a way to do it cheaper.
I can order resin at 38.00 but then with shipping, its 4.00 away from buying local.
Fins are still an issue...I have made 6 now, a balsa Harbour HP fin was the hardest, keels and half moons are easy.
I put a Wingnut in the V Panel and that is the right fin for that sharp tail. The bead is holding up well, a little surprised really as it seems like it would get chipped.
Anyway, I am up early, going to go have a look.
Surfs up.
No, really.
Still under the weather, feeling yuck, def need to surf.
Suits are dry, booties too.
Shaping has slowed down some, I have two ready to glass and Mikes' board too.
My local supply house has been out of resin for two weeks now, they didnt realize 'they would sell so much'.
I cleaned them out in the last two months, 600.00 worth of resin and glass.
Its costing me about 100.00 a board right now for resin and glass.
Cant figure out a way to do it cheaper.
I can order resin at 38.00 but then with shipping, its 4.00 away from buying local.
Fins are still an issue...I have made 6 now, a balsa Harbour HP fin was the hardest, keels and half moons are easy.
I put a Wingnut in the V Panel and that is the right fin for that sharp tail. The bead is holding up well, a little surprised really as it seems like it would get chipped.
Anyway, I am up early, going to go have a look.
Surfs up.
Ho hum...
Sick for the last two days...musta been Portland...
No surf anyway...I think.
But in any case...
I might go look.
Yep.
Might as well.
No surf anyway...I think.
But in any case...
I might go look.
Yep.
Might as well.
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