Snow Sports and/or Surfing

I am in Pismo this week and so far loving it. I really need more time on it. Will be in Morro Bay tomorrow and it will 2-3 ft.

 

I've seen some pretty good surfers and some pretty good surfing on Wavestorms. Hmmmm, let's see $100 for a disposable board that works just fine or $1000 for a somewhat fragile board that works a little better. Tough call.

 

I changed my fin configuration back to the 5 fin that the board was allegedly designed for. The Futures Simitar Quads plus 3" center fin. I'll be g-dammned if the board wasn't a lot more lively and fast with the 5 fin as opposed to the 2 + 1 that I've been running since about my third day on the board. A whole new level of fun. Wheeeeeee!

 

My mom grew up in Newport in the early 50s riding pillowcases that they’d fill with air before taking off, and im sure some guys were able to shred those too.

I’m pretty much a half step above playing Marco Polo with an Aqua Noodle

 

I have never seen the center fin setup like that, so you run multiple types of fins in the center. I have only ran mine as a thruster and quad. I would like to run mine as a 5 fin just to see how it performs. I will check out those Futures also.

 

I dunno - something seems a little fishy to me...

 

Stewart has been making some pretty fishes. I gave this a whirl in october. Coming from a 10 year hiatus from shortboards made me feel like a kid again. By short board, I mean 7'6" and 47 L.

 

Here's my problem - and it's a first world problem. I was debating between the 6'4" and the 6'6". I went smaller, since it's a fish and I want it to ride like a fish. However, the new me ain't the old me and I could probably use the extra volume and wave catching and give up a smidge of "performance." Whaddya think? I haven't waxed it, so it's not too late to exchange.

I'm 6'4" 210 lbs and not so quick to my feet.

 

I am shorter and fatter. 6'1" and 2 many pacificos. I only learned that ...just because it floats you, doesn't mean you'll catch waves, and just because you catch a wave doesn't mean you will enjoy the ride. Pretty profound and that mindset is what keeps both the MTB industry and surfing industry printing money.

On the practical side, Stewart used to rent boards for a few days and deduct the price from the cost of the board.

I also have a 7.0 stewart that would be nice for a 160-180 lbs rider. if anyone is interested, send me a PM. Happy to trade for a few more pacificos.

 

Stewart doesn't have fishes in the rental or demo fleet. I answered my own question. I should be on the 6'6" or even the 6'8". I'll trade it later this week. I hope.

 

Damn, I just bought a 7’6 and it’s 54L and floats me really well.

 

Exchange completed. After checking about ten different size charts for a "fish" I learned that a man of my heft (95 Kilos - 210 lbs) and ability (perpetual intermediate) should be on a Fish between 6'6" and 7'0". So I saw this pretty little 6'8" that matches my bike. I convinced Stewart to ignore their "all sales are final" policy and do a straight exchange, since I bought the 6'4" yesterday and didn't wax it.

Ta Da!

 

what a beautiful board. Hope you like the new fin setup. I know you loved the 5 fin.

 

I had a quad fish that I absolutely loved, back when I could surf. 6'2" Al Merrick Fishcuit. I was riding most of my shortboards as quads a few years back when I quit surfing (around 2014). I've never done a vertical maneuver on a wave in my life, so no real need for a thruster.

 

Some clips of the new Mesa surf park have been surfacing on Instagram and have me pretty excited. Depending on cost I’ll be driving back to California to pickup a board. Not sure I really want to long board or ride an early 80s thruster on this wave and that’s what I kept for sentimental reason.

 

I waxed it, so I guess I own it. Ready to give 'er a go tomorrow (conditions permitting) or sometime this weekend!

 

Nice board! I've learned I'm too lazy to paddle anything shorter than 9 feet. My 10 foot single fin is usually my go-to. Enjoy.

 

My go to before moving was 5’10”. I think after a few years off I might go 6’ with some volume.

 

Peaky and glassy yesterday morning at my usual spot. About waist to chest high on the best waves. The wave at Trail 1 is very lazy - it looks great, but doesn't harness a whole lot of energy. But I was able to give the new board a go. Catches waves easily as I expected it would, and my feet seem to hit the board in the right spot almost every time. It's fast and stable, although the waves were a little too mushy to give 'er a proper test. Oh and I got a "sweet board" from a random 20 something surfer as I exited the water. That's what it's all about! Who cares how it rides, as long as people compliment it!

Another crowded Sunday morning:


As I mentioned in another thread, my back was a mess. When I stood on my first wave, I couldn't really get into a properly flexed position. Luckily, I loosened up enough to catch about 6 or 7 more. Lately riding and surfing have actually helped my back, but not today. I struggled a little getting out of the water and walking back to the car.

 

I just learned that on the west side of the valley on 2024 they have planned another wave pool with the surf lakes technology. The huge plunger style that makes the perfect slab wave to get super pitted.

 

Glad you are stoked on the new board! I always find it hard to paddle out when every other commercial is for shark week.

 

my moron niece wouldn’t let her kids go into the ocean because it was shark week. True story!!

 

Wanna see sharks?
Can't remember if it has been mentioned, Malibu Artist on YouTube uses drones to film sharks near surfers and other people in the water.

 

I've only seen one, but I'm sure they see me every time!

Reminds me of an argument I posed a number of years ago about the world's greatest athlete. There aren't very many sports in which you have a decent chance of being eaten while competing.

Speaking of which, the World Surf League returns to J-Bay in South Africa today. I am sure the "men in the grey suits" will be patrolling the lineup as usual.

 

Mick’s a stud. That incident was crazy!!!

 

Johanne Defay and of course Steph Gilmore were killing it on day one. Toledo is my pick on the mens side, let’s hope for another double air wave like a few years back.

 

Gilmore just threw down an amazing ride with beautiful, critical turns and a great barrel. Only 8.33 but looked like a 9 plus to me.

And now Carissa Moore breaks her board on her way out for her quarterfinal match. You might say her board is ...Lost, creating Mayhem! She had to swim back in, run 1/4 mile up the beach to get a new board as her heat starts, then paddle out through bombing waves to get back out to the lineup. If she catches one wave, it will be amazing!

EDIT: Carissa won that heat and eventually took equal 3rd for the contest.

I am bummed that Slater seems to be in the same headspace as Aaron Gwin - sort of wanting it, but not really having fun, thus not performing at levels they are capable of or at least once were.

 

Carissa is a champ. She’s amazing in the water and seems just as awesome out.

 

Nice to get out in some stronger surf. I have been tentative since my back surgery last January, so pretty much only surfing stuff from about chest high or lower. There is a pumping swell this weekend that pushed the surf in my go-to spot to the chest high to maybe a foot overhead zone. I was apprehensive to be out in the bigger surf yesterday, so I was a little cautious and didn't catch much, but I did learn a lot about where I needed to be and to not be.

Much better luck today. I was still a little selective as the biggest ones were mostly closeouts, but caught a few gems and had my single best wave of the season. Yay me! The new Stewart fish is the board I needed at this point in my surfing - at 6'8" it's small enough to duck dive, but big enough to catch waves easily and very forgiving of poor foot placement, bad take offs and choppy water.

Random goofy-footer on a medium wave today... Good shape, glassy.



Surfline calling for 15' waves at Lower trestles Tuesday. Wheeeeee! (For them - not for me)