Today my son and I went to a paddle out to remember a friend… a long time family friend, Jim Nash, that I would surf with and my son Robin would surf with his son Ryan.

I don’t remember how we all met initially, but over the years our lives stayed pretty connected. I think about the only time I surfed a long board while living on Kauai was when Jim was on the island for a visit and took me down to the south shore for a surf. He had borrowed a board from someone he knew on the island and I borrowed a board from someone I knew down at the beach. We surfed Centers on a small day and had a great time.

I made him a Penetrator.. it was light blue, really a nice looking board. That came about when he saw me at the beach one day with a pink Penetrator I had made for a gal and then bought back. It was one of only a few Penetrators I’ve made in a round pin. Anyway, I was walking across the bike path on my way to the water and Jim saw my board jumped out of his car and asked to look at it. We talked and then asked if I’d make him a board like it… but not pink. That may have been how we met actually.

Since Jim had a son the same age as my son that surfed as well the boys connected and became friends and would hang together. Ryan came with us a couple times on surf camp trips. I think we’ve got some video of the boys surfing Cardiff reef from one of those trips.

Every once in awhile you find one of those epic days when there isn’t much surf but the conditions are really nice so you head to the beach to at least enjoy the day and of course you’ve got to at least surf what is available. I did that once and Jim happen to paddle out around the same time I did. Every ten minutes a couple decent waves would come through. Then after the first half hour or 45 minutes the sets started getting more consistant… and bigger. Before we were done there were perfect head high plus waves rolling down the point and because there wasn’t much surf earlier there was no crowd either. Jim and I got some really good surf all to ourselves. Coincidently being in the water when a new swell decides to show up.

Blinky came by the shop Friday and mentioned Jim had passed away, I was shocked, he was four years my senior. It was a must that Robin and I go to the paddle out. I’m glad we did.

Rest in peace Jim.

D.R.

Jims Blue Penetrator just before he came to pick it up. In the early nineties.