Waist leash and SUP
I have broken two of those curly waist leash cords. Here is a solution that I am trying. Note the addition of another of those heavy Velcro end bits to keep the curly bit of cord away from the back of the front fins.
Posts
Some foil success
Today (May 6, 2018) I caught two waves where I took off kneeling up; got to my feet before the board went up on the foil and rode the wave mostly on the foil. The difference was that I was surfing with a bloke riding a SUP (5'9" 90 something litres). A case of money see monkey do. Anyway, this activity is too fashionable for this blog, so I have posted to: supwindfoil.net Page to view: supwindfoil.blogspot.com/2018/05/monkey-does
Paddle recommendation
Starboard Enduro adjustable sup.star-board.com/products/paddle-overview Specifications: : Tiki Tech Blade Hybrid Carbon shaft adjustable 154cm to 213cm 3.5 stiffness. Uni-directional pre-impregnated hybrid carbon. Recommendation to paddle manufacturers: All adjustable paddles should allow an adult to comfortably paddle in a kneeling position. An adjustable paddle is great for paddlers looking for different paddle length or sharing the paddle with friends and family. This one has a wide Tiki clamp for a quick and effortless release. The clamp also helps control the alignment without twisting. It has extended reinforcement on the blade neck for greater overall strength. Despite which I have broken one and am onto my second. I started with a small - 237g 20.5cm wide Area: 475cm2 and now use a medium, cannot find the specs for this size. Here is everything you need to know about choosing a paddle.
Sumo & Anonym Goliath
That shorebreak at the start and end of this video is a massive challenge. There is a rich vein of videos from anonymsup stand up paddle (the french inflatable sup company from hossegor). Giant inflatable SUP invades Maui (Dave Kalama) @davekalama and friends taking over Maui on the new "Invader" big SUP - @supjacko @whoisjob you've got some competition... @imaginesurf @myersfilm Posted by SUP Racer on Saturday, March 5, 2016
Cheap Kneel-up paddles
- so that you can try it Your SUP paddle will not do for kneeling up unless it is a retractable one and fully retracted. The problem is your upper hand is not doing its job. Holding a tube is very different to holding a handle that tells you which way the blade is facing. The handle also allows you more force in thrusting the paddle into the water. The correct length for the paddle is approximately 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 5 ft). Shop around in your marine shop for items like these two for under AUS$30: Alloy 4' Curved Blade T Paddle .. aluminium shaft, polypropylene handle and blade. Overall length 1.20m (4') whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp...&search123=55338 You can fine tune the length by cutting bits of the plastic off the end of the blade. The length you need will allow the blade to be clear of the water (with your hand holding the handle) when you reach out to put the blade in the water at the start of the stroke. OR if you want something more hipster...
Liard Hamilton falls off SUP
So this happened to justify not standing up to paddle: what began as a simple star-spotting exercise quickly became a bit of a bagging match when Hamilton misjudged a knee-whacker of a wave and fell off his SUP. seabreeze.com.au/News/Stand%20Up%20Paddle/Stop-press-Liard-Hamilton-falls-off(sic) Before I comment I should note that my search of the Daily Mail UK website failed to find this story. So when the article says "The worlds news outlets were first in a flurry.." Flurry, what flurry! A Google News search also failed to find any reference. As I said in a previous post ; the more I look at the MHL directional spectra the more I appreciate that the East Coast of Australia does not get the same swell as Hawaii & California. Now Laird Hamilton has demonstrated exactly that. FWIIW the MHL directional spectra shows the quality of the waves in Sydney and the NSW coast. See this site for the current graphics: ssurfings.blogspot.com.au/p/nsw-coast-waverider-buoys.ht...
Sockies
Invention: Sockies. You wear then under your booties. I had a picture here that for some reason has disappeared. It DID show a couple of legs, some feet and some booties (honest). When kneeling they protect the board bumps and support the ankle. Recommendation: Get used to wearing booties. They are needed at the best spots and they take some getting used to - so just wear them all the time.
Message to people selling short SUPs
You may have a SUP too small to comfortably stand up on to paddle. My bet is that it is fun to surf! What you need is a paddle that is short enough (or that telescopes) so that in the kneeing position you can hold the top of the paddle when the blade is out of the water on the up-stroke, arms out in front the top one at about a 45 degree angle. Paddling like this you can get on the wave easily, surf it like a longboard and go out in surf that is way too bumpy to SUP on. [Copy and paste this into places where short second-hand SUPs are sold.]
OK, so where do I get a board for this?
No point starting with a new board at full retail price. Check the second-hand market. Some SUP riders buy boards too small for them and sell it to buy a bigger one. Some teenagers outgrow there SUPs. So there are quite a few out there. One place to buy boards in Australia is Seabreeze.com.au Here is a link to the site and a search of NSW with the boards listed from short to long. bit.ly/1eoudNG To find more info on these boards go to the brand's website. Here are some of them: Naish naishsurfing.com/hokua-series Star Board star-board-sup.com PSH paddlesurfhawaii.com/../8-6-wide-ripper Laguna Bay noosasurfworks.com.au/boards/laguna-bay-stand-paddle Let us know if you know of other makers that make suitable boards.
Worse than goatboating!
Yes, it can be if you surf at crowded beaches. However you can explore places where it is too choppy for SUPs to go. One such place is around the point at Long Reef on Sydney's northern beaches. There is a fun little wave that breaks between two rocks. It looks like a close-out but because the whitewater backs off the top of the swell after it breaks you can drive across the wall in either directions (away from the closest rock). Still, goatboats do that too..