San Diego 2013

[Tectonically_Neglected]

Obviously you dont want to pop up TOO early. It's all about timing and speed! That said, the opposite doesn't work for me either: especially in short, steep beach break surf, if I don’t pop up quickly I'm at the bottom of the wave before I know it and my board pearls! I can imagine that for waves with longer faces i.e. longboard waves, picking up speed and then popping up can work really well also. Thing is, that’s not the kind of wave we get a lot.

Please keep in mind, I’m not a great surfer and have hardly any experience. Just relating what works for me.

@Piggity: will try that. Thanks!

[shera]

Thanks for good tips guys.

I ate it on some gravel yesterday running a dog with different shoes on, me not the dog. Took some chunks of flesh out of my hands. Omg it freaking hurts. This is why I'm not the fan of skateboarding. Not sure when I'll get in the water. Although the ocean can be cleansing.

[Ottime]

TN, think of it as standing up just as the board begins falling down the wave. It is not so much popping up as popping down. It actually works great in super short period stuff. You do not want to wait until your board is at the bottom of the wave. You begin the pop at the top of the wave, and finish as the board is approaching the bottom. Unless it is OH, and you end up mid wave.

With the method, you never really drop into the wave, rather stand up with the wave. When you get this technique down, you can then begin surfing the wave as soon as you are on your feet.

Almost like paddle, catch wave, pop down, carve turn, surf.

It is not easy to master, but I think it is the best way. I think all agree you don't want to stand up when you are already at the bottom. Besides having little potential energy, you tend to be going fast and that makes it much harder. If OTOH you stand up while still at the top of the wave, you then need to get down that thing and negotiate a drop before you get to begin surfing.

Timing is everything.

When done correctly, this is how guys catch barrel take offs. It is like they stand up as the barrel throws and suddenly you are getting tubed.

Finally, you can do this on a long board as well as a short board. But it is easiest on a short board. Can't speak for a mini Simmons type of board though. It does require decent edge hold.

[Tectonically_Neglected]

Sounds interesting Ottime! I think I need to visualise it a bit more but definately worth some time/ energy.

Cheers man.

PS I'm gonna search for a video of that, if I can find it...

[F#*k you cat]

SheRa

You might borrow a fish shape before you commit to a fun shape.

A Fish has rocker and is wide and floaty with 4 fins for grip.

CAT

[newbreak]

SheRa

You might borrow a fish shape before you commit to a fun shape.

A Fish has rocker and is wide and floaty with 4 fins for grip.

CAT

^^^THIS . San Diego summertime is all about the fish. Your skills will outgrow the fun board in no time and a fish will glide you across the flats on low juice days too. Fish = soul surfing. Do it

Oh, and SUP kooks are not surfers, unless your name is Laird, Kalama or Brock.

[Ottime]

I dunno. If you are having fun you are having fun.

Big difference in float and glide between a fish and a proper egg. They kind of serve different purposes. If the waves are gutless, the egg will make it fun instead of a struggle. And the draw a bigger line. Fish are fun in small surf as long as there is some decent shape and you have solid skills.

I woul not think one would outgrow an egg in a single summer. I've enjoyed one for decades and I've been surfing for almost 30 years. I'm just now starting to think about own ring a groveler board.

[Tectonically_Neglected]

What's the difference between a groveler and an egg?

I thought a groveler was a generic word for a board for small, mushy waves...?

[shera]

^^^THIS . San Diego summertime is all about the fish. Your skills will outgrow the fun board in no time and a fish will glide you across the flats on low juice days too. Fish = soul surfing. Do it

Oh, and SUP kooks are not surfers, unless your name is Laird, Kalama or Brock.

You're making me laugh. Thanks for advice but fish may be later in the quiver. Next board will be for learn to turn but still really easy to paddle and popup and stable down the line at Tourmaline. Still a beginner board. Not too short between 8 and 8'6". Funshape/egg with 2+1 I am thinking. Also needs to fit under my arm. Also I need a board that I can feel confident when the waves are up to shoulder high.

An sup will have its good use. I live across the street from the bay and want to use it like a boat to dink around. Also want it for sunset cliffs. Is your username from there? You know how at garbage the wave reforms 2 more times with the long flat in between? Sup looks good for that. It's the closest break to where I live. Also want to travel up and down the coast there between the kelp and the break.

All that said this will be another summer on my longboard. I don't deserve a new board at this point. But we can dream.

[Ottime]

TN, you are correct that groveler is a generic term for a board designed for small, weak, mushy surf. While an egg can be used in that surf, it can also be used in large, powerful surf. I have ridden an egg in 12' plus surf and had a blast. Ultimately an egg is an all around board and ultimately a style of surfing. And the egg shape has been around since the short boar revolution so it is kind of a classic shape.


When I say groveler I'm refer in to the world of fish and fish like boards that are really only meant for small gutless surf. Something in the 5.6-6.0 range, wide, 5 fin box kind of creature that will easily fit into, and turn through a thigh high pocket.

[Tectonically_Neglected]

You mean something like this?
(dunno if I posted this here before)






(crappy shot with sun in my face)

It's a 5'6" x 22 3/4" x 2 5/6'' (or thereabouts)

This is all my home made board that I shaped out of the core of an old windsurf board (Mistral Diamondhead) and then glassed up. Surfs pretty decently as well.
(Sorry if this is a repost)

[Ottime]

Dude, nice work. Is that cloth on the base?

For me that would be too much foam, but kind of. I'll probably end up around 19.5-20.5 wide, with a tighter tail, and similiar nose. I'll be using this for waves mostly in the 9-14sec period range, so I want some more bite. But, yeah, basically.

I'm working with a shaper (if we can get to an agreed price) on that and a step board. Same guy who shaped my 6.0 that I am very happy with. In fact, I'm so happy with the first board that we will use the same approach for these. I tell him where the 6.0 is failing me, in what kind of surf, and how I want my new board to work, and he does the rest. I love that shit. Seriously. I used to have all the time in the world to dink around with shaping, and try new things out, and experiment. Now, I surf when daddy can, and just want to not have to think about it much.

[Tectonically_Neglected]

Cheers! It's the first board I ever made. No, not cloth on the base: I painted it during the winter months when I had nothing else to do...

Our waves are mostly in the 4 - 8sec range. I came off (my first) board a 7'10" NSP and wanted a 'short longboard' that could catch just about anything surfable but was more turny and lively and would hang up less in the short beach break. It has no tail rocker and maybe 2 or 3 inches (I forget) of nose rocker, so nice an fast down the line. Flatish/ semi displacement hull in the front going into slight single concave i.e. pretty simple bar of soap all in all. In hindsight I should have taken some volume off the front end of the deck (for duck diving) and maybe brought the rear edges in a little more, maybe even rounded off the square tail.

Still, it came out pretty decently for a first and it's awesome to surf my own creation, especially as it's recycled!