Learning to surf, a shapers view post 8, or something I’m not sure.

Once you have learned to surf.. that is you can catch waves, stand up, turn and maneuver at least to some extent and actually ride some waves without falling off your board it’s probably safe to say you’ve learned to surf. Maybe you could say you’re an intermediate or advanced beginner.

But do we ever really stop learning? Well yes and no… you may not continue to advance in your surfing skills but you should continue to learn things that are part of the surfing experience. Like knowing when the conditions are suitable for a decent go out. Tides, weather and wind conditions. How your favorite breaks work in different conditions…. There is a lot more to surfing than paddling out and catching waves that when you first start out you have no clue about. But as your time at the beach accumulates your knowledge of the oceans moods should increase.

One of the things that surfers learn now that you didn’t need to know as much when I started surfing is positioning. Sure you need to know positioning as it relates to a line up… knowing where to take off from but, now days it’s nice if you also learn positioning in a crowded line up. Moving around in the pack so you actually can get a few ‘at bats’ will help your wave count. The more waves you ride the more chance you get to try more and more advanced maneuvers. The more waves you ride the more you learn what your capabilities are and how far you can advance.

I realized something this past week about wave count as it related to my own surfing. I’ve been back from Hawaii… on the main land now for four years. Since I’ve been back I’ve surfed longer boards and have focused on how those boards work. Now when the surf has enough juice I’ll ride a shorter board but because I’ve not ridden a shorter more progressive board since leaving Hawaii I’ve forgotten the possibilities of shorter equipment. With out a good solid wave count it takes some time to regain lost abilities and maneuvers of surfing equipment you haven’t used for a time.

So, wave count is important to learning and relearning or regaining forgotten abilities. The more waves you ride the better. The more quality waves you ride the better your odds of advancing your abilities.

D.R.

Travis Riley

How many years will you continue to surf?

When I was young I couldn’t imagine not surfing. Surfing was such a big thing in my life I couldn’t think of being with out it. All the guys around that were core surfers were the same way… there was just no way they would ever think of not surfing.

When you’re young you really don’t have to worry about being in shape for surfing. If you surf a few times a week the surfing itself takes care of your physical conditioning. But as you age… different story. First you may not get a chance to surf on a regular basis. Or, you don’t surf unless there’s enough surf to make a go out worth justifying time spent. People that live some distance from the beach pretty much can only surf when they have half a day for the time it takes traveling to and from the beach and get a decent amount of time in the water.

As you age surfing becomes more and more a physical strain on your body. If you surf a lot and then stop for a time and go back you find out in your first short paddle out how physically demanding surfing can be. Get picked off by a 5 wave head high set and you’ve about had it by the time you get to the line up and will need to rest for several minutes before going after any waves. Especially if you’re 35 to 40 or over.

When I was in my late thirties I had a complete cardio check up. Did the Holter monitor, echo cardiogram, and tread mill stress test. While being prepped for the stress test I was asked if I did any physical stuff and if I thought I was in shape. You sign a release form just in case you have a heart attack. I told the nurse I surfed… she laughed and said ‘ I’ve seen you guys sitting out in the water’. Apparently she’d been to the beach on a small inconsistent day and watched the surfers in the water sitting and thought that’s surfing. They kept dialing the speed of that tread mill up until I was in a full jog and inclined pretty high before they were through…. I hardly broke a sweat. I was much younger then. Doubtful I could repeat that now. But I still surf, just not as much. It’s harder to stay in shape when you are older. You loose your conditioning faster and it takes more time to get it back.

If you take care of your self and make an effort to stay in shape it’s possible to enjoy surfing for a long time though.

D.R.

Photo by David Puu

Making surfboards.. it’s a craft.

Most people have no idea how surfboards are made. No doubt a large percentage of people that surf don’t know how surfboards are made. Granted now days the process of making a surfboard has expanded beyond the old fashioned way but even with that the boards that are molded came from a surfboard that was made the old fashioned way.

The old fashioned way… the traditional way surfboards are made is by hand. Whether you’re looking at a 6’1 X 18” short board with a sanded finish or a 9’6” tanker all shiny with gorgeous color work the surfboard was made by hand by hackers, slackers or seasoned craftsmen.

The process is pretty amazing actually, and the process does involve using VOC’s, a some what none PC item but, even still an amazing thing to do. If you’ve ever seen an unshaped blank and then compare that to a finished surfboard.... Getting the unshaped blank to a nicely foiled well laminated finished board? Most people will scratch their heads and ask ‘How did you do that”

Each step in the process requires its own special skill set and when done right the end result is something that can be seen, held and used for its intended purpose… surfing, even surfing a specific wave and condition. Whether performance surfing or traditional long boarding.

Getting into the surfboard trade is not easy and, with today’s economy even more difficult. One of the remaining craft trades that have no school or formal way of learning so learning the trade comes via mentoring. Finding a shop or label with an open position for work though not impossible, is difficult. Finding a position as a trainee? Very difficult. Surfboard crafting is a very small trade and has always been difficult to break into. You’ve really got to have a heart for it and for those that do, aside from a meager living, it does offer a great life style.

When I first started we kept regular hours, worked hard and surfed after hours and on weekends. Now we work hard and keep the hours we want making time to surf when it is good. Making sure our work is done in a timely manner of course. But each day working with your hands and crafting attractive surf equipment can be very fulfilling.

D.R.

How many surfboards do you need?

I think I’ve said this before… in the old days, like the sixties, most guys had just one board. In perspective there was not much to choose from when the only surfboard was a long board.

As well, when surfboards began to rapidly change most guys only had one board. We didn’t keep them to long though. Selling a board off to buy another newer design every three or five months was normal.

But today with all the different designs how many boards do you need? For a number of years here in Ventura I had a regular tri fin and a single fin long board. Now I’ve got a 9’4, 9’1 and 9’0 in long boards, a 8’0 mid length, a 7’0 stubbie and a 7’0 hull. Do I need all these? No. Do I ride them all? Well… not at the same time! But yes, depending on conditions and mood. I do have a couple other boards but they stay dry.

A week or so ago while surfing one afternoon I found Mary Osborne out in the line up. We got to talking about surfboards… of course. Apparently she has a number of boards some she doesn’t ride but won’t unload them. She said “ Surfboards are like shoes. Women need a lot of shoes. I have a lot of surfboards, I may not ride some of them but, I’ve got options.”

Some people collect boards. Some have a lot because they want to try different designs. And, once you have a number of boards you have trading stock to try newer or different designs.

But now days I think most surfers have two or three boards. If you only ride short boards you’ll have an every day board and a step up maybe. If you only ride long boards you’ll have a cruiser and a performance board. If you ride both long and short you may have a fish and a tanker or who knows how many different styles, shapes and sizes?

Now compared to 45 years ago, you’ve got options.

D.R.