You may have heard the saying “only a surfer knows the feeling”. I’ve said it at least a few times in the pages of this blog.

As we grow in our surfing abilities from the hours and hours spent in the water… or because you can surf in a wave pool now I should say ocean. Surfers all share experiences that only surfers experience. Surfing is a difficult activity, the excitement, fun, disappointments, challenges and even fears encountered in the ocean are all shared by surfers. So in that sense surfers are like a community.

Sure we are all different individually but the shared experiences make us surfers unique. As an example.. I live and surf (for the most part) in Ventura California. I can go to San Diego to surf and may strike up friendships with surfers there because we are surfers. A surfer can go anywhere in the world where there is surf and the same thing can and will happen… that’s community.

I’ve recently had a very kind and powerful experience from the surfing community which I talked about in my last post. The raffle that was put together at Ventura Surf Shop for me and my wife to raise some funds to help us with the damaging affects to our home from flooding last year. A different kind of experience than surfing but coming from surfers, some I know and many I’ve not met... from the surfing community.

The kindness and generosity felt is not easy to put into words. Overwhelming is one word. Heartfelt is another. I’ll add very heartfelt. Saying thank you seems a weak response, but I don’t know of other words that convey Thank You with deep heartfelt meaning.

So I’ll say this, a heart felt Thank You to all and every one that participated. Our ( my wife and my ) stress level was eased  for sure. And again thank you Blinky for making it all happen.

So Suzi my wife, reached into the bowl of raffle tickets. The phone number on the ticket was called…. And we had a winner.

D.R.

Ray our winner with his new Penetrator. Ray, if you see this, sorry I was not able to meet you when you came out to pick up your prize. Not knowing when you might come I got stuck prepping sand bags, preparing for the storm that was coming.

 

My story number 59.

Last January I posted about the storm that inundated my home and work shop. We had 2 more heavy storms that continued making things worse.

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2023/01/my-surfboard-work-shed-i-call-it-work.html

Well, Blinky thought it would be nice to help my wife and I with some of our expenses and asked if I would shape a Penetrator for Ventura Surf Shop that he would but up for raffle to raise some funds for us.

Ventura Surf shop donated the blank for me to shape… my work shop being destroyed Scott Larese  ( Larese Lamination ) donated the lamination. I asked John Peck if he would provide one of his Penetrator labels for the board and got help from Silkworm screen printing with dialing in the label to integrate it with my label. I’ve made plenty of Penetrators over the years but this one is a one off because of the labels…. A rare and special board. As well, the reason why it was made.

So, The week before Christmas just past the board was completed and Blinky started the raffle. Now all 200 raffle tickets have been sold and we’ll be drawing the winning ticket in a couple days.

Thank you to all who came out to participate. I’m overwhelmed with your generosity. We have a lot to do still to bring our property back. The expenses on having a home we can’t live in but still keep up with utilities, insurance and taxes on top of paying rent for temporary housing is not easy, it’s truly humbling to be on the receiving end of everyone’s help and kindness.

Thank you to Blinky for putting the raffle together and all your help.

D.R.

 

Surf wise this fall into winter Ventura has had a pretty consistent run of good surf. And 2023 is going out with a bang.

It started 12/28 with a large swell, defiantly the biggest surf we’ve had in some time.

Surf in Ventura has no channel to paddle through to get to the surf zone or line up. So when the surf is big the only way to it is through it. And that can be difficult. If the swell is real consistent you will take a good beating on the way out. If there are not long enough lulls it’s close to if not impossible get out.

On the 28^th some made it out and got some sizable surf.

Yesterday the 30^th another swell reached us and no one was in the water. It didn’t seem to be quite the size as the 28^th but the City closed the streets at the beach so you couldn’t get there. There were by standers that got hurt by getting to close to the beach where there were waves washing up the end of streets on the 28^th. We had news crews getting it in on camera.

So the morning of the 30^th the city closed the beaches down.

Today you can get to the beach as the surf has backed off… head high plus. 

So what will 2024 be like? There are always predictions… but the only real way to know is as we get through it.

Happy New Year!

D.R.

Do you ever wonder what the surf spot you regularly surf was like in years passed? Maybe what it was like before surfing got started?

Every now and again I do. The spot I surf has had changes and pretty big ones during the period I started surfing and now. The town of Ventura where I live has participated in the changes, spent probably millions of dollars on those changes. As well nature has made changes to the surf in Ventura town too.

My wife gave me a book “Images of America Ventura County” last week. As I read through the book and looked at the pictures I found one of what was called the wharf. It is a picture of the Ventura pier on the south side looking out from the beach. The story writing with the picture was from 1905… 118 years ago. The Ventura Pier has been around for a long time.

South of the pier now days there are jetties. They weren’t there in 1905. Harbor Blvd that runs along the beach wasn’t there either, nor the freeway or any other development.

There was some surf breaking in the picture. A perfect peeling right with a left hand corner on the opposite side of the right. And a couple swells forming behind the breaking wave.

The Pier is a surf spot, or was a surf spot. The last couple decades the pier has lost it’s status as a spot to surf. Why? Because it doesn’t break like it used to. And certainly not like what you see in the 1905 picture.  But in was a regular spot to surf.

I could see the pier from my shaping bay at Morey-Pope and when there was surf it made it hard for me to work because…. Well there was surf and I could see it. I surfed the spot but didn’t surf it regularly like I did up the point. My son surfed it more regular than I did.

It would get really good on big winter swells. The current would get really strong with the larger surf making it hard to stay in the lineup without being swept down the beach. So some of the hard core locals tired a long rope off the pier that they could hold on to, that would keep them from drifting down shore. That current would make things very difficult to paddle out to the line up too.

What would some of my friends do to remedy the difficult paddle out? Walk out on the pier to a place passed the surf zone and jump of the pier. Hard core… hustle to grab the rope, hold on for a good set wave, let go, paddle into position and pick off a good left back to the pier.

Developments on the beach up the point have helped to shut down the surf break at the pier. It does break some times but sadly nothing like it used to. My son and I used to have a look out spot a block over and a couple blocks down from our house we’d use for a quick surf check of the pier.

Though I don’t see it with decent surf, after all these years when driving by the beach I always look to see if the pier is breaking.

D.R.

Ventura Pier circa 1905

 

Is it an everyday thing, or something done when you’ve got the time or when arriving at the beach? The surfers routine.

For 37 years, less the 9 years we were on Kauai, I lived in a house close to the beach and surf spot I usually surfed. Go west one block, south two and a half blocks then west one more block and you were at the pedestrian bridge that runs over the Ventura Freeway ending at the Ventura Pier.

Sometimes on weekends I’d ride a bicycle to the pier to check the surf. But usually on my way to work I’d drive by the point to check the surf. It was a routine thing. Eyes on the water.

Some days you’d know before hand what the surf was going to be like. Bad wind conditions, a storm is passing, but go by the beach just to see the water. The ocean, the waves, always in the back of your mind.  

It can be a community thing too. Like the crew that shows up at the point every day for a morning surf. If the surf is nonexistent they might hang in conversation before going off each their own way until the next day. Return for the same.

A routine could be around the varying daily tides. Having a yearly tide chart to routinely consult to see when the tide is optimum for any given day. On a regular basis so you can arrange your day to surf when the tides are good for the spot you surf.  Or you’ve got time to surf so you check the tide chart for the best window of opportunity.

After work, after school or classes. Off for a surf check.

You really don’t think about it. It’s just something the surfer does. Now the non-surfer? Tell them you go check the surf everyday on the way to wherever…. “ kind off obsessive aren’t you”? They might say. Your response…. “No”.

I suppose one could be obsessive now days. You’ve got a phone on you all the time, and you can look at the cameras at the drop of a hat. You know you’ve got time later in the day but you’ve got to look see…. Is the surf still good? Look see…Has it gotten better than earlier? Look see…. Has it gotten blown out and I’m going to miss it. Yeah that could be obsessive.

Ok I’m old. Once upon a time there were no cameras pointed at a surf spot. You actually had to get to the beach to see what the ocean and waves looked like and what the prevailing conditions were like.

One way or another the avid surfer typically has a routine the revolves around their daily life. It’s just what the surfer does.

But to check the surf? Where I live and surf there are no less than 6 camera angles you can look at to see what the conditions and waves are like at any given time.

Is that obsessive?

D.R.  

 

Here’s a question for you. What do you think of surf contests?

The story of my first surf contest is at this link..

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-story-post-40-my-first-attempt-at.html

Over the years I’ve been in maybe 4 or 5 others beside the one in the link above. Maybe 3 of the 4 or 5 were at the point in Ventura where an annual event has been put on for some 37 years.

Honestly surf contests are fine. But typically it seems to me the number of events that have any decent surf are few and far between. So why bother? That said… I competed in the annual “C” Street Classic the first of this month. September 2 and 3. Why?

The week going into that weekend a friend of mine asked me If I’d like to be in the contest that coming weekend. “why” I asked. “because it would be fun, you should come out” he says. Then says “Think about it, I’ll get back to you.”  And that was it.

So I wake up Saturday morning fire up the computer to pay some bills. But first look at the surf via Surfline cameras and notice all this activity on the Ventura Promenade. ‘oh yeah there’s the surf contest today’. Then think I’d look at the contest web page to see who I might know in the event. Looking at the old man category I see guys I know and then see my name listed.

What???? ‘what the heck, my friend put me in the event’? So I give him a call… he picks up and I say “you put me in the contest”? “yeah where are you”? “I’m at home… you didn’t tell me I was signed up” “well do you want to be in it?  the surf is really good.”  “Well I guess” I say “ but it’s 15 to 8 and the heat is at 8:30”. He says “get down here, just park on the grass close to the event”.

I’ve pretty much always got all my gear and boards in my van so I rush out the door to the beach. Get there, run to the check in both sign the disclaimer paper run back to the van, suit up all the while looking at some really nice surf. Grab my board walk down to the waters edge and paddle out. I get to the line up just as the horn goes off signaling the start of the heat.

The heat was 15 minuets. Not much time for 4 surfers to find enough waves to get a decent score total. But the surf was good and pretty consistent, no wait time for a wave. Catch a wave paddle back out catch another. Everyone got waves. And good ones at that. Though only 15 minuets, it was nice being in those conditions and not have to work though a crowd.

Back on the beach I find I’ve advanced and will be back for more Sunday morning. This time in a 20 minuet heat. The surf was even better for the final.

All in all it was fun. Just like I was told it would be.

D.R.

Pic nicked from instagram @chappy2 

With Thanks!

 

I set out writing this blog saying to myself… ‘ if I start this I’ve got to stay at it.’ Come  September 9 just over a week from this writing I’ve been at it 17 years.

Over the years I’ve always been interested in people’s story of how they came to surfing. So if I can brush my shyness aside and get a chance to ask someone about that I will.

A couple weeks ago I did just that. At the beach and walking to my van I got the opportunity to ask someone when they started surfing. You’d see this person every morning very early going out to surf at the point. A lot of times he’d be the first person in the water. I was curious to know when he got started as I’ve been able to see his progress for some time. He introduced himself and said he started 2 years ago yesterday….

I haven’t been able to talk with him since but I’ve got to say, knowing the exact date you started surfing sounds like planned determination. If you want to surf it does take determination for sure. As a matter of fact, determination could be the first ingredient to learning how to surf.

Paddle for a wave… miss it, paddle for a wave… miss it, paddle for a wave… miss it, paddle for a wave catch it… fall, paddle for a wave catch it… fall. Until you finally get to your feet for a spilt second. The reward finally comes and that feeling never leaves you.

Determination and repetition. You finally catch more waves than you miss. Get to your feet without falling more times than not. Until you catch almost every wave you paddle for and make a larger and larger percentage of the waves you catch without falling.

Now the ingredient that helps the learning curve… you’ve got the surfboard attached to your ankle. You fall but the board stays right with you. Climb back on the thing for a short paddle back to the line up and repeat. The repetition aspect is amplified.

I learned to surf via surf lessons. Briefly mention here…

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-story-post-1-my-story-well-at-least.html

Learning to surf over 60 years ago was different. The surfboard was not attached to you ankle so when you fell your board could very well end up all the way at the waters edge and you had to go get it. First the swimming then more paddling to get to the line up, and getting more of a beating because you had to get back through the breaking waves.

But we didn’t know anything else… and learned to surf with that same determination.

D.R.

 

Got to talking with a couple people in the water this past week about staying fit so you can continue to surf as you age….

One person asked if I did any cross training, thinking that may be a good way to stay fit. I’m sure it is but not what I’m interested in. Training? Sounds like too much work. The other person asked how old I was. He was 44 and found out I was 30 years his senior.

I turned to the other person and said… ‘ it’s weird looking like an old person’  She replied “because you don’t feel old”. Yeah, and I honestly can only think of a few guys that are my age or close to it able to surf these days.

Surfing is so enjoyable and something that takes a lot of time to get good at. So I don’t want to stop doing it. But it takes a diligent effort to stay fit enough to continue to surf when you reach your sixth and seventh decade. For me it is an absolute. I want to surf as much as I can.

When I told the 44 year old guy my age he said. ‘Nice, that means I can keep surfing for years to come.

Fortunately I’ve been healthy, and don’t have any physical ailments. Hopefully that will continue because I’d like surf for a good ten more years or more.

D.R.

 The Old guy. Tip Tool in hand, heading for a surf

 Love this shot. Early morning bottom turn with the sun just lifting off the horizon in west Ventura Town. Got to be maybe 2008....Thanks David for inviting me out to take pictures that early summer morning. I Remember him running down the trail from main street with his cameras so he could catch the sun as it just began to rise.

After surfing for awhile we went off to breakfast!

D.R.

I was talking with a friend of mine a couple days ago about a surf meet she was going to be in…. of all places Malibu.

The meet will be toward the end of June after the official first day of summer. Malibu surf events have to be in summer or at least during the calendar year when south swells are generated because Malibu is a south swell surf spot. South swells typically run from April through October. Usually you’ll see the first south swell in California each year sometime in April and typically the last south swell sometime in October. That is the season for them though an off season south swell can happen, and does from time to time.

The thing about south swells is they can have very inconsistent set intervals. Like 3 or 4 wave sets 5 or 10 minuets apart. And that’s what we got to talking about with Donna, my friend entered in the surf event at Malibu.

When you have a 15min. 6 man heat, that’s the event heat criteria, during a south swell that has inconsistent surf what are you chances of getting a couple set waves that will give you the opportunity to score enough points to advance to another heat? So, just for fun let’s say when the first heat that Donna is in there are 3 sets of 4 waves in each set. That’s 12 waves for 6 people to choose from. Let’s say it just so happens that each contestant in the heat gets 2 of the 12 waves during the 15 minutes allotted for the heat.

Fair enough, each contestant gets 2 waves for the judges to decide how each wave ridden will be scored.  That’s not much to go on for any of the contestants to have a chance at advancing to the next round of the event. If all the contestants in the heat are pretty equal in ability I believe the math comes out to be something like a 16% chance that any one of the contestants will have the top score of the 6 contestants. With each of the other riders falling in behind that top score, most likely in some random order. As well, which ever contestant getting the top score is random too. Keep in mind that there is some sort of priority rule for even getting one of the waves during the heat.

Ok, so what’s the point of all this? To me the point would be you enter the contest for what ever the entrance fee is for the opportunity to surf  Malibu for 15 minutes with only 6 other people in the water. And maybe you get to advance to another heat for another opportunity. But you don’t know ahead of time if there will be any surf and what the conditions will be like at the time of the heats you get in.

How ‘bout if you’re going to pay to surf with a small group of people just head out to a wave pool instead.

D.R.

Malibu one day this week with a south swell in the water. About 4 or 5 waves sets 5 plus minutes apart. What are the chances that any one of the people in the water will get one of those set waves. 

When will the water warm to above 60°F? Looking at the buoys, Santa Cruz basin = 57.7, East Channel = 55.8 and West Channel and even 54.

There’s this web site https://seatemperature.info/ventura-water-temperature.html. that offers up ocean temperatures from various places you can look up. I’ve always got it set for Ventura. Nice thing is it has the current temp and then the warmest and coldest reading from the past and what the temperature is expected to be in the next 10 days.

Don’t know how accurate it is but it’s a nice reference to have, at least if you’re a nut about surfing in a more comfortable water temperature. As well gives you an idea what mil wetsuit is good for a trip to the beach to surf. Nothing like having a suit you’ll suffocate in because the water is warmer and the suit you’ve got is for cooler water. Or vice versa, the water is cold and you’re in a suit that’s for warmer water and you are shivering.

Funny how is it though…. Ever ask someone that you see has just gotten out of the water and  you ask ‘How’s the water’?  They say ‘oh it’s nice’. You assume that means warm. You suit up, paddle out and in 10 minuets you’re shivering. You’re not going to paddle back in and change into a warmer suit so you surf shivering along until you’ve had enough of the cold and shiver your way back to your car. Shiver your way out of the cold suit. Jump in the car and turn the heat up.

If you’re to warm because of the suit you’re in at least you can splash water on your face or slip off your board and dunk into the water for a cool off. Personally I’d rather be to warm than to cold.

Typically this time of year when I start surfing in the early mornings the water temperature and air temperatures are pretty close to the same, maybe a few degrees apart. And usually the mornings are overcast. So you don’t have the sun to heat things up. When it’s cold sun on a dark suit is a good thing. I’m always wanting the water to reach 60, seems that temperature is the threshold for my arthritic hands not to bother me.

The water has been cold this year so far. Sure hope it warms up a bit so the old guy doesn’t shiver.

D.R. 

Warm water short suit

It’s been a long time since I haven’t thought about surfing.

Actually I have been thinking about surfing…. Wondering when I’ll feel comfortable going for a surf when I’ve got so much to take care of with the current condition of my home and property. There have been people say “you need to take a break and go surf”. I’ve got and excuse, ‘the water is to cold.’ Not only that, day time temperatures have hardly been better than 60 if that most days. Or as the weather man puts it. Temperatures are below normal.

As for weather we haven’t seen normal so far this year. Rain totals for the year in my area are over twice the average. When does that happen? I don’t know, maybe not in my life time.

It’s coming on 3 month now that we’ve been out of our home. Not sure when at this point we’ll be back in our home. Still haven’t been able to get to my work shop. That might change by mid april… just guessing.

One thing I do know. The quiver is currently safe. Pretty muddy but safe none the less.

D.R.

 

We’ve had another pretty big rain event.

Unfortunately it undid all the work that was done, with the help of many, to move sediment and direct the creek water away from our house and getting a pumping system up and running to remove water form the garage and guest house.

So, still unable to even get into my work shop to rebuild. It may be 3 or 4 months before any substantial work can get completed.

The first group of volunteers helped remove what was blocking my surfboard locker so we could get to a customers board. Luckily I could get it out and with no damage. But this last rain my personal boards and those of my sons were lifted from all the water, fell onto the doors and spilled over. One board floated stopping close to our front deck.  

Haven’t figured out just where to keep them. Until water recedes. It’s a small challenge compared to what we’re facing. 

I got this letter in the mail last week from a surfboard customer, Mark, that was very encouraging. Getting a hand written letter is really something these days. He said no need for a thank you for his contribution to help toward rebuilding. 

But I’ll say it anyway. Thank You! For your kind encouraging words and gift. Hope you don't mind me posting this.

Taking one day at a time.

D.R.

For anyone that would like to help out  givesendgo.com

My surfboard work shed, I call it a work shed because it’s more than a shaping bay. I do all my surfboard work in that one room from shaping to polishing and everything in between.

The story about the different personal shaping bays I’ve had through out the last 50 years is here.

https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-first-shaping-shack-was-lean-to.html

Note the last paragraph in that post…. 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.

Well something happened on the 9^th of this month. We had a destructive winter storm that hit my home and property very hard. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to dig out and rebuild.

The last couple weeks a number of friends have come out to help. A very special thanks to all for that… we’re moving forward slowly. 

This below, taken from givesendgo.com , that was set up for my Wife Suzi and I

From Dennis Ryder:

We thankfully have flood insurance, which covers the house, garage and contents that are damaged. Anything and everything outside, like the dirt, sediment, debris and redirecting the water that is currently flowing through our yard, are all the things our property insurance doesn’t cover.

The damage to our home and property is seriously beyond our means. Asking for help is far away the most difficult thing to do…. It’s very humbling. But, there’s no way we can do this on our own. We need help.

Thanks for your prayers and support.  With shovel in hand.

D.R.

\

                                           

Today we close 2022. A few significant happenings of this year for me as they come to mind…

My former partner “Blinky” being inducted into the Surfboard Builders Hall of fame. https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2022/10/

The passing of one of the big time surfboard shaper / designers the I had the pleasure of working for “Dick Brewer” https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2022/06/

I first got interested in surfing some 60 years ago. Plenty had happened in surfing before then, but at that the surfing industry was quite young…. So was I for that matter at 12 years old. We all have individuals we look up to in the surfing world and for me having years in surfing and surfboards I’m seeing a number of the individuals I looked up to sadly passing away.

Surfers Journal has a short video memorial of those that have left us this past year….

https://www.surfersjournal.com/editorial/passings-2022/ A lot of people in there and maybe a couple you might have looked up to.

I have always used Fins Unlimited fins and the “Bahne Fin Box” for decades of course. Bob Bahne is one in the video that I’d heard of passing just this month. Kemp Aaberg is listed, I didn’t know he had passed. Kemp was well known in the sixties in surfing. Seen in the early surf films and in pictures in Surfer Magazine. I didn’t know kemp but looked up to him and introduced myself to him at this event https://drsurfboards.blogspot.com/2007/05/book-signing.html. Then one summer day I was getting out of the water at inside point just as Kemp was coming down the stairs for a go out. Me just like a little kid seeing someone famous I had to stop him and strike up a conversation. I’ll always remember that.

Also in the video was Peter Cole. I didn’t know him but of course knew of. He was a key figure in surfing when I was growing up. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/surfing/2022/02/22/big-wave-surfer-peter-cole-dies-at-age-91

As for surfing in 2022 I’d say it was an ok year. I didn’t get in the water as much as I’d have like to. Seemed to not have enough time with the number of boards to make on my list. So, looking forward to hopefully getting more surf in this new year. We’ve been having a consistent string of swells for the past several weeks which might continue.

Also, I hope to make myself a new board. The model I call the DR Wing Nose. One of 3 boards I need in my quiver but haven’t gotten to yet.  Yeah, new boards are always good to look forward to. 

Happy New Year!

D.R.

Question…. Is making surfboards thought to be fun? Are those that make surfboards for a living thought to have the dream job?

I couldn’t say it’s the dream job or that it’s fun. The one thing it is though is hard work. And like any other kind of work you’re always best off if you like doing whatever it is. Same with surfboards because it is hard work as well as dirty, dusty, sticky, smelly and hazardous. Can’t do it sitting down either, because it’s an all day on your feet deal.

Most people that work surfboards work at contract lamination shops, unless what ever surfboard label one is working for has it’s own fully equipped production set up. Shaping, laminating, packaging, maybe even sales. For the most part each person that works in these facilities has one job. It could be shaping, laminating, setting fins or sanding, that’s all they do all day long.

By trade I’m a production shaper. Stick a surfboard blank in my shaping bay and I’d cut it into a surfboard…. All day every day. It’s hard work physically because you're on your feet and walking around the blank with power tools and hand tools until each board you work on is finished. It’s also hard work mentally because you’ve got to make all the right cuts and moves to have the board you’re shaping come out the way it’s supposed to. Making a mistake can be a real problem.

That said, each task of making surfboards is not easy and takes time to get proficient at, not to mention at least a half dozen years to get good at. Laminating, sanding, doing color work. Really doesn’t matter it all takes a developed skill. It’s repetitious and both physical work and has its challenging moments mentally.

If you’d like to work making surfboards, you may need to be particularly lucky. I know I was. I learned on my own while in high school with my own small surfboard repair business where I also made surfboards start to finish. Not many mind you but, with that I was able to learn and develop enough skills that could be used on a resume to get a job making them. After moving to Ventura where there were a couple surfboard shops, I got hired on part time at one where I shaped and did some laminating. Then I got hired shaping for the one company that could move me into a career as a shaper…. which it did. Day after day, shaping, shaping, shaping.

The nice thing about that job was after work. The foreman, the sales guy and one of the other guys that glossed and did other odds and ends stuff and I would all go surf together. That may be the fun part about making surfboards, working with people like minded about surfing. Not just working together making surfboards but surfing together too.

The memories that you get from surfing with friends that you also work with can stick with you for a lifetime. I say that because I’ve got them. Not just from that first production shaping job but all the other places I’ve work at in Ventura, Santa Barbara and on the island of Kauai.

Yeah, making surfboards is hard work But there are some benefits too.

D.R.

 

My long time friend and former business partner was inducted into the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame this month. 

Bill “Blinky” Hubina along with 6 others from various parts of the globe were inducted this year. Not many from the Ventura area are noticed in the surfboard industry, but Blinky was noticed and makes the 6 degrees of separation for me pretty close,  Blinky being the William and me being the Dennis of William Dennis Surfboards.

So I jumped at the opportunity to go to Huntington Beach for the ceremony with a few friends and see Blinky get celebrated and inducted, a very happy event. Right at the Huntington Pier where you could sit and watch the ceremony and watch the surf at the same time. The weather was nice, overcast sky and not to warm. We would have been scorched if it was sunny. There was no wind either which was nice for the surfers in the water that we could see form where we were seated.

Each inductee had a story to tell of how they got involved in surfing and making surfboards that was very interesting. How each person in their own way got interested in surfing and then making surfboards. The International Surfboard Builders HOF says that each one of the inductees are responsible for making surfing what it is today and without them there would not be surfing as we know it. As well how surfers could go to them and talk through the surfboards they were riding and work out details of how to improve and advance their abilities.

I know Blinky was happy to be a part of that. This past Sunday he threw a party at one of the local breweries to celebrate. He even had a special brew made for the event for everyone that attended… what fun. All Sunday afternoon people came to congratulate him and hang out, the guy has a lot of friends, which not only was a celebration but became a reunion. So many people from all the years gone by in attendance made for the best of times.

Blinky knew the various stages of surfboard building and pretty much got started shaping in late 1967 after we started William Dennis. Personally the guys that shaped boards through the evolution period were, or are the hard core board crafters. There are very few left and Blinky is one of them. Here is a quote of Blinky from this local paper about the surfboard evolution, “There was no one to copy, so every board was an original. I would ride it, learn from it, then sell it so I could make another one.” He’s so right on that, I’ve said pretty much the same thing somewhere in the pages of this blog. Not to discount those that started shapeing after that evolution period. When it all started we had a blank design page and had to find our way through the process.

That’s one of the reasons Blinky is deserving of being on the list of contributors to surfing at the International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame.

D.R.

The crew from Ventura that attended the ceremony

L to R

Lew Morris, Wollybear, Steve Huerta, Johnny G, Blinky, Me, Stan Fuji, Malcolm Campbell

 

Congratulaion!

Bill "Blinky" Hubina

What’s the difference between surfing in the tropics and surfing at least where I am in Southern California?

Having grown up in So. Cal. and surfing around So. Cal. from 1962 ‘til now I pretty much know what the prevailing conditions are like for surf and pretty much surfed in every condition. As well know what conditions I prefer, always looking for days with surf that also have my preferred conditions.  Also living on the Island of Kauai for just shy of 10 years I’ve got a decent sample size of tropical conditions in surfing experience as well. 

The easiest condition to note would be water temperature. Here in Ventura Ca. the warmest temps sometimes reach 70 to 72…. Coldest? Mid to upper 50’s. Kauai water coldest may be low 70’s but will be low 80’s quite a bit of the time. I still remember the first time me and a friend, also from Ventura, jumped in the water at a Oahu south shore spot one August morning. We both laughed at how warm the water was compared to what we would usually get into at home. 

Prevailing condition are made or broken with wind. I’m sure it’s been motioned in other posts here that knowing what the local wind condition are can make for a fun surf or not fun at all surf. For Hawaii the prevailing winds are trades, east winds. Where as in Ventura east winds are fine for some of the spots but not the points. Ventura point, Pitas point and Rincon can get pretty junk with east winds.

On Kauai the trades are good for most spots and not for others. The nice thing about Kauai is there are spots you won’t surf in the trades, but, if the trades die down, or winds turn light variable those spots can be quite good. May not happen too often but it does happen.

I remember one day while working at Hawaiian Blades there was a day when the winds went dead calm. That after noon the call was going to the east side… maybe a 15 minuet drive from the shop to surf where you hardly ever get a chance for. Turn off the highway go down a dirt road to the beach. At the beach, the road turns and runs along the beach that you can’t see from the highway. What you do see though for a good distance is only nice peaks of clean clear water surf and very few if any other surfers.

Another memory is of a spot on the south side that will hold size very well with south swells. I only got to surf it a couple times when the trades had backed off. I was at the park there for a small get together with family one time when again wind conditions were in the dead calm category. There was a decent sized south swell in the water and a few guys were out on the reef getting towed into some pretty good ones. It wasn’t like monster winter surf but I’m sure being towed in was easier than paddling in. Then maybe the guys were getting prepared for winter and the wave there, and conditions were good for that.

Anyway, was thinking about this because I wasn’t paying attention to the local conditions yesterday so missed this morning’s surf. In Hawaii the prevailing condition are almost always good So you don’t have to pay attention so much.

The water temps are always better too.

D.R

 

 At this writing tomorrow is the first day of September, only 3 weeks ‘til the official end of summer and first day of Fall.

As is not uncommon for September in my neck of the woods is hot weather. And as it goes a decent heat wave is in the works right now. Looks to be maybe the next 5 days are going to be pretty hot. The temperature on the deck in front of the house was hovering at 90 degrees at 10:30 this morning. I won’t be able to do any resin work until this evening when temps cool to the mid 80’s.

So what’s a guy to do? If there was surf, I’d go to the beach…. too hot to work so? But currently here there really isn’t much to surf. It’s not 90+ at the beach even though I’m a 10-minute drive from the Surfers Point; temps on the beach are easily 20 degrees less than my place. When temps touch 100 where I am think 80 on the sand at the point. That’s what summer days are all about. The warm lazy days at the beach and away from the hotter days a few miles inland.

In my book hanging at the beach surfing on warm summer days is the best.  Get in some surfing, hang on the beach until you’re ready to cool down. Then go back in the water for more waves and a cool down. Get out of the water for something to eat and a cold drink. Warm up again and then paddle back out for more surf.

That’s what my son and I did on our annual camp out at Leo Carrillo. But there was a big fire what??? About 4 years ago and Leo was burned out. If I remember right the campground was fixed and open 2k19. Then Covid closed the place, so our little outing has been undone, but not the memories.

Good memories keep us coming back for more. Nobody says “I had a terrible time surfing the other day. I think I’ll go surfing to see if I can have another terrible day” Yeah like I want to get scooped up by one of those set waves I got lucky enough to get in the crowd last month during a decent swell only to get to me feet and see 3 guys right in my line that was close to impossible to work around and end up missing the wave of the day.

I ended up barely tagging one of the guys and fell. Didn’t notice until I got out of the water later that the fin that nicked the tail of the guy's board pushed the fin box into the foam and separated from the lamination. Not a good memory. Fortunately, I was able to replace the box later in the day so I could catch what was left of the swell the next morning.

The longer we surf, that is in time, months, years, the more we need the good memories to keep us coming back.

D.R.

Speaking of Leo.... Me and my son with big smiles. We had the place to ourselves.

It was a small day, but we got any and all the waves we wanted.