SHOCKINGLY BAD - SO MUCH FUN

Tonight I was determined to get in no matter what - I got to my mid beach mark and peeked over the Dunes - it was grim Magic seaweed gave 6' at 10 secs - I like that, high tide was at 8:50pm perfect, but the wind was a constant 16mph right to left cross onshore that ripped all the shape and form from the swell. In fact it felt more like 25mph.


This probably looks better than it actually was - the first pic across the bay to Godrevy shows the white caps blown off the tops of the waves.

I changed up into my wet wetsuit that had been fermenting in the back of the van since Monday. Above and beyond for this blog - I hope people still read it. Off down the 60' high dune and once at sea level the true horrendous state of 50 metres of white soup became fully apparent. Be back home in half an hour I thought.

I waded out and jumped onto the deck. I had to keep the nose of the Nah Skwel pointed into the wind and was expecting an immediate rinse. Nope! The first few, foot high walls of wash slid under the fat nose of the board barely un-noticed. The further out I paddled the more my confidence grew, and the board seemed to just rise up over wash with ease. This was too good to be true. Finally I was in the Impact Zone proper. Water was rising up, threatening disaster, and melting away all around me like water boiling in a kettle. I was working very hard to stay on the board - but I was on the board. The paddle was deep in the water most of the time for balance but I was making way albeit slowly.

In these conditions there was no way I would have normally gone in and I have been thrown off much bigger boards in far more friendly seas. Then out of the blue I got caught side on in a trough and tipped over by a chest high lazy breaker.



Back on the board point the nose into the wind and up to my feet - steady - and away. Ok lets see if there was any possibility of turning into a wave and paddling in. It was hard to spot the sets coming - suddenly one wave would jack up from nowhere bigger than the rest of the chop and it would be followed by three or four more in close order. The swell direction was supposedly Westerly but with the Northerly wind the faces were running at 45' to the beach mainly from the East.

In strong winds I always try to turn into a wave away from the wind. This seems to avoid the wind getting under the front of the board and throwing me off. I know thats what I should do but most sessions it takes me a few wrong turns to remember this. As usual I turned the wrong way into my first wave - and caught it. No bother - it wasn't pretty and I basically just rode it down, but the wind did not seem to affect the paddle-in at all. Being rocked and knocked about was harder to contend with.

I suppose with such a short board there is less of it to catch the wind. Compared to other SUP's the board is not actually that wide - or that thick, it's just that the perspective of it is unusual with it being so short, plus it carries it's width all the way to the tail. That coupled to a reasonably flat hull and sane rockers seems to keep as much of board in the water as on a 10' board with heaps of rocker. Maybe even more.

So the scoreline was - NS78 : 1 Rest of the World : 0

By this time the wind had blown me a hundred metres or more down the beach - I thought that I should at least try to paddle my way back to my starting point. I could only make two or three paddle strokes to each side before switching but amazingly I was slowly making my way back into the guts of the wind back up the beach - again I think a longer board would have been more of a handful. Something else I noticed, with my weight, 90kg being pretty much at the boards limit in these conditions the deck was sloshing about with water - I was not sinking it, but there was not too much showing for the wind to get hold of either.

I turned and caught a few more waves en route and enjoyed some half decent rides, no major heroics but fun, long rides in conditions that were less than perfect (way less). Two sessions and I'm really getting to like this board. I managed to get the board on it's rails a couple of times but the waves were not really conducive to any smoking turns.

So good points so far?

It's 7'8" (cant get used to that)
It's Light (It makes a difference guys, honest)
It's surfable
It's more stable than Valium
It's great in slop
It's actually very attractive (Sorry Dom - but you have to see it in the flesh)
It's 7'8" (Jeez)
It's got Shane interested enough that he might have a bash (thats saying something)
It's going to be a useful addition to any quiver.

Bad Points?

It's deck grip seems a bit slippy sometimes (might have to wax the pad).
It's handle is a tad shallow and the balance point is a fraction off.
It's got lot's of sharp pointy bits - Big fins - Tail swallows (I just know its going to cut me)
It's not got Glide - (I'm not going to race it!)
It's not been mine longer (did I just say that)
Nah Skwel

The Nah Skwel has only just lifted her skirts and I have to say I like what I have seen. I reckon that she has loads more to offer. My gut feeling is that here is a board that has been designed by people in Brittany, who have extensive knowledge of what makes the water / hull interface work and more importantly design and use their products in pretty much the same conditions as I surf in, rather than that warm, mystical, magical Pacific perfection that is plastered all over the forums screaming 'you too can ride like this on our products'. And that makes a huge difference.

It also makes me think that I could be clearing out more than a few boards shortly.

Nah Skwel 7'8" - The morning after.

More Pics






It's fair to say that I was pretty revved last night, still am really, I just can't get over the fact that I'm standing on a Paddle board that's only 7'8" long.

My first board was the Jimmy Lewis 11' and I can remember thinking that was challenging. Last night was not challenging just great fun. In fact I cant think of a board that I have ever tried that has been as easy right from the off. I was desperate to get back in the water tonight to see how it would go in a proper wave or choppy conditions or wind or anything, to be honest I just wanted to get back on it. Unfortunately work conspired against me, but it did get me thinking. Where the hell is this all going to end up? If the board is this easy to use then it stands to reason that the limit (my limit) has not yet been reached. God I love this sport!

It took me weeks before I was comfortable on the Naish, at least to the extent that I would not worry about turning to it first time every time if I was going out. The Nah Skwell is easy from the very first time. It makes me want to experiment and play about and fool around like taking off the fins altogether and try and slide it IVV style. Steady - take a breath and get a grip. . . . and breath.

I think we (I) can get a little too serious sometimes and forget how to just arse about - it's harder with a bigger board to just goof around especially if you are surfing around other people - which I tend not to do. With friends though all the normal surf politics and etiquette shoot straight out the window. Well mine do anyway.

I'll drop in on Shane or Gavin or Steve or Jason, ride the same wave and generally do all the bad stuff you read about on the forums, and expect them to do the same to me. (When it's just us and no one else about). The problem is you sort of hold back a bit on a Sup because the consequence of getting it wrong and cleaving someone open with a 9'plus epoxy scalpel would take a bit of explaining. But with the NH78, well it feels like it's a hot dog board - full on fun for nothing other than fun's sake. Plus and this is the big one - It's not a bloody mission to go out. Easy to store, easy to load, easy to carry, easy to ride. Its so convienient.

I can't imagine where this range is going to go but already I'm thinking 'Slightly slimmer - a little more nose rocker, tuck that ass in slightly . . . make it more serious !!

One thing I forgot last night was the nitty gritty.

The board is distributed by AHD UK Limited -
telephone number 023 80894333 and costs £879

and they are actually in stock and available.

Nah Skwel 7'8" - Total Parameter Reset

Sometimes things come at me from left field - totally out of the blue and make me rethink everything that I have taken as granted , things like

'My kid's are so much like me could I have been that wrong at their age?' -
'So we are mortal!' (didn't get that one until I was about 22) and
'I can ride a Stand Up board under 8' long!!'

No Really I can - I did it tonight - it was bonkers, in fact it was so far beyond bonkers I'm still pinching myself.

I had first seen this shape some time ago on the Standupzone in a French video clip and pretty much dismissed it as being sort of quirky and . . . well French really - I mean that in a nice way because they seem to have things sorted, but things that work for the French in France you just can't get away with outside of France like hairy armpits and smoking in Restaurants - errgh big hole getting deeper - I know what I mean and it's why I want to live there (probably won't be allowed now. Anyway back to the Nah Skwell ( if I say it enough times it will start to sound normal) Nah Swel nah skwel nah skwel. Apparently it's Breton for Playground. Nah Skwel . . Nah Skwel . . Nope! That don't work. The NS78 (that's better) shares it's DNA with a board called the AHD Sea Lion. That was a multipurpose do it all. The NS78 (oh yeah that works) is a much more focussed SUP and the shortest of a range of three boards - this is the official blurb on them

The Nah-Skwell 7’8, is a highly competitive stand-up paddling short-board.
Already very radical in smallish waves, it will allow the most experienced riders to
attack waves up to 2.5m.
In less than 1m waves, this is the ultimate weapon which allows to throw curve after
curve with a true high speed.
With no other comparable board in today’s market, this is a board for fully dedicated
SUPers looking for extreme sensations and high performance.
Surfer < 90kgs

(I weighed this morning, I'm 91kgs, 200lbs in my birthday suit - not nice).

The Nah Skwell 9’6 is a perfect compromise for those who like SUPing in waves.
A very compact and lively board, it will complete short radius and fast turns, while
retaining a stability known only on 11’ « old-generation » boards, till now.
Surfer < 120kgs

The Nah-Skwell 10’6 is a fast board. With a flattish shape and a pinched tail, it will
slide easily whether cruising or playing with small and medium waves, no need to get
the trouble of carrying a 12’ weapon anymore.
Surfer < 115kgs

Nice descriptions - obviously not direct translations from French.


I also have some official pics on them - but as it's quite possible some of you might be reading this whilst eating I am not going to post them - But here are some of the pics I took on my phone this evening - AFTER RIDING THE 7'8" - proper riding like standing up and everything and it's 7'8" (pinch . . ouch! Charlie)



Now argue if you disagree but I reckon that looks pretty good. In the flesh this board with it's Techno Europe deck grip actually looks quite sexy in a Miss Piggy fetish sort of way - It's blatantly not a full blown - blown up shortboard and it might look like it's got mixed up in a blender with a dozen other boards but in the flesh it looks pretty bloody good. And it's not that much longer than my paddle!!

The officicial pics are taken without any perspective and make it look odd, almost comic book like - it really does look much better in real life.


Have another pic.

It's different. So whats it all about? More of the official stuff -

Length (cm) 238 (7'8") Bloody Short
width (cm) 75 (29 1/2") Fat (ish)all the way down
Thickness 12 (4 3/4") Thick (ish)
Weight 8,5kg (18 3/4lbs) Bloody light
Volume 127 ltr
Fin concept Twins (bloody huge)
Who’s that for? - Advanced surfer - (Nah - I'm not read on)
- Small to medium frame - (well that rules me out)

This board is easy to stand on - It's very very stable - ok I have gotten used to my Naish 9'3" but this puppy is just nuts. I ran down the beach with it - conditions were not ideal the tide was pretty much fully high and quite a big one that ate most of the smallish swell that there was. It was dead clean and only the odd set wave made for anything resembling a rideable face but jumping on the board for the first time and - Nothing - no death wobbles - no falling straight off the other side - no rinsing. In fact everything seemed to work in slow motion - this board is super stable - obviously being only 7'8" the standing spot is fairly small BUT I can't say that it was critical. The super splayed tails seem to keep the house in order at the back and the full fat nose did the same at the front - this was a real surprise. Within a few minutes I was looking for a wave to bash.

Paddling - well you dont need me to tell you that G l i d e is not one of this boards strong points - it paddles fine and the yaw is manageable but stop paddling and the brakes come on - The first few excuses for waves that I paddled for passed me by with me flailing wildly with seemingly no effect. Hmmnn - tried for a few more - nope, nothing - so I can stand on it and it turns on a sixpence but I can't catch a wave.

I paddled around a bit more stepping back and forward - parallel and surf stance, which the board seems to prefer, and generally messed about trying to get the feel of it.

I decided to go late into the next wave. Bingo - one paddle start and away, ok the wave was knee high and pretty much breaking on the beach but I had time to catch, turn and trim before stepping off the board onto the sand, not something a longer board would have been able to do.

It sort of reminded me a bit of the Starboard Extremist 9'0 - only less glide and a little more 'skatey'. There were a few occaisions when the nose pearled a bit, but to be honest the waves were too short to draw too many conclusions from that.

Another wave, go late - and after that I did it again and again. The board surfs fine - sure it's not got that, 'I can handle anything you shove down my throat' sort of feel that the Naish has, but it certainly surfs and it makes me want to get it out in bigger faces and more adverse conditions with more swell and chop and wind and cack and see what it can do for me.

I reckon that there is loads of tuning potential with the fins - Two monstrous white outboard finbox 8-9"ers I did not measure them - just felt that they needed to be smaller.

I carried on until it got dark, and you know what? I loved it. I love the speed it turns beneath your feet in front of the wave - I loved the no fail stability (except that I did fail a few times) - I love the confidence the board gave me (enough to make me fail and fall through arsing about) - I love the slo-mo recovery feel that gives me a fighting chance to level the board long after I would be off on my other boards and I Love the stupid fat grin on my face that I had playing about like a total cock in rubbish conditions on a board that looks like it shouldn't work. But most of all I love the fact that it's only 7**$ing 7'8".

In itself being 7'8" is no reason to go out and buy another board - BUT I was looking for a more stable board than the Naish that I could use to get the best out of, in the worst conditions that I'm likely to go out in. I was prepared to go a bit longer than the 9'3" to get the right board - hence the Bonga - But the Bonga although more stable than the Naish is actually fairly close in performance and is just a bit too heavy, It's a top board and a great price at £619 but for me the Naish is the one when conditions are average to epic and that makes the Bonga redundant because it's aimed at the same territory so no real gain for me over the Naish.

But this Nah Skwell - this board is fun - I don't expect it to be the full on wave rocket that the Naish is but it is very managable, and interesting enough to make me want to play more, and it's 1'7" shorter than the Naish - you don't need a van or an estate car - hell you could even strap it to a push bike or a moped, it would almost fit in a bodyboard bag on your back (IMAGINE a two piece version). It's a convienient SUP, shorter than any of my surfboards and with a bit more use I reckon there are more surpises to come.

Bonga 9'6" for sale anyone - shortboard performance as new £475 - NS78 to buy

Nah Skwell . . Nah Skwell . . Nah Skw . .

As far as prices, distribution, availability and a bit better wave report is concerned - watch this space.

Edit - It was fairly late when I posted this last night so forgive the errors and omissions, hopefully most are tidied up now - Steve

Thursday

Didn't sleep too well Wednesday night - all I could see was walls of white water.

We were very busy in the shop and that helped the day pass quickly. Thursday evening, dash home, get my self together and beat up to Gwithian. It was looking very mellow compared to the night before - chest high sets - clean and very workable. Perhaps now I could actually find out what the Bonga was like instead of simply fighting for survival.

I carried the board the three quarters of a mile or so to my favourite spot and thought 'this puppies heavy' I had to change hands a couple of times en route no big deal but not something the svelte 18lbs of Naish'ness makes me do. I weighed the Bonga on our shop scales later and it registered 23lbs with fins and leash. Actually not bad at all. The tail is also just slightly heavy for the balance point of the handle to be spot on. Again no big deal just a minor niggle that would not even register if I were straight off the beach into the break, in fact it's an easily solved issue by having a couple of leash plugs put in the deck a'la, C4 never understood why all the brands don't do this so much easier to carry using your paddle - come on guys! I would be very interested in the all up weight of a C Sub vector.

Paddling out was a breeze the board is super stable and to be honest I did not even notice the fact that it was a stepped rail or at least what their effect was - I have admitted to being a novice!!.

Turning into the wave was getting easier as was riding up over the wash. Step back, all my weight on the back foot with my forefoot almost 'hovering' in a sort of an olly manouver, and away we went. No drama. In fact the Bonga was probably my easiest first session of any board that I've had.

On the waves, which were VERY F A T and slow the board paddled in easily, cut back sharp and trimmed well enough for me to get as close to nose riding it as I can. It held it's edge solid and was totally drama free. Even on some of the later, steeper take off's the nose showed no signs of pearling or bogging down - it was great and were it not for the fact that I had the delights of the Naish under my belt I would have been totally blown away. The problem for me was that I had spent months - well at least three months - serving my apprenticeship on the flighty little 9'3" and whilst still far from being any where near competent I had been shown glimpses of what it can do. I think that the Bonga could take me close to the promised land if I were good enough or put in the time on it that would teach me the delights of board control from the tail, BUT I'm not sure that I want to loose any of the time that I have put in on the Naish.

I'm not sure that this really makes sense. My Naish has frustrated and thrilled me. It teases me and, on occaisions makes me actually believe that I can do this stuff and then . . . . . it's slaps me down like a total first time novice. I have dripped and moaned about choppy conditions - and then had a great surf in chop, I have fallen off in glass and excelled in the bumpiest of faces. The Naish has no limits and I'm sure that the Bonga does not either - it's just that - I've paid my dues on the Naish and it seems to suit me better. On Thursday on the Bonga when compared to the handfull of longboarders that were out struggling to paddle in to waves that I was tearing it up with three nice cutbacks, I knew in my heart of hearts I would have made five on the Naish - and that left me feeling a tad frustrated.

I have to keep in mind that the Bonga is £619 - its half the price of a Naish - surfs so well and is incredibly well made. Bouyant for it's size (I'm 203lbs 14 1/2 stone) and it floats me easily. I'm probably borderline on the Naish and yet would not want to give that up.

If you are looking for a performance, short Sup, and fancy a new board at pretty much used prices - get yourself a ride on a Bonga it's a bargain.

As an epilogue I surfed tonight (Friday) on the Naish. How could I ever of wanted another board? Next time it'll kick me in the teeth and I'll be begging for the Bonga!

Two very different days

Firstly - apologies - It was not intentional to drag this out like some soap instalment - it's just that this swell has been a long time coming and we have been so busy at work by the time that we get home (6.15ish) load up, get down the beach, surf, get back, have some food it's gone 11 and to be honest I'm too done in to fire up the laptop and blog - anyway that's my excuse.

So - the Bonga - what's it like?
I have to say I reckon it's brilliant - bear in mind what's written here are just the first impressions of an enthusiastic fat boy who still falls off a lot. Please don't take this as a review - I'm not qualified or remotely good enough to do that this is just a comparison from my perspective and experience of the boards that I have and have had.

Wednesday - Big swell (for us) four or five lines of white water to battle through before getting into the green. I was worried that I might not be able to stand on the thing. Totally unfounded - pushing the board through the first few lines I jumped onto the deck and paddled out pretty much first time. The nose rode up over a couple of foot of whitewater very easily and was much more stable on the other side than the Naish - no death wobbles. Paddling was reasonably straight and true and there seemed to be a bit more glide than the 9'3" - the Bonga hull has a slight v in it but is flat incomparison to the Naish's full blown keel. Even with the huge amount of water moving through I managed to stay dry side up and line up for my first wave.

I find turning any new board in front of a wave takes a bit of practise - the Bonga was no different. I resorted to a few wide flailing paddle strokes with weight on my heels before stepping back and stroking into what for me was a bloody great big monster. Shit or bust here go's - The sets were well overhead this one was the 2nd or third wave of the set and like the total tool that I am I stroked in pretty much as soon as I got out the back - why don't I learn - my wave selection has never been up to much.

It was not pretty - but it was fun - cranked in to the dredging left and fired off down the line with the lip threatning all the time. Hard on the inside edge, backhand for me and I managed to pop out without getting caught. Nice - paddle out try again. Pretty much the same really - no deft turns - wild slashy cutbacks or anything else really - no time just dive down the face, hang on for grim death trying to look as cool as I could and pop out before getting eaten. 2 for two - I liking this - scary but fun.

By now I was a hunded metres or more Godrevy side of where I went in. No channels just big walls closing out - as I said wave selection has never been my strong point one or two more of the same I got away with the next one I got greedy and hung on till the wash surfing it way too far inside and that was pretty much it. I struggled to get out for the next 10 - 15 minutes finally found my way into the green when the first of a decent set came through managed to paddle over the first and just made it over the second. The third took me over the falls and following the inevitable few seconds of backward body surfing my new leash parted company. Game over BOLLOCKS.

The swim?? in was ergh eventful I was teasy at loosing my board the saving grace being there were only a small handfull of guys out and no one on the inside.

The beach however seemed to be littered with people in various states of distress and exhaustion - me included. I retrieved my board and checked it over - I had lost one of the side bites but other than that perfect - tough little bugger. I sat and watched for a while. Bit of a result I thought - still don't know how it surfs though!!

Thursday night - the swell had dropped off enough to make the break a bit more surfable - so off I went.

Nervous - Apprehensive - Disaster - Loving It

The Bonga pitched up today coinciding with the best forecast that we have had for weeks.

3pm 8ft 11secs 11mph 17c
6pm 8.5ft 12secs 9mph 16c
9pm 9ft 12secs 7mph 16

High tide was about 5.30pm - this forecast would normaly mean a decent, head high on the beach wave - it's going to be a baptism of fire. Nervous? Well I knew / heard that the old 10' Bonga was tippy and this fish was narrower than my Naish plus the stepped rails gave the board an even more slimmed down look. Unpacking it I thought 'This baby is going to be hot - possibly too hot' The tail is super slim but she's busty on top. Board dimensions are

Nose 19" (1' from end)
Tail 17.5" " "
Length 9'6"
Width 28 7/8"
Thickness 4"
Weight - wait (I'll get back to you)

1st off pics


Prettier than the web Pics



Step rails



Nose Lift





Flipside



Making the Naish look Porky (And it definetly isn't) Now I'm aprehensive!

So having sized the board up I'm beginning to think 'This board is going to be too tippy' bear in mind what I wanted was something Fractionally more forgiving in chop than the Naish. Bugger. I began pinning my hopes on the fact that the board had less nose and tail rocker (hopefully keeping more of it in the water, and a slightly fatter nose that would not sink away sideways in chop.

Naish dimensions -

Tail 17" 1' off the tail
Nose 15" 1' off the nose
Width 29 1/4"

So the Bonga's tail is almost as tight as the Naish and the Bonga is a Swallow tail. I'm not sure but I think that shaper's use a swallow tail design to maintain the width of a board where a pin or a diamond tail would mean pulling the tail in too quickly. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.

The nose tells the story though, two inches broader, still not the full rounded spoon of my old 9'8" Starboard and with more rocker than the Starboard. That is sort of in keeping with my plan, but what the hell would the effect of those rails be??

Picking the board up it felt light - full depth handle grip centrally placed and a great looking white diamond cut deck grip.

5.30pm could not come soon enough. I'm now typing this at 11.40pm and am totally knackered - sorry but the surf impressions will have to wait until tomorrow night - having said that the surf looks good then as well - could be a late night. Just to wet your appetite - I will be going in on the Bonga tommorrow as well, as I said before, tonight was a baptism of fire having lost a side fin and broke a brand new leash!!!

What can I say - It's been a while!

I dont know how it happens, sometimes things just fall into your lap - I was aware of the new Southpoint range but hadn't really thought too much about getting one, no need the Naish is just so good. Having said that I had been thinking about a board that would be just a fraction easier in chop. I didn't want to loose any surfability or add too much length, just keep the nose a bit wider and possibly add a little more glide. You can tell that I had not given too much thought to it.

I was eyeing up the new Naish / Kalama Nalu boards, but that element of the unknown and the opportunity to try out another shaper revs me up a bit . So in a moment of madness I pulled the trigger on a new Southpoint Bonga Perkins 9'6" fish. I have to admit one of the things that turned me on to it was the price. £619 for a new board with a bit of Bonga pedigree about it - can't be bad in fact I reckon thats bloody good value providing it floats!!!

The full story on the Bonga fish Width: 28 7/8”

Thickness: 4”
Fin-Setup: 2 +1 w/FCS side
Fin Set: 7 1/2'' Schaper center, FCS GX sides
Includes: Deck pad, handle

Step deck rails and the bigger brother of the 9'er and the smaller sibling of a 10'r and a 10'6 fish

The 10' Bonga Southpoint always intrigued me with it's stepped rails but I have to admit - I always thought it looked a bit naff at least in my opinion (that does make me sound like a bit of a tart?). I have never ridden one just gathered 2nd and 3rd hand from web reviews that it was pretty loose and my BK Pro was already a bit of a handful, plus I had progressed to sub 10'.

Anyway - instant decision and what you see above should be with me by the the end of next week.

June - Came and went in a blinding flash!

Lazy summer days, insanely busy at work and irregular surf have kept the posts to a minimum recently, but then I think if there is nothing to say - best say nothing.

It's not been crap just odd. The most noticeable thing is that if I had relied totally on surf forecasts the chances are I would not have got in at all. They are not wrong but it's just too easy to slip into a lazy 'star watching' game. If the ratings don't give it I don't go. Theres no substitute for jumping on the bike and checking it out first hand.

Highlights? One of the few sessions that I got with Shane recently was at Praa sands a couple of weeks ago - was not expecting much it was blowing a fairly stiff onshore combined with a pushing tide creating a really confused very choppy wind swell coming out of nowhere. For the first 10 - 15 minutes I spent a lot of time falling off the Naish thinking 'What the hell am I doing here'. But it seems that each sea (and session) has it's own rythym, and as I dial into the rythym I anticpate the correction needed to stay on the board rather than react late to whats already happened, resulting in over correction and the inevitable rinsing. Perhaps it's just loosening up who knows? But in conditions that were on the face of it attrocious we had a blast.

The conditions were such that on one particular wave we both paddled for it side by side, Shane on his 6' Matt Adams, caught (dropped) down the face and I stalled, how does that happen? Yet as he passed in front of me his head was below my feet! Bizarre and probably not too clever but we always coose each other when surfing and never ever give any quarter.

Later that week the swell was predominantly Southerly with a little West in it. North coast was flat but there were some cracking clean conditions on the South coast. I took a flyer and got in mid beach and pretty much had the break to myself until this lone shortboarder paddled out to meet me - Gavin, having sold his Starboard and finding the Naish 10'6" a bit of a mission to get around he had taken to his shortboards for a while.

I did get to see this video of Ivan van Vuuren messing about without fins - totally blew me away -



I'd love to be able to add some of that to my sweet skills cupboard.

A couple of snatched, random sessions including a fun knee high evening at Gwithian on the Uli Lopez - and a very early dawny Sunday before last at Gwithian that just beat the onshores - in at 6.00am out at 8.30 fantastic.

Fathers day came and went with Charmaine getting a couple of tickets for Shane and myself for the Paul Weller gig at 'The Eden Project' in aid of the Princes Rainforest Project and Green Britain Day

First band up were Florence and the Machine - think Siouxsie and the Banshees meets Kate Bush and Clannad - it works check it out here - this is the first number that really gets going at about 2m30'



I liked it - but Paul Weller - that was something else - I have always been a Jam fan, they were the soundtrack of my late teens and I have the entire back catalogue but sadly never got to see them, after this I dont feel so bad about it



You will have to trust me that contrary to the anonomous recording on this mobile phone the sound was superb - it just seems in keeping to have it here like, this. Great night.

So Friday was a late night, forecast for the weekend was lame, onshore windy shite - Gavin text me at 8.00am Sunday confirming it. Settled for a family day until it started to brighten at 6.00pm. Quick sort out - text to Gav - going to give it a bash and I went in to an angry looking Pete's Point. I had bought some new smaller fins and fiddled about with the centre fin. Can't say I noticed too much difference however despite it being fairly choppy I thought I surfed reasonably well until about 9.00pm when a decent set came through. I managed to paddle over the first got caught by the second and had the third break the leash cord (not the leash) Arse - that has not happened for a while - heh ho. Swam in with the elegance of Quasimodo hoping my board was not getting trashed on the few rocks at the head of the beach. (It wasn't). Got out and took these pics.







Looks really mellow now.

ULI LOPEZ - Sweet second helpings

Could not get in Saturday night but amazingly managed to keep off the wine and beer enough to get up early Sunday morning check the forecast and get stuck into a second helping of the Lopez. The wind had all but dropped off and from the car park there seemed to be a bit more order and shape to the beach. It was 8.30 and the tide was dropping away fast - still closing out but cleaner and with a few more workable shoulders than Friday night.

Jumping onto the board this time I managed to stay dry. Progress.

The session was so much easier than before - more waves - more sweet skills - and confirmation for me that the board nose rides both standing and my little kneely nose rides that I seem to have gotten into the habit of doing. I need to work on my snappy cutbacks but slowly but surely the board was given it up. Like my all time favourite music I think that this board was going to grow on me.

Gwithian beach is 3 miles long and as time goes on the access points become more and more restricted and controlled. Annoying but it does mean that people being people tend to concentrate around the access, leaving lots of lovely empty waves if you are prepared to mooch up or down the break a bit. This morning I plumped for a mid beach mark in order to continue my painful apprenticeship away from the crowds. After an hour or so in the water I spotted another Stand up paddling down the beach on a Starboard - our wave choices brought us within speaking distance - we nodded and exchanged some brief good mornings, he had just come done from Plymouth to catch some waves, and then we paddled away from each other and you know what - that was just fine - no need to congregate in packs with so much beach and so many waves - good on ya pal who ever you were - clocked you having some decent rides - if you read this stop by and say hello.

So thats it - I can let the air out safe in the knowledge that I now have a real surfy travel board - Might try and get another session in this afternoon.

Riding the ULI Lopez

Got to go out - I'll tidy this up later.


This is going to be easy - I have been surfing the Naish recently, well last time was over a week ago, since then the weather has been total shite, so jumping on my new ULI LOPEZ was going to be a breeze, wasn't it?

I had it all planned out - I have had ages to square it up and get it wired mentally plus as I've said all the practise that I have had 'breaking' the Naish in would stand me in good stead. Because that's what I have to do with a new board - I have to tame it. I need to gradually find out where to stand to paddle, to turn, to catch a wave, to punch out through whitewater, all these things I have to dial into initially in glassy conditions and then in chop before you actually take control of the board FROM THE BOARD. All these procesess enables me to get to the point where I'm not scared to take the board out for fear of looking like a bit of a cock and if I'm honest I do want to look as good as I can or at the very least capable.

So the latest inflatable offering from ULI using Gerry Lopez's design was sure to be an easy ride.

After all -

The 11'r, now sold, was a doddle to ride and would glide with the best of them.

The Steamroller 10'r - man that baby surf's not a ripper but soooo much glide, so stable, so easy,

and the Lopez, well that was going to be pretty much the same but with a bit more rocker, half the weight and instant membership to Cutback Central, right? WRONG!!

Tonight was the first chance that I have had to get the Lopez in the water - still not great conditions 2'- 3' breezy, cross onshore slop maybe the odd chest high set wave. The wind was dropping off and it was low tide, there were few faces mainly loads of white water low tide closeouts. Needs must.

Carrying the board down the beach was a doddle the board is incredibly light and the paddle loops are such a simple and fuss free way to make transportation easy.

Into the surf and I spring confidently onto the deck feet first, sink the farthest rail resulting in an immediate ducking. I surface laughing nervously. That didn't just happen - did it? I mount up again - first onto my knees and then onto my feet - Jeez this thing is loose proper loose. I reckon you can almost tell more and learn more about a board paddling out than you can surfing it sometimes. In fact I seem to dial in to most of my boards paddling out through the soup. Even if I have to knee paddle them for a bit it seems to give me 'a feel' for them. What I learnt about this board was the surgical way in which the nose, or lack of it, sliced through and over the wash.

Once out the back I found it easy to spin the board around for my first wave and - bugger what happened there? I was off. Next wave stroke in and - nothing! Paddled out again and turned in front of the rapidly jacking up face and I get caught side on with the nose sliding away left under the water - rinsed! This is getting silly now. The plan was paddle out - turn - catch a wave - walk to the nose - you know the usual sort of thing!! - I love it when a plan comes together - this one wasn't!!

So what was happening? - I stopped doing and started thinking. Sort myself out and get Paddle Steady first. I was sinking the side of the nose - not pearling but more bogging down. I stood back a step - instantly an improvment - with weight further back the board seemed to 'come alive' and I started catching a few - this board wants to go late - it just does not have the glide of the Steamroller - stop paddling and you stop. Familiar but not what I expected. The board is super loose and tippy. The pulled in nose means I had to to stand well back to paddle and step back even farther to turn, this focus's the weight on the narrow tail increasing the tippy feeling. Finding the 'paddle sweet spot' was harder than I had anticipated. I started to get my head into gear and slowly began to take a few late waves and began to get a few tantalising glimpses of what this board was going to be capable of.

A late crumbly close out left - my backhand - I took off with the soup on the tail and stood back over the fins - thats well back! Immediately the board 'pivoted' left around the fins and set me up for what little green water there was, does not sound much but it was one of those 'instinctive' moves that I did not expect to get away with - hard to explain but I know it when it happens and it allowed me to make the best of a bad wave. Some boards just dont give you that opportunity.

Another marginal left and this time the wave sort of backed off I bumbled forward on the deck and the board picked up speed and took off. Class, can't call it as a noseride but given the conditions and the previous half an hour or more of rinsings it was a result.

A couple of late fast rights - again not too much to work with but it was becoming more and more apparent that the board needs speed to work and then, when it does it's stuff, it's way better than me. In fact it held a couple of bottom turns so hard it took me by suprise and I was off.

Conditions were not good for any board - the beach gets rippley (Is that a word?) at low tide and the waves take awkward shapes even when it's clean - add in a short period cross chop and I generally stay in the dry, however on the Lopez a one hour tester turned into two - the board lifted it's skirts enough to make me want to see more and push on despite the conditions. It was frustrating but fun.

It's not a Steamroller - It's no cruiser and unless you weigh a lot less than I do, 14 1/2 stone, 203lbs 90kgs, I can't say that it's going to work for a novice. It's challenging - which I like (I think), It was hard work - my thighs are killing me as I write this, (still hurting as I edit it again 2 days later) but it's going to be a proper surf board - which I really like - I just want to get it in some decent clean waist to chest high surf for a proper try out. One things for sure - taming it is going to make me either a better surfer or give me thunder thighs.

ULI LOPEZ

Look at that - and then tell yourself 'It's inflatable' - Just check it out. The board may start off life in Asia but the guys at ULI spend hours applying and custom tuning the rocker strips, which are what makes a surf board surf, and then fitting the paddle carries, the leash rings and the deck grip all sourced from stateside suppliers. Nett result a 18 lb, travel easy, FULL ON stable wave magnet.

At least I hope so - conditions have been pretty dire since my Lopez arrived. Desparate to get out and have a bash but the forecast is not looking good for the week. Have to slake your thirst with some ULI porn






First impressions - I did not see what the fuss was about. I was expecting something super thin and fragile but the build of the Lopez did not seem any different from the Steamroller UNTIL I put it our scales -
18lbs !!!thats lighter than my Naish and that's lighter than a very light celebrity that's just discovered the joy's of Bulimia.

The pump is new too - the old pumps shift a fair amount of air but get a little bit under geared as the boards get to full pressure 15 - 18 psi - the new one may take a few more strokes BUT it's soooo easy - no more swinging off the handle like an Olympic Pummel horse master. Wth little down force and about 250 strokes I got the board to 11psi - did not go any further but the pump is excellent.

Black fibre glass full length rocker strips run from end to end top and bottom. and contrast boldly with the grey board material. The deck grip mimics the rocker strip.

Regarding the rocker strips these are Jim Weir's words 'The three layers are applied by us in San Diego, they set the rocker and stiffen the board . . . . We assemble the fins, D-rings, tie-downs for carrying, and the deck pad.'

He then followed that up with 'Back to work, tomorrow, early surf with Steamroller, Lopez, Chris Koerner and Munoz, hope there's waves.'

So I guess it should be just fine!!

Which means I'm reluctantly going to be selling My 11' ULI - Great travel board - bomb proof construction 18 months old - Excellent condition £575 - includes Pump and canvas bag - pictures all over this site http://csx355.blogspot.com/2008/01/uli-11-stand-up-paddle-board.html more if required. The board is white with a white and blue logo'd full deck grip and blue rocker strip. The grip is just beginning to lift at a few edges but easily re-stuck down. Three fin thruster set up.

My ULI LOPEZ is on it's way!

If you read this stuff you already know how I feel about ULI and their boards. It seems to go beyond the product itself - I have never met Chris Atkinson or Jim Weir from ULI, although I have spoken to Jim a few times - They really care about what they sell and how the customer feels. One day I'd like to hook up with them maybe share a wave or two and buy them a beer or coffee or something just to say thanks. Their boards have turned naff holidays into great ones and great ones into my all time surf fests. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I got this pic in my hotmail inbox.



Along with the tag line

CHRIS WITH STEVE'S NEW ULI LOPEZ

How good is that? - I always preferred the shots of the black and grey to the technicolour boards and the orange and yellow ULI logo stands out nice. Should be here by the end of the week all things being equal - COME ON - I mean check it out.

If you are sitting there reading this thinking 'What the hell is he getting so revved about an inflatable surfboard for?' You have never experienced the joy of ULI ownership - the smile that the 'ULI BOUNCE' gives you - the look of incredulity on the faces of fellow surfers as you smoke another swell, and the deep, smug contentment as you pop the valve, roll it up pack it in your suitcase and flick the bird to British Airways as you check in with a 10' paddle board, paddle and pump nestling between the boardshorts and bikini's. Makes me want to book a holiday.

I had been toying with the idea of getting hold of a C4 sub vector recently as a 'less than perfect conditions' board. Extravagant I know but hey, I dont drink (much) and I don't smoke (MMnn maybe the odd cigar!). But limited supply into the UK, high prices with poor exchange rates and the fact that I have been dialling in on my Naish more and more, you know I reckon that the ULI Lopez might fill that gap. I have had some great sessions in less than perfect conditions on my 10' Steamroller at Praa Sands - real choppy onshore shite - but on the right board that can s m o o o o o t h out the chop a bit it can still be fun. Being a realist I know that the minute the wind turns onshore and cranks up above 10 - 15mph I'm going to struggle on the Naish. I'm getting better on it - this morning was just peach. Light offshores and glassy with head high sets saw Gav and myself picking off more than our fare share of nice waves, swapping boards around, and generally having a blast, perfect. The rest of the week however is going to be rough and hopefully I'm in for some ULI TIME - I'll let you know how it go's.

Quiver Clearance C4 Boards for sale

I really ought to clear some boards out from my shed - I just can't get to half of them and as I'm settling on just a couple of wave boards it strikes me as a good time to shift a couple. PLUS as anyone will tell you check out the prices of the new stock that the dealers are getting in. Some are up in price 20 - 30% due to the currency fluctuations. This should make the used boards look like very good value in comparison. So (deep breath) here go's.

My Lovely C4 BK Pro 10' x 27"

This was the first ever board that actually took my breath away, truly mental, and if it were not for the fact that I now have the NAISH I would keep it. The thing is the Naish will do everything this will AND it's only 9'3" long.

The BK is a challenging board - but as I found with the Naish it takes a bit of persistance and a few sessions to dial in, and when you do EVERYTHING else feels pedestrian in comparison when you go back. If you have only been used to riding a JL 11' this may be a step too far unless you dont carry the urrgh reserve insulation that I do, however if you are used to a Starboard, Ultimate Blend, 9'8" or 9' Extremist this board will take to a world you never knew existed.

The BK needs a decent wave, waist high plus, to get it going, it's not a lover of mush, unless it's big mush, it paddles well but you will be taking off later in the short boarders zone :).

Multiple fin set ups on this one, five fin box's mainly for Quad or 2 plus 1 - I preferred the latter.

The board had some typical C4 paddle chips on the rails which I had Whippet repair and spray in (TOTALLY UNDETECTABLE. A first class job.

The board is now in A1 - MINT - PERFECT condition. apart from the dirty wax on the nose - oh yes you can!

This is from the C4 site -

Originally built for Brian Keaulana, this Dave Parmenter shaped 10 foot wing swallow is 27 inches wide and 3 7/8 inches thick. It comes with five fin boxes so you can run it as a thruster or quad. The BoardWorks TEC construction makes this board light and strong. Wing-Swallow Tail Width: 27.0" Thickness: 3.85" Fin Array: 5-fin cluster. Adaptable to any fin combination, i.e. single, twin, tri, quad, or 2 X 1. DESIGN NOTES: The Brian Kealuana Model is the end result of a design evolution that commenced with the very first SUP short board back in 2003. This board combines a constant-curve Hawaii rocker which is calibrated to accelerate at nose and tail in sync with the pulled-in outline. The thickness distribution tapers toward the tail to allow harder turns at higher speeds, and the wing-swallow reduces tail area under the back foot, and grants greater adhesion and torque in carving turns. If you are keen on progressive, full-tilt SUP surfing and really want to push the edge of the performance envelope, this is the board for you.

C4 price the board at $1587 which works out at £1087 without any taxes and duties
Prices UK side vary from £869 if you can find one, to £1110

I want £650 Check out the Pics.










AND my very pretty C4 10' Diamond Tail Classic - which has been my first 'turn to' board since October Last year. This is what I would call 'A Gateway Board' Its takes you by the hand and gently moves you on from Tankers'ville to that magic land of 10' and below. You know the place - it's where you want to be when you walk back up the beach on a windy day with a 11' plus gliders wing.

Its fast and fairly stable but is still more performancey than my Starboard 9'8" ever was. I really liked the Starboard Extremists and Gav's 9'0'r is just magic but they dont have the nose rocker that the C4 has and that makes it difficult sometimes - The 10' classic just feels that must more 'racey' and does not complain or bog down dropping into late waves. At 28" it is more stable than the BK and as I have said it's been my first choice board whatever the conditions.

It noserides - better than I ever will - it will 'snap off the lip turns' better than I ever will. And it punches out through white water nice. That's the good stuff the bad stuff is when I got it I thought that I would protect the rails with clear tape, which I did, however like a total MUPPET I did not extend the tape far enough down the rails. Result 6 typical C4 paddle chips near the tail. There are also acouple on the nose. Not serious just normal, annoying and as such I can't describe the board as mint.





From the C4 site the price is currently $1520 - £1034 Ex taxes and carriage.

Again UK prices vary between £869 and £1050

I would take £600 (bloody chips)

OR would consider selling both as an instant ready made quiver for £1150

What a Week!!

We have been so lucky with the waves this month - not huge but pretty consistant making for some great sessions. Conditions have varied between a steady waist to chest high and generally clean. This has allowed me to get some great board time on the Naish. Tonight it showed. Smell that? It's me oooozing surfsmug.

I had planned on giving it a miss tonight as the winds were forecast to go north easterly (bang onshore)and freshen to 20-24mph.

4.38pm I get a picture text from Gavin. It was clean and building. Last nights session at Pete's was so good I decided to get down there again asap after work in the hope of resuming where I left off last night. It's the pig in me I suppose.



Gav's text piccy - looking really nice - it didn't stay like that for long!!!


Gavin was already in and the waves in front of the car park were, lets say, impressive.

I was getting changed a guy pulls up and beeps his horn - 'still light and too early for doggin' I thought and it's Ash and his mate that we met at Lafitenia in France last October - Small world.

Only one board, decision made, in the van and after a quick change I was trotting off down the track to Pete's.

It was clean, but only between the waves - outside was quite choppy and getting steadily worse BUT I seemed to be coping with it. I'm sure that my efforts at staying topside resembled my amazing dance moves - you've seen them before but I don't get out that often.



I know, I have no shame - But tonight I was staying upright and catching waves - and having a total ball. It was hard work and my knees, calves and thighs bear testament to it but so much fun.

One thing - quick confession here - I got all righteous the other day about not bailing my board in order to preserve my leash and not treat it as a retreival tool. Tonight after getting caught inside I bailed and not just once or twice. Sorry guys - I'll work on it.

There I feel better now that I have got that off my chest.

If, sorry BIG IF, anyone is still reading this, drop by pull up a chair, tell me all about it - at least say hello.

NAISH REVELATION

Funny how things can change so quickly sometimes. A couple of weeks ago I was making enquiries about a C4 Subvector, buying a nice woolly cardigan and toying with the idea of swapping my NAISH 9'3" for a 9'6 quad. Bloody glad I didn't.

Late last year I had some ripping sessions on the little Naish but this spring I have been struggling a bit and as a consequence been taking the easy option and riding my C4 10' Classic.

Easter saw a prolonged high pressure give us light winds coinciding with some decent, proper swell and suddenly I was like a Pig in Sh1t. Getting the Naish out at every opportunity.

Shane sort of summed it up for me today, he said -

'Dad - don't be a twat' Which I think roughly translates into

'You can have one board BUT you are really going to have to compromise on your wave expectation' (and wear a woolly cardigan).

I'll explain - Having spent a lot of time early this year on the ULI Steamroller (about 64 hours) my wave expectation was set by what I could get from the board, which was pretty much paddle in - bottom turn - nose ride (sort of) - maybe tuck in for a little cover up - glide, cruise and grin my way down the line to paddle board heaven. Nice - Comfy - Safe.

My ability would not allow for any major snaps or heroics even if the board was capable of it in the right hands (feet)! So my parameters were pretty much set.


9'3" x 29 1/2" x 4 1/4"


Jump on the Naish now and there are no limits - AT ALL. It just took me a few sessions to truly dial in to the board again. I'm probably not the most patient of guys and my spare time is as precious to me as it is to anyone else. Having convinced myself over the last twelve months or more that I can actually do this standup stuff here I was falling off again.

Dont like it - Didn't like it.

All my usual tricks - bigger fins etc. actually made it worse - so what a bloody total revelation it was when I finally got it sussed, re-fitted the 5.5" centre fin thought about where to stand and went surfing.

So pick the right board for the conditions and surf accordingly - not exactly rocket science is it?


Choppy days any size - bigger board ULI 10' (possibly the new Lopez) C4 Classic

Clean small days up to waist high - bigger board ULI 10' (possibly the new Lopez) C4 Classic

Clean bigger days Chest high plus - send me straight to NAISH 9'3" Heaven


I wasn't like this on regular surfboards. I always had a few boards kicking around but they were the 'old ones' or 'the new one'.

And I always surfed the new one until it became the old un, usually a two year life cycle.

Now I have and can see the need for a quiver. My surfing is never going to be described as radical, I'll settle for softly progressive - a bit like REM, BUT now I know that somewhere just over the next wave is a swell coming that I can do more with than just set the board up and cruise down the line - and I now know that, conditions allowing, with the Naish I have the board that in my own geriatric, sedentary way -

I can rip the crap out of it.


9'6" x 29 1/4" x 4 3/8"


And this has got me thinking - How much more stable in choppy conditions is the Naish 9'6" than the 9'3" and could it be used to replace the C4? It has a fatter nose and a more parallel plan thanks to the swallow tail than the 9'3" and is wider than the C4. It also has 25 litres or so more volume than it's smaller brother . . . . . . . . AND where the hell does this leave my BK PRO?
Its the narrowest of all the boards - almost as loose as the Naish But it is 10' long and if you are going to have a surfboard as opposed to a cruiser you might as well go shorter so it's pretty much redundant and as a result still for sale.


Length: 10'0" Nose: 18 3/8" Width: 27" Tail: 16 3/8" Thickness: 3 7/8" Weight: 23 lbs
Fin Boxes: 4 future side fin boxes 1 standard center fin box.


Damn shame but there you go.

Making Friends with a Naish 9'3"

What a weekend - magicseaweed was shaping up for a perfect combination of swell. spring tides and light offshores, all this and an Easter bank holiday giving us a couple of extra free days off - things were looking good.

Friday and I made my way to a mid beach mark for the evening high tide - it was big and munchy with the tail end of the onshore winds. The full fat, wedgey beach break was getting jacked up double by the backwash from the head of the beach. Not pretty, very testing but great fun. Paddling in felt a bit suicidal and the rides were short but rewarding.

In the car park prior to paddling out a couple of prone surfers pulled up with short boards - I didn't see them get a wave but did see them spat out further down the beach. And that was nice!

So Saturday got in after work at Pete's point for the evening session again on my C4 fantastic - had the place to myself all over the high tide and just did not want to get out - a real soul surf session. I had made loose plans to get in at 9.00am on Sunday morning but the evening session was so good it was no hardship getting up early and I was in the water just before 8.00am ON MY DAY OFF!!! It looked very clean so I decided to risk another session on the Naish.

It's been no secret that the last few outings on my Naish have been difficult. We have not been the best of friends recently, like a true workman I have been blaming the tools. I have just not been able to stay upright on the thing. The centre fin has been growing in size in the vain hope to give me some static stability - having used the biggest fin in my collection 10" I opted to plug in the the smallest - the original Naish 5.5".

What a difference! From the moment I paddled out everything just felt right - ok I still fell a few times but the sheer surfability of the board was magic. And in turbulent water the board felt more stable. Perhaps the leverage on a bigger fin contributes to the rails sinking and going past that tipping point - who knows -, who cares? I was grinning ear to ear. I conceded that perhaps Harold Iggy might know a thing or two after all.

The Naish really needs to be kept under way, you can stop but loose concentration and you need to dig the paddle in to gain momentum and stability. During the morning session I sort of realised as well that I had to 'inch' back on the board a 'tad' in order to keep the nose up. Just a bit too far forward and the nose is under the water and it's douche time. Its also easier to stand and paddle the board than to kneel on it - how odd is that? Pop up onto the board on your knees and a fraction too far forward and the nose is under like Captain Nemo's Nautilus.

The sweet spot is minute on the board - but in the clean 2-3' surf I had one of my best sessions of the year. I can't believe that I had harboured thoughts of moving the board on. It just needs the right conditions - ideally clean and a minimum of 2-3' but preferably more, and more importantly the right attitude. One things for sure I am never going to reach the limits of it, or get bored with it.

During the session I met up with Steve Carter and we shared a few waves before swapping boards (he was on a Starboard UB 11'2"). Very nice but it did feel like a tanker after the Naish. Both of us agreed the Naish has an amazing 'skatey' feel to it.

I was in for 3 1/2 hours that morning and eventually dragged myself out when my hands started bleeding and the cramp made my calves feel like they were exploding.

Back to Sunset Surf cafe for some coffee and incredible flapjacks and cake to re-fuel and then back in for a couple of easy, mellow hours on the C4 over the low tide.

Jay and a few of the forum guys were out at Gwithian having made the trip down for the weekend. Just don't really appreciate how lucky we are living here.

What a difference a few sessions can make.

I HAVE A NAISH 9'3"

And it's the only one in the UK. SMUG SMUG SMUG.

Short Board Blues

You know what? - It's been a funny few weeks - we have been busy as hell at work and even though the clocks went forward allowing for some evening surf time a few things got in the way to 'choke up the stoke' a bit. However a couple of weeks back the forecast started shaping up for a classic few nights of swell.

Clean. (ish)

Clean = Naish oh yes - get the zipper open and unleash the beast - in my dreams !!

The tide was a small evening spring - off I trots to Pete's and - it's small, much smaller than the 4.5' forecast. Never mind in I goes to an all too familiar routine. Jump on the board first 20 minutes no major problems - not much to work with but seemed to be making the best of it - paddled back to Gwithian where there was a bit bigger wave (still desparate) and proceed to make a total cock of myself falling off, getting stuck in the backwash from the cliff - anything but ride the board. I have had some excellent sessions on the Naish - tonight just was not going to be one of them. I sneaked out hoping that no-one would spot me.

Next night similar conditions possibly a tad bigger and I went in on the C4 10 classic. Fantastic. Almost like I could do it for real. Thoroughly enjoyed myself to the extent that I did not want to get out. In fact the struggling that I had been doing on the Naish made the C4 feel so easy. I surfed my way round to the middle of Godrevy beach and made a pig of myself on the break off the mid beach rock. Great fun.

Although the surf was good all week I did not manage to get in again until Sunday morning - pushing half tide up the wave was quite full and fat with a tendency to threaten then back off - it was good fun but I was making a meal of it - even on the C4. There were a couple of other guys in as well as Gavin and myself one on a Starboard the other on a Gong. The guy on the Gong was quite tidy and smooth and put us all to shame. Would of liked a bash on the board but was a bit reluctant to ask, plus there were a few prone surfers out and with four SUPs in fairly close proximity I felt that it was prudent to surf away from the pack. It's easy to see how intimidating and domineering a few standups can be in the line up. Not that there was any hassle or poor etiquette.

I have been exchanging a few mails with Casso from Seabreeze - he currently has a 9'3 Naish and a 9'3" PSH Ripper. It was encouraging to know that he has a few stinkers each session and a couple of sessions that just don't go well.

Perhaps riding the ULI Steamroller has spoilt me - who knows? However one thing is for sure after seeing these shots of Clinton -



with more shots here

http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=3601.0


I can't wait to get my hands on an ULI LOPEZ.

Spring Cleaning

Our 24th wedding anniversary and Charmaines birthday this week-end - coinciding with some epic spring weather, light winds and a decent swell. I was working Saturday, away watching Al Murray on Sunday but home for a class evening session Monday - top waves at Gwithian pushing up to high tide. It's been a while and I was pretty rusty to start - usual story - before getting some decent workable waves - including my final wave home that had me crapping my self as I was hurtling towards the mid beach rocks at Godrevy - fantastic.

Decided to have a bit of a clear out board wise and thought that it was time to move my Pope Bisect Carbon Stealth Longboard on. Really difficult one this -I've made half hearted attempts to sell it before, pricing it too high to sell but just in case someone really wanted it, anyway you know how some things are just 'right' this board is one of them.

It's a Wayne Rich 9'0 Carbon Fibre (like proper black pre preg carbon fibre) Stealth performance longboard. Made in the States before Bisect farmed out their manufacture and bears the board number #007!! Really it does, and it looks like it belongs in a Bond film.

Here is the 2005 Pope Ad for the same board


Wayne Rich shapes have pedigree and Wayne appears in the Shapers Hall of Fame along with any body who is anybody http://www.theshaperstree.com/hall_of_fame/index.asp

The board is a three fin (centre and two FCS sides)with a double concave bottom and has the upgraded Carbon centre pole and carbon centre fin. It comes with the travel bag as shown in the pics below. This board makes longboard travel easy. The original price when I bought it was $1800 plus carriage, import duty and VAT. About $2400. I bought it 4 years ago when the £ was pretty strong costing about £1200. I touted it about a bit at £750 a few months back but realistically would take £575 for it now as I have not ridden any of my Longboards for the best part of two years. This board is Carbon fibre NOT epoxy remember. More pics follow -





Charmaine showing the packed away board - total assembly / disassembly time is about 1 minute, the board is very light - its hollow - and damn tough.




I could ship it pretty much anywhere subject to cleared funds being available. Message me if you are interested.

Now for the Sups

I have a C4 BK Pro 10'x 27" Rocket ship of a board that would take either a 2 plus one or a Quad set up. It has had some paddle chips but I have had it properly refinished and the board is now like new. These boards are now retailing at over £1100 - anyone will tell you that the likelyhood is that they are going to get even more expensive - check it out here https://www.2xs.co.uk/C4_10'0_BK_Pro_SUB.asp?CID=273

Yours for £600

I also have a totally gorgeous pale blue C4 10' Classic diamond tail that I bought new in October list on this is now £1050 - £695 no offfers.


So there we have it - for a day or two anyway - until the Uli Lopez arrives!!