D.R. Surfboards

2012-01-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

Replicating is a lot easier with a cnc shaping machine than by hand shaping.

It is possible to be pretty accurate replicating a surfboard by hand. It will take some time, making sure all your cuts are right, checking rocker curves, deck crown, rail profiles etc. But, in the end you can be right there with making one board the same as the other.

To replicate a board with a machine you can either scan the board you’d like to replicate with the machine… if the machine as that capability or, you map the board and input the numbers into the software program and build your computer surfboard file that way.

Basically mapping a board for program entry is the same as mapping a board for replicating by hand. You make a list of all the particulars… numbers… of the board like rocker, what the rocker curve is like at the nose tip, at 6 inches from the tip, 12 inches etc. Then the same for the tail. What the various measurements are of the outline or plan shape. Like width at center, 12 inches from nose and tail, 18 inches from nose and tail and so on. Rail apex point at different potions along the boards length as well as thickness at 6 inch intervals down the length of the board.

Once you’ve got all your numbers then you input them into your computer program and build your computer model for the machine to replicate. If you hand shape you reference all your numbers as you work through your shaping process.

In the end whether you hand shape or use a machine you have your board. The one thing you don’t have when you hand shape is knowing what the over all volume of your board is. When using a computer program you get that information.

D.R.

Balance

2012-01-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

You always hated to fall off your board, because it meant you were in for a swim, and possibly to the beach to fetch your board. Sometimes, depending on where you were surfing, your board could end up on the rocks. Almost guaranteeing a ding or two.

Paddling out you had to give it everything you had to hold onto your board if you had to push through a wave or two on your way out to the line up. There is nothing worse than having your board ripped from your hands on the way out, especially if you just got in the water and haven’t even caught a wave yet. Like ‘dang, I haven’t even reached the line up and I’ve got to swim for my board.’

So the smart surfer would always pay attention to the surf. You’d do your best to time your go out between sets. Scramble hard to get to the line up so as not to get picked off. As well, you could plan your paddle out so as not to reach the impact zone when a set wave was on coming. Slow paddle or just sit on the inside and let the wave’s energy diminish some before it reaches you. I even would paddle inside a little to get away from an impact zone if it looked like I was not going to get picked off.

I never forgot getting picked off on a good sized wave at D and W. I tried my hardest to hold onto my board but the wave just laughed at me. Ripped my board away, tossed me around like a rag doll and left me to swim. When I reached the beach I couldn’t find my board… until I looked up on the jetty. There it was resting on top off that pile of rocks. So I always did what needed to be done to keep my board from getting away from me.

Of course sometimes you just get stuck. And, of course now days you’ve got your board velcroed to your leg.. so no need worry about loosing your board. Never mind if you ditch your board on your way out… unless someone else gets stuck by your board… but when does that happen?

My son told me the guy we work with at Patagonia FCD, Cyrus, got stuck by a ditched board. It happened last week. I haven’t seen Cyrus yet but was told the board busted his nose and left him with stitches in his head.

Slip off your board, hold your nose and submerge yourself… from what? Wake up and smell the salty air, and act like you don’t have your board tethered to your leg. Think, plan and hold on tight.

D.R.

http://vimeo.com/34903457

2012-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

The closest I’d ever gotten to Harold Iggy was when he paddled by me at Malibu one day when the Weber crew were on a surf day from work because there was a good south swell in the water.

I was a teenager, he was about 8 years older than I, so he was in his twenties. Of course I knew he was Weber’s shaper, which is why he was surfing with Weber when they’d show up at Malibu on a good swell. But he could surf well too. Weber was a good surfer as well, so when they came to Malibu they just took over… you didn’t drop in on those guys.

They’d get the good set waves, ride them all the way down the point, pull out and paddle back to the top on the point only in time for another good set wave. It didn’t matter who was waiting for a good set wave. They would just paddle for the waves they wanted and that was that.

Dewey Weber surf boards was a big label. I always thought they were cool boards. And, because Harold Iggy shaped them I always thought he was one of the best shapers. One day I visited the Weber store and after hanging in the store for awhile looking at the surfboards I walked out of the store and ended up walking around the back of the building. To my surprise, I happened on to Iggy’s shaping bay, with him there mowing foam.

Either nobody saw me or nobody cared I was there… I wasn’t in anyone’s way standing off a distance. But I was in a dream, watching the guy I wished I could be, shaping surfboards for one of the big names. At that time I’d maybe made a few boards, and because I was self taught I’d never really seen anyone shape a surfboard before. I’m not sure how long I stood there, if someone finally came and told me to beat it or after a time I thought I should go before I got in some kind of trouble…. Really can’t remember.. I was in a trance the whole time.

A few years later when I was working with the Wilderness guys I got real close to one of the boards Harold shaped for Nat Young. Nat surfed for Weber in 1969 and when ever Nat was in California he’d come up and visit Mike Cundith… Nat and Mike were good buddies.

Well, Nat had gotten this new board that he was really stoked about and brought it up to the Wilderness shop one day. Mike liked the looks of the board so he asked me to shape him one. So I took Nat’s board, nicked the outline, set the board in my shaping bay, got a blank and replicated the board Harold Iggy shaped for Nat.

Nat would rave about how good Harold Iggy could shape, and for good reason of course. Nat said Harold was so good at getting his rails perfect. So here I am replicating an Iggy shape and Nat would come into my room and check the board to see how I was doing. I think Harold Iggy is one of the best shapers ever, I’m copying one of his boards, that he shaped for one of the best surfers in the world. That best surfer is in my shaping bay checking my work… talk about nerve racking!

Harold Iggy passed away this week, very sad to hear about. He no doubt impacted many, many lives. Mine included, even from a distance. One of my heroes now gone.

RIP Harold Iggy.

D.R.

2011-12-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

There were a few big names in surfing around the southern California coast in the mid sixties when I was first a kook, then a grom and eventually an OK surfer. Surfers with a name in my neck of the woods would show up at the beach and of course heads would turn. It wouldn’t happen too often but I remember when it did.

Back then working in a surf shop making surfboards was like a regular job. You showed up for work everyday at 8 a.m. and put in your 8 hours. Unless the surf was really good, you didn’t go off and surf or just take off and go to the beach… you showed up for work and did what was required like any other job.

But, sometimes the surf was really good, that’s when the shop would shut down and the crew would go surfing… usually the whole crew. I remember a couple summer days at Malibu when there was a good swell and here comes Dewey Weber and his crew in the middle of the day. I can remember a couple times being at Rincon and seeing Renny Yater, or Bob Cooper. I was a teenager, these guys were the old guys, like 10 years older the me.

Then I got a job at the surf shop, still a teenager but, with a regular job. And a few times there would be a good swell and the shop would stop and go surfing. That was a treat, going to the beach with Tom Morey and the crew and getting some good surf.

Seeing Morey in the water heads would turn. He was a good surfer, not really a hotdoger, but had great wave knowledge and would draw nice lines with causal style. He never fell and would make every wave. Inspiring to watch. I was young, he seemed… old, smart, knowledgeable like he had a plan and was executing it. He was my boss so at work, I was at his command. In the water? He was more than my boss, he had the respect of everyone. He was the guy in the water, I was just a guy in the lineup, stoked to be out there, but just a guy in the lineup… and watching Morey like the rest.

It seemed the older guys in surfing back then were the guys that made surfboards. And back then the older guys were in their late twenties and early thirties. That’s hardly old, but to a teenager it seemed old.

Except for golf or bowling maybe, most sports are populated with young people. Surfing is no different. In the sixties when surfing started getting popular it was a very young sport so there weren’t too many older people doing it.

Now it’s quite different, there are people much older than 30 in the water everyday, and not just when the surf shop has gone out for a surf break because there is a good swell in the water. Some guys liked surfing enough when they were teenagers to say they’d surf for the rest of their lives…. Now they are doing just that!

D.R.

2011-12-04T20:12:00.001-08:00

Designing a surfboard doesn’t take much.

All you need is a free software program and several hours figuring out how to use it. Borrow one of the surfboard files available with the program to make your learning curve shorter and you are on your way.

After you’ve got your surfboard file finished just give it to the cutting house and get your new surfboard design machined… at the fine setting of course, so you don’t have to much work to do getting your new surfboard sanded and ready for glassing.

Now you can’t glass your board yourself so you take your finished blank to the local lam shop and hand in your board for glassing.

About a week later you get a call from the lam shop and think… wow those guys are fast… but instead you hear the guy from the lam shop say “ you didn’t mark your fin lay out “. You say “ oh I didn’t know I needed to do that “

He says “ yes, it’s your board, we simply cut the fin boxes on the shapers marks”.

You say “Well, can you put the marks on the board for me”?

He says “no, I don’t know where you want them”

You say “ Put them where you normally would”

He says “I normally put them on the shapers marks, where ever they are. So you need to come in and mark where you want the fins”.

You don’t know fin lay out … even though that’s part of surfboard design. So now what?

Who knew?… fin lay out is a major thing, fin lay out can and will greatly effect how a surfboard performs. Sure put the fins anywhere, the board will still surf ok but, put them in the optimum place and the board will perform much better.

Surfboard design is more than a computer program, computer file and a blank.

D.R.

2011-11-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts.

I hadn’t been sleeping very well this past week, always waking up in the middle of the night. The night of the day I surfed… no more insomnia.

Surfing takes care of insomnia.

How come the minute you say I’ll get one more wave and go in the sets just stop?

You get to the beach, there’s some nice surf and it isn’t crowded. You’re stoked, get suited up, paddle out get to the line up turn around and look at the beach only to see 20 guys getting ready to paddle out.

You find a ding in your board and have no idea how it got there.

You sit and wait your turn for a good set wave. You are in perfect position, turn around stroke into the wave, drop to the bottom set your edge and see 3 guys paddling right in your line of flight… messing your whole trip.

There’s a kook in the water that you see trying to catch waves but never can. So, the one time you decide to quickly turn around and paddle into a wave he’s trying for he actually catches… you’re behind him and he can only go straight.

The south wind picks up right when you’re walking to the waters edge for a go out. Note, in Southern California south winds blow out most spots, period.

You get to the beach and can’t find your towel.

Your board is as slippery as snot and you have no wax.

You don’t surf with a leash and fall on your first wave. No beg deal, because your board popped out of the wave and is close by but, then the next wave takes it all the way to the beach just before you get to it.

It’s better to have one board you really like than 2 that are just OK.

It’s hard to have a good time in the water if you’re not relaxed.

D.R.

Tim Nesbit riding a Stubbie Quad

2011-11-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

The swell was forecast for Friday, and, Friday it was…. Which happened to be a holiday!

My son and I walked up to the railing to give the surf a look before suiting up. The waves… were there, maybe a head high plus set just coming through as we walked up.
But it was crowded. What would you expect, it was a holiday. I said that already.

So let’s do the numbers.

The sets were about 4 minutes apart, sometimes more than that. There were usually about 3 or 4 waves in a set, with the occasional rogue wave and of course there were insiders as well. Sitting on the inside then scratching through sets was not a real good approach with the crowd. It isn’t fun getting run over.

So if you didn’t sit on the inside you were only waiting for the sets.

With at least 40 guys in the water and the set waves pretty much running from the point through the inside, make able the whole way, it wasn’t to easy to get a wave. With say 20 guys in position at any one time for one of 4 set waves makes things hectic. 4 waves every 4 minutes is 60 waves per hour shared between 40 surfers? That makes for a rotation of 1.5 waves per surfer per hour.

If there was such a thing as even rotation it would be one thing. You could sit in the lineup, getting cold but, waiting your turn for your 1.5 waves per hour. You know what? There is no such thing as an even rotation. Some guys have all the luck and some guys don’t. And some guys are unkindly aggressive.

I watched one guy get a good one all the way down the point only to get back just in time to back door my son. Geez, what’s up with that?

Another guy got one of the rogue outsiders only to paddle back to the line up just in time to scoop up a nice set wave… while a hand full of us watched both of his rides and none of us got anything.

I was in the water one day some time back when one of the local guys noticed I was getting no chance. He said “ looks like you couldn’t buy a wave today”!

Friday was kind of like that.

D.R.

Scott Beckley on the H2 mini

Travis Riley riding the H2 mini

2011-10-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

My story post 55. The day I broke into Dick Brewers house.

I moved to Kauai in late spring 1994 but it wasn’t until ’97 that there was full time surfboard work for me. It came via Max Medeiros at Hawaiian Blades. In ’97 Max returned to Kauai and set up shop in Lihue town. We connected and I started working for him, shaping, sanding, and laminating… depending on what was needed.

As his factory got rolling some of the guys that shaped on the island brought boards to the factory for laminating. One of those guys was Dick Brewer. Dick eventually needed some help with shaping, he had more work than he could do on his own, and I got asked to step in and help.

Most of the work I did for Brewer was what I’d call team shaping. 2 guys shaping one board. One guy would outline and rough out and the other guy would do the finish work. I did the finish work and one of the long time Kauai board builders, Mike Wellman, did the rough work… I think we were a good team even though I’d never see Mike.

Mike worked out of his place in Wiamea town. After he finished roughing out a number of boards they would get transported to either the Hawaiian Blades shop or back out to Brewers on the north side. So I would either finish boards in my shaping bay at Hawaiian Blades or drive out to the north side and finish boards in Dicks shaping room at his house.

Since I lived on the south side, when I got called to go out to Brewers it would be a full day deal. The drive was at least an hour so I didn’t want to go that distance unless there was a big load of boards to do, and Brewer guys would always work that out for me.

So one day I got a call to go shape but was told that Dick was going to Oahu and no one else would be at the house. “We’ll leave the key under the front door mat” I was told. And, “all the boards you need to do are in the normal spot out side the shaping bay.” Dicks shaping room was inside his house or at least attached at the end. It did have an outside door but I always accessed it from inside the house. Anyway, when I got to the house and looked under the door mat there was no key. Somebody forgot….

I tried the door but it was locked. I went around the back and tried the 2 back doors, they were locked. I tried the siding glass door at the family room… locked. I’m thinking ‘What????? I’m came all the way out here???” as I’m walking around the house… I stop and look up at the balcony. ‘ Is that sliding door up there open? I think so’.

I walked back around the other side of the house to the new and under construction garage/shop and to my surprise saw the extension ladder… perfect! Grabbed that thing, lugged it around to the balcony, set it up, climbed up and over the railing and in the house I went. Relieved, I unlocked the front door, put the ladder back, went back to the house and shaping room and went to work. Usually there were 10 or 12 boards to do and that day was no different.

A couple weeks later I got a call from Dick to come out and shape some boards. I told him “hey, last time I came out the place was locked up, but, I found a ladder and got in through the upstairs sliding door you know?’

Dick said “now there’s a man that wants to work!”

D.R.

From a page in the log book

2011-10-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

My story post 54

My son ,Robin, started learning to surf when he was about six years old.

At first I’d take him out with me on my long board. Then he graduated to riding one of my short boards, which he didn’t like because he couldn’t get his arm around the thing so it was hard for him to carry. It bothered him enough that I made the width of his first surfboard the length of the inside of his arm… just to make sure he could get his arm around it.

When he was still a little guy I would worry about him in the water. Not when the surf was casual but when it got a little bet more serious for the kid. As the years progressed we became surf buddies.

This past week we had a pretty nice northwest swell so the two of us made plans to hit the surf together in the early afternoon Wednesday when the swell started to come on. We paddled out on the back side of the point and surfed our way down inside. The surf wasn’t really big, sets were a little over head but, the sets were strong with a good 8 waves or more.

After we were in the water for 20 minutes or so we both got caught inside… I hate getting caught inside. I was further out than Robin and that first wave of the set pounded me good enough to push me inside of Robin. We both ducked at least 2 more waves when Robin turned and looked back at me with a thumb up. I nod with a smile thinking he’s stoked that the surf is good and this is a great set… even though it’s giving us a lickin’.

I lost count of how many waves I had to push but eventually I was so beat I turned around and let some white water propel me to the beach… the first time ever. I thought I’d go in, catch my breath, wait for a lull and paddle back out.

After about 10 or 15 minutes I started walking up the point for another round when I saw Robin ride a wave way down inside and come in. I waited for him so we walked up the beach together and decided to head back to work.

As we were walking back to the van Robin asked if I was OK. Turns out he was worried that I might be in trouble because I got swept past him on that first wave and then couldn’t catch back up to him. He said ‘I don’t think that has ever happened before. That's why I gave the thumb up, I was asking if you were OK." I said “I was beat, how many waves were in that set anyway?”

As we walked up the beach another set started hitting the line up, so I started counting the waves... 14. “No wonder, I bet there were at least 10 waves in the set that picked us off.”

After I dropped him off at the FCD shop he went in to boast how he out paddled his Dad. Geez, his 33’d birthday was this past September. My 63’d birthday is next month!

Funny though, I worried about him, now he worries about me.

D.R.

2011-09-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Definition of BRAND
1
a : a charred piece of wood b : firebrand 1 c : something (as lightning) that resembles a firebrand
2
: sword
3
a (1) : a mark made by burning with a hot iron to attest manufacture or quality or to designate ownership (2) : a printed mark made for similar purposes : trademark b (1) : a mark put on criminals with a hot iron (2) : a mark of disgrace : stigma
4
a : a class of goods identified by name as the product of a single firm or manufacturer : make b : a characteristic or distinctive kind c : brand name 2
5
: a tool used to produce a brand

I recently heard someone refer to the surfboards they made as a brand. So my question is are all surfboards made a brand of surfboard? No matter who makes the board or how many they make, as long as there is a name on the surfboards is it a brand?

4a reads above …. A class of goods identified by name as the product single firm or manufacturer … so if your surfboard is a brand then it is also a product… even a manufactured product. Because something made by hand or with machinery is manufactured.

I don’t remember the early surfboard makers or manufacturers calling their surfboards a brand. It seems to me that someone that makes surfboards, has a label that they created and for the most part sells their boards on a local basis wouldn’t be called a brand. Because I’ve always thought a brand name is something recognized on a larger scale than something local. Maybe that thought is wrong and there are local brands.

Does calling your surfboard a brand take away the personnel aspect? If I say my surfboards are a brand make it sound more like I manufactured a product? Rather than hand craft something for riding waves that I’ve developed over a long time watching and riding waves to learn how they waves form and break, and continue to fine tune the boards I make?

If you shape a lot of boards and have a long list of dealers and have a bunch of pro surf types riding your boards or maybe even have your boards made over seas and market them nationally or internationally then you should call your boards a brand.

I’ve never considered what I make as a brand. It’s a hand crafted, mostly with my hands, surfboard. Something nice to look at and nice to ride.

D.R.

2011-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

My first shaping shack was a lean to behind the shop/garage on the family house when I was a teenager. I talked about that here.

The second place I shaped surfboards at was Pacific Plastics in Ventura. Then I went on to Morey Pope and had a shaping bay at their facility when it was on Front street in Ventura.

After that I went out off the east end of Main street in Ventura and set up the William Dennis shop where I had a room to shape in. Later I went out to Saticoy and worked in a bay for MP again. Then I went to Santa Barbara and set up a shaping bay with Wilderness surfboards.

Over the years I’ve worked in or set up shaping areas at least a dozen other times that I can think of. I’ve had Black ones, Blue ones, Green ones, multiple colored ones. Small ones, medium sized ones, large ones, wood floor, cement floor, carpet floor… no dirt floors… that I can think of anyway, hot stuffy ones, air conditioned ones, one I could see the surf from even.

It’s important to set up your room right. You need the lights at the right height so they cast good light but not have glare. If there is too much light or is too bright in the room not only do your eyes fatigue but, you can’t see high or low spots or inconsistencies in your work. Then again you don’t want the blank to dark either. The height you like your shaping stands should dictate the height of your lights.

Since what we do when shaping is walk, walk , and walk some more, it’s also best that the floor is level and flat. If you get in a room with a cement floor and there are low and high places in the area you're set up in you will fatigue easier as well possibly develop back problems.

So basically setting up a shaping bay is more than a room with some lights on the walls. I’ve got my preferences and things I like so I’ve been seriously taking my time setting up the one that may be the last one I will ever have. And hopefully it will be home for where I work for many years to come.

I’m almost finished!

D.R.

2011-09-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

For the most part I think surf flicks are boring. There are exceptions, and to qualify that line I’ve got to say I don’t watch many surf films… so there may be plenty I haven’t seen that are really good.

But now we have the internet video sites that you can watch all kids of short clips of surfing. Stuff from all over the world even. Or… pick your favorite pro surfer, type their name in the search box and most likely you’ll find clips to watch to reinforce why your favorite surfer is your favorite surfer.

This past week I even watched an 8 minute clip of some pros surfing my home break. The Bud Tour came to town, again. There was some surf for the event; I didn’t want to go near the beach because of the crowds and traffic. But I did get to see what the surf was like via the short clip of the event.

In the old days you’d go see a surf movie and get stoked to go surf and try to emulate the moves you’d see in the movie. I think it can help your surfing get better.

And now? You can watch a short clip on the net over and over again at night, then get up the next morning stoked to go surf and work on emulating what you saw. Or, maybe you’ve just got no stoke at all. But after finding some nice surf clips on the net your mental outlook will change and you get stoked to go surf.

Sometimes when you get to the beach and find mediocre surf it can be hard to get motivated. You’ll sit and watch the surf for awhile and try to talk yourself into going out. But if the surf is really good you almost can’t get in the water fast enough.

After watching some good surf and surfing on the net I’ll usually be ready to surf what ever I find at the beach, unless it’s totally blown out. Not quite like finding an epic day when you get to the beach but, good enough to get you in the water and psyched to surf!
D.R.

2011-08-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

Does the surfboard industry have a reputation for poor management?

I hear stories about how someone has ordered a board and had to wait forever. Then, while waiting forever that someone goes surfing only to see the guy that’s shaping his board in the water surfing too. Of course the guy ain’t shaping that someone’s board if the guy is surfing!!!!

I hear stories of someone ordering a board and not getting what they ordered. I hear stories of colors not being right, etc, etc.

Really, it’s not a good thing when a customer has problems with their board order. And, if one guy has a bad reputation it makes things tough on others in the business too. But, is the surfboard industry the only business that people have trouble with.?

Last week I mentioned cell phones, this week lets do the regular phone company…

My wife had her mother’s phone service changed to her new address. The day of the switch we called her mother’s new number. We only got a busy signal. The next day I called the phone company and sure enough the line was messed up…. They would send a tech guy out the next day. The next day the tech guy fixed the problem.

So we tried to call Hawaii, but had no long distance, but there was supposed to be long distance on the service. So, we called the phone company again. They sent out a tech guy the next day to fix the long distance. The next day the tech guy came out and fixed the line.

How come when the service is switched there is no quality control to see if the line actually works and is working according to the service package ordered? So, what should only be a one day thing turns into a 4 day ordeal…

Maybe us surfboard guys should set things up like the phone company. We could have an 800 number for orders. The operator would take your call in the order it was received. And for English press one. If you’re calling about an existing order press 2, for new orders press 3, for all other questions press 4.

If you press 2, then you get.. if this is for a short board press 1, if this is for a long board press 2, for all other boards press 3, to hear this menu again press 4.

You pressed 3… if this is for a fish press 1, if this is for a hull press 2, if this is for a fun shape press 3, for all others hang up and start again…

Really, ordering and getting a new custom surfboard is usually a pretty good experience. After all you’re getting something hand made just for you. You usually only talk to one or two people in the process and the whole process is pretty simple. And when you get your new board you are stoked!

Beats the phone company by a long shot…

D.R.

2011-08-21T23:32:00.000-07:00

I need a new phone, so I’m looking at an add for phones and you can get two phone for free when you sign up with a 2 yr commitment.

But, I don’t get this… If you look over the add it says the free phones are valued at $259.99 each. For a few bucks more than that you can buy a regular PC. Isn’t a phone just a small computer? But really it doesn’t matter what the “value” is because if you sign up for 2 years the phone is free. Why not say the phones are worth 20 bucks? Nah, that doesn’t sound good enough. Heck why not say the phone is worth $629.99 then, or a thousand dollars… it really doesn’t matter ‘cause the stupid things are being given away!

Maybe we should do that with surfboards. Jack the price up to $3889.99, but hey we’ve got them on sale for a special price of $889.99 Or, how about, if you promise to buy 4 bars of wax a month and a wet suit every 6 months for the next 2 years you get a surf board for free… I mean what good is wax and a wet suit without a surf board? The surf board is valued at $3889.99 buy the way.

I’ve got a better idea. How about doing a buy one get one free. Of equal or lesser value of course. Yeah, that’s a good one… buy one surfboard at the regular price of $3889.99 and get the second one free.

It just seems to me that if the cell phone company can give you a phone for free then they are making way too much money with there service fees. Why not just let us pay for the phone and get a good service package for a much lower price… yeah right.

Us surf board guys just don’t know how to market stuff I guess. Maybe I should have a price for each one of my models but have a valued price that is way above the sale price.

Would you like, a Tip Tool? OK, that’s $900, but the board is valued at $2200. No, what you really want is an H2. Valued at $1400. but I’m selling them for $650… today and today only.

$2200 for a Tip Tool? Well sure, look at that lamination. Did you know that the rails are lapped three times? 22 ounces of cloth. Resin pin lines, this is the board.

$1400 for the H2? Did you know that board has over 40 years of design history built into it? Yeah, and you could steal it for $650.

My problem is I don’t like selling surfboards. I really like making them though.

DR.

2011-07-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

My story post 53. The lost files part 2

When you move you get rid of stuff… consolidate. I went through a box of old papers this week, stuff I don’t need to hold on to anymore. To my surprise at the bottom of the box I was going through I found a personal letter from the Wilderness crew dated 3/25/70.

How the letter got in the bottom of this box or how it survived all this time I have no idea. But, it answered a couple questions I’ve had for a long time about that time period. It also indicated a little more involvement by me in the initial startup of the Wilderness surfboard thing… at least it seems.

Basically the letter is about what was owed me for some of my work there. I’ve long wondered how much I made for shaping those Greenough boards back in the day… I couldn’t remember. Well, apparently it was 11 bucks a board. And, apparently I shaped the first 100 boards or so.

I’ve for ever wondered what happened to my Skill planer too. I’ve always had my Rockwell but could never think of where my Skill went. Now I know… I sold it to the Wilderness guys, I just never remembered doing that. But it’s mentioned in the letter as part of the monies owed. As well, money I fronted the business. I’m guessing too that I helped get things off the ground when Wilderness started up in the old ice plant building in Santa Barbara because of what was mentioned in the letter.

All in all it dosen’t seem like much, 11 bucks a board. But, back then rent was $65, gas was 22 cents a gallon. That means I could buy 50 gallons of gas with what I made shaping a surfboard. Wow! Wish I could do that with today’s shaping fees.

D.R.

2011-07-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

A custom 6'4" H2 for Ted

Happy surfing!

D.R.

2011-07-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

The H2 in pictures

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

D.R.

2011-07-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-06-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

My son Robin had been counting down the weeks. I’m not sure how far in advance you can actually reserve a site but, it was some time back… and the week finally came. Our annual surf and camp trip.

Last year we scored a great session. There was a small swell and we got it one day with just a couple other guys. This year there was a bigger swell and we were there on the peak day. It was crowded but there as enough surf to go around.

The last day of the swell we thought we’d get up at first light and get the place to ourselves again but we slept in a little too long. There were just a couple guys in the water which was nice but the tide had dropped to much by the time we got to the beach. We surfed for awhile but had to give it up because the kelp on the dropping tide was making things do difficult. I think I lost 3 set waves because my feet got tied up in the kelp when I turned around to take off… stuck while the wave passed me by.

So that wave time continuum thing that we all have that is filled with the memories of great rides and surf sessions has a new entry for me. The peak day of the swell we got some good surf. One wave in particular for me… probably the largest wave I’ve ever ridden at that spot. The place usually closes out when the waves have faces of 8 feet or better. The one I got I thought for sure it would close out but I turned around and stroked into it… taking my chances. I think maybe the first three or four waves of the set filled in the reef with enough water so the wave held up all the way down the beach.

So that was last Wednesday and I can still see the waves of that set. I missed a couple of them. I stroked into one looked over the edge but thought I wouldn’t make the drop. Backed off, turned around to see another one coming. Stroked out side a little farther as the wall stood up in front of me, turned around and was scooped up on one of the waves of the day. And I still remember thinking after taking the drop and turning off the bottom that I’d see, just down the line, the wave pitching over and closing out. But no, it stood right up for me all the way down the beach.

I straightened out way down the beach and cruised into to sand. Walked out of the water and said to the guy standing on the sand that was watching “ I don’t think I’ll get another like that so I’ll call it quits for now”.

D.R.

Cone Head and the Barbarian after dawn patrol and breakfast.

Wetsuits drying while I work on our lantern

2011-06-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

If you had deep pockets…

And, you wanted to move into a market it might be best to bet against the competition when the market is in a recession.

Why? Because if there are only a couple of local stores that you would be competing with they may not be able to whether the business down turn especially if competition comes into the area and takes some of the market share that has already gotten thin because of the business climate. Having deep pockets could allow you to operate at a loss until the market turns around. If the local stores can’t keep their doors open you end up with all the market in the end.

Lets take Ventura, a smaller town known for it’s surf. A local surf community and a destination spot for inland surfers. There are retail locations very close to the beach so everyone that comes into town as well as the locals can stop by the surf store and not have to go very far from the beach… in the case of Ventura only a block or two.

The big brand companies in surfing have deep pockets. Even though they have local stores that have been faithful retailers for them for years they can and do move into a market and in the case of Ventura could quite possibly squeeze enough market share so as to make the local long established stores struggle to remain open.

It seems that it’s pretty much only a numbers game to the big brands. They want to grow, open new stores based on numbers. I read a book last year about the corporate CEO and how they have changed from seeing their companies as people and families that are loyal workers and innovators that make the company what it is that not only make a profit for their share holders but gives value to the stock that the share holders have, to just a numbers game. There was a quote from a CEO of a multi billion dollar company that said ‘it was the companies moral obligation to make money for it’s share holders”.

Personally I think that’s mess up. As well, if the big brand surf companies move into areas like Ventura with little or no consideration for the local surf community other than what it will do to their own numbers... God help us.

D.R.

2011-05-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Surfing after a long layoff

As surfers we generally forget how physical surfing is. If you’ve been surfing regularly for a number of years or decades you are most likely in decent enough physical condition to spend a couple hours in the water and taking some lickin’s while out. You may be tired but you’ve been paddling around catching waves paddling back and forth in the lineup for an hour or two you should be a little tired.

But take some time off and away from the water then go back and just the paddle out can be tough. Real tough if there is surf and you have to paddle through a couple sets.

Paddling in can get you too, depending on where you are surfing. While on Kauai the day I went for a surf after a lay off I ended up staying out longer than I should have. Paddling back in was though. I was wondering if I’d make it back to the beach even though I was paddling in the channel. I had to paddle against the trade wind… was hard. When I made it to shore I almost had to crawl out of the water! I was so beat.

So the best way to get back into it is slowly!... wouldn’t hurt or even be best to start an exercise routine and work on getting in shape a number of weeks before getting back in the water. Or have an exercise routine going all the time so when you do go back to surfing you’ve still got some conditioning. Running, cycling or swimming for lung capacity is a good thing too.

Sometimes if you haven’t surfed for a long time you can be really desperate for a go out so you’ll go out in almost anything… not a good idea. The best time to surf after a long layoff is when the surf is not really pumping but the conditions are as close to excellent as possible.

Surfing junky conditions after a layoff will be frustrating and tiring. It’s hard to get a decent ride and most likely there will be no memorable rides. You can finish your session tired and disappointed. Usually after a layoff it takes a bit of time to get your rhythm back and junky conditions don’t help that at all.

What is best is getting in some surf that is as close to your favorite conditions as possible. You will be stoked and your chances of getting a couple good rides is better. A good memorable ride will build your excitement and help you tune in and tune up. As well, get you wanting more.

It can be difficult getting back into surfing after a long lay off. Surfing is not easy, but the feeling of stretched muscles and sun soaked skin with the vision of waves in your head left after a nice surf… is there anything better?

D.R.

Scott buries a rail on the H2 Mini

Matt buries a rail on a Retro Hull

2011-05-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

The lost surf spot.

Ventura point used to be different. I’ve talked about the by gone days a number of times. As well talked about the point and changes here. So things are changing at my home break…. again, but this time of year always makes me think of a spot that is gone forever and has been gone for 42 years now.

There are generations of surfers that know nothing about this local surf spot. That it was the go to spot in spring and summer. That the prevailing winds didn’t hurt the surf there. In other words, when every spot around was blown out because a weather front had been passing the area for the last 24 hours this spot was clean. And the winds could even give a little bounce to the overall size of the surf.

There were left and right peeks. So both regular and goofy foot guys were stoked. Because it would only get junky on a south wind you could surf the place any time of day… or all day.

There was a little county camp ground right next to it so you could set up a tent and stay over night. Surf until dark, sit around the camp fire, sleep and hit it at dawn the next morning.

The paddle out was short and you could park you car right in front of the place to check the surf. Sit in you car and watch the guys in the water. Pick the peak you’d like to surf, suit up when you were done eating lunch or what ever and have a good ole time in the water.

The place was very easy to get to, right of the highway. Man I liked surfing there. Still can see the line up in my head… some 42 years later. Can still remember getting together with my friends after work or on days off and saying “ there ain’t no surf in town so you know where we’re going.”

I can still see those clean breaking waves in my head too.

D.R.

Tom Morey surfing those clean breaking waves of Stanley's back in the day.
Read a little more of the story here

2011-05-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Another year, another Mothers Day.

So here’s a post from Mothers Day… May 2009

http://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2009/05/today-was-mothers-day.html

My cell phone… beat up and dirty with resin. My dirty phone always makes me think on my mom… Why? check the last paragraph in this post of November 2006

http://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2006/11/my-story-post-6-thinking-back-to-my.html

Happy surfing!

D.R.

2011-05-01T20:32:00.001-07:00

My story post 52

Spring time in my neck of the woods usually doesn’t produce much in the way of surf. But what did I know when I was 19 or 20 years old?

What I did know then was the days were getting longer and warmer and my, at the time girl friend, later to become my wife… loved hanging on the beach at Rincon while I was in the water surfing.

We get wind swells this time of year and back then I’d find myself checking the inside at Rincon for waves. Suzi loved walking around the beach there or just sitting in the sand so she’d come along for surf checks and when there were waves enough for me to ride she was happy as a clam… or happy with the clams that could be found under the rocks at low tide.

I was a pretty lucky guy having a pretty girl happy to hang on the beach while I was doing what I liked to do… surfing for hours at a time. Then getting out of the water and walking up to the tanned gal in the bikini. Both of us with smiles.

She still likes the beach but it’s too cold for her now days. But our years on Kauai we’d go down to the beach all the time. In summer I’d surf Centers and she’d sit on the lawn in front of Beach House Restaurant and do her needle point. She didn’t like to swim there because the waters edge was too rocky. If we went to Poipu she’d swim for awhile when I was surfing.

So I married the girl who liked the beach. She’s always known I would go off to surf. If she wasn’t up to coming along and hanging on the beach she was happy to see me off and when I return. Both of us have smiles.

D.R.

2011-04-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

This past week I stumbled upon a story that doesn’t surprise me but still really turns my thoughts sidways about the surf industry and or related surf industry stuff.

Some how over time the people that surfed and lived to surf turned what they did into a lifesyle. It definatly wasn’t intentional, planned or devloped by any one person or group of individuals… It just happened. Surfers had a way to talk, certain clothes they would wear and planned what they needed to do in the way of work and responsibilties around their time to surf.

Somewhere along the surfing history time line that lifestyle became a marketalbe thing. And the companies that marketed the lifestyle were started by surfers. But something has changed, it seems that along with surfboards being mass produced over seas and marketed globally, which for the core surfer is unauthentic, we also have our lifestyle being marketed by a Company that is no where close to authentic...

I think it was a year ago when I was in the mall with my wife during the holidays I noticed a Hollister Co. store. I didn’t go in the store but wondered where it came from and what was behind it.

Below taken from a Transworld Business article from '08.

==

The concept for Hollister Co., the “surf-inspired” mall-based retail chain, was built around a fictional background story created by Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries to provide a more “authentic” atmosphere for the Hollister shopper.

The fictitious story claims J.M. Hollister founded the company in 1922 as a “Pacific merchant in SoCal.” On its Web site, the company defines itself as “Inspired by the sun-drenched spirit of California, and the surf and soul of the Pacific Ocean, Hollister is a laid-back, aspirational lifestyle destination.” In reality, it was launched in 2000 out of Columbus, Ohio by Abercrombie & Fitch, which was struggling at the time to reach a younger customer.

==

For the complete article click here .

I feel cheapened.

D.R.

I do my best to limit and manage waste. So I collect my color overages and pass them on to Donna von Hoesslin of Betty Belts and she makes jewelry with it.

2011-04-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

I find it interesting how our brain works, or at least our memories.

I was involved in a small car accident this past Friday. What happened took place in a matter of maybe 3 seconds, probably 2 seconds but I can play those 2 or 3 seconds back in my head at will.

I got to thinking that’s the same thing that happens surfing. We pull off some maneuver or connect a number of moves on a wave that all totaled may only be 8 seconds… most rides may be shorter than that… but that one killer rider we can pull up and run it in our heads at will for a long time.

That may be how we all progress in our surfing. Reliving rides and maneuvers over and over in our heads thinking about what we did right or wrong and how we may need to make changes in timings or foot placement or, how we had the whole string of moves connected just right and let that get etched in our heads for future use.

How does that happen? Three seconds gets broken down into fractions of fractions of seconds stretching those seconds into life time memories. Strange…

Could that be the addicting part of the surfing experience? We become hooked on the intensity of thought that keeps us coming back for more? The intensity of thought along with the thrill of the ride… the sensations of motion coupled with the excitement of playing with the energy in nature?

You really can’t explain it… I know I can’t anyway.

D.R.

2011-03-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

If you take your car to the auto body shop to have a dent or ding fixed and the fixed area color matched you most likely will not be able to see any color difference around the fixed area and the rest of your car when the work is finished and you pick up your car.

If you go to the paint store and hand over a color chip the person behind the counter will scan the color or check the color number and be able to mix a new can of paint that will be the color you’re looking for. Body shops have the same type program.

If you go order a custom surfboard and say I’d like the board color to be a medium green you most likely will not get the color you asked for. Why is that?

Well first off, what is medium green? What you see in your head as medium green most likely is not the medium green the guy that mixes colors sees in his head. And, without a color sample the person that mixes colors has no idea what you think is medium green or what ever color you ask for.

So it’s a good idea to pass along a color sample of what color you’d like your board to be with your board order so that at least the person that mixes colors can get an idea of what you’d like. But keep in mind that the lam shop that does the color work on your board, whether the plan is for a spray color or color lamination, does not have an expensive computer color matching program to get exact color matches.

In fact the only program the lam shop has is a bunch of different water base colors for spray jobs or a bunch of different pigment colors for color lams. And the way colors get mixed is by hand, trial and error, until the color that gets mixed is close to the color being asked for. Sometimes they come out real close to the exact color and sometimes they don’t. It all depends on the color. Some colors are good right out of the pigment jar. Some colors need to be mixed with a touch of three or four different colors and getting the right blend is almost impossible. And to think that the person mixing the color is not paid by the hour but takes extra time to work up a color match?

Keep in mind that if you email a color sample the color you see on your computer screen may not be the color the gets printed on the other end for a color sample hard copy. Colors do get lost in translation… in more ways than one.

D.R.

2011-03-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

My story post 51

Sometimes you just happen on to surf. This particular time it happened a couple days in a row and it was great while it lasted…

Before going into the shop to work, I think I’ve said this before, Mike, Richie and I would go look for waves. It was summer so there wasn’t much usually. But this particular day there were some head high peaks running along the stretch of beach between Hobson’s and the back side of Pitas Point. I don’t know if there is a formal name for the spot, but I remember Mike calling it Froggy’s.

Usually that stretch of beach is pretty walled off and most of the waves coming through were, but at the end there on the back side of Pitas the waves were well formed peaks. Thinking back I’d guess there was a decent south swell that got crossed by a west wind swell that made the waves so nice. Funny, I’ve never seen the place break like that again.

Anyway, as we were driving down PCH watching these waves we stopped at the last spot you could park before the road side railings that follow the curve at the top of Pitas Point. It was sunny, warm and light variable winds. Not another surfer or surfboard in site. Just us three guys looking at some really inviting surf. And we were on it. I remember get really tired after catching so many waves I went in and sat on the beach watching Mike and Richie. Then paddling back out for more. Then because I had rested I ended up in the water by myself because Mike and Richie whore themselves out.

So much fun, wave after wave with just us guys and no one else in site. We had to have surfed a good 2 hours before the tide and wind got to it. The next day we went and checked it again. It was still going off so we hit it again. Repeating what we did the day before, surfing until we could surf no more.

After that we’d drive by almost every day for a surf check but never could catch it. We’d end up going as far down PCH as Over Head before giving up, turning around and heading up to Santa Barbara to work. Sometimes we’d get a few at Over Head but we never did get Froggy’s again.

D.R.

2011-02-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

From my point of view..

Having to choose between a good shape or a good glass job is really no choice at all. Of course it’s easy for me to say, because I make my own boards and don’t have to choose. I’ll make myself a good surfboard from start to finish.

But I also think no one should have to choose one or the other either. But, if you’re not a board builder then maybe you have to choose even if you shouldn’t have to.

The dilemma is cost, and, surfboards are no different from other things that are hand made… you get what you pay for. If you want a board that is laminated well and has a well thought out and tested design it may cost more than what you think you should pay.

There are US made short boards that cost $600 or more. There are US made long boards that cost $1400 or more. They are well designed and well built boards.

I know how much time and effort it takes to make a good surfboard. I also know how much they should cost… especially if the craftsman needs to make enough money to live on.

A good board craftsman knows you shouldn’t have to make a decision on whether you’d like a good shape or a good glass job. Because he will make sure you get both.

D.R.

2011-02-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

What’s more important, a good board shape or a good glass job?

What if you have your most favorite surfboard of all time but it has been laminated poorly? What happens usually is the board just doesn’t hold up very long. Dents and dings easy and generally needs fixing in short order. Patched dings put weight on the board that you don’t want… usually… and over a little bit of time the board almost becomes a throw away.

What if you have a board that the shape is not that great but the board has a primo lam job. The board will hold up better and if you decide you just can’t handle the shape you can unload the board without to much difficulty because it’s in good condition. Besides, you may not like the shape or maybe the shape is bad, but, someone else may think the board shape is nice and like the ride a lot… funny how that is sometimes.

I do know one thing, it’s really disappointing to have a board that you aren’t happy with for one reason or another… shape job or lamination. If you think a board is not shaped to your liking then it most likely won’t surf to your liking either. Surfing is mostly mental so if you think something is wrong then something is wrong until you convince yourself other wise.

Now if you have a board that’s laminated poorly you don’t have to convince yourself, it’s a fact plainly seen, by you and everybody else that sees the board. You may really like the ride but you’ll be disappointed with the lam quality and sooner than later you’ll be “over it”.

I’ve heard guys say that surfboards a disposable. If you don’t take care of them then I guess that may be true. But it’s not suppose to be that way. A board that you like, that is laminated well and is well cared for should last quite a long time, depending on how you surf it at any rate.

Of course if you don’t go the traditional route and get a molded board what happens? You”ll buy a model that is tried and proven, you may not like the ride anyway, but it is tried and proven and you can sell it off to someone else if you don’t like the board. If you like the ride then you’re good to go. Take care of the board and it will hold up for you for what? Years?

What if you had to choose between a good shape or a good lamination? What would you choose?

D.R.

2011-01-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

Surfing and injuries.

Lets just say if you have injuries for what ever reason it’s no fun. And of course injuries can keep you out of the water… no surfing when you hurt. That’s double no fun, or that just plain sucks.

Since my thirties I’ve had a few physical problems from time to time that have kept me from surfing. Like when I broke my heal. I’ve also suffered from swimmers shoulder, though in my case it’s surfers shoulder.

The shoulder thing would flare up every now and then and it has again. Though this time not from surfing I went on the injured list just from over work or sleeping wrong or what? I don’t know.

Last winter season we had some really good surf and I missed much of it from January and February because I got a really lousy cold. Now my shoulder went out last week and there has been some really nice surf, as well, the forecast is calling for a string of new swells this coming couple weeks… dang!

At least I seem to be on the mend but, I’ve got to go real slow and let the shoulder heal well before I can put any stress on it. Other wise I go down again and have to start all over with the recovery process.

There is not much worse than an inflamed shoulder. You can’t move without feeling the thing. It screams with every heart beat. The slightest move and.. OUCH! If the prettiest girl in the world came and gave your shoulder the softest little kiss you’d knock her on her butt with your good arm. And all you can think about is, “I hope this dang thing gets better so I can surf… I hope I can surf again”

Actually thinking about surfing may help you get better. I have a friend Kevin, that years ago hurt his leg. The doctors said he may never surf again, that he was going to lose movement in his foot because of the nature of his wound. I remember him saying he’d lay in his bed and look at his feet and try to get his foot to move, because he couldn’t move his foot, and he’d keep trying and trying. He kept telling himself to move his foot. Over time and continually doing this mental to physical exercise he said he started to see the tiniest movement. That gave him hope so he’d stayed at it until he could do what the doctors said he would not be able to.

He couldn’t stand the idea of not being able to surf again so he made himself do the impossible. He got better and went surfing. And, is still surfing some thirty years later.

So I’m getting better, hopefully I’ll be surfing again in a couple weeks.

I was sent a few pictures today from Fabio, he bought himself a new Tip Tool. It made my day!

D.R.

2011-01-16T21:42:00.001-08:00

The ability of the human senses in crafting and making things is truly amazing. We don’t think about this much or take much more than a casual look but, what we are capable of making with our hands is pretty incredible.

I got to talking with Sammy the foreman at the FCD lam shop one day this past week about this very thing. Sammy had been setting fins and was showing me his system for getting the fins set right when I sited one of the boards and mentioned that the trailing fin looked off a touch.

We got to talking about how tricky getting fins set right can be when you’ve got to deal with the minor variations that can show up in the production process. For fins it can be a stringer that isn’t quite in the center of the board or is curved a little in stead of dead straight.

Then we got to talking about machined blanks and how they can be off, like one rail being thicker than the other or the outline not centered. We both agreed that it is easier to shape a board from scratch than to make certain corrections that may be needed on a machined blank. I probably shouldn’t but, I do get a bit frustrated when I have to do fixes on machined blanks… Why should I have to fix something a robot did?

Surfboards don’t have to be perfect. You know that as soon as you ride a board a few times the decks may have dents in them and if one side is not exactly the same as the other it may not matter. After all, you only have one rail in the water, or one side of your board is engaged at a time for the most part. And, asymmetrical designs are valid. That said, a good craftsmen can tell when something is off, and we do our best to be accurate… at least I do and others I know.

Reality is with repetition, looking at things over and over and handling things over and over again, you get to the point that you can see and feel the most minute details… in my and Sammy’s case… it’s surfboards. And it really is amazing that we can take a planer and some sand paper, cut and carve a piece of foam, shaping a surfboard and then get another piece of foam and do the same thing and have both shaped blanks be so amazingly close in size, shape and detail that it’s next to impossible to tell if they even are different in some area, like one rail being thicker than the other of shaped ever so slightly different.

So if a machined blank is pretty darn good and the same size and shape board is hand shaped, like a certain model, one machine cut and one hand cut, what’s the difference? Only a human has emotion. Some how that gets transferred into what we make.

D.R.

2011-01-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

My story post 50

Moving is not easy… it can completely turn your life upside down. Moving right before the holidays may not be that smart either… but we didn’t have much of a choice, things just turned out that way.

So now I live farther away from the ocean than I’ve lived for some 43 years. But the nice thing is I’m still about 10 minutes from the beach…. The point no less. How could you complain? I can’t see the ocean from my bedroom window anymore but what I do see is oak trees, sycamore trees, peace and quite.

A new routine is getting set up. Gotta have my gear with me when I head into the shop. You know, just in case I need to surf. Gotta be set up with a couple boards when I head out from the house so I’ve got what I need for what ever the situation calls for surf wise.
Gotta be prepared. This is going to be a good thing.

D.R.

The old view

The new view

The pool view

2010-11-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

My story post 49

What’s happening with my life?…. The house my wife and I and family have lived in since 1974, except the 9 years we were in Hawaii, will soon no long be our home. We are moving just out side of town to the place we plan to make our family compound.

So, I will be off line for the time being and will talk story after we get set up in our new place.

Until then, happy surfing!

D.R.

2010-10-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

My story post 48, surfer attire.

Huarache sandals, you got them in Mexico. White Levi’s, not the white like painters pants. The surfer wore more of an off white Levi’s jeans. Then after awhile there was the light blue Levi’s, not the regular Levi’s jeans color after they’ve been washed a hundred times, but a light blue color.

Converse tennis shoes were good, or Purcell’s. Both were the low cut type not high tops. You were good to go in deck shoes as well. To stay warm you had to have a Pea coat. That double buttoned heavy navy coat.

Plain white t-shirts with a pocket or maybe a white t-shirt that had a surfboard label on it. And over the t-shirt it was the Pendleton.

Honestly I don’t think I needed a surfboard but if I wore the right clothes I was a surfer. Actually I don’t think I had a surfboard when I first started wearing the attire. I was learning how to surf so… I wasn’t to much of a gremmie.... nah, I was the typical adolescent that wanted to be identified as a surfer.

The Pendleton was the shirt though. Not cheap either, so you had to really bug your parents for one or work hard and save some cash to get one. They were only available at certain stores too, so they weren’t to easy to come by. I still like those shirts… believe it or not I’ve got 11 of them. I’d have more but stopped wearing the plaid ones… at least for the past few years. I like the solid color ones, I’ve got two of them. It’s hard to catch my size on sale in the solid colors though.

Did you know that there was a band named The Pendletones? Yeah, they started as The Pendletones before they changed their name to the Beach Boys. That’s probably why they where wearing Pendleton’s when pictured on their first records. With white or light blue Levi’s and a white t-shirt. Don’t know if any of them were surfers, but they knew how to dress like one.

D.R.

2010-10-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Surfing with friends always makes surfing better…. Though there may be a limit to how many friends you may want in the water at any given time.

Friday I took off work at mid day. The first sun we’d had in almost two weeks showed itself late morning. I knew there was a little surf so I took off, got my tip tool (the waves were small) and spent almost 3 hours having some fun and spending some tip time.

After an hour or more my friend Donna came paddling out, said hello and introduce me to her friend Rob. The three of us were enjoying the sun and small surf with a small group of other surfers doing the same. Rob would be all smiles as Donna or I came riding a wave down the point while he was paddling back to the line up after a ride.

Rob asked me if I found a new friend when a person dropped in on me at the inside section. Then wondered if I’d just found a new best friend after seeing me hanging on the tip for a couple seconds then franticly back peddling and straightening out, though not fast enough, to avoid banging rails with the guy that blindly dropped in on me as I came flying along. After all, what are friends for?

This morning I went for a bike ride up the beach. I thought it was such a nice sunny morning, besides I wanted to check out how the demolition project was going in the Fair Grounds parking lot. So why not jump on a bike, get some exercise and see what’s up?

I peddled up the promenade through the 2 dollar lot, around the construction work via a detour lane and stopped at the Ventura River. I hung at the river for several minutes watching about 8 or 10 surfers play with the inconsistent but nice clean peaks along that stretch of beach from the back side of pipe maybe a hundred yards up to hobo jungle. I wouldn’t have minded at all to be one of those 8 or 10 surfers.

After day dreaming for awhile about days long past and un-crowded waves I headed back. Down past the 2 dollar lot I decided to see what the surf looked like on the back side of the point and up to pipe.

What’s left of the 2 dollar lot was full. There was a contest at pipe so that added to the amount of vehicles and bodies that wanted to use the short couple hundred yards of beach. And, the number of people in the water, hoping for a chance to catch one of the few waves that came through every 4 or 5 minutes? I tried counting, but stopped at 40.

That’s a lot of friends… I began wondering how many of them actually got out of the water after an hour and got a chance wave? The words survival of the fittest came to mind.

How curious later at home, what my wife called me in from the front yard to show me through the kitchen window. A hawk on the back neighbors garage roof eating what I think may have been a squirrel. Talk about survival of the fittest.

D.R.

2010-10-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Being motivated to surf, sometimes you don’t have it, sometimes you do.

What I remember of my younger years was that I was almost always motivated to surf. So why is it now that a lot of times I go to the beach when the surf is not great but surf able and I’m not that interested in going out?

When I was younger if there was anything in the water that would propel my surfboard I was on it. And in Hawaii, unless the winds were not favorable, which was seldom, or it was over my size limit, which could happen, I’d go surf. On the main land, I look and start thinking… nah, it’s not consistent enough, it’s small, it’s to cold, the wind is picking up so it will blow out by the time I reach the lineup, it’s a waste of time right now, I’ll come back later… but don’t, etc, etc.

Having a surf buddy helps with this type of problem. You get to the beach see something you could surf and say “what do you think?” Your buddy says “we’re here.” You say “yeah.” He says “we came to surf so.” You say “ok, let’s go out then.” Done deal.

After you surf you can make the assessment.. you say “ I saw you got a couple good ones”. He says “yeah, it was fun… you got some too”. You say “yeah, I’m hungry lets go get something to eat”.

When you’re alone you can’t do that. Well, you can talk to yourself, and end up either talking yourself into going out or not going out. But after a go out? Was it worth it or not. It’s almost always debatable, unless the surf was really good and you had a really good session.

So what happened yesterday? I went for a surf check, the conditions were really nice and I saw a couple good sets. Went home and got my stubbie…I’m so addicted to that board right now… but the surf just didn’t have the juice. I should have gone down with a tanker. I got a few nice ones but wished I had a tanker. My thinking stole the fun.

With a surf buddy, we would have debated first about what board would be best. He’d say “what board you gonna take?” You’d say “The stubbie.” He’d say “again? You always ride that board and then complain you should’ve taken a long board. I’m taking my long board, It’s not consistent enough for something short.” You say “yeah, I’ll take my quad long board then.” You both catch lots of waves and have fun…. Get out of the water, talk about your rides as you towel off and get in dry cloths. Then go get something to eat!

D.R.

These three guys have been surf buddies for over 40 years

2010-10-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

The changing face of a beach area.

The beach access area in Ventura town is going through another change. If anyone has come into town this past week and gone into the Fair Grounds area you’d have seen the construction is starting… actually the demolition is what’s happening, construction comes later.

The 2 dollar fair grounds parking area and up to pipe is being rearranged. If I understand correctly the parking area is being relocated back to the street that currently runs between the parking area and the fair grounds. The current parking area will be removed and combed over with a more natural cobble and sand approach to the waters edge.

Sounds all reasonable.. we’ll see how it plays out with what the ocean wants to do over time.

There is another part to the changes which will take place below Figueroa st. along the promenade. If I understand this will change beach access by removing the inside point stairs and relocating them a couple hundred feet toward the pier from where they are now. As well, more large rocks will be added to the revetment in front of the promenade a couple hundred feet above the existing inside point beach access stairs.

The problem with the promenade is that the ocean wants the area where new rocks are going to be set. The ocean wants to remove the inside stairs… the ocean wants it’s space back… and then some maybe. But, a certain group of people wanted to take that space away from the ocean and they don’t want to ever give it back. In order to protect what the group of people did they must add to what they did so as to stop the ocean from doing what it wants to do. Lofty plans that over time have consequences.

Consequences from the first set of rocks for the revetment changed the way surf breaks along the point and, maybe more importantly, how sand is distributed below that particular stretch of coast line.

I remember how the surf at the point was before the current revetment…. It was better. I don’t think adding to the revetment will make it better than it is now, it will probably be a change for the worse… or is it another change for the worse?

D.R.

A flat seven foot high tide winter morning after some rain at the top of the point before the group of people started doing what they’ve done to the area.

2010-10-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

Old guys post 5

Something happened to me in the water several months ago that has stuck in my memory. Curious that the great rides are etched in our memory as well sometimes the bad experiences too.

I was paddling back to the line up when a set was coming through. A guy was coming down the line racing along on the nose hanging five. I saw the line he was taking and started to paddle to the left in an effort to stay out of his way. Just as I determined my path another guy… that looked like he didn’t know what he was doing, started to paddle for the wave and would have ultimately dropped in on the guy coming down the line at the same time blocking my path to get out of the way of the guy coming down the line.

The guy paddling for the wave sort of stood up and fell, I had to avoid him so paddled straight up the wave face. I guess the guy coming down the line hanging five didn’t want to let go of his position, even though he could have back peddled and turned around me, he instead came right at me. I slipped off my board and turned it side ways as the guy hanging five went by me within inches and then fell.

The three of us, me, the kook and the guy hanging five almost collided… but didn’t. After the wave pasted I climbed up on my board and looked over at the guy that had fell after just missing me while hanging five. He had some words for me, but couldn’t hear what he said. I smiled and asked if he was ok then heard what he had to say…. “ Why don’t you get out of the way… you should paddle to the left” With rude tone. I thought What? Then said “ don’t talk to me like that, I was paddling to the left” I was immediately pissed and told him off as he paddled away… honestly out of character for me.

A couple guys that had seen what happened confirmed that guy was being an ass. But still stuff like that can really mess the atmosphere in the water.

This past week there was this stand up paddle guy being aggressive in the water that had something to say to one of the local guys in the water after the local guy attempted to drop in at the inside section. But the stand up guy made it under the section then had words for the local guy.

The standup guy was older, I’d guess in his fifties. Well built and knew how to surf and what he was doing. He would not let up on the younger local guy, cussing him and telling him he’d kick his ass, and that riding a stand up was way harder than long boarding… yelling how he should get some respect… on and on for 3 or 4 minutes.

The casual after noon surf turned into a time of tension… for what? I may or may not have been justified in what I said to the guy that almost ran my over. I’m sure the stand up paddle guy thought he was justified in what he had to say. But to go on and on made the older guy look like a total jerk. And to threaten the younger guy made it even worse.

There’s no sense in older guys being aggressive. The older guys that get aggressive only look stupid. And may make the rest of us look stupid too.

D.R.

2010-09-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

There is and interesting article in the September/October 2010 issue of Deep Magazine about surf wax. It got me to thinking how things were before surf wax.

First off you didn’t get wax for your surfboard at the local surf shop, you got it at the grocery store. It wasn’t called surf wax it was Paraffin wax. Actually you might have gotten it from your mom or grand mother if they did any canning of fruits and vegetables.

My wife’s grandma used to make jams and jellies…. Good stuff, but when you opened a jar of her jelly for the first time you had to pry and scrape off the wax that sealed the jelly to keep it from spoiling. The wax she used was the same thing we used on our surfboards before surf wax was available.

Paraffin is hard, and it didn’t go on a surfboard easy like the surf wax of today. Waxing your board for the first time was a big undertaking compared to now. It worked best if you got the bar of wax warm and soft. Then if you rubbed it on the board with just the right pressure you could slowly build up a base and get an OK layer of wax down.

If you lived and surfed in warm water and climates paraffin wasn’t to terrible but in colder conditions the stuff would get sum what slick and slippery. Nothing worse than being in the water and having your board get a little slippery, take off on a wave, slip and fall on your first turn. Then if you couldn’t catch your board when you fell you may be in for a swim to the beach. I hated that!

Problem was after retrieving your board rubbing some fresh wax on it wouldn't necessarily make things better. What I would usually do after retrieving my board is grab a hand full of wet sand and rub that into the wax. The sand would get imbedded into the wax and render the wax dirty but not so slippery any more.

There were no wax combs back then either but I did use a hair comb to scratch the stiff hard wax. That helped too but it wasn't to comfortable to lay on, but we mostly knee paddled.

It was nice when surf board specific wax came around. It wasn’t the easiest stuff to get a nice bead of wax on your board with at first. It would kind of spread down in an awkward way without really beading up nicely. You had to work with the stuff and rub with the right touch to get a good clean layer down.

According to the article in Deep it wasn’t until the early nineties that the surf wax guys found a formula that made the wax bead up nicely. Yeah, the wax of today is great. It goes down on your board quickly with a nice sticky bump to it. When it gets dirty you can scrap it off and put down a fresh coat without much effort.

We don’t think about it but the wax of today has helped us all surf better. We can do things on a surfboard now that would not be possible with the old slippery stiff grocery store stuff. So, to the guys that worked up the surf wax formulas… Thank you!

D.R.

Funny I still have a box of the old stuff.

2010-09-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

My story post 47

There have been times when life went a direction that for one reason or another kept me out of the water for extended periods of time.

This year, junk surf and cold conditions has kept me out of the water for much of the summer… but that may not count. The time I spent in New England was one. But when spring came and I found a Surfer magazine at the local drug store news stand that was all it took to get me on a plane back to California and the surf. As soon as I got to Ventura it took little time for me to shape myself an 8’2 stringer less Vee bottom at the William Dennis shop, glass it and get in the water.

In the seventies I traveled a lot. Most of the time I wouldn’t be gone more than a week or two. Our route home on a longer two month trip brought us back via Hwy 126. I still remember reaching Santa Paula and feeling the ocean air in the wind coming up the river valley. What a rush, knowing within 20 minutes I’d see the ocean. As well, know that I could go surf.

In ’77 I went on a trip that lasted 4 months. I was gone from the first week in July to the first week in November. I did fly back home a couple times so there was some relief. One return visit was timed perfect for a nice south swell with great conditions. A few days surf fix and off I went again.

When you live close to the ocean it’s hard to be without it. The oceans lure, I don’t understand but it is real. When I haven’t been in the water for awhile and then get back it just feels right. Walking up to the waters edge, jumping on your board, seeing and feeling the water, the vantage point and look into the surf zone. When I get to that spot after being away I just feel better. I feel right.

My wife was born and raised in Ventura. She never lived more than a half mile from the ocean her whole life until we moved to Kauai. So she knows the feeling of living by the beach. The funny thing is… we lived on an island but were a good mile from the ocean.

D.R.

A mile from the ocean but the view from the lanai wasn’t terrible.

2010-08-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

24 days left for the summer that wasn’t. Should we be happy about it?

I’ve said I like summer a number of times. I like the warm weather, the long day light hours and, when we get surf, I like the swell direction. We don’t get much in the way of surf here in Ventura during summer. What we do get is usually small and inconsistent, but the water is warmer so if you have to sit waiting for a set at least you don’t freeze to death… except for this summer.

I think most know that the Southern California coast has been unseasonably cool, because the water temperature has been unseasonably cold. Here in Ventura the water temperature has been an easy 10 degrees colder than it normally is during summer. About 2 weeks ago the water temp was as cold as the dead of winter… in the middle of August? Geez that sucks.

There hasn’t been much surf, which is typical but even when we’ve gotten some there has been to much wind. Of course the wind is what makes the water cool. The cool water makes the air close to the ocean cool. The wind off the water makes things cooler still.

Usually I turn the thermostat in our house off at least by June and leave it off until sometime in late September or early October. This year? We’ve been running the heat some in the morning and at night all summer long. Because we live about 3 block from the beach… it’s been cold.

I’m getting old and may not remember… but really I don’t remember a summer like this. Last year was a little cool but not like this year. I can remember summer when we hardly ever saw the sun because of the heavy marine layer, over cast days for ever. This year we’ve had the sun show up a fair amount but still the air is cool. Instead of over cast sky’s ever been getting fog. Fog in August? That’s odd. Maybe June, maybe October, but not August. Geez, that sucks too.

I was looking forward to riding my Tip Tool… I’ve ridden it twice since June. I could have gone out a couple of other times but because it was cold and foggy I passed. I don’t where shoes when I long board and I didn’t want to get numb feet!

September can be a real good month for surfing… I hope so. And while I’m hoping I’ll hope the water warms up some too.

D.R.

When the weather is junk, I long for the tropics... even if the surf would be small.

2010-08-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

I was asked a question this week…

How serious is the threat of shaping machines?

There may have been a threat 30 years ago but it’s over now because the machine is everywhere. They are affordable, every major label uses them or has their own. And, many of the small guys use cutting houses for a large portion of their orders if not all of their orders.

Sure there are guys that hand shape most or all of their boards but I think it may be the exception rather than the rule now.

This is a little of what I’ve seen…

Six years ago there was this young guy that really was interested in getting into the surfboard business. He really didn’t have any experience but he was determined and landed a job laminating part time for a busy label. Within a month or so he had enough know how to laminate ok.

His shaping was another story. His first boards were pretty crude. That’s fine, everyone’s first shapes are crude. But, he kept at it. Then he went to the local cutting house and suddenly his shapes were really nice. Within a year and a half of getting his part time job laminating he found a place to set his own place up making his own boards. The machine was a major factor in that happening.

Another guy used to have his own designed boards made to order through another builder. He’d never really shaped any boards before but he had some nice designs going. So he connected with the local cutting house, got his boards cut, set up a little shaping bay, cleans up the machined blanks and takes the finished shapes to the local lam shop. His boards came out fine right out of the gate with no real shaping experience at all.

Then there is the avid surfer type. He has gotten a connection with someone that can get blanks cut at one of the machine shops. He wants a new board so he gets a machined blank through his connection. Finds a place to finish sand the cut blank and takes the finished shape to the local lam shop. Three weeks later he has a new board that looks as good as most other boards you might see… at least from a distance. Because of the machine.

There’s this old blues song, “The Thrill is Gone”. Well, we could change the words a little and say “The Threat is Gone”.

D.R.

Doing it the old fashioned way.

2010-08-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

Is there a difference in what goes on in a shaping room different today than 40 years ago?

In some ways definitely.

One day this week I got to talking with one of the shapers that bring us boards at the lam. shop about the process of board shaping. He’s been making boards for close to forty years so knows what’s happened and the evolution process in surfboards. His name is Malcolm Campbell.

The conversation developed around this weekends Sacred Craft Expo that took place in San Deigo. One of the events was a thing they called The Young Guns of Shaping. The write up went like this….

===
Four shapers, each 25-years-old or younger, are given two hours each to shape a surfboard out of a massive 10’10” stringerless chunk of foam. They can shape anything they want. The shapers use their own tools. The finished blanks will then be judged Saturday afternoon by legendary San Diego shaper Rusty Preisendorfer.
===

Shaping a surfboard from a big chunk of foam is no easy task. So the four guys really had their work cut out for them. Probably the best approach would be to shape something you were really familiar with, of course, something you knew really well.

The boards you do over and over again are in your head. You should be able to see it in your minds eye from the get go. Look a that piece of foam you’re given, see where the board in your head fits into that piece of foam and hack away until what you’ve seen in your head is cut out of the that piece of foam and right there in front of you.

Simple enough. But, what if the board you wanted to shape you had never seen before? You had an idea of what the board should look like, because it is in your head but in reality it has never been made before. And, since it has never been made before that shape or design in your head has never been ridden before.

Well, about forty years ago that’s exactly what Malcolm did. As well, so did many of the guys that shaped surfboards back in the early evolution days including myself. We saw stuff in our head that we wanted to ride that we thought may allow us to move in places on a wave face that we’d not been able to get to before.

Some of those boards were pretty crude. But, after a couple refinements they came around. We had never seen the stuff we made, we didn’t know for sure what would work well and what we needed to refine. The young guns of shaping in the past had nothing to go on but intuition. The young guns of shaping in the past had not seen anything like what they were making.

The young guns of today? They’ve pretty much seen it all before they ever get started.

D.R.

2010-08-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

What exactly is considered a nose ride? What does it take to get on the nose of a surfboard? What kind of board do you get nose rides on? Can you nose ride a short board? How long should a surfboard be made for nose riding?

Traditionally surfboards that are called nose riders would fall into the long board category. But lately I’ve been hearing people talking about getting nose rides on small boards. Just this past week I watched one of the Riley boys get a nice cheater five on one of my H2 mini boards…. The board is 5’6”! Sure I’ve seen guys get cheater fives on regular tri fin short boards. It’s not something you would set out to do as far as maneuvers go but, sometimes it does happen.

I think for the most part a cheater five on a small board though a nose ride is only a little like a nose ride that you would do on a long board. Why do we call cheater fives cheater fives anyway?

The common nose ride on a long board takes place on the forward third of the board… from the tip of the nose to not more than 36 inches back from the tip. And, you should be standing upright in that area. Meaning you have your board fully weighted. Getting in that area is not as critical as getting right at the tip of the nose, curling your toes over the tip with one foot or both feet.

There are two ways to get to the nose area of a long board. The shuffle and the cross step. The shuffle is done by sliding your back foot forward to your front foot then sliding your front foot forward repeating until you’ve reached the nose area of your board. The cross step is executed by actually stepping one foot over the other, also called “walking”. Shuffling is easier. “Walking” is considered the more advanced method, as well, when done in smooth fashion is more graceful.

If you shuffle or cross step getting to the nose and staying there without falling is not easy. Getting all the way to the tip and standing there for a couple seconds is about as close as anyone gets to standing on water. Cross stepping in the last 36 inch area of a surfboard is about as close as you will get to walking on water for that matter. It’s difficult to do, takes wave knowledge, timing and a high degree of wave riding ability to do it well.

Now the cheater five is the easiest nose ride. If done on a short board that is not much over 6 ft or shorter all you need to do is trim in the middle of the board, squat down with your weight on your back foot, extend your front foot forward to the nose. The same can be done on a long board… after reaching the forward third of a 9 ft board squatting down and reaching your front foot forward to the tip of the nose.

When you squat down you have a low weight center, it’s easier to balance as compared to a full standing position, so we’ve always called it cheating. But even still, the cheater five is not that easy to execute.

Sure there are short surfboards that you can get a nose ride on. But I’m the traditional type. The graceful stepping to the nose, with the effortless look of ease. Perched on the tip.

D.R.

The 'Tip Tool' gets the job done.

2010-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting thread on one of the forums this week about shaping. The main question was ‘how long does it take?’ to shape a board. The response was straight forward at first but then like most threads that get attention it began to develop its own direction. It went from how long it may take someone to how many boards could be shaped by hand in a day.

Of course production shaping is not done any more. My last production shaping job doing hand shaping and cleaning up machined blanks both ended in 2005. I think production shaping now days is mainly thought of cleaning up machined blanks, which is in no way the same as shaping as many boards as you can in a day by hand.

Production shaping is really hard work. It takes a lot of physical stamina as well as strong focused mental attention. It’s one thing to do hard physical work and another to work on something that is mentally demanding. But, doing something that requires both?

Basically what happens in the production environment is you focus in on all your moves… a hand and motion thing. At the same time you concentrate on what moves to make, how much or how little of a move you need to make at a certain stage of your process with what tool and or abrasive. But, you can’t just go hacking away. You have to have the completed picture of what you want to make in your head before your first move. And know when, how and where to make any move you make.

After shaping hundreds and hundreds of boards you begin to develop a procedure that you follow, continually getting more efficient. Eventually almost everything you do in the process becomes second nature… you literally don’t think about what you’re doing, you just do it. The ultimate robot… arms and legs the mechanism controlled by your brain, the computer. The interesting thing is you get very good at repetition, as good as any machine.

There is no demand for the production shaper now, and never will be again. So where does that leave me? With the knowledge, experience and ability to shape any kind of surfboard I’d like. All be it in a much more relaxed mode.

D.R.

The ultimate test for me as a production shaper was shaping a Yater spoon in 2 hours. I got going at such a good clip that I was tossing my block plane from hand to hand. When I saw this short video I laughed out loud!

2010-07-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

My story post 46

Finding something to surf in summer can be difficult. When all surf boards were long I think it was a little easier to be happy with small slow junky surf… the kind we see a lot during summer months in Ventura. But as boards got shorter the week or 2 weeks or 3 weeks that could be pretty small around my home break would be frustrating.

We do get some wind swell stuff so you’d have to make yourself happy with that. And actually you could have some fun when the wind swells would get about waist high.

There was Stanley’s, but that went away. There was Oil Piers, but that went away. But what’s still around is Over Head beach break. I don’t surf there now but plenty guys do. In 1969 not many guys would go there looking for surf. It became a regular spot to check when looking for surf in the summer… any time really, but it was the summer months of ’69 that the spot really started getting noticed.

One of the other places I used to surf during the summer was the north side of Ventura pier. The first guy I remember surfing there was my friend and work mate Richie West. We worked on Front street and he lived in a small cottage around the corner from the shop on Kalarama st. He didn’t have a car so was unable to go hunt surf after work. Being hungry for surf he noticed some ride able waves at the pier… even if they were small. I followed him there and often would have a good time on the small short period swells and short rides on that side of the pier.

The south side of the pier can get a nice peak working with the summer south swells, it well shut down for years at a time… then start working again. But the north side seemed to work good enough when ever we’d get those summer wind swells.

For a period there I didn’t have car either so going down to the pier was what I did. If there wasn’t a south swell running that I could surf the point on then the north side of the pier was the spot to get some surf. The nice thing was that if I didn’t go down there with Richie, I’d go by my self. No body surfed there so you’d have the place to yourself. I liked that.

Sometimes people would gather on the pier and watch…. ‘Oh, look at the surfer’. Usually though I was by myself. Back then I didn’t really have any responsibilities so after work that’s what I did. Go look for surf, and in the summer months the north side of the pier was one of the spots you could find me at.

D.R.

2010-07-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

Rights, wrongs and weights. What a surfboard weights post 2.

This past week I got into a discussion about board weights with one of our lam. shop customers. It all started when the customer was saying the fresh batch of shaped blanks he’d just brought in were to be laminated in epoxy.

The boards were shaped polyurethane blanks, usually laminated with polyester resin. So I asked why he wanted them laminated that way. His response “ because they would be lighter.” I asked “ how much lighter…. Compared to what?” He didn’t have an answer… well actually I think he said something like “you could tell by lifting them”. Maybe, Maybe not. But in reality if you don’t actually weight a board you really can’t know for sure if one surfboard is lighter than another.

So we started talking about the variables that may make one board weight more than another which lead us to two of the four blanks he’d brought in. He said, “ check this one blank”… as he picked it up… “it’s lighter than this other one.” I suggested we weight them, which we did. Sure enough one weighted 5 ounces more than the other. Funny thing, the one that was 5 ounces more was shorter. The lighter one was a 5’ 11” the other was 5’9”. Both made from the same foam and both had the same wood stringers.

So “see, I can tell by feeling what weights more”. He says. Ok good, but why would the shorter board weight more than the longer one? Reason? Foam volume. The shorter board was wider and thicker. The boards were machined so it was possible via the computer file to access the volume measurements of both blanks. Sure enough, the over all volume of the 5’9” was more than the 5’11”. With a little math we proved that the blanks were almost exactly the same weight per liter of foam. But, even though the one that weighted more was shorter it had more foam over all, as well has a wee bit more wood over all so that’s why it weighted more. I think it would be safe to say the over all girth of each board is different as well so the skin that is applied over the foam will add a corresponding weight increase. The finished weight of the 5’9 could end up being 10 or 12 ounces more than the 5’11”.

So what’s the point?

There is no mystery why one board weights more than another, there are reasons. If you want to know why one board weights more than another in your quiver you can find out. If you’d like your boards to have a certain weight pick the shape, core, shin and finish that would have the weight outcome you are interested in. And in the end, you need to weight the board to know the real weight of your board.

D.R.

The core and over all shape is where the weight thing starts.

2010-07-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

To the surfer a well shaped wave is a thing of beauty.

We had a nice 4th of July here in Southern California. The forth is always a good day but when there’s surf it’s much better. The sun busted through the gray this afternoon in Ventura, as well we had light winds at the beach which means the surf was good all day.

I knew a swell was forecast but was busy at the house most of the day. Not until making a run to the beach around 4 this afternoon did I get a chance to see how nice the surf was. I watched for about 5 or 10 minutes then went straight back home and got my gear.

When you see nice looking waves it’s really hard not to want to surf. And surf I did. Even though I caught some nice set waves just being in the water and seeing these nice head high plus waves hitting the reef looking so good. Sure you want to ride them, but seeing them march toward the reef, standing up and spilling toward the beach with such a clean face peeling down the line…. The waves looked so good.

After a couple hours I took a wave down inside and called it good for the day. I climbed out of the water and up toward my car. Then just stood there with my board in my arm watching clean set waves breaking up and down the beach… many not ridden… though I knew I wasn’t going to go back out, I thought about it. The beauty of the waves stopped me in my tracks.

I really doesn’t matter what kind of wave you see… Clean peeling point waves, nice beach breaks with A-frame peaks popping up and down the beach, a wave standing up and bowling over a reef. Left hander, right hander, it just doesn’t matter, when the surfer sees a clean ride able wave it is a thing of beauty.

D.R.

Photo by David Pu'u

2010-06-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe this should be a ‘lucky guy’ post…

So what happens on Fathers day at least for the past few years that I remember is my son comes and gets me for a trip to the beach. Just the two of us go surfing. I’m not sure if he does this because he can take off and go surfing on a Sunday with out questions… because it’s Fathers day or, he likes to surf with his dad and can on fathers day if he feels like it or, he knows it’s a treat for me to go surf with him?

So what happened today? We didn’t go surf. Robin called this morning and asked me about going surfing but said he wasn’t sure if he’d enjoy it that much because his ribs were still sore from getting whacked by his board on our camping trip a week ago.

He said “ I’d go if there was really some surf” but the surf was only about knee high and unorganized. So why aggravate the condition for no good reason.

So what did we do? Went to the movies and watched The A-Team. Robin loved the TV show as a kid. I’d watch it with him sometimes. So we watched the movie together… it was fun.

Because Robin was sore, and there wasn’t any real surf maybe we have an excuse to take off on a Sunday afternoon to surf some time in the next month or so when there is some surf to be had. Days at the beach surfing with my son… always a good thing for a dad.

D.R.

2010-06-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Two surfing days one of them rare. Volume 2

The State of California has many camp grounds along the coast. A number of them happen to be at good surf spots. Something I’ve taken advantage of many times over the past 40 years.

This past week was no exception. My son booked Monday through Thursday at one of our favorite camp grounds that is also at one of my favorite surf spots. The really nice thing about the place is it’s only about a 35 minute drive from my house.

The surf spot is a south swell spot and it just so happened that a small south swell was forecast to reach So.Cal. Monday and hang for a couple days. Sure enough the swell showed up Monday but, we ended up running late so getting in some surf before dark didn’t happen.

Knowing the surf would be good all day with the best tide in the after noon to evening we took things slow Tuesday morning getting down to the beach about mid day. The crowd was a little more than I was hoping for but we eventually paddled out and worked our way into the lineup. My son, Robin, was not doing to well with the crowd and was trying to pick up waves at the section down the beach but with not much luck. I hung inside the main line up and picked up a number of the insiders and a few set waves that were missed by the pack… lucky that.

After about a hour in the water I thought maybe we were going to score because the crowd started to thin out. The surf wasn’t real consistent but if the crowd thinned out a little there would be enough surf for every one not to have to hustle too much.

Right when I was starting to feel like things were looking up I glanced at the beach and saw at least a half dozen guys standing at waters edge with boards ready to jump in the water and paddle out. How ‘not fun’ things were going to be was immediate. When Robin found himself in perfect position for one of the smaller set waves and as the wave scooped him up one the many guys that had just entered the water and was actually still paddling out turned around and back doored him. I saw the sleight move and immediately thought “that’s it, we’re done surfing for the day” Robin thought the same thing. We hung a little longer getting a couple left overs but that was it.

What happened Wednesday was a completely different story. We walked down to the beach and checked the surf around 7 or 7:30 a.m. There was still some nice sets showing and maybe 10 or 12 guys in the water. With the tide not changing much all day we decided to skip breakfast, go get our boards and surf for 2 or 3 hours.

When we got back to the beach there were 5 guys still in the water 3 of which got out just as Robin and I started to paddle out. So Robin and I had the place with two other guys. Over the next 45 minutes or so two more guys came out to surf. So at that point there were a total of 6 guys at the break. With 3 and some times 4 waves sets the 6 of us were really enjoying the situation. Talking amongst ourselves, sharing waves…. ‘You goin?...’ nah, go ahead I’ll get the next one’. Total round robin.

One of the guys asked “when was the last time you surfed this place with just a few guys?” “It’s been a long time… maybe the sixties. Yeah, this is rare” I said. We were all so stoked, wave after wave for a good two and a half hours.

Just as I started to wonder how long it would last I notice about four guys heading for the water with their boards. I was getting a little tired and hungry, so was Robin who said “I’m going in”. Knowing we had really scored and the lineup was going to change I said “me too”.

I can still see some of the rides I got in my head. That mental instant replay thing is going to last a long time. How could it not on such a rare day?

D.R.

2010-05-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Most of the time surfing for me is something that gets worked into whatever is going on during the day.

For instance, I check the surf in the morning during the week and if there is enough decent surf I’ll try to get a surf in by taking a break from work at some point during the day. Hopefully when the tide is optimum and the wind hasn’t blown the surf out. Of course from April through September it’s easier to get some surf in because the days are longer.

On week ends I’ll stop what ever I’m doing… usually something around the house, and sometimes sneak off to surf. But for a weekend surf it needs to be pretty decent surf and or a really nice day because I’ll be one more guy in the crowded lineup. How needs that?

Rarely do I ever have a good ole fashioned surf day. Where all you do is go to the beach to hang and surf. I used to do that all the time when I was young… now I’ve got other things to do. But that doesn’t mean I wish I could spend a day at the beach surfing or go on a day surf trip. It does happen from time to time. Last year I went on an Island trip. And next week I’ll spend a few days on a camping/surf trip with my son.

A couple months ago I lent some boards to three guys that went on a trip to Baja. With my boards and their boards between the them they had about a dozen boards. All they did was find a spot to surf set up camp and surf until they headed off to another spot…. To surf some more. I’m sure after some time doing that it would get tiring… at some point you’ve got to come home.

But still, having nothing to do but surf… How could you not like that!

D.R.

Matt Riley in Baja on his DR fish.

2010-05-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

How important is the weight of a surfboard to its design?

What do you consider to be a good surfboard weight?

How much should your surfboard weight? Well…. It does depend on what kind of board you have. Like, if you have a PCB.. ( Pro Circuit Board … not to be confused with something electronic )… that is between 5’10” and 6’2” then you will most likely want your board to weight not more than 5lbs 6ozs. Or, if you have a traditional long board you’d be happy if the thing weighted about 22lbs or more.

Then of course there are all the other surfboards. From Fish to Fun Shapes, Eggs and Hulls to Speed Shapes, Mini Tankers to Performance Long Boards, and everything else out there.

Most guys don’t know what the weights are of their boards. It’s mainly a ‘pick the board up and see what it feels like’ type of deal. If it feels light then it’s light or if it feels heavy then it’s heavy. You may be surprised to find out the board that you think feels light is not the actual weight you think it might be. In other words… boards that you think are light when you actually weight them they may be heavier than you thought.

For instance…. A guy may think his 7’0 fun shape probably weights around 7 and half pounds. Then when the board is weighted it’s 9 pounds… and all along the guy was thinking the board felt light. And, loved the way it surfed because it was nice and light. So what happens to the way the board surfs after he found out the board was heavier than he thought?

I wonder what would happen if you had 2 boards, same size, same shape but, one was a little heavier than the other. Surf the heavier one until you get used to how the board surfed. Then after say at least a dozen go outs you switch to the lighter board. If one board was a pound and a half more in weight how much would you notice the weight difference in the water? Would you be able to tell at all? It would be fun to experiment.

So what makes up the weight of a surfboard?

First is the foam. EPS or Polyurethane. Each comes in different weights.

Second is the stringer. What width and what kind of wood. Also how much a certain stringer weights will depend on the make up of the wood itself… like 2 stringers of the same species of wood and the same width may be different in weight because one piece of wood might have more sap in it which could make that particular piece of wood heavier. We’re talking ounces here.

Third is the glassing schedule. What weight fiberglass cloth is used for laminating. 4, 6, or eight ounce cloth. How many plies and patches. Each fabric weight will use a corresponding amount of resin to saturate. 4oz cloth needs less resin to saturate than 6 etc.

Then at the end of it all is the fin system and fins. Some fins weight more than others and can add a few ounces to your board. If you’ve got a PCB the fin weight may be important to you.

The end result is a board will weight what ever it weights. I find it interesting that we know what we are riding in length and width and over all shape but seldom if ever know what weight our boards really are.

D.R.

5'6" Perimeter stringer stubbie quad weighting in at 5lbs 14 ounces with fins.

2010-05-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

It has been said that nose riding is one of the hardest things to do.

Since summer is almost here… even though today here in Ventura the water is about 53 degrees and the air temp didn’t get over about 63 all day… the long boards will be coming out and with them time spent working on tip time.

I started thinking about this a few weeks ago after reading one of the forums and a thread about nose riding and surfboard weights. Mainly it was stated that lighter weight long boards are better for nose riding, as well there was mention that in the 60’s during the nose riding craze that boards were getting lighter maybe reasoning that the lighter boards rode the nose better.

Well, actually boards were being made lighter because we were after better maneuverability not necessarily nose riding characteristics. I know I was interested in getting some of the weight off boards back then for maneuverability. The story of why Renny Yater made his spoon model was for swing weight not nose riding.

So basically there are two types of nose riding. Or, two different ways nose rides are executed. The stalling in the pocket type and the skimming down the wave face type. Honestly I don’t think either one is meant for a certain weight board, but more for a certain board design… that being traditional single fins and modern multi fin boards. Though the stalling type and the skimming type can be done on either single fins or multi fins.

The stalling type is where you set up your ride after turning and hold back or stall on the wave for the curl to stand up in front of you while you step up to the nose. As you step up to the nose and the wave stands up at the same time the wave breaks on the back portion of your board holding your board in place while you stand on the nose. You get stuck in the pocket standing on the nose until either the wave breaks in front of you or you get released and out run the section. This may be a simplified explanation but, the stalling type nose ride is usually the type worked on traditional single fins.

The skimming type is done after a quick top turn or after climbing to the top of the wave post bottom turn. At the top of the wave with a nice standing wall in front of you a few steps to the nose with your board placed in the wave face skimming along. With water raping the rails of your board for balance or simply the speed generated from sliding down the wave face this type of nose riding is generally done with multi finned boards.

Multi finned boards are made lighter than the traditional single fins. You may find one type of nose riding easier than the other. Both are difficult to execute regardless…

The small waves of summer are good to develop nose riding techniques.

D.R.

The stalling type nose ride.

The skimming type nose ride.

The stalling type nose ride.

2010-05-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

Among the company of friends.

I think it’s pretty cool that the guys at least in my area that make or shape surfboards are a good bunch. Being apart of them gives me a great sense of belonging. A couple weeks ago one of these guys referred to us all as a tribe.

The guys I’m talking about that I see on a regular basis include the likes of Craig Angell, Jim Allen, Steve Brom, Malcolm Campbell, Sammy Camack, Bill Hubina, Spencer Kellogg, Ray Moss, Wayne Rich, who else?... There are others that I don’t see often that would fit here as well.

I may be missing someone but, if we were all in the same room together we’d all be happy, talking shop or surf or what ever. Telling stories and having a good time with each other would be normal. Even though we all could be considered competitors, we all make surfboards under our own labels, sell boards in the same geographical area you would not ever think that by the camaraderie.

The fact that we are all friends, share ideas, talk to each other about problems that we have with what we do, help each other out. Like I asked Steve Brom about my planer adjustment lever freezing up and he told me how I could fix it. Or how often do Sammy and I exchange thoughts on laminating techniques? I’ll tell you… it’s a regular thing. I may be wrong, though doubtful, but for guys in an industry to be so close is rare.

This is part of what makes the local and or hand crafted surfboard such a unique item. The hand crafted surfboard guys for the most part are a tight group that are inter connected in ways that most people know nothing about or don’t realize at all. That’s ok, and for me? It’s a great thing to be a part of.

D.R.

Three guys that make surfboards beside myself, Steve Brom and Wayne Rich.

Three other guys that make surfboards beside myself, Reno Abellira and John Peck.

2010-04-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

My story post 45, shaping a spoon 2

There was an article in Deep Magazine March/April issue on Renny Yater page 9. The last 2 paragraphs of the article in reference to the Sacred Craft shape off and the six guys that were to shape a spoon… “They are playing my music – in a different Key” says Renny, who notes that they only have two hours to do what usually takes four, due to the complex design. “It is not going to be easy and I will be impressed if somebody can do it in the time limit”

Well all of us finished the job… and it was impressive. When there were four completed shaped blanks in the display rack my friend Randy said to me “I know which one is yours” Because they all looked so similar I questioned him. He said “go look, it’s the one under the one at the top of the rack on the far side” … “well you know because you saw where it was placed after I shaped it” I told him.

Then I noticed a couple officials went to the display rack and rearranged the blanks around on the rack. So I told Randy “go look and tell me which one is mine now” So he went and spent 3 or 4 minuets looking at he shaped blanks then came to me and said “ I can’t tell which one is yours now!” Mine and the others, including Wayne Riches.. the winning pick, were not at all easy to tell apart.

I had a strategy, to complete the shape in 2 hours I figured I needed to get the thing roughed out in the first hour. If I could do that doing the finish work could be done in the remaining hour.

Since the outline was scribed on the blanks for us once I got set up in the shaping bay I grabbed my circular saw, cut the outline and cleaned it up with my planer and sanding block as fast as possible. Then measured the bottom rocker and started cutting away. You couldn’t stop to think about what you were doing… or really look at what you had done. My thinking was; I’ve shaped enough to know what to do and when, so just go… it was total auto pilot and motor memory.

After the bottom was skinned, rocker cut and bottom roll bands were in place I flipped the blank over and worked the deck… cutting for over all thickness and rail bands. Then I cut the spoon, and during that process the cutting adjustment on my planer froze up, which made the graduating cuts I needed to do impossible.

I stopped, tried to get the planer to work with out success. Fortunately I had also brought my Hitachi so I quickly retrieved it from my tool box, stepped outside of the shaping bay and called for Tim, the guy responsible for room set up. I needed to get my Skill planer off the vacuum hose and the Hitachi connected to it because the Hitachi only throws foam dust in your face if it’s not connected to a vacuum.

Tim wasn’t around so I asked my friend Dan to try and find him… as I went back into the bay and went after cutting the spoon in my blank, foam dust flying all over me and in my face. Tim comes to my rescue to pull the Skill out of the way and connect the Hitachi.
I finish cutting the spoon and made my final passes with the planer to clean up the deck.

I turned the blank back over and went after the bottom with my block plane to feather in the bottom shape. Then set the blank on edge and walked the rails with the surform, one side then the other. A final walk and scrub of the rails with sand paper and I picked up the blank and dropped it on the stand deck up.

There it was, I could finally see what I was after, the blank now looked like a spoon. I still had to do the finish work but the board I wanted was in front of me. It had been at least an hour of none stop motion but I knew at that point I could see the way home. What a relief!

I sanded out the blank, screened in the rails, did some touch up with enough time to step outside the booth and look at the spoon we were replicating just to see the final details.

Back in the booth I did a little final detail stuff, planed the stringers down flush and finish screened the board down in the final 2 or 3 minutes… I was done, stepped out of the shaping bay and let out a sigh of relief as Tim walked the finished shape to the display rack.

There were a couple things I should have done in the process that in the rush I missed… oh well. But the one thing I wished I’d done? Answer my phone when it rang in the middle of shaping.

I thought it would be good to have my phone in my pocket when I shaped the board because I usually have my phone in my pocket when I shape and would feel more comfortable if I did. Not thinking anyone would call… but at some point while shaping I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I thought ‘who’s calling me now?’ but didn’t stop to answer.

Later I checked to see who had called… it was John Peck. He left a message telling me he couldn’t get to the event in time because he couldn’t pass Malibu, with over head sets and a light crowd.

It would have been so classic to have stopped in the middle of the shape off to answer my phone and have John Peck tell me he had to stop to surf Malibu and “ sorry I’m late”

D.R.

A couple of the guys that got to do what I've never been able to do.... Watch me shape!

Short video below.

2010-04-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

My story post 44 and shaping a spoon.

In 1967 if you would have said to me that in 43 years you will have your picture taken standing next to Renny Yater at a consumer surfboard expo after shaping a Yater Spoon in front of a bunch of people I probably would have said “you’re nuts”. But last weekend that’s exactly what happened.

I first met Renny in 1967 at Bob Coopers 29 birthday party. Cooper was the foreman of the Morey-Pope shop and hired me to shape surfboards that year… I was 18 years old. Renny Yater of course was very well thought of in the industry and really was an icon. Being in the same room let alone being introduced to him was a very big event for this then 18 year old kid. I remember it to this day!

Dale Herd, the guy that ran the show room at MP, wanted a spoon but instead of buying one the thinking was to have me shape one so He asked if I thought I could do it. “Who me? Sure I can do anything, after all I’m 18.”

So Dale got a Yater Spoon from a friend and I put it in my shaping bay with a surfboard blank and went at it. I don’t remember how long it took but I eventually finished the job and after the board was glassed and finished it was Dale’s baby. Dale was happy, he had a spoon. Not too sure Morey or Pope were that happy, their sales guy was riding a board that looked nothing like a Morey-Pope, but, that was that.

I’ve never looked closely at or attempted to replicate a spoon since that time. Then a couple months ago I was asked to be in the Sacred Craft Yater tribute shape off. My first question was “how long do we have to shape the board?” 2 hours I was told. “What? That’s a difficult board to shape let alone do it in 2 hours.” But, how could you pass up an opportunity to be in an event to honor such a good man, someone that is such a big part of our surfing history? It was an honor to be invited to participate and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity… really a once in a life time deal.

There were six guys in the event including myself, Michel Junod, Wayne Rich, Todd Proctor, Matt Moore and Nick Palandrani. All the guys put in their best and did a great job. Win, lose or draw, it was not about the competition. Fact of the matter, I didn’t look at it as a competition at all. To me it was a challenge, a challenge to shape a spoon in 2 hours for sure but it was really a way to honor Renny Yater, but as well to honor the traditions of the surfboard craft. Something that Renny helped cultivate starting back in the 1950’s. The tradition of hand shaping surfboards that has been passed down from men like Renny.

The intimacy of a hand crafted surfboard. Of having something that was made by someone that has put their heart into for a life time is extremely rare these days. To see, to witness what went down at the Ventura Sacred Craft show this past April 10 and 11 and to participate… was truly an honor.

D.R.

2010-04-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

My story post 43

I’ve always liked summer, even though winter is when we get the most and biggest surf I’ve always liked summer. It maybe that when growing up summer meant no school and days spent at the beach… but the long lazy days of summer are my favorite.

Though I’ve got memories of good winter surf, good summer days are in there too. Like the summer of 1970. I had moved back to Ventura after loosening my job a Wilderness ended up shaping the summer months for a short lived label called Natural Motion.

I remember this one day, not sure of the month but, probably July. A day with light variable winds and the small residual waves from a south swell were still in the water. We probably hadn’t had much wind in days before this because the water was clean and clear… and a comfortable temp for short wetsuits.

There were a total of five of us. Mike the guy I shaped for, Bob, another guy I shaped for under the Pure Fun Fliers label, myself and a couple other guys. It was such a nice day we all didn’t want to waste it by working. So off to the beach we went.

There may have been a few guys surfing pipe but, honestly I don’t remember anyone but us around. We found this peak in front of the river that kept the five us busy for a good three hours. Nice clean shoulder to head high waves to play with all to our selves.

Two, three or four wave sets every three to five minutes. The warm sun on your back with fun playful waves the company of friends and not much else to care about. I mean, when you’re at the beach with the guys you work for and they are in no hurry to do anything but surf. What more could you want? Even at that if the wave that Bob just took I wished I’d gotten was a short lived thought because if not the next wave there was another one just like it within a few minutes anyway. Slide down the face, lay into a bottom turn, snap off the top….

We all had a blast, so much fun. The kind of days you wished would never end. But eventually you get tired and hungry, which we did and had to get out of the water to rest and replenish.

Funny how after surfing for hours when you get out of the water and start walking back to the car you keep looking back at the surf you’re leavening. You feel satisfied but you still look back, not wanting to leave but knowing you have to at some point anyway.

One more wave, one more look, you’ve left the water but you can still look at what you had. The good days live on in our memories.

D.R.

A big turn back on the H2 Mini

2010-03-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

What are you looking for?

Is the grass greener on the other side of the hill?

Will the other board turn better?

Will the other board curiously make you a better surfer?

Do you wish you could do what you see the other guy do?

You can’t make the wave but with that other board you know you could.

You know which one of your boards you like the best, but the one you ride most is the cool one.

Sometimes we just think too much. For the most part if you think too much your surfing will suffer. Thinking that you need a different surfboard will not help you surfing. Thinking that you can over come the hardships you have with a particular surfboard will help your surfing.

When is a good time to think about your surfing? Not during but before or after your session….. Like why did I fall on that particular wave and what should I have done or not done in order to make the wave.

Case in point; Last week I took a bad fall and hurt myself. Maybe a slightly over head wave. Late, late take off and didn’t make the drop. Fell back flat on the water and suffered whip lash to my neck. It took about 7 days to get back to normal. I have replayed that fall in my head many times.

Why did I fall? I didn’t get my feet positioned correctly.

Why? Because for the most part I free fell for a split second on take off.

Why? Because I took off so picking late.

Why? I didn’t want the wave to pass me by.

My thinking? If I made It great, if I didn’t at least I tried.

I never thought about the possibility of getting hurt. I should have thought about the possibility of getting hurt by doing something ill planned like taking too late a take off before I got in the water.

So what’s the big deal about late take offs? Nothing, I do it all the time. But, at my age I could take a bad fall and hurt myself…. So I should plan a little better before I go.

D.R.

I've made a few fish in the past several months. Matt Riley on his 5'8

2010-03-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

The surfboards I ride post 2 or, the surfboards you ride.

Did anybody that surfed in the sixties ever hear the words ‘the board doesn’t work‘? I don’t remember hearing anyone say that. Actually, I don’t remember ever hearing anyone say that until maybe the eighties.

What I do remember is getting a new board and surfing it until you figured it out. Sometimes you’d get it down in short order. Sometimes it would take a number of trips to the beach. But, you always worked at it until you knew what you could or couldn’t do with the thing, and then lived with it until you got a new board.

Sure, as we all progressed and wanted to do quicker turns and maneuver more on the wave we ditched the old “D” fins and found smaller aspect fins helped with maneuverability but, did the old “D” not work? Maybe its semantics, “D” fins worked fine until we found out that they limited maneuverability…. Then they didn’t work anymore. But before that they worked fine.

I remember once making a board for someone… like a team rider type… when the guy saw the board for the first time said ‘the board won’t work, the tail is too thick’. How thick or thin the tail was supposed to be for the board to “work” he couldn’t say, but what he saw wouldn’t work. Since surfing is 98% mental guess what? There was no way the board was going to work after the guy said ‘the board won’t work’. I later mentioned what the guy said to another board builder friend, his comment?... “ He said it wouldn’t work before he rode it? Well, it sure won’t work now will it”?

I made a board for one of the pro guys I’ve done boards for in the past. I’d made him plenty boards, but one in particular as soon as he saw it he rejected it flat out. He never said it wouldn’t work though. Of course good surfers can ride anything and look good but, this particular board was not what he was wanting, he could tell by looking at it, so that was that.

Personally, of all the boards I’ve had over the years there have been none that I could ever say “didn’t work” First off, a surfboard has no moving parts…. Unless the fins are loose…. So how could they not work? Each board may ride a bit different than another but reality… they all work. That said, I had one board that was seriously moody. When I first started riding it finding my feet was none to easy. Seems more times than not I’d plant my feet down in the wrong spot on take off spaz through the first turn until I could relocate my foot position for the next maneuver. After a few go outs I even decided to put some markers on the deck for my foot positions…. It helped a little. But even with the board the way it was there were go outs that I had the best time surfing it. So… did the board work or not?

Are there boards you can get that are as close to perfect as possible? Are there boards that “work” great starting with the first wave and every wave after? Is there such a thing as love at first sight?

Surfing... and love.... is a very individual thing. The questions asked in this post; you may have to answer them yourself. What do you think?

Geez, I even ended with a question...

D.R.

2010-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

What happened in the 70’s ?

At the turn on the 60’s decade surfing seemed to be over it’s first commercial stage…. If you consider the sixties surfing thing as commercial. There were a couple clothing companies like Hang Ten and wet suit companies, nothing like today though. But, there was the Hollywood surf thing in the sixties like Beach Blanket…. something and the TV show Gidget in the sixties.

By the turn of the decade the big surfboard labels had lost their appeal in the industry and small local builders became the place to buy surfboards. Starting in the early seventies surfing seemed to be much more a grass roots or underground type of pursuit. The contest thing had no real traction as surfers became more interested in a non establishment going your own way thing.

The art of making surfboards may have gotten it’s start in the 70’s as the whole mass produced make as many surfboards as you can thing of the big labels in the sixties was replaced with the small board builder. Builders had more time to focus on design and crafting something their heart was into. If you find an old 70’s board you will see some of that craftsmanship. Color laminations and swirls or abstracts, as well as some pretty amazing resin pin line work.

Surfing certainly continued to advance. Surfers every where were still pushing performance boundaries but it was pretty much kept at the local level. There was the localism factor too. Certain places were known to have a local contingent of hard core locals only types that would make things unpleasant for unfamiliar faces in their lineup. I knew of one spot I wouldn’t surf in my home town even though I was a local.

Surfing was a quiet thing during the 70’s. But in the last couple years of the decade things began to change. Surfboard design was moving sum what slow with no real significant notice through most of the seventies. Sure there was the twin fin but it didn’t take over that much, there were still more single fins in the water than twins.

But at the end of the decade surfboard design changed radically and to this day has never looked back… well maybe just a little. What happened? The three fin Thruster.

D.R.

For the longest time tri fins were it. Now….how about a quad?

2010-03-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Growth of an industry.

Last weekend I went to an event that was held at the Fender Guitar Museum. For a guitar guy like myself it’s a pretty cool place. As well, every surf music band that was, is or has been played Fender guitars… from the Beach Boys to Dick Dale.

As I was taking in all that was there, reading the various stories and captions on so many of the photos in the exhibit I was struck by the thought that in the beginning Leo Fender really had no idea where his little company was going to take Him. That most likely there where people that belittled the notion that his amplifiers and guitars would amount to much. After all how far and how long could this crazy teenage music go?

At the same time I saw how the surf board industry had similarities. Who knew that making surfboards would ever amount to anything? As guys like Dale Velzy and Hap Jacobs, in their twenties, started surfboard businesses did they ever think that surfboards would grow to what we see now? Can you hear the words…? “Yeah, do you really think your little surfboard business is really going to last? Surfing is just a fad fuelled by this crazy music with electric guitars"…. Fenders no less!

As we stand back and look at the history it’s really amazing to think that Fender having started in such humble beginnings grew to a multi million dollar business. And similarly we can see how what was started in the late fifties on the beaches of California making surfboards has grown to an international industry. Leo Fender sold his company to CBS for a rather large sum of money. Similarly Channel Islands Surfboards was sold to Burton for no small amount I’m sure.

I certainly never thought that making surfboards could or would be sustainable over decades. Something that could put food on the table, something that would help provide the resources to raise a family. Something that would over time be looked at with some respect instead of “ Oh, it’s just a passing fad. “ Or, for that matter, be passed on to new generations.

My wife found the below drawing today. I’m not sure what age my son was when he drew it… maybe 6 or 7. But I am sure he never thought while drawing a picture of his dad surfing, wave curling behind and a flock of seagulls over head… note the M’s in the sky, some 25 years later he’d be pictured below (third from left) with his coworkers at FCD doing what his dad taught him, making surfboards.

D.R.

2010-02-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

The evolution of a surfboard.

Today for the most part when you go to a surf shop and look at the different boards in the racks you will see models. What people have come to expect is a certain surfboard shaped a certain way. It has a specific name and sometimes even specific color schemes.

If you have a certain model board you particularly like that has gotten well worn from use you can go buy another board of the same model and find it will surf pretty much like your last one.

It’s really pretty easy to replicate a certain shape via the various CNC shaping machines now days but to replicate a shape by hand is not that easy. It takes a lot of hand shaping for a guy to get to that repeat ability factor that so many surfers have come to expect.

Short boards have continued to evolve so that usually what is the hot item this year won’t be next year. Something will replace lasts years models and last years model may not be available anymore. But long board and alt board models once introduced may stay available for multiple years. Actually there are some long board models that have been around for decades.

I make a few boards that were first introduced in the mid sixties. Have they changed? Yes, though the right term would be evolved. These boards, or models, are still identifiable as the same board from the sixties but on close examination they are different. That’s a good thing. Small incremental changes in a design are what should happen over time to get the design to its optimum.

In the Sixties boards where going through rapid changes. Because surfing was advancing at a rapid pace the boards were going through changes continually. Even the models. You may see a certain model made in ’66 then see that same model made in ’67 and it may be noticeably different. Then of course that same model was not made at all from ’68 to ’82 and the ’82 make is different from the ’67 make. If you wanted the same exact board in the old days you may have gotten disappointed because your old board was not replicated well or the model went through some change.

Change was what happened in times past. Change is not what you see these days. Is the way we do things with surfboards today better than the way we did it in the past? Because models evolved in the past bad and now they don’t better?

Well you tell me… does riding a different surfboard, one that you will need to figure out better for your surfing? Does it help you advance? Or riding the same model over and over do that?

D.R.

2010-02-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

My Story post 42

It was spring time in So Cal, sunny days and a nice warming trend in the air. My friend and work mate Richard had some how gotten a pass to the ranch. Which meant that he could drive into the lower ranch during the day. How and where the pass came from I have no idea but was sure glad Richard had it.

Having a pass meant you could drive into the ranch to surf, at the time few could. Without a pass if you wanted to surf the ranch you had to launch a boat at Gaviota and motor up. Driving in was much easier… and faster.

Sinse Richard and I worked together shaping for Morey-Pope we could plan a day trip for a certain day during the work week. Get some extra work done the day before the trip so as not to get behind with our work load. Or, find ourselves a little ahead of schedule and take off around noon for a run up to the ranch and an after noon surf.

Not sure how many trips we took, maybe 5 or 6 but what I do remember is that we never saw another soul on the beach or in the water… we were always by our selves.

I still remember one day in particular at Rights and Lefts. A good 4 or 5 hours of perfect head high plus waves with not a creature in site but us guys. Richard myself and our other work mate Donny. Other than the water being a little cool it was sunny and warm with no wind and that beautiful A-frame peak. Take off, bottom turn, climb and drop, maybe a small turn back and ride the wave almost to the beach as it tapered down from over head at the peak to waist high on the inside. Pull out and paddle back for another.

When we got tired we’d sit on the beach and watch that perfect peak while warming up and having something to eat… for me it was trail mix. Then when you couldn’t watch anymore paddle back out and surf again until you were too tired. We could surf until there was just enough light left for the drive off the ranch. Once on the high way if it was dark it didn’t matter.

I went back to the ranch one day 1985, the day after Thanksgiving that year. Got a boat ride with a friend of one the of the guys that worked for me back then. We surfed a few different spots and the last being Rights and Lefts. The whole day there were boats and surfers at all the different spots. Rights and Lefts must have had at least a half dozen guys in the line up. A couple guys that lived in the ranch were among them and weren’t too happy to be sharing the spot with boaters.

I had a good time and got some good surf that day but it was nothing like what my memories hold from earlier times.

D.R.

2010-02-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

The essence of foil.

I’ve looked up the word foil in the dictionary but don’t find a definition that comes close at all to what in surfboard lingo we call foil. Unless you think a blunt sword is close.

Once you get bit by the surfing bug and develop your abilities surfing and have handled a few different surfboards the chances of realizing the beauty of a fine foiled surfboard and getting hooked on the look is pretty strong. To the discriminating surfer a surfboard can become a piece of art. Short board, long board and anything in between can be a sculpted thing of beauty.

Simple lines, simple curves and how they are formed and fit together when done well can be something very pleasing to look at. It can take years to acquire the ability to sculpt a piece of art. Taking what you see in your head and using imagination and your hands to make what you see, be pleased with what you see and have others enjoy what has been crafted.

So what is foil? To me it’s the complete package of curves that make a surfboard. From how the deck curve relates to the bottom rocker curve which in turn dictates how the foam volume is distributed nose to tail. How the rail line and rail shape moves along the length of the board, as well the way the deck and bottom is crafted from rail to rail.

It starts with a profile. Cutting a surfboard in half from nose to tail at the center and seeing how the bottom and deck curves relate to each other. The look of a profile will depend on the surfboard itself and the boards intended use. It may have more thickness a little forward or a little more aft or have an even taper. How the volume graduates into the nose as the deck and bottom curves converge, how the tail lines flow. It’s all in the profile.

Deck crown may blend it’s way from rail to rail down the length of the board with more curve forward and flatten out the back as the profile tapers through the tail section. And as the profile tapers the rails turn with crisp edges sharpened for a positive cut on the wave face.

There really is no formula for a nice clean foil. We may have some what standard bottom rockers or typical bottom curves but how the deck lines work with bottom lines? It can be very personal to a shapers hand. CAD programs may make seeing a given profile easy. But, seeing something on paper and then seeing the same thing full scale with all the other elements can be a completely different thing. There is no easy way to a nice foil.

Once you get the look of a nice foil in your head it just doesn’t go away… a picture impression. If you have a finely foiled surfboard you can look at it for hours and never tire it's look.

The beauty of a finely foiled machine, you see it with your eyes, feel it with you hands and almost instantly know it will feel good under your feet.

D.R.

2010-01-31T20:19:00.000-08:00

Ventura has been having a good winter season so far this year.

There has been one or two swells come along every week since some time in October seems like. So what usually happens when we get a lot of surf? The crowds thin out.

One morning this past week I thought I’d woke up in the past. I got a late start for the morning and didn’t get down for the daily surf check until about 9 a.m. I figured when I got down to inside point there most likely wasn’t much surf because there were so many parking spaces available on the street.

Surprise number one… the surf had picked up again, there were over head sets.

Surprise number two… there was a grand total of 4 guys in the water from the top of the point all the way down inside.

What? Someone see a shark?

I rubbed my eyes. Am I still asleep? I’m dreaming… that’s it. Then I was talking in my sleep. There were a few guys checking the surf that I normally don’t see at the point so we got to talking, about how strange it was that there were so few guys in the water, with surf like what we were seeing!

That particular swell was short, by the end of the day it was much smaller and not as clean. But then only two days later another swell shows up. That was Friday, today there was still surf. This afternoon there was a very light crowd in the water, a Sunday after noon no less.

I talked with a friend who had just come in from surfing and was walking back up the promenade as I was checking the conditions for my go out. He said “I think this is the best year I’ve ever seen, there has been so much surf”! He was stoked walking back to his car after yet another day of good surf.

It’s nice when there is enough surf to satisfy the surfing population. Enough waves that everyone gets their fill, gets tired and has had enough. It’s nice to look at good surf and think maybe you woke up on that particular day and some how it’s January 1992 again.

Dreamer.

D.R.

Kauai, at a spot you can’t get out when it’s like this. I took the shot with the crazy tourists in the fame for perspective. Nice left.

2010-01-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

My story post 41

After that first surf contest I completely forgot that there actually could be surf during a surf meet.

It seemed to me that there was rarely any surf during the days a surf event was scheduled. Even though sometimes there was surf, most of the time there was little. Case in point was the second surf contest I entered.

It was early summer of 1967. The contest was held in Hermosa Beach. Beautiful weather, sunny warm… but the surf? Totally none existent. Unless you call not even knee high wind chop surf, maybe one rogue knee bump every 15 or 20 minutes if that. So with 15 minute 5 man heats what kind of surfing were the judges scoring?

Remember your best three waves count, but getting three waves was close to impossible in the allotted 15 minutes. Looking for something to ride you’d paddle for anything hoping the chop would have enough push to glide you long enough to get to your feet, but then what. You couldn’t generate enough speed to execute a turn without digging a rail. My friend Mike Smith was in the same heat as I was so we just joked around in the water until the horn blew to end the heat.

So once again I walked to the check in stand, tuned in my jersey and continued walking to my van and went home.. hoping when I got back to Ventura there may be some surf because, by then I really wanted to surf!

What I didn’t know was that every time you entered an event you got points. If you advanced to the next level in the event you got more points. Over time you would accumulate all these points that would put you somewhere in the standing of the USSA, or what ever the organization was that did the contests. So if you entered all the contests and advanced through enough heats you could have a pretty high standing at the end of the event year. Never really placing very high in an event.

Oh well, it really didn’t matter to me at that point because it just seemed stupid to hold a surf contest when there weren’t any waves. And it seemed that most of the time there was little to no surf when a contest was held. So I gave up on the whole contest thing.

Contests can be fun and maybe most guys don’t mind them as long as they’re not held at their home break.

D.R.

An old Surfer Mag. photo of a contest winners circle. Steve Bigler wins a TV. Donald Takayama wins… what is that a transistor radio? And John Peck wins the motor cycle. Bigler... 'pretty cool ... a TV set'. John is all smiles on his new machine... with the look on TD’s face…. ‘what the heck’?

2010-01-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

My story post 40

My first attempt at surfing in a contest was the fall of 1966. I’m not real sure what organization this particular surf meet was with, possibly the USSA. It was held at a spot called D and W, a jetty spot along the beach that runs in front of LAX.

I didn’t know anyone that surfed in contests then. For some reason I thought maybe it would be a good idea for me to do contests because I could get close to guys in the industry. So I signed up for the event and when the day came I got in my VW bus and drove to D & W by myself, found a place to park and went to find out when my heat was.

It was a cold, dark overcast day and there was a swell running with over head sets. I waited for my time slot to surf, again by myself… I had no friends there or knew anyone at all. When the time came I got my jersey, walked to the waters edge with my board and paddled out with the rest of the guys in the heat.

Once in the line up… at least where I thought the line up was, I’d never surfed the place before, I caught my first wave. That wave was pretty much a non event, a short ride on an inside wave. I didn’t realize how much of an inside wave it was until I pulled out and saw the set waves charging toward the beach… with me inside. I bounced over the first 2 walls of white water and scratched like a mad man hoping to get past the next wave now marching toward me with a clean feathering 8 foot or better face. I reached the wave right in the impact zone, turned turtle and held on with all I had. It didn’t matter, that wave wanted my board and got it in one split second.

I surfaced after the pounding gulping a breath of air at the same time thinking maybe my board would be close, maybe it would’ve bounced out of the turmoil and be in site, a short distance off. No such luck. I didn’t see my board anywhere, which meant it most likely was on the beach. I started swimming, ducking deep a couple of times to escape some white water. When three or for minutes later reaching the beach, I don’t see my board… anywhere.

What the heck? I look up and down the beach and don’t see my board. Don’t tell me it’s still in the water, or what? Thinking It got sucked into a rip and washed out past the line up? Then I noticed it… up on the jetty about half way out. How it got there I have no idea. I walked 50 yards just to reach the jetty and then worked my way over those giant rocks until I got close enough to reach for my board. Waited for a lull and grabbed the darn thing jumping up a couple rocks to dodge the surf. Of course by that time my heat was long over as well maybe the 2 heats after mine. I worked my way off the jetty.

With board in hand and my tail between my legs I walked to the check in table and turned in my jersey. Then kept walking to my van, toweled off, put on some warm clothes, put my board in the van, got myself in the driver’s seat and went home.

Honestly, I had no big ideas or really knew what to expect. But if I started entering contests I’d maybe start networking with others in the sport and that would be a good thing.

When I got home my mom greeted me and asked “how’d it go Den?” I shook my head and said ‘ not so good ‘.

D.R.

Early eighties winners gathering after a surf meet. My son in front of me holding my fifth place yellow ribbon. Notice the lack of surf in the back ground?

2010-01-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. It really only seems like yesterday we were all worrying if every computer based service was going to crash because of Y2K. That was a decade ago!

It’s hard to believe after living on Kauai for 9 years I haven’t been back there for 4 years now.

It’s had to believe that Clark foam was once the only foam company you could buy surfboard blanks from… well besides Walkers small catalog. Clark foam has been gone 4 years and Walker 2 years.. I think.

Speaking of foam… there were a couple foam companies that closed in 09. But we still have a selection of foam brands to work with.

It’s nice to know that you can go to the beach with just about any size, shape and style of surfboard available or not, because it’s all good. As this past year progressed it was even OK to go to the beach with a ¾ inch wood plank to surf.

Now as the new year comes on you could say it’s OK to go to the beach with what one guy laughingly called a ‘pig nosed thruster’. My first tri fin back in the early ‘80s was an egg…. But it was called a ‘pig nosed thruster’ by some. This year I’ve got a Stubbie Quad and every time I take it for a surf guys show interest in the design… It’s all good!

Boards have become shorter and wider as well as longer and heavier. Finless designs, single fins, twin fins, tri fins, quads and five fins… It seems that this past year has seen it all.

It’s hard to believe that surfing has come out of it’s once narrow line of acceptable shapes and designs. Now each design is getting a chance and we are all adding to the data base.

That’s a happy thing….

Happy New Year!

D.R.

It’s hard to believe my wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary 12/20/09

2009-12-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas day 2009

I knew there was surf, I saw lines on my way back to the house after picking up my mother in law for our Christmas dinner. At that point it was late morning and a beautiful sunny day in California. I purposely took the route back to the house so I would have a good vantage point at the top of the hill a few blocks up the road from my house where you can see if there are any lines wrapping around the point. Yeah… surf!

After I got back in the house I told my wife I was going down to the beach and look at the surf. When I returned and sat down on the couch picking up a magazine… Surfers Journal… Suzi turns to me and asks “ how’s the surf?” “ It’s really good!” I respond and she says “ are you going to go surf or just sit there reading that magazine?” I should file this post under ‘ I’m a lucky guy ‘.

I got my wetsuit, put it on, grabbed a board put, it in the truck, jumped in the truck, drove to the point, parked and was in the water within 15 minutes of that question!

There were a fair number of people enjoying the day along the promenade and a pleasant number of people in the lineup enjoying some head high sets on a beautiful sunny California Christmas day.

After surfing and going to the train station to pick up my friend Jon from Kauai who came out for a visit we settled into our dinner then the day came to a close.

Happy Holidays!

D.R.

Christmas day 2009... Ventura.

2009-12-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

More on the old guys… or is it old days this time? Post 4

Why was surfing more an adventure in it’s earlier years? Because when you went to the beach you never were sure what you would find. Sometimes you’d find the surf and conditions good to excellent or the complete opposite… you wouldn’t know until you got your eyes on it.

You could drive up to Hobson’s at night sleep in the van and wake to south wind onshore slop. You could reach the top of Malibu canyon look down at the point and unexpectedly see lines rapping into the cove in the middle of winter... with hardly anyone around, because it was the middle of winter.

You could venture out to Morro Rock with no one around or in the water, paddle out with your brother in law, both of you for the first time, and find the surf bigger than anything you’ve ever been in…. and be scared sh…tless. Or, you could take a run to Rincon in the spring and surf waist high peelers with the crowd.

Leave the shop in Santa Barbara for the drive home to Ventura and find solid over head surf at Rincon with no crowds because the east winds were to strong but find Little Rincon clean with no one out.

Sit in you car because the surf was junk and wait to see if things changed because you planned on surfing… so maybe, just maybe the winds will turn around and it will get good. You certainly know if you leave most likely within 15 minutes of you leaving the surf will improve and you’ll miss it… The other guy in the other car will stay and the next time you see him he’ll make sure he tells you… “you really missed it!” Which of course really sucks!

No, there were no surf forecasts. There were no big illuminated blinking signs at the end of “C” St that said “ HIGH SURF WARNING” like this past week. No, what you saw is what you got when you got there. The good the bad and the ugly.

I still like to go look to see what the surf is like. Pretty much every morning on my way to the shop I’ll check the surf. Check the tide chart so I know what’s up with that and then will plan my surfing accordingly. Sometimes if I’ve left my computer on all night I’ll look at the surf cam in the morning before I leave. Funny though…. If there is any surf I look to see how many cars are in the parking lot.

Knowing there is surf every time you go to the beach is not as much fun as the excitement of not knowing and finding surf when you reach your surf spot of choice. Sharing the stoke with your friends when you find surf and have been blessed by the forces of nature is now some what lost with all the technology. Surf forecasts, surf cams, surf reports. Everybody knows the when and the where so they’ll all be there…. Me included!

D.R.

The sun has long set on the way it used to be.

2009-11-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

So why do the old guys get frustrated? Post 3

I moved to Kauai in late spring of ’94. At that time surfing in Ventura was the same as it is now. You could park in the street parking on Paseo de Playa or in the free parking lot at “Surfers Point” and you could pay to park in the $2 lot. The $2 lot had not been damaged then from high tides and surf. So there were a few more parking spaces back then.

If I went to surf at inside point back then there was always a place to park on the street. “Surfers Point” would fill up on weekends and days with good surf but you could still find spaces in that lot. And the $2 lot was never ever full.

When I returned to Ventura in ’02 I thought it was strange that if I wanted to park on the street at inside point sometimes there was no place to park. And finding a spot at the point when there was surf was not possible…. Well you had to be there at the butt crack of dawn… maybe even before that to get a parking space. Though there are less spaces in the $2 lot I’d never seen it full until this past year.

Granted before the beach was developed and the promenade wasn’t there people didn’t come to the beach to go for walks. As well the beach was not as nice because of the stuff that was dumped at waters edge from the Pipe. And, originally the only paid parking was the $2 lot. The pier and the parking structure were initially free parking areas. So people that came to the beach for a walk or to just visit would go there instead of try to find free parking on the street.

So basically the surfing area in the town of Ventura has changed from a place that once had some single family homes… before my time… to a place that literally only the core surf guys would frequent. “C” Street would sometime attract a crowd but that was rare. And as with all the other places to surf if you wanted to surf you went to the beach. If there was surf you surfed. If the conditions weren’t good you waited for a while and hoped conditions would improve. If there was no surf… you left disappointed. Or, some how you knew there was surf because someone told you. So you went on safari.

For surfers it wasn’t just the surfing aspect of what we did but the adventure as well. Sure we lived in a town. But the Ventura beach area was a more out of the way place. You could go up to Pipe and there would be few other people around… sometimes no one. Paddling out into the surf when no one is around or no one out is quite different than being in a crowd or around others. Some people like to hike in the mountains and get away … being in the surf by yourself has a similar feel. That's part of what the old guys miss.

D.R.

It is possible to surf by yourself these days.

Yeah... though rare it's still possible to surf by yourself.

2009-11-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

So why do the old guys get frustrated? Post 2

Taking this a step further into the past before the beach in Ventura was developed into what it is now… and actually the City isn’t finished developing the beach area yet, there is more to come…

I moved to Ventura in 1967 and before then when I’d come to Ventura to surf you could surf anywhere from “C” street to the Ventura river mouth just like today and drive into the whole area but it was much different.

There was “C” street up to the point… basically Figaroa st. and then Stables and Pipe, or the Fair Grounds. Stables, where what is sometimes called mid point or middles now was inside the Fair area, as well, so was Pipe. The Fair has stables now that you can see if you drive to the end of the street between the $2 lot and the Fair Grounds. At the end of the street you can see the Fair stables off to your right inside the grounds. Well, those stables use to be right on the beach where the $2 parking lot is now. From about where the guard or ticket shack is and most of the way up to Pipe.

The Fair grounds area was open to visitors during the day so surfers would drive into the horse stables area park in front of them for free and access the surf by walking right through the stables. Almost needless to say but that spot was called Stables. Some still call it that.

You could also drive up a little further to Pipe. There were more sand dunes up there then too, you had to park behind them and then walk over them to get to the surf. Where you now park to surf Pipe was all sand dunes. What’s left of the dunes that were paved over are protected… sort of, by the log fences.

There was also a large pipe that had to be at least three feet in diameter that dumped a lumpy dark colored slop just below the mean tide line on the back side of the reef there. When the tide was high you could only see the top portion of the pipe. But when the tide was low you could see the stuff coming out of it as it washed directly into the ocean at waters edge.

From what I was told the stuff coming out of the pipe was some kind of discharge from the oil fields up river from the beach. Water was used to extract oil from the ground and the material that came out of the pipe was a mix of water, silt and a little oil mix from the extraction process. Don’t know if that’s accurate or not… but the stuff was dumped right in the surf zone at the mouth of the Ventura river. Gave the water a grayish color and smelled a bet different than ocean water usually smells like.

That was Ventura, and that’s why the spot right below the river mouth was called Pipe… and is to this day.

D.R.

A couple 100 year old pictures of the point and Ventura Pier

2009-11-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

So why do the old guys get frustrated? Is it only the crowd?

I don’t know when the city of Ventura started its plan for the beach area from the pier to the Fair grounds, but I remember when the big changes started.

It was the summer of 1967 when the big trucks started bringing the large boulders that were dumped on the shore line from the pier to the point. For what? The revetment that is under the promenade. And immediately the surfing conditions were changed along that stretch of beach. The high tide conditions were never to be the same.

Initially dirt was brought in that was used to fill in over the revetment… the promenade was built some years later. So all along the point you could park your vehicle and enter the water to surf from below Figaroa st. That was before the Hotel, Condos and Apartments were built too.

The storms of 1969 and the over flowing Ventura river deposited a tremendous amount of sand on the beach that migrated from the river mouth down and around the point. Over the days and weeks after the storms the sand eventually piled up against the first jetty and filled in the beach from the jetty back up and under the pier continuing up the beach west of the pier and filling in the lower point. The revetment helping hold the sand to this day has changed the way waves break at inside point, especially on south swells…. And it’s not better.

For reference… Harbour Blvd used to go under the pier, the old road is still there but now part of the pier parking area and the waters edge was not far off back then. Before these changes high tides would wash out that area of Harbour Blvd under the pier.

The promenade and bike path was built in stages and the first phase of the promenade ended at Figaroa st. The free parking area came later. The top of the point where the free parking are is now was an unstructured paved area that went right up to the waters edge. It started at the end of Figaroa and ended about where the restrooms and showers are on the point now.

During that period you could park inside at Paseo de Playa to surf or up on the point to surf. And if you wanted to surf pipe you could park at the top of the point and walk up there. You couldn’t drive up or park at pipe or anywhere along what some now call mid point or middles.

So until the bike path and parking area in what is actually the Fair grounds was developed not many guys surfed pipe. It was much easier to surf the point than hassle walking the distance for surf you really couldn’t see, and no one could see you.

D.R.

The Point parking before the free lot.

The top of the old parking area at the Point looking up to Pipe. This is as close to Pipe as you could park. The corner of the photo says June '83. But was taken a few months earlier after large surf busted up the parking lot... as you can see.

After construction started on the free lot high surf deposited a mess for the crews to deal with. This is where all the sand is now with the palm tree planters.

2009-11-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

Three days of surfing, one of them rare.

We’ve had a small NW swell here in So Cal the last few days… it started to show a little Friday, filled in Saturday and held through today.

I got a call late Friday morning and was told that a spot just above Ventura was clean with about head high waves… I had hoped the forecasted swell would start to show and maybe go get some waves later in the day so when I got the call decided to take a break and go right after I got off the phone with my friend Dan…. He also said no one was there surfing too… an added bonus.

Sure enough 15 minutes later when I drove up and got out of my car to greet my friends and get a look at the surf it was as I was told… but with 2 guys out. A nice sunny warm day and clean looking lines coming across the reef. I started suiting up.

A few minutes later with wet suit on and waxing my board I notice both guys had come in. There was another guy suiting up the same time as me and we ended up walking up the beach at the same time. As I paddled out the other guy had paddled out but sat over and inside of the main lineup so I was by myself. The other guy only stayed out for about 20 minutes or so and then I was literally the only guy in the water… it stayed that way for close to an hour until one person paddled into the lineup… I don’t remember the last time I’ve surfed by myself. I may have had a certain peak to myself here in Ventura a few times for a half hour or so but Friday I had the whole place to myself with some decent waves for about an hour. That’s rare, and with nice weather really rare.

Saturday I planned my surf for around 1:30p after the tide had peaked. The wind stayed light and the surf was semi consistent, not too crowded. I still had to negotiate the crowd but was able to pick up a few set waves. Though the waves were bigger and more consistent, compared to Friday I had to take or wait for my turn at the waves that came through.

Today? The surf was not quite what it was Saturday but close. But the crowd? Heavy. So it made getting a chance slim. I started thinking at one point how disappointing surfing Pipe is for me. I used to surf there all the time and would always have a good time… but that was 2 decades ago.

When I got home today I thought how extreme… Friday was almost surreal, today radically different. One day like heaven the other…? Well it wasn’t hell but did get the old guy frustrated. But geez… what do you expect? It was the weekend!

D.R.

David Puu Photo

2009-11-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

My story and the surfboards I ride.

Today I pulled out the board I rode my last five years while on Kauai. It doesn’t have a date on it but I made it my first year at Hawaiian Blades. So sometime in ’97…. Which makes this board 12 years old. I rode it until I returned to Ventura in ’02 and haven’t ridden it since. My son has and likes it very much though.

The board is a 6’10 tri fin, 20” wide and 2 ¼ thick. I surfed it for all surf in Hawaii up to 6 to 8 foot…. And it worked really well for me. A great all around board.

The bottom has a single concave that graduates in just back of center and through the front fins. This straightens the rocker curve into the fins and gives me a nice planning surface for speed. The bottom flattens back out at the back fin and then I’ve accelerated the rocker out the back to loosen the board up.

The tail is 13 7/8 wide so not too narrow but with a nice sharp edge, all good for holding in the wave face. As well, I’ve got the fins set a bit more forward than what you’d see in other boards. I’ve also always ridden wider boards so hence the width dimension and the nose is 13”… a little wider too. But the outline curve works well with all the dimensions. I’ve had this outline in a 7’2 and 7’0 but this 6’10 has been my favorite of them all.

The board has the FCS fin system. At time we had just started using FCS stuff at Hawaiian Blades and the only fins we got in were the nylon sets. As I remember when I first started surfing the board I felt the fins were to slow. Because of the soft material turning seemed to lack the quick snap that I was used to with glass on fiberglass fins… what I always had before this board. I really wanted to get a set of FCS fiberglass fins but never did. Eventually I got used to the slower feel out of turns and just left the fins the way they were… most everyone that had FCS back then had the same fins so that was that.

The board is made of Walker foam with a 4oz bottom and double 4oz deck. I did a white foam stain on it so that’s why it still looks pretty clean… even though it’s been in the Hawaiian sun every time I took it to the beach for some 5 years straight. And believe it or not the ding in the rail that is covered with cellophane tape is from my thumb. Yeah, attempting to jump over some shore pound that caught me just right and gave me one good whacking…. I held onto the board but the power of the wave pushed my thumb right through the rail. Never underestimate the power of the ocean.

D.R.

2009-10-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-10-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-09-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

So you want to make a surfboard post 4

There are important points in the shape of a surfboard that are sometimes overlooked in the process of actually shaping a board buy the inexperienced. But if you start with a decent blank the end result will be something that will work good enough. And, since the close of Clark Foam the blank choices are better.

I’ve personally gravitated to just a couple blank companies because my needs are met with them and there is no need to look further. Most of the plugs that are used to make the molds that blanks are made from at the new blank companies are better because they were machined. This means they have even foam distribution and are free from uneven spots often found in the molds of the past. An important item for the beginning craftsmen because shaping a surfboard without lumps and bumps is hard enough. If you have to clean up an uneven blank before starting your shape job… will it does make the process more difficult.

So if you start your shape job by outlining the blank or skinning and milling the blank to thickness is not important. What is important is getting a good outline on your blank. It should have an even curve with out flat spots, unless the flat areas are intended like might be seen in the tail area of some with soft wings.

The way to get a good outline is to start with a good template. Taking great care and time in getting your outline clean and without flaw is the first step in getting your blank outlined well. Once you’ve got your template perfect lay it on your blank and scribe the template outline with a soft lead pencil… a nice neat line. Then cut to that line with a saw leaving just enough foam outside the line to clean up with a sanding block so all you see is the pencil line with no flat spots at anyplace on the blank.

Rule number one in the shaping process is.. no flat spots in the outline. If you have flat spots in your outline when you band and screen in your rails later the flats spot will reflect onto the deck in the form of low spots. So not only will you have a flat spot in your outline but you will also have a low area in the deck crown.

Assuming the blank has the rocker you want in it, after you’ve got the outline dialed you can cut the blank to thickness and then band the rails. As well, if you’ve got a blank that is close to the size board you are making getting to thickness and banding in the rails is a pretty straight forward process with a planer or hand plane.

When you’ve gotten to the final stages of sanding and screening the next important thing is making sure the stringer has a neat clean curve to it…. No flat areas.

Rule number two in the shaping process is… no flat spots in the stringer curve on the deck or bottom of the board. Because the stringer is wood and harder than foam if you have a lump or bump in the stringer it will leave the outlying area of foam with a lump or bump too.

So basically shaping comes down to good outlines and good deck curves and bottom curves. If you look at any of your favorite boards that’s most likely what you will see.

D.R.

2009-09-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

‘This used to be a peaceful little town…’ A line from one of my favorite westerns, Silverado. It’s in the final gun fight at the end of the movie where Brian Dennehy and Kevin Kline are about to shoot each other.

Ventura has often been called a sleepy little town. For the surfers of Ventura that was a good thing. My friend Peter would come by at dawn, throw rocks at my upstairs window to wake me for an early morning surf… he wanted someone to surf with, at pipe no less. In 1967 hardly anyone surfed up there. Imagine that!

For the second weekend in a row I went to the beach at around 8 in the morning only to find no where to park. Inside point was full, the free lot was full and the fair grounds 2 dollar lot was full. Geez, and I have a year pass for the $2 lot that cost 75 bucks! No place to park. Well, I could pay $5 and park in the fair grounds main lot.

Last week there was a swell forecast, this week there were two surf events going on at the same time. One at pipe and one at the point. Last week I thought I’d go for a surf but gave it up for the crowd. This week I went to hang at the annual “C” Street contest for the finals. So I parked at Wave Front and walked back to the point. Honestly I never thought that one day there may be no place to park at the point because so many people would be going to the beach to surf…. or in today’s case, hang at a surf event.

There were some 80 contestants in the “C” street contest that included guys in their 70’s. Another thing… I never thought about guys in there 70’s surfing. Another 10 years and it will be me… that’s scary.

I wonder if there will be any places to park in 10 years? Maybe I could get one of those electric carts that I’ve seen a guy run up the promenade with. I could rig up a surfboard rack and putt right up to the sand with all my gear. Yeah, I won’t need no pickin’ parking space.

D.R.

This year each contestant at the "C" street contest was entered in a raffle for the board I made below.

2009-09-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

Lists, the best of this the greatest of that. I usually find them interesting, and they usually ruffle some feathers… like why this guy over that guy? Or no way is that guy better than the other guy.

Well Surfer Mag. has a new list… The 50 Greatest Surfers of all Time.

List are seriously subjective, they always have some good stuff and some questionable stuff. You really need to take them with a grain of salt. What’s cool about the Surfer list is that each person on the list has a little write up, story or commentary. I’m taking my time and going through all fifty.

My guess is there are plenty people that have not heard of some of the names on the list. So of course the question would be who’s that guy? how come he’s on the list? I never heard of him. What even a body boarder?... who by the way, has long been considered one of the best surfers on the planet.

The short write up about the list says it was compiled by experts that voted their choice of the top 50 then they got the comments and stories together for the names on the list from the different people that voted. There is lots of history and information well worth reading and looking through.

D.R.

2009-09-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

My story post 39.

My first car, bought it from a friend with the money I made from the sale of my high school surfboard business. The year was 1966 the car was a 1961 VW bus… the ultimate surf car.

When you’re a surfer but don’t have your own transportation sometimes you can get really stuck. You can hear of great times at the beach but you weren’t there, or even worse with comments from the guys that got a ride when there was no room for you like, gee you really missed it…. To bad. But after getting my first car, and a surf car at that, I could go to the beach anytime I had enough gas money. Hey, I could take a friend and get them to pay for gas, even better.

Talk about gas money… you needed 21 cents for a gallon then.

So the first thing you do is take out the back seat so there is room for a couple surfboards. Then you lay down some carpet on the floor and make a little area you can lay down in for surf trips. And of course you’ve got to have tunes, so I bought a four track tape player. The car had a radio, the AM kind but having a tape player was cool.

I don’t know where the RIAA was back then, maybe nonexistent because the thing to do was go to a place that made custom tapes, pick out a list of your favorite hit songs and have a custom tape made for a couple bucks. You could buy commercial tapes but the custom ones with the songs you liked… that was better. Nothing better than driving up to your favorite surf spot in your cool surf car and you favorite tunes blasting in stereo. Stanley’s was good for this. Sit there checking the surf, turn to your friend riding shot gun and say ‘let’s go out!’

Yeah, with my new surf car I could do all that and more. I could spend the weekend at Hobsons Park. Motor up Friday evening, surf until dark, build a camp fire, have some grinds, crash in the back of the bus and then surf at first light.

A surfer with wheels.

D.R.

I’ll have to find a picture of my first surf car the next time I visit my mom. The last surf car we had before moving to Kauai below...

Sitting in front of my old shop

In use on a surf/camp trip.

2009-08-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

What do you do with a favorite board once it gets pretty well used up?

I think the ideal situation is to unload your boards before they're to far gone to get any resale dollars out of them… but who does that? When you’ve got a board that you really like it just gets surfed and surfed and surfed. Then one day you look at it and realize ‘this things has had it’. Then what?

How come we get so attached? What makes a certain surfboard “magic”? And once we find a board we really like why surf it to death? Well, maybe it’s the only board you have so if you surf it until it dies… understandable. But if it’s not the only board you’ve got? Or why not start looking for another board before your fav has had it so you can at least use an alternative to surf so the favorite board will last a bit longer?

The curious thing about the magic of surfing is that your surf memories have surfboards in them. Those great surf days, the epic sessions, the special surf trips you usually have a certain surfboard that was along for the ride… and you remember the event and the board. Even the pros… when they win a big event the board they rode will be part of the memory.

But when you’ve got to retire a favorite surfboard it’s kind of like part of you is sorry for it. You don’t want to but you’ve got to. Geez, maybe that’s it, maybe I’ll never have another really good board… what if?

Some times you’ve laid off of surfing for a time… maybe years and want to get back. What do you do? Remember that favorite surfboard and try to find one like it. I guess it would be easy if your favorite board was molded. If the model was still in production just go find another one…. It would be the same right?

I’ve been looking at my 8’0 that was the prototype for the model I call the Gadget. I made it in ’02 and it’s not been surfed for some months now because I’ve been working with my stubbie. I really didn’t take notice how used the 8’0 was, I just surfed the heck out of it but got to thinking I should surf it some… then realized I’d just about used that board up…. Bummer!

D.R.

1987, Kauai with a favorite board under arm. I left it with a friend and didn’t go back to surf it until ’92. I surfed it a few times while finishing up a new board, then brought it back to Ventura and sold it off… still in good condition.

2009-08-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

How many surfboards need to shaped by an individual before they are considered having credibility?

I find it interesting that numbers seem to be a marker of sorts…. The question is often asked “ how many boards have you shaped?” If I’m asked my immediate thought is ‘who cares’. Honestly I don’t know how many boards I’ve shaped, certainly thousands more than some and thousands less than others.

On a forum thread recently there has been dialogue on shaping a board in X number of minutes… and again my thoughts are ‘who cares?’ I thought it interesting that no one commented on the jewels of knowledge that were in a shaping video that got the “shaping a board in so many minutes” thread going. One was getting the stringer clean with a nice even curve and the other was getting the outline clean without any bumps or flat spots. I’ll leave the explanation on why that’s important for my next ‘so you want to make a surfboard post’.

On another forum thread there was the question “should you buy a surfboard shaped buy a guy that doesn’t surf or… more specifically, has never surfed.” Well guess what? People do it all the time by the container loads. Do you think that the boards being made in China and Thailand are shaped by people that surf… or for that matter, have ever surfed?

Back to the numbers game. If cleaning up a machined shaped blank is considered shaping a surfboard… which it seems is by some… then how many surfboards are being shaped or have been shaped by the people in China and Thailand day in and day out over the past 2, 3, 4, 6 or more years? Think in the tens of thousands upon thousands. So what does it matter how many surfboards you’ve shaped when there are guys that have done tens of thousands more and probably have never surfed?

Just a couple thoughts between surf sessions.

D.R.

2009-08-09T21:22:00.001-07:00

The Tip Tool Review.

Today I got to surf some small clean lines at the point on my Tip Tool. I’ve had this board since maybe late April but haven’t found the kind of waves I’d really like to surf it in until today. Not that there haven’t been waves, and I have surfed the board a few times, but I haven’t been able to catch the right conditions when I’ve had time to surf.

The board has a nice swing weight for turning. I knew this but I got to set up a nice left go right on a few occasions in the water today that were smooth and effortless.

Moving from turn to trim has a good feel, the board at 24 inches wide gives you a great stable feel under your feet as you transition a step or two from the tail after setting your turn. Stepping back for small redirects and rail positioning is effortless as well.

Today the waves were standing up nicely on the inside sand bar which is where the fun really stood out for this board… the nose ride. With a name like the Tip Tool it should be no surprise that I’ve designed this board for nose riding, and nose ride it does. When I’ve ridden the board before nose riding was good but today across the inside sand bar the nose riding was great. The board is stable on the nose. It has a very solid feel on the forward third and right on the tip. Depending on wave and wave face positioning the board will stall on the nose as well as trim. I was even able to slide under sections in the forward third too. Going the distance standing right on the tip on a nice stand up wall is such a great feeling…. The Tip Tool does it… I’m stoked!

D.R.

2009-08-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Memories…. Surfer Magazine Vol. 7 Number 6.

Jim Allen came by the shop this past week with this old Surfer Mag. From when the publication was still a Bi-monthly. It says it’s the January issue; cost is 75 cents and has coverage of the ’66 world contest that Nat Young won.

Amazing how your memory can be jogged by looking at something like that. I wonder how much time I spent looking at that magazine back some 43 years ago because I remembered so much of what is in it. I think the ads stand out the most… but some of the pictures too. There’s a 18 frame sequence of David Nuuhiwa’s 10.1 second nose ride from the world contest that made history. Some shots of large Newport Beach barrels and quite a few reader photos that were pretty nice.

The killer thing for me in the mag. is the article about Stanley’s Dinners… written by Arson Herd, photos by Bill Delany. How curios is this… just a week ago Dale aka Arson, whom I haven’t seen in years, came by the shop to say Hi. I had left early so I missed him but he left a nice note. So there’s the article with all the pictures of Stanley’s including the one I have etched in my mind of Pee Wee Shaw that I mentioned in this blog post. And once again I got to see what we’ve all been missing since that spot was destroyed by the freeway and off-ramp.

D.R.

Stanley's from across the PCH

The pic of Steve "Pee Wee" Shaw etched in my memory

Steve with the board he bought Sept 08

2009-07-26T22:04:00.001-07:00

The magic of surfing.

What is it about surfing that brings you back for more?

When you’re still in the learning stages is it simply the challenge of mastering the act itself?

Once you get proficient at surfing is it because you still have a move you want to pull off so you keep going back to perfect your moves?

Is there some body chemistry stuff that the physical part of surfing, exercise, that you become addicted to that makes you go back?

Is it the rush from taking a serious pounding and you still over came the situation?

Can it really be just the thrill of the ride?

Honestly I sure don’t know. But, what ever it is sure can get a grip on you and not let go.

This past month I’ve had some great experiences surfing that have only added to my interest of riding waves. One was a day trip to Santa Cruz island surfing that was my first ever trip there. It happen on a day that a nice south swell was peaking so we got some really good surf.

The day started at 4am in Ventura Harbor to board the boat with boards, bodies and gear for the out bound trip. Still dark we left the harbor with the plan of reaching our destination early for a good full day of surfing.

The weather was nice, sunny and warm. Though when we first arrived at the surf spot and set anchor there was still just a little cool in the morning air. So I held back on the boat and let the morning sun warm things up while I watched the surf and planned my go out. Having never surfed the spot I wanted to get a feel for the rhythm of the place and see how the sets worked and how the crowded moved in the lineup.

Finally I could hold back no more, suited up, threw my board off the boat, jumped in after it and paddled over to the lineup. I took it slow… I had all day, but found a few waves and began to settle into the spot. After about an hour and a half I began to realize the sun was baking my face and thought I’d better go back to the boat and add more sun block, which I did.

Sun block, some water and a hand full of crackers… I’d be surprised if it was 15 minutes and I was paddling back to the line up. The sun continued to climb in the sky, the tide continued to fill the reef, the surf continued in size and consistency, the crowd continued to thin out and I continued to have the time of my life.

Finally on my way back to the lineup after another great wave I realized I’d been surfing at least a total of 4 hours and except for the hand full of crackers hadn’t eaten all day and that may be why I was feeling a bit weak. I really didn’t want to stop surfing but I needed to eat before I started getting sick. So I paddled back to the boat.

After getting out of my wet suit and lunch it was late enough to think about the trip back. We pulled up anchor and motored our way around the island, across the channel back to the harbor and home.

It’s easy to think ‘yeah a trip like that will definitely make you want to surf more but what happened yesterday leaves me with the same feeling.

My son called about 5 in the afternoon and asked if I’d like to go for a surf… funny he caught me while I was in the process of getting my gear together for just that. He came, picked me up and we headed for the point.

Yesterday was the second day of a south swell we’ve been having so there was a little surf. Not real organized due to a small wind swell crossing things up in our area but still some head high and slightly larger sets to mess with. And I got lucky, after 30 to 40 minutes in the water I got a great set wave that was perfect for a series of bottom turns, turn backs and snaps that made the go out all time.

That one wave, that one ride will stick in my memory the same as that whole day surf adventure to Santa Cruz…. the magic of surfing.

D.R.

2009-07-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Learning to surf a shaper view post 7

As you progress with you surfing abilities you will develop a certain style. Sometimes we see someone surfing that is advanced and see them enough that we will begin to emulate how they surf. Hand positioning, stance and body language. Over time all that you see with the surfers around you is synthesized into you own unique style.

As an example I know a number of local guys that I’ve surfed with for years. When I walk up to the beach where we all surf and see a crowd of surfers in the water and one of those local guys takes off on a wave I can usually tell who they are by their style. There could be 4 of my friends in the water with a dozen other people but when one of my friends rides a wave I can identify them from the beach by the way they surf.

We all develop a unique style. Maybe it’s a surfing personality, but as you develop your abilities so to does your style of surfing. It may depend on the surf spot you frequent, as well as the kind of board you ride. But, your style will develop along with your abilities.

Since I mentioned the kind of board you ride playing a part in how your style will develop it might be important to understand that sometimes your equipment can be used to get you to surf a certain way.

Personally I think that surfing off of the rail of your board is more pleasing to watch than surfing off the tail of your board. To me longer power moves worked off the rail are more pleasing to look at than short jerky moves from surfing off the tail.

When my son began to advance in his surfing abilities I made him boards that he had to surf off the rail. They were wider tailed boards that if he worked them off the tail he’d spin out and fall. Because he wanted to ride waves as long as possible and not fall he learned how to ride his boards off the rail. And his surfing style developed more as a rail surfer than a tail surfer. As he progressed I made him boards that he could surf off the tail which gave him more maneuverability but because he had a more rail surfing style he didn’t do short jerky moves.

If you want to surf a certain way then watch surfers that surf that way. It may not be smart to get the same board they ride because their equipment may be to advanced for your abilities. But you can get boards to ride that will progress your abilities and style so over time you will have the style of surfing you’d like… uniquely your own.

D.R.

Photo by David Puu

Photo by Matt Riley

2009-07-12T22:11:00.001-07:00

Random pictures from the past couple months....

D.R.

2009-07-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

So you want to make a surfboard? Post 3

Do the end results of shaping your own board need to be perfect? Definitely not.

As a matter of fact they can be full of lumps and bumps but will still ride fine. The glass job doesn’t need to be perfect either. As long as a lamination is water tight your are good to go. Air in the glass job, dirt, miscellaneous imperfections are only cosmetic. Now days you can take your shaped blank to a lam shop get it glassed and by pass the glassing part altogether.

The most common problems that I’ve seen in home made boards shape wise is in rocker curves. Some to flat, usually because the foam blank is acquired from stripping the glass off of an old board. Some with to much rocker… maybe getting a blank that was glued up with to much curve to begin with or placing the outline on the blank to far forward.

But the end results not being the best usually doesn’t hurt how the board works for you. It may ride even better than something you’ve been riding that was made commercially. Why is that?

There are most likely a number of reasons…

Your stoke level is high because you’ve made you own board.

Because your stoke level is high the imperfects don’t bother you.

Because you’ve made your own board you want it to work for you.

Because you want it to work you try to figure it out.

If you find hang ups with the board you’re still stoked because you made the board.

The reason why you’re still stoked is because you’ve bought boards that had hang-ups.

You reason that because you’ve bought boards that had hang-ups it’s no big deal that the board you made has hang-ups so you continue to try and figure the board you made out. Finally, you’ve figured out what the hang ups are and the way to fix the hang ups is to make another board modified to what you think will solve the hang up problems .

Then the whole cycle starts over again. Welcome to my world forty seven years ago. And notice that most of this is psychological, because surfing is mostly a mental game.

D.R.

Photo by David Puu

2009-06-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

So you want to make a surfboard? Post 2

The place you have to start is the core…. the blank. Usually a foam, either polyurethane or EPS, that has been molded or cut specifically for making surfboards. Surfboard blanks come in a range of sizes so getting a blank that will be close to the size of board you plan to make is important. If you are making a 6’6 then you’d get a blank an inch or two longer, as well, if you wanted to make a 9’6 you’d get a blank that was 9’8 in length.

Blanks are molded with what we call a natural rocker that can be adjusted and held in place with the wood stringer that is glued into the length of the blank. Without a stringer blanks can and do loose some rocker and without a stringer it’s very difficult to add or subtract rocker into your shape.

You need the proper tools to shape a surfboard once you’ve gotten a blank. Though an electric plane is what is used in the industry it is possible to use hand planes and sand paper to get the job done.

I generally start with the outline when shaping. A nice curve drawn on the blank from a template that has no flat spots or bumps and can be duplicated on both side of the blank making a symmetrical left and right side is how it’s done. After the outline is drawn on the blank you cut out your outline and true up your cut with a plane and sand paper making sure again that there are not flat spots or bumps in the outline.

After the outline is finished milling your blank to thickness and foil interests is the next step, and the process where the inexperienced and experienced shaper will differ in approach. The inexperienced will simply plane the blank to desired thickness and move on to the next step. However, surfboard blank molds are made from plugs that are oversized in length, width and thickness for a particular sized surfboard. But don’t quite have the exact foil or foam volume distribution for anything but a very generic shape. So the experienced shaper will redistribute the blanks foam volume to get the foil to his liking, both for performance and aesthetic interests.

Because it’s possible to copy a certain board outline and have a nice curve to work with in outlining a surfboard almost anyone if taking their time can put an acceptable plan shape… outline.. on a blank. Getting just the right foil cut into a blank takes much more effort which comes from repetition of the process, the touch and sight that is developed from loads of repetition.

D.R.

Photo by David Puu

2009-06-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

I’m a lucky guy post 3.

Today was the first day of summer… and a nice day at that, sunny and pleasant. And, it was father’s day. What seems to be a tradition for fathers day now is my son comes and takes me to the beach to surf, a favorite thing for me is surfing with my son Robin. In 2006 Robin fell while working and broke his hip. He hasn’t surfed much since but is now beginning to get in the water a bit more.

So after breakfast Robin came by, I stuffed my gear and surfboard in his car and off we went looking for waves to ride. There wasn’t much but some small wind swell activity so we looked at the usual spots but didn’t see anything motivational. We even strolled up the beach at Rincon where there were about 20 guys, mostly on long boards, working the small waist high swell that would rap around the point to the inside line up.

Funny we ended up at inside point in Ventura and caught a few of the small waves that would stand up enough on the inside sand bar. There was really no crowd to speak of so we had all the waves we could find. He’d get one, I’d get one, like yoyos in and out having fun together in the water. That’s what I think is a nice father’s day. The only thing better would be to have both my kids at the beach.

Happy father’s day!

D.R.

My two kids Crystal and Robin.

2009-06-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

My story post 38

My first surf trip, fall of ’66, a surfer friend of mine asked if I’d like to go to Baja with him.

This guys dad was pretty cool because he had a pickup truck with a camper on it, some what rare for that time period. And, since the guys dad was taking us and would be there for the two day trip it was cool with my folks. I’d never been to Mexico but to go on a surf trip to Baja was a big deal, I had no idea what to expect.

So early Saturday morning, like 4:30a, we head out for the drive to Tijuana, go through the border crossing and head on down the Mexican highway to K38. Just happened to be a couple surf spots at that mile marker that were just off the road.

Actually the spot was K381/2. Make your way off road a short distance through the dirt following a path that cut a line to the edge of the small cliff that over looked the ocean. There it was a small point type reef break that you had to climb down a cliff to get to.

I remember it being over cast and cold with a little bit of surf hitting the reef maybe head high and inconsistent. And I don’t remember anyone else being there…. We had the place to our selves.

Maybe the fact that the surf wasn’t that great was the reason no one else was around or maybe because it was 1966 and there just weren’t that many guys that would make their way past the border to surf. I don’t know but one thing for sure, there was nothing around the place but a little vegetation and dirt.

For camping? This was the real deal. No facilities at all… you had to have everything you needed with you or you went without. Like find a bush to do your business kind. No running water, no fire pits, nothing.

After the long trip and surfing we made a fire to get warmed up and make something hot to eat. I had some peanut butter and bread but for something hot? Pork and Beans! And of course when I stuffed my bag full of all the goodies I thought I would like for the trip I never thought I’d need something to cook my pork and beans in or eat out of for that matter.

Man, what’s a guy suppose to do? Well, I figured, with the help of my friend, I could cut the top off the can of beans and stick the can on the fire. Once the sauce in the can started to boil I figured it was hot enough to eat. Using my towel as a hot pad quickly snatch the can out of the fire without to much damage to my towel, hold the can with my towel and eat the beans right out of the can.

By now it was dark and after the long drive, surfing and food all I could think about was sleeping. The camper was for my friends dad. We got the dirt floor for our sleeping bags and the sky over our heads…. The great out doors.

D.R.

Much better amenities on a surf-camp trip this past week at Leo Carrillo.

2009-05-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

So you want to make a surfboard?

I read a line on a forum this past week that said basically ‘a surfboard is something any _______ could make with a few weeks training’.

Is that a true statement? After all I made a surfboard when I was 13 that was good enough for me to learn to surf on. And I’d never seen anyone make one or was ever trained to make a surfboard.

First lets qualify that the board I made started with a blank that was pretty much pre-shaped. I had to cut the blank in half and glue in the stringer but didn’t need to do any real shaping. So I had to laminate the board including the fin, sand and gloss the board after I’d done the prep work on the pre-shaped blank.

Today it’s possible to do about the same thing. If you can get a pre-shaped machined blank and clean up the ridges all you need to do is set fin boxes and laminate the darn thing. Reality is it’s not to difficult to do.

The question is will the end result of the board made by the person with a few weeks training or no training be commercially viable?

Let’s face it, there are plenty things that you or I could do on our own that a professional may do every day. My brother in-law built a good sized addition to his house and he’s no carpenter. He needed a little help lifting some of the heavier framing lumber but that’s about it. I’m not a mechanic but have done some repair work on my own cars, the same kind of work a real mechanic would charge $50 an hour to do. And guys that don’t know much about surfboards or surfboard construction can make a surfboard.

I trained my son how to sand surfboards. After about six months sanding everyday five days a week he’d gotten good enough at it to make a fairly decent wage with few screw ups. To be fair…. He’d been around surfboard work some, and done other related kinds of tasks, but still getting to a sufficient level in six months may seem like at least that part of making a surfboard isn’t to difficult.

Doing clear free lap short board laminating is not that difficult either. One could learn to do that sufficiently in a relatively short time as well. But, getting to the point of doing good color laminations and heavier fabric work. Nice tints and foam stains will take a long time to get down. And, fact is some guys just can’t do it.

Shaping? Easily the most difficult part of making a surfboard, now easily done with a computer controlled machine that allows just about anyone to become an over night shaping sensation. Geez, only about a year ago CI was advertising their need to hire shapers, you only needed a year of shaping experience to qualify for the job.

Honestly it takes a lot of shaping experience to get really good at it. Sure you can clean up a machined blank, though I’ve seen guys mess up a machined blank pretty good. And if you get a 6’3 H and shape the same 6’1 every day in a few months you may get pretty good at making a 6’1 but, any other shape? May not come out to well…

I think it’s cool that people make their own boards, it can be fun. I know I enjoy making surfboards so why wouldn’t anyone else. There is enough information floating around these days that can help make the process much more successful. If only I’d had it so good when I was 13….

But the reality is, to do anything craft or trade related well can take a life time, and making surfboards so no exception. Sure you can get proficient enough in a fairly short time but to get really good? It will take longer.

BTW, I thought what the heck, I’ll apply for that shaping job at CI, filled out the online application and sent my resume. I never got a reply… I think I may have been over qualified!

D.R.

2009-05-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

My story post 37

It was 40 years ago…. time flies when you’re having fun…. I had moved up to the Wilderness ranch house in Rincon valley on Casitas Pass rd. where Mike Cundith, his wife and Richie West lived.

This time of year what we would do in the morning before going up to the ice house shop in Santa Barbara to make surfboards is check for surf. Spring time and into summer what we call The Rincon which is the stretch of coast line from below Pitas point to Rincon point is usually pretty flat. South swells are blocked by the channel islands in this area so except for wind swells there is no surf.

Some times a good enough wind swell will refract around Rincon point as well can make a few of the beach breaks from Over Head to oil piers work. By that time Stanley’s was gone. So it was wind swells we'd be looking for. Unless we knew of a south swell and hit Ventura for surf.

The surfboards we rode by then were all sub 6’ boards of the Greenough hull design and very cutting edge, though at the time it really didn’t seem that way. We were just surfers trying to find new ways to ride waves. There were no big commercial interests, no big money involved… actually barely any money at all. I was single and only interested in surfing so I didn’t need money. Enough money to pay rent and buy peanut butter was about it for me, actually I think I ate trail mix. We all drove VW’s, wore t-shirts, shorts and flip flops, didn’t get hair cuts or watch TV. It was a simple life of surfing and making surfboards.

Looking back that time has become the defining time of change, the beginning of the evolution in surfboard design as we know it. None of us thought that 40 years from then we’d ever say ‘geez that was us, we were right at the forefront of the design process’ we were all just caught up in the moment. Never a thought about what it might mean in the future.

D.R.

This board shaped in 1973, a 6’3, is similar to what we were doing at Wilderness 40 years ago. That board has been everywhere, from Mazatlan to the south shore of Oahu and all up and down the California coast.

2009-05-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Sacred Craft Ventura

I had a great time this weekend at the Ventura issue of Sacred Craft. It was a pleasure to see so many surfboard enthusiasts, talk story and talk about surfboards. This is a special thanks to all those that came by my booth, as well, the Studio 609 booth. And a special thanks to Ray Moss, Spencer Kellogg and Jeff Sardine for hanging at the 609 booth, and helping with set up and tear down. Also the Riley guys, Dan and Matt for helping with my booth.

And not to forget a special thanks to my wife Suzi for taking some cool pics.

D.R.

Set up and ready to show. Happily right next to US Blanks

Show celebs

John Peck, Duncan Campbell and me.... The Campbell Bros. had a Penetrator when they were teenagers.

Wayne Rich Outlining his Bradbury.

Talking surfboards.

Michel Junod telling me I need to go get my picture taken.

Photo opp with Spencer Kellogg

Rachel and Chris at the 609 booth.

My booth sponser Randy... Wave Front Surf Shop owner.

Starting to pack things up.

Mark Andreini and I about ready to head home.

2009-05-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Today was Mothers day.

I’ve mentioned in a couple posts how friends of mine had moms that would take us to the beach to surf when I was a teenager. There are moms that surf though mostly what I see is dads in the water with there sons or daughters, but, what about the moms that support their kids in surfing?

My mom never took me and my friends to the beach to surf but she sure supported me and my surfing interests. And as I progressed through my teen years she supported me in my surfboard business.

I see kids getting dropped off at the beach by their moms here in Ventura all the time. As well see kids hanging on the promenade at inside point waiting to be picked up by their moms after surfing. My wife would take our son to the beach so he could surf and was always happy to go off on a camping surf trips for 2 or 3 days. Making sure my son and I were will taken care of while on our trips…. Plenty food, warm sleeping bags, sun block, surf wax…. All the important stuff.

Maybe your dad did some of the heavy lifting when in came to getting started with surfing but without the support of our moms I think it would be safe to say there would be far fewer surfers.

So here’s to all the moms that have made surfing possible for so many.

D.R.

Me, my wife and half sister sitting around the camp fire on a surf outing… note pile of boards in the back ground.

2009-05-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

The making of a model.

I’ve got a couple new models that just got to Wave Front Surf Shop. And I’ll have them on display at the Ventura Sacred Craft Expo on May 16 and 17.

One of my most popular boards in Hawaii was a mid length tri. I made them from 7’10 to 8’2 but most were right at 8’0. This board worked great for bigger guys and guys that didn’t get in the water as much as they’d like. It paddled well, and had the right foil and dimensions so guys could surf it in small surf as well as stuff up to 6 or 7 foot. A very responsive board.

When I returned from Kauai in 2004 I decided to make myself one of those 8’0s but had a little mix up at the glass shop and instead of a tri it was fitted as a 2 + 1. I didn’t have a trailing fin the size of the available side fins so I thought I’d surf the board as a single fin, put an 8 inch in it… what the heck.

The board worked great! After surfing it for awhile with the single fin I decided to try some side bites. I was amazed at the drive and distance I could get with the 2 +1 set up. I loved getting to the beach when the surf was overhead with that board… it was so much fun in waves with a good face.

After I made the Perimeter stringer quad long board… PSQ… I thought I’d retro fit the 8’0 for a quad. I really liked the way the PSQ handled so why not see how the 8’0 goes as a quad. WOW! The board worked great with a quad set up. I’ve not changed back and it’s been at least a year of surfing that board.

So here’s a board that works great with 4 different fin set ups. Depending on what the surf is like on any given day the board can be changed around to meet the need or interests of the moment.
A fantastic travel board because it’s fun in small surf as well, hold it’s own in bigger stuff too.

Because of all the ways the board can be fixed up we’re calling it The Gadget.

D.R.